Microwave cooking time is greatly affected by the QUANTITY of food cooked. This means that the cooking time increases if any ingredient is added to the recipe.

The SIZE of the pieces of food also affects the cooking time. Small cubes of potato cook more quickly and evenly than large ones. Also, thinner slices cook faster than thick ones.

Using the proper UTENSIL makes a difference too.

Also the arrangement of the food is important... Appropriate arrangement of food in your microwave can help the food cook better. Arrangement with thicker, slower cooking pieces towards the outside edge usually works best. Also remmember that the food in the centre is generally the last to cook.