Container for heating and cooking food in particular in a microwave oven, comprising: - a lower containment body adapted to contain food and in general food products; - an upper cover adapted to hermetically couple with the lower containment body; and - an automatic valve, integrated in the upper cover of the container, suitable to allow the venting and discharge to the outside of the steam produced by heating and cooking, in particular in the microwave oven, the food contained in the same container; the container being characterized in that said automatic valve in turn comprises: - a control member, designed to control the pressure present inside the container; and - elastic means associated with said control member; wherein said control member is housed in a recess, formed in the upper cover, which recess has a bottom with a through hole in communication with the inside of the container; wherein said control member is pivoting on and adapted to rotate (f1, f2) and tilt with respect to the bottom of said recess; and wherein said elastic means are adapted to apply an elastic force directed to press and close said control member against said through hole formed in the bottom of the recess, and thereby prevent the steam produced by the food, heated in the microwave oven, from coming out of the container; whereby, when the internal pressure, acting inside the container, of the steam produced by heating and cooking the food, in particular in the microwave oven, reaches a value critical and therefore prevails over the elastic force, applied by said elastic means, which presses and closes the control member against the through hole formed in the bottom of the recess defined by the upper cover of the container, the control member is automatically activated so as to rotate and to tilt against the action of said elastic force, pivoting on the bottom of the recess, so as to open and detach itself from said through hole formed in the bottom of the recess, and therefore allow the steam to exit from the container and flow out. - a lower containment body adapted to contain food and in general food products; - an upper cover adapted to hermetically couple with the lower containment body; and - an automatic valve, integrated in the upper cover of the container, suitable to allow the venting and discharge to the outside of the steam produced by heating and cooking, in particular in the microwave oven, the food contained in the same container; - a control member, designed to control the pressure present inside the container; and - elastic means associated with said control member; wherein said control member is housed in a recess, formed in the upper cover, which recess has a bottom with a through hole in communication with the inside of the container; wherein said control member is pivoting on and adapted to rotate (f1, f2) and tilt with respect to the bottom of said recess; and wherein said elastic means are adapted to apply an elastic force directed to press and close said control member against said through hole formed in the bottom of the recess, and thereby prevent the steam produced by the food, heated in the microwave oven, from coming out of the container; whereby, when the internal pressure, acting inside the container, of the steam produced by heating and cooking the food, in particular in the microwave oven, reaches a value critical and therefore prevails over the elastic force, applied by said elastic means, which presses and closes the control member against the through hole formed in the bottom of the recess defined by the upper cover of the container, the control member is automatically activated so as to rotate and to tilt against the action of said elastic force, pivoting on the bottom of the recess, so as to open and detach itself from said through hole formed in the bottom of the recess, and therefore allow the steam to exit from the container and flow out.