automatically measuring an initial temperature of a food item contained in a container in response to activation of a switch that indicates the container has been positioned for temperature measurement wherein the step of measuring the initial temperature is performed repeatedly until a stable temperature signal is obtained;

inputting a food category;

automatically setting a target temperature for the food item based on the inputted food category;

automatically inputting a value for the quantity of the food item to be heated based on a sensor;

determining a heating time based on the initial temperature, the target temperature, and the quantity;

heating the food item for the heating time; and

inviting the user to position the container in front of the temperature sensor after the heating has been completed in order to verify that the target temperature has been reached.