The cook in my house usually microwaves soup rather than heats it on a stove, but once in a while she’ll do that latter. As difficult a time I have accepting it, I can’t help but feel there is a different quality to the heat. The “hotness” of soup cooked on a stove seems “fuller” in some way; it also seems to stay hot longer. The soup coming from a microwave is stirred before I eat it so I don’t think that ribbons of cooler soup are making the difference. I was wondering if it’s possible that since microwaves only directly heat the water and thermal heat directly heats all the molecules, that this could account for the qualitative difference.
I can even tell whether the soup has been prepared in a microwave or on the stove without having known prior to tasting it. I mentioned this to my father (an engineer) and he said he always felt there was a difference as well. I suppose we could be subconsciously picking up on other cues as to the method of preparation but I’m gonna give myself the benefit of the doubt until someone on the SMDB tells me otherwise.
I can tell the difference (or so I think). I think it has more to do with water evaporating from a stovetop via steam than in the mic. 'Course, it could just be that I don’t notice the steam in the microwave as much. If I’m right, the stovetop heat gives the fuller flavor cause it’s more concentrated.
On the stove, the flame or electric element heats the pot, then the pot heats the soup; in the microvave, it’s the other way around. Could that make a difference?
Hmmm…you might be onto something here. I notice it most with cream o’ something and Condensed Bean with Bacon Soup - all of which I reconstitute with lowfat milk instead of water. The stovetop soups seem thicker and richer not just in taste but in literal viscosity. Being thicker, they also stay warmer longer. It makes sense that the microwave, being a small box, is a more humid cooking environment for a bowl of soup, and doesn’t allow for as much evaporation of water.
It could if the contents of the soup (the veggies and meat pieces) are not as hot in the microwave as on the pot.
You take the soup out of the microwave after the water is hot but the veggies aren’t as hot. As you eat the soup the veggies and the water exchange heat.
Also since the stove takes longer the veggie flavor don’t have as much time to seep into the water when microwaved.
IMNSHO
You should always leave the soup in the MW for a minute or two after the cooking time has finished. This heats all of it more evenly. So say my instructions.