Amana ACF4255A User Manual

Owner's Manual

Covering

TM

ACF4255A and

TM

Electric Smoothtop Range

Keep instructions for future reference.

Be sure manual stays with range.

TM

ACF4265A

Contents

Important Safety Information .............. 3

Cooking on the Smoothtop ................. 6

Cookware Suggestions ...................... 8

Oven Cooking Methods...................... 9

Before Using the Oven ..................... 10

Features ........................................... 1 1

Displays and Signals ........................ 13

Using the Oven Control .................... 14

Cooking

Baking .............................................. 19

Broiling ............................................. 22

Roasting ........................................... 23

Braising ............................................ 24

Care and Cleaning............................ 25

Troubleshooting................................ 29

Amana Warranty .............................. 32

Part No.36-32066601-0

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Thank you for buying an Amana Range!

Please take the time to complete the registration card and return promptly .
If the registration card is missing, call Amana Consumer Affairs Department.
When contacting Amana, provide product information from serial plate found
on upper right hand corner of storage door opening:

Model Number_______________________________
Manufacturing (P) Number _____________________
Serial Number (S/N) __________________________
Purchase Date ______________________________
Dealer Name ________________________________
Dealer Address ______________________________
Dealer Phone _______________________________

Keep this manual and your sales receipt together in a safe place for
future reference or if warranty service is required.

For answers to questions or to locate an authorized servicer, call

1-800-NA T-LSVC (1-800-628-5782) inside USA or 319-622-551 1 outside
USA. Warranty service must be performed by an authorized servicer .

Amana Appliances also recommends contacting an authorized servicer if
service is required after warranty expires.

Questions on cooking, cleaning or usage?

Refer to

Product Assistance at www.amana.com

or

call Consumer Affairs at 1-800-843-0304

Asure Extended

Service Plan

Amana Appliances offers long-term
service protection for this new range.
Asure™ Extended Service Plan,
covering functional parts, labor, and
travel charges, is specially designed to
supplement a strong warranty.
Call 1-800-528-2682 for information.

Parts and Accessories

Purchase replacement parts and
additional accessories by phone.
To order accessories for your Amana
product, call
1-800-843-0304 inside USA or
319-622-5511 outside USA.

Save Time and Money

If something seems unusual, please
check “Troubleshooting” section,
which is designed to help you solve
problems before calling service. If you
have a question, call us at
[phone] or write us at:

Consumer Affairs Department
Amana Appliances
2800 - 220th Trail
Amana, Iowa 52204

What You Need to Know

About Safety Instructions

Warning and Important Safety
Instructions appearing in this manual are
not meant to cover all possible
conditions and situations that may
occur. Common sense, caution, and care
must be exercised when installing,
maintaining, or operating range.

Always contact your dealer, distributor,
service agent, or manufacturer about
problems or conditions you do not
understand.

Remember to include model number
of your appliance and your phone
number.

Recognize Safety Symbols, Words, Labels

DANGER

DANGER—Immediate hazards which WILL result in severe personal

injury or death.

WARNING

WARNING—Hazards or unsafe practices which COULD result in severe

personal injury or death.

CAUTION

CAUTION—Hazards or unsafe practices which COULD result in minor

personal injury or product or property damage.

2

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

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WARNING

T o reduce risk of the appliance tipping, it must be secured by a
properly installed anti-tip bracket. To verify bracket has been
installed properly, remove the storage drawer or panel and look under
the range with a flashlight. Bracket must be engaged in the rear
corner of the range.

• ALL RANGES CAN TIP

• INJURY TO PERSONS
COULD RESULT

• INSTALL ANTI-TIP
BRACKET PACKED
WITH RANGE

• REFER TO
INSTALLATION
INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTION

DO NOT TOUCH SURFACE ELEMENTS OR AREAS NEAR
ELEMENTS—Surface elements may be hot though they are normal in
color. Areas near surface elements may become hot enough to cause
burns. During and after use, do not touch, or let clothing or other
flammable materials contact surface elements or areas near surface
elements until they have had enough time to cool. These areas include
the rangetop and backguard.

CAUTION

DO NOT TOUCH HEATING ELEMENTS OR INTERIOR SURFACES OF
OVEN—Oven heating elements may be hot though they are normal in
color. Interior surfaces of an oven may become hot enough to cause
burns. During and after use, do not touch, or let clothing or other
flammable materials touch heating elements or interior surfaces of oven
until they have had enough time to cool. Other range surfaces that may
become hot enough to cause burns are the oven door, oven cavity, and
oven vent.

WARNING

To avoid personal injury, do not
sit, stand or lean on oven door
or oven (storage) drawer.

WARNING

To avoid risk of electrical shock,
personal injury , or death, verify
your range has been properly
grounded and always
disconnect it from main power
supply before servicing.

California Safe Drinking Water and

T oxic Enforcement Act

(Proposition 65)

The Governor of California is required
to publish a list of substances known
to the state of California to cause
cancer or reproductive harm and
requires businesses to warn
customers of potential exposures to
such substances.

Some appliances contain or produce
a chemical or chemicals which can
cause death or serious illness and
which are known to the State of
California to cause cancer, birth
defects, or other reproductive harm.
To reduce the risk from substances
during the self-clean cycle make sure
this appliance is installed, operated,
and maintained according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

CAUTION

To avoid fire or smoke damage,

• remove any flammable
materials from storage drawer.
Items like plastic containers and
paper manuals can melt or burn.

• clean excess spills before
starting a self clean cycle.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (contd)

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ALL APPLIANCES

1. Proper Installation—Be sure
your appliance is properly
installed and grounded by a
qualified technician.

2. Never Use Y our Appliance for
Warming or Heating the Room.

3. Do Not Leave Children Alone—
Children should not be alone or
unattended in the area where
the appliance is in use. They should never be
allowed to sit or stand on any part of the appliance.

4. Wear Proper Apparel—Loose fitting or hanging
garments should never be worn while using
appliance.

5. User Servicing—Do not repair or replace any part
of the appliance unless specifically recommended
in the manual. All other servicing should be
referred to a qualified technician.

6. Storage in or on Appliance—Flammable materials
(including paper and plastic) should not be stored in
an oven, its storage drawer or near surface units.

7. Do Not Use Water On Grease Fires—Smother fire
or flame, or use dry chemical or foam-type
extinguisher.

8. Use Only Dry Potholders—Moist or damp
potholders on hot surfaces may result in burns
from steam. Do not let potholder touch elements.
Do not use a towel or other bulky cloth.

SURFACE

COOKING UNITS

1. Use Proper Pan Size—
This appliance is equipped with one or more
surface units of different sizes. Select utensils
having flat bottoms large enough to cover the
surface unit heating element. The use of
undersized utensils will expose a portion of the
heating element to direct contact and may result in
ignition of clothing. Use of oversized utensils
concentrates heat on cooking surface and can
cause damage to range. Proper relationship of
utensil to burner improves efficiency.

2. Never Leave Surface Units Unattended—Boilover
causes smoking and greasy spillovers that may ignite.

3. Glazed Cooking Utensils—Only certain types of
glass, ceramic, earthware, or other glazed utensils
are suitable for rangetop service without breaking
due to sudden change in temperature.

4. Utensil Handles Should Be Turned Inward and Not
Extended Over Adjacent Surface Units—To reduce
the risk of burns, ignition of flammable materials,
and spillage due to unintentional contact with the
utensil, the handle of a utensil should be positioned
so that it is turned inward, and does not extend over
adjacent surface units.

CAUTION

Do not store items of interest to children in
cabinets above a range or on the backguard of a
range—children climbing on the range to reach

items could be seriously injured.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

GLASS/CERAMIC

COOKING SURFACES

1. Do Not Cook on Broken Cooktop—If cooktop
should break, cleaning solutions and spillovers may
penetrate the broken cooktop and create a risk of
electrical shock. Contact a qualified technician
immediately .

2. Clean Cooktop With Caution—If a wet sponge or
cloth is used to wipe spills on a hot cooking area,
be careful to avoid a steam burn. Some cleaners
can produce noxious fumes if applied to a hot
surface.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (contd)

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OVENS

1. Use Care When Opening
Door—Let hot air or steam
escape before removing or
replacing food.

2. Do Not Heat Unopened Food
Containers—Build-up of
pressure may cause container to burst and result in
injury .

3. Keep Oven Vent Ducts Unobstructed.

4. Placement of Oven Racks—Always place oven
racks in desired location while oven is cool. If rack
is removed while oven is hot, do not let potholder
contact hot heating element in oven.

5. Protective Liners—Do not use aluminum foil to line
oven racks or oven bottoms. Improper installation
of these liners may result in a risk of electrical
shock, or fire.

SELF-CLEANING OVENS

1. Do Not Clean Door Gasket—The door gasket is
essential for a good seal. Care should be taken not
to rub, damage, or move the gasket.

2. Do Not Use Oven Cleaners—No commercial oven
cleaner or oven liner protective coating of any kind
should be used in or around any part of the liner.

3. Clean Only Parts Listed in Manual

4. Before Self-Cleaning the Oven—Remove broiler
pan, oven racks, and other utensils.

5. Remove All Items From Rangetop and Backguard.

VENTILATION HOODS

1. Clean Ventilating Hoods Frequently—Grease should
not be allowed to accumulate on hood or filter.

2. When flaming foods under the hood, turn the fan on.

In Case of Fire

Fires can occur as a result of over cooking
or excessive grease. Though a fire is

unlikely , if one occurs, proceed as follows:

Surface Element Fire

1. Smother the fire with a nonflammable lid or baking
soda, or use a Class ABC or BC extinguisher. Not
water. Not salt. Not flour.

2. As soon as it is safe to do so, turn the surface
controls to

3. As an added precaution, turn off power at main
circuit breaker or fuse box.

4. If there is any damage to components, call an
authorized Amana servicer before using range.

Oven Fires

1. If you see smoke from your oven, do not open
oven.

2. Turn oven off.

3. As an added precaution, turn off power at main
circuit breaker or fuse box.

4. Turn on vent to remove smoke.

5. Allow food or grease to burn itself out in oven.

6. If smoke and fire persist, call fire department.

7. If there is any damage to components, call an
authorized servicer before using range.

OFF

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Precautions

• Do not cook food directly on
rangetop surface, always use
cookware.

• Do not mix household cleaning products. Chemical
mixtures may interact with objectionable or even
hazardous results.

• Do not put plastic items on warm cooking areas. They
may melt and stick.

• Do not lift or move range by grasping oven door
handle. This can result in window glass breaking or
shattering.

• Do not slide rough metal objects across rangetop
surface. Scratching or metal marking can result.

• Do not leave fat heating unless you remain nearby .
Fat can ignite if overheated by spilling onto hot
surfaces.

• Do not allow pots to boil dry as this can cause
damage to cooking surface and pan.

• Do not use rangetop surface as a cutting board.

• Do not use range for storage or as a display counter.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

5

Cooking on the Smoothtop

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Cooking Safely with

Surface Elements

WARNING

To avoid risk of serious personal
injury, property damage, or fire,
do not leave surface elements
unattended while in operation.
Grease and spillovers can ignite
causing a fire.

WARNING

To avoid risk of electrical shock
or serious personal injury,

• never cook on a broken
smoothtop cooking surface.
Spillovers can penetrate
broken surface and cause
electric shock.

• never clean broken cooktop.
Cleaners can penetrate broken
surface and cause electric
shock.

If smoothtop cooking surface
breaks, discontinue use, turn off
power at circuit breaker or
household fuse and notify an
authorized servicer immediately.

Setting Surface Element Controls

Push in and turn the surface element control
knobs in either direction to turn on the surface
elements. Surface elements are located under
the ceramic cooking surface and radiate heat
through the cooktop. It is normal for the element
to cycle on and off during heating. The controls
have infinite settings between SIM and HI for fine
temperature control.

1. Push in and turn surface element control to
desired setting.

2. When finished cooking, turn control to OFF
position.

3. It is normal for some cooktops to have a
greenish tint while cooling or heating.

SURFACE ELEMENT

CONTROL SETTINGS

SIM

5

HI

Use to prepare food at less than boiling
temperatures or to simmer.
Use to maintain boiling of larger amounts of food,
low temperature frying.
Use to bring food to boiling temperatures. When
food is boiling temperature setting should be
reduced to LO through MED.

WHEN TO USE SETTING

Dual Surface Elements

Dual surface elements have an inner and outer
element that can be set according to your pan size.
The outer edge of your pan should always cover the
element graphic, with a maximum overhang of 1 inch.
To use inner and outer element simultaneously, press
switch to LARGE position. To use inner element only,
press switch to SMALL position.

WARNING

To avoid serious personal injury ,
do not use a damp or wet cloth to
clean up spills on a hot or warm
cooktop. Moist or damp cloths on
hot surfaces may result in burns
from steam.

Indicator Lights

Surface element operation is indicated by an indicator light that glows when the
element is turned on. The location and number of indicator lights vary with each
model. After a surface control is turned off, the surface indicator light will

continue to glow until surface elements have cooled to approximately 145°F.
The length of time the light remains on will vary. If there is more than one
surface element light, do not expect the lights to shut off at the same time.

After you cook...

...remember to establish a cleaning routine for your smoothtop. Cooktops can be
sensitive to certain cooking spillovers. Unlike conventional ranges, smoothtops
should not be cleaned with a wet dishcloth when wiping down other counters. Daily
care is quick, easy and can prevent damage. To purchase Amana recommended
cleaning products, contact our Consumer Affairs department
at [phone].

6

Cooking on the Smoothtop (cont'd)

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Using the Warming Zone

Y our new range is equipped with a convenient warming zone. The warming
zone is designed to keep hot foods hot until serving time. When cooking
such foods as pancakes, fried chicken, or even stir-fry the warming zone can
keep cooked foods hot as other portions are cooked.

All food placed on the warming zone should be covered with aluminum foil or a
lid to maintain quality . For best results, when warming pastries or breads, cover
should have a vent to allow moisture to escape. Do not use plastic wrap to
cover food. Plastic wrap could melt onto the surface and be very difficult to clean.

Cookware should be restricted to utensils designed for use with a smoothtop
cooktop. Cookware used on the warming zone should also not exceed the
pattern of the element by more than one inch, or be taller than six inches to
allow easy access to the oven control.

1. Push in and turn surface element control to desired setting. Warming
zone element approximate temperatures are:

• 145°F on 1 setting

• 175°F on 3 setting

• 205°F on 5 setting

• 250°F on 7 setting

• 325°F on 9 setting

Temperatures depend on the utensil used and the food being kept warm.

2. When finished with warming zone, turn control to OFF position.

CAUTION

Always use potholders or oven
mitts when removing food from
the warming zone as cookware
and plates will be hot.

Temperature Selection

To decrease the likelihood of food borne illness, hot foods should be kept at
a minimum of 140°F. Use a meat thermometer to verify foods kept on the
warming zone are at this temperature. Use the chart below to approximate
what heat setting to begin using for a particular food. Adjust as necessary
depending on the maintained temperature of the food.

Warming Zone Recommended Settings

Approximate

Food Item Heat Setting
Breads/Pastries
Casseroles
Dinner Plates with Food
Eggs
Mashed Potatoes
Hamburger Casserole
Gravies
Meats
Sauces
Cream based soups
Stews
Vegetables
Fried Foods
Hot Beverages
Soups

1 145
1 145
1 145
1 145
1 145
3 175
5 205
5 205
5 205
5 205
5 205
9 325
9 325

9I 325

9 325

Temperature °F

(Element)

7

Warming Zone Utensil

Recommendations

Because the warming zone is a part of
the smoothtop cooktop, it is
recommended only to use utensils
designed specifically for use on the
smoothtop (see Cookware Suggestions
section). Using cookware not designed
for use with a smoothtop may result in
poor cooking performance, damage to
the smoothtop, or damage to the
cookware. Cookware should not be

wider than 8 inches around or taller
than 6 inches in height.

Indicator Light

The warming zone has its own indicator
light. It turns on when the control is set.
The indicator light will remain on after
the knob is turned to an off position if
the surface is still warm. When the glass
of the cooktop has cooled down
sufficiently (approximately 145 °F), the
indicator light will then shut off.

Cookware Suggestions

What Should You Consider in Cookware?

Select Avoid

Flat Pan Test

For best cooking results, use a pan
with a flat bottom. To determine if
pan has a flat bottom.

1. Rotate a ruler along bottom of
pan. If pan is not flat, gaps
between bottom of pan and
edge of ruler can be seen.

2. A small groove or mark on a
pan does not affect cooking
times. However, if a pan has a
gap, formed rings, or an uneven
bottom, it does not cook
efficiently and in some cases
may not boil liquid.

Flat bottomed cookware. Cookware with rounded or warped bottoms.
Pans with aluminum disk bottoms. Glass, glass-ceramic, enamel porcelain or

Heavy gauge metal cookware. Light gauge metal cookware.
Handles that are secure, that are not

heavy enough to tilt pan.
Proper pan size. Cookware that is smaller than or greater than

Flat bottomed wok Wok with a ringstand on bottom

cast iron cookware, canners or pressure
cookers.

Cookware with loose or broken handles.

heating element size by 1 inch.

Can I can?

Canning is not recommended with any
of the Amana smoothtop ranges or
cooktops due to the intense heat and
large cookware required to can.

The heat generated by the canning
cookware overheats both the elements
and the smoothtop of the range. This
can cause the smoothtop to crack, cause
failure of the heating elements, and can
cause damage to the backguard.

Damage incurred by canning, or
attempting to can, using the smoothtop
cooktop is not covered under warranty.

COOKWARE

MATERIAL

Aluminum

Stainless Steel

Copper Clad /

Tin Lined

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USES

Heats and cools quickly. Use for frying, braising,
and roasting.

Heats and cools at moderate rate. Use for soups,
sauces, vegetables, general cooking.

Heats and cools quickly. Use for gourmet cooking,
wine sauces, egg dishes.

Oven Cooking Methods

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Oven Cooking Methods

Bake

Bake (lower) and broil (upper) elements operate during bake.
Bake element is not visible on oven bottom. Broil element will
cycle on and off during bake and is only used to heat oven quickly
and brown top of food. Broil element will not glow red during a
bake cycle. Bake can be used to cook foods which are normally
baked. Oven should be preheated.

Broil

Upper element operates during broil. Broil can be used to cook foods
which are normally broiled. Preheating is not required when using broil.
All foods should be turned at least once except fish, which does not need
to be turned.

Bake

Broil

Broil

Broiling Hints

• Remove excess fat from meat before broiling. Cut edges of meat to
prevent curling.

• Place food on a cold ungreased broiling pan. If pan is hot, food sticks.

• All food except fish should be turned at least one time. Begin broiling
with skin side down.

• Season meat after it has browned.

• Broiling does not require preheating.

• Begin cooking using suggested rack levels in
broiler results. If food is not brown enough, cook on a higher rack
position. If food is too brown, cook on a lower rack position.

• Oven door must be closed during broiling.

Broiling

section to test

WARNING

Never leave oven unattended
while broiling. Overcooking may
result in a fire.

Need help on how to

cook that meat?

For your reference we have
provided meat preparation, handling
safety and cooking suggestions in this
manual. These recommendations are
furnished by the USDA as well as
several meat producer associations. See
the individual sections for the
information.

9

Before Using the Oven

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Aluminum Foil

WARNING

To avoid risk of personal injury,
property damage or fire, do not
line oven bottom, racks, or broiler
pan and grid with aluminum foil.

When placed on the oven bottom or
racks, aluminum foil not only creates
a hazard, but also affects cooking
performance. To minimize spills in the

oven, place a shallow pan or cookie
sheet on rack underneath food items that
drip or spill. The pan must not touch the
oven walls, front, or back. DO NOT use
aluminum foil, even if it is trimmed to
size, as a substitute for a drip pan.

Oven Racks and Rack Positions

Your range has 6 oven rack positions to accommodate many types of
cooking and cookware.

Position oven rack before turning
oven on.

1. Pull rack forward to stop
position.

2. Raise front edge of rack and pull
until rack is out of oven.

3. Place rack in new rack position.

• Curved edge of rack must be

toward rear of oven.

Rack Position Guidelines for Baking,

Roasting and Braising

Rack

Position

Food Type

1

2

3

4

5

6

2

3

4
5 Whole turkey, capons, tip roasts and dressings

6

Puff pastry products, strudels, casseroles, muffins,
small pork loin and Eye of Round roast.

Halved chickens, whole pork tenderloin, Cornish hens,
pot pies, frozen pizzas, quick breads (corn bread,
biscuits)

Roast tenderloin of beef, whole chicken, whole pork loin,
roasted vegetables such as acorn or spaghetti squash.

Large cuts of roast meats such as top round,
standing rib roast, crown roast of lamb and boston butts.
Baked and sweet potatoes, flat breads and cobblers.

Rack Position Guidelines for Broiling

Rack

Position

1

2

3

Food Type

Boneless pork chops, boneless skinless chicken breast,
fish fillets, tuna steaks.

1/2 to 3/4" thick beef or tuna steaks, or pork chops.
London Broil.

1 to 1 1/2" thick steaks, 1 to 2" thick pork chops.
Lobster tails.

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