10 Popular Singapore Foods You Can Cook & Reheat in a Microwave.

Published by PowerPac | Updated August 2026

Ask most people what a microwave is for, and the answer is almost always the same: reheating last night's leftovers. But a microwave oven is a genuine cooking and reheating tool for Singapore's everyday food — from tapau chicken rice and bak kut teh to silky steamed egg and even plain rice cooked from scratch, all without touching the stove.

If your PowerPac PPT720 or PPT725 has mostly been reheating duty so far, here's everything else it can actually do.

Meet the Ovens
🔲 PPT720 — 20L Microwave Oven, 700W

Compact and efficient, the PPT720 is built for everyday convenience — reheating leftovers, cooking ready meals, defrosting frozen food, and preparing snacks. It offers 6 power levels (Low, Medium Low, Medium, Medium High, High, and Defrost), a 30-minute mechanical timer, push-button door release, and a tempered glass viewing window. Safety Mark approved, with a 24-month motor warranty.

🔲 PPT725 — 25L Microwave Oven

Slightly larger at 25L, the PPT725 uses the same simple dial-based control — turn the Power Dial to your setting (Low, Defrost, Medium Low, Medium, Medium High, or High), then turn the Timer Dial to roughly how long you need. No digital menus to learn, no manual to consult — just turn and go, which makes it especially easy for anyone who finds fussier appliances frustrating.

Both ovens share the same core idea: simple, reliable, and capable of far more than most people ever use them for.

10 Most Popular Singapore Foods to Prepare in a Microwave
#  Food  Approx. Time  Setting
1. Reheating chicken rice (rice + chicken)  2–3 mins  Medium High
2. Reheating bak kut teh (soup + rice)  3–4 mins  High
3. Steamed egg (Chinese-style silky egg)  6–8 mins  Medium
4. Reheating otah  1–2 mins  Medium
5. Reheating curry (chicken, fish, or vegetable)  2–3 mins  High
6. Reheating laksa or mee siam (noodles + gravy)  3–4 mins  Medium High
7. Reheating roti prata or paratha  30–45 secs  Medium
8. Defrosting fish, prawns & chicken for cooking  Varies by weight  Defrost
9. Reheating dim sum (siew mai, char siew bao)  1–2 mins  Medium
10. Plain white rice or porridge from scratch  12–15 mins  High

Full instructions for each are below.

What Else Can a Microwave Actually Cook?
🍗 Reheating Chicken Rice

Separate the rice and chicken onto a microwave-safe plate rather than reheating them stacked together — this helps both heat more evenly. Cover loosely and microwave on Medium High for 2–3 minutes, checking that the chicken is heated through to the centre before eating.

🍲 Reheating Bak Kut Teh

Reheat the soup separately from the rice where possible, since liquid and solids heat at different rates. Cover the bowl loosely and microwave on High for 3–4 minutes, stirring halfway to distribute the heat evenly through the broth.

🥚 Steamed Egg (Chinese-Style Silky Egg)

Whisk eggs with lukewarm water or stock (roughly 1:1.5 ratio), strain for a smoother texture, cover the bowl loosely, and microwave on Medium for 6–8 minutes, checking every 2 minutes. Cooking low and slow is the key to that silky, custard-like texture — full power tends to make it rubbery and full of holes.

🐟 Reheating Otah

Otah reheats well in short bursts — wrap loosely in its own banana leaf or a paper towel to prevent it drying out, and microwave on Medium for 1–2 minutes. Avoid high power, which can toughen the fish paste.

🍛 Reheating Curry

Chicken curry, fish curry, and vegetable curry reheat well covered loosely on a microwave-safe plate or bowl, High for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway. If the curry has thickened in the fridge, add a small splash of water before reheating to loosen it back to its original consistency.

🍜 Reheating Laksa & Mee Siam

Noodle dishes with gravy reheat best with the noodles and gravy together in one bowl, covered loosely, on Medium High for 3–4 minutes, stirring halfway. If the gravy has separated (common with coconut-based laksa), a good stir after reheating brings it back together.

🫓 Reheating Roti Prata & Paratha

Wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave on Medium for 30–45 seconds — this keeps it soft rather than turning it rubbery or dried out, which happens quickly with prata on high power for too long.

🧊 Defrosting Fish, Prawns & Chicken

Both the PPT720 and PPT725 include a dedicated Defrost setting, which thaws frozen fish, prawns, and chicken far faster and more evenly than leaving them on the counter — while reducing the food-safety risk of prolonged room-temperature thawing before cooking.

🥟 Reheating Dim Sum

Siew mai, char siew bao, and similar steamed items reheat well wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel to replace the moisture lost in the fridge, microwaved on Medium for 1–2 minutes.

🍚 Rice & Porridge From Scratch

A microwave-safe bowl with rice and the right water ratio, covered loosely, will cook plain white rice in about 12–15 minutes on High (check and stir halfway). Congee and oatmeal work the same way — just use a larger bowl, since both expand and can bubble over if the container is too small.

Do's & Don'ts While Using a Microwave Oven
✅ Do

✅ Use microwave-safe containers only — glass, ceramic, or plastic labelled "microwave-safe." ✅ Cover food loosely (a plate, a microwave-safe lid, or vented wrap) to trap steam and cook more evenly, especially for rice, vegetables, and eggs. ✅ Stir or rotate food halfway through longer cook times — microwaves often heat unevenly, especially in ovens without a turntable. ✅ Prick or score foods with skins or membranes (whole eggs, sausages, otah) before cooking to prevent pressure building up and bursting. ✅ Start with shorter bursts and add time gradually — it's far easier to add 20 seconds than to rescue overcooked food. ✅ Reheat food until it's steaming hot all the way through, not just warm on the surface — especially rice, seafood, and previously cooked meat. ✅ Clean up spills and food splatters promptly — leftover residue can scorch and smoke the next time the oven is used. ✅ Keep the door seals and interior clean and free of grease buildup, which affects heating efficiency over time.

❌ Don't

❌ Never put metal, foil, or anything with metallic trim (including some ceramic bowls with gold rims) into the microwave — it can spark and damage the oven. ❌ Never microwave a whole egg in its shell — pressure builds up rapidly and it can burst, sometimes violently. ❌ Never run the microwave empty — with nothing inside to absorb the microwave energy, it can damage the magnetron. ❌ Never use containers not labelled microwave-safe, including some takeaway plastic containers, which can melt or leach chemicals into food. ❌ Never seal food in a fully airtight container or wrapping — steam needs an escape route, or it can cause the container to burst. ❌ Don't operate the oven if the door, door seals, or hinges are damaged — this can allow microwave leakage. ❌ Don't attempt to open the door before the timer ends by force, or tamper with the safety interlock — this is a safety mechanism, not an inconvenience. ❌ Don't use the microwave to dry non-food items (clothing, pet bedding, sponges) — this is outside its intended use and can start a fire. ❌ Don't leave the oven unattended for longer cook times, especially with fatty or sugary foods that can overheat and catch fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake a cake in a PowerPac microwave oven? The PPT720 and PPT725 are microwave-only models (not combination microwave-ovens with a grill or convection function), so they're best suited for reheating, steaming, and simple stovetop-replacement cooking rather than oven-style baking with browning and rise.

Is it safe to reheat tapau (takeaway) food more than once? It's best to only reheat food once, and to reheat it until it's steaming hot throughout, not just warm — this matters especially for rice, seafood, and dishes that have already been sitting out or in the fridge for a while.

Is it safe to cook raw meat in the microwave? Yes, as long as it reaches a safe internal temperature throughout — microwaves can heat unevenly, so it's best to cut meat into smaller, even pieces and check that there's no pink or raw centre before eating.

Why does my rice boil over in the microwave? Use a bowl at least twice the volume of your rice and water combined, and keep the cover loose rather than sealed, so steam can escape instead of building up pressure.

Where can I buy the PPT720 or PPT725? Both are available at www.powerpac.com.sg, on Shopee Singapore at shopee.sg/powerpac, at NTUC FairPrice, at Giant Hypermarket, and at selected MR.DIY stores island-wide.

Shop the PowerPac Microwave Oven Range Today

From reheating tapau favourites to cooking rice and steamed egg from scratch — your microwave oven can do more than you think.

👉 www.powerpac.com.sg 🛍️ Shopee: shopee.sg/powerpac 🏪 NTUC FairPrice — selected stores island-wide 🏪 Giant Hypermarket — selected stores island-wide 🏪 MR.DIY — 13 locations across Singapore

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