Even as hard-pressed for time and addicted to convenience as they are, fewer Americans are zapping frozen dinners in their microwaves these days. But maybe the answer is to improve the zapping process, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Sales of frozen entrees declined two percent last year to $9.2 billion, according to Chicago market research firm Symphony IRI Group. In terms of the microwave technology, "there's been very little innovation," said Randy Friedlander, vice president of client services at WD Partners, a Dublin, Ohio, food and retail consulting firm.
Some companies are trying to position the frozen entree as a simpler, healthier and better-tasting experience. FreshDirect, a New York-area online grocer, is selling its own Smart & Simple line featuring innovative dishes like Artichoke and Ricotta Ravioli, and Balsamic Vegetable Couscous (prices range from $6.99 to $9.99).
But the Smart & Simple line also offers innovation in packaging, said Tim Milano, senior vice president of merchandising. A special bowl enables "pressure steaming" in the microwave, with no need to stir midway through heating. According to one theory, microwave ovens -- or consumers' continued misuse of them, to be more precise -- are the cause of the frozen entree slump.
When heating up a microwavable dish, many people still ignore the "stir step," where they are supposed to stop the oven, peel back the food covering and stir before a second phase of heating. Because of that, a lot of microwaved meals still come out less than full cooked, scorchingly hot at the edges or lukewarm inside.
In a 2011 survey by the International Microwave Power Institute, only 31% of microwave oven users said directions on frozen entree packaging "worked well." Some 37% said they disregard or partially follow instructions to stir or rotate a dish at the midpoint. And 89% said they judged whether food was done "by taste, touch and appearance" rather than by following instructions.
Among other companies trying to make microwaving better is LYFE Kitchen Inc., whose frozen meals are encased in a paper pouch, which creates steam when heated up in a microwave or conventional oven. Entrees include Vegan Whole Grain Pilaf with Sweet & Zesty Vegetable Peporanata and Orange Mango Chicken with Whole Grains, Kale and Broccoli (up to $6.99 each). The microwave results are equivalent to those achieved in a regular oven, says founder Steve Sidwell.
Schwan Food Co., of Marshall, Minnesota, is currently test marketing steam-based microwave technology in Bon Appétit Steam-Baked Meals, ($8.99, serves two). Schwan says the technology is based on a "classic French cooking method." There are microwave directions but "oven directions are preferred," the product's website says.
