Amana ACM0720A User Manual

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BUILT BETTER THAN IT HAS TO BE

™

OwnerÕs Manual

Covering model ACM0720A

Electric Microwave

Keep instructions for future reference.
Be sure manual stays with microwave.

Part No. 3828W5A1878

Contents

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

Installation..................................................................... 5

Other Helpful Information.............................................6

Cooking Utensils........................................................... 8

Feature Diagram .......................................................... 9

Operating Instructions................................................ 10

Care and Cleaning..................................................... 15

Heating or Reheating Guide...................................... 16

Fresh Vegetable Chart............................................... 17

Troubleshooting.......................................................... 18

Amana Warranty........................................................ 19

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:

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-

NAT-LSVC(1-800-628-5782) inside USA or 319-622-5511 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.

Asure™ Extended
Service Plan

Amana Appliances offers long-term
service protection for this new
microwave. 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 part 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

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

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
microwave.

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

Recognize Safety Symbols, Words, Labels

DANGER - Immediate hazards which WILL result in severe personal

injury or death.

WARNING - Hazards or unsafe practices which COULD result in

severe personal injury or death.

CAUTION - Hazards or unsafe practices which COULD result in minor

personal injury or product or property damage.

2

Thank you for buying an Amana Microwave!

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DANGER

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WARNING

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CAUTION

Questions on cooking, cleaning or usage?

Refer to

Product Assistance at www.amana.com

or

call Consumer Affairs at 1-800-843-0304

3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

A. DO NOT attempt to operate this oven with door open since open door operation can result in harmful exposure to microwave

energy. It is important not to defeat or tamper with safety interlocks.
B. DO NOT place any object between oven front face and door to allow soil or cleaner residue to accumulate on sealing surfaces.
C. DO NOT operate oven if it is damaged. It is particularly important that oven door close properly and that there is no damage to:

1. Door (bent),

2. Hinges and latches (broken or loosened),

3. Door seals and sealing surfaces.

D. Oven should not be adjusted or repaired by anyone except properly qualified service personnel.

PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO

EXCESSIVE MICROWAVE ENERGY

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

To avoid risk of personal injury or property damage, observe the following:

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CAUTION

1. Be certain to place the front surface of the door
three inches away or more from the countertop
edge to avoid accidental tipping of the appliance
in normal usage.

2. For the most accurate programming of the
electronic units, touch the center of each pad
securely. Do not touch several pads at one time
or touch between pads. A beep sound should
be heard with each touch when a pad is
touched correctly.

3. Do not hit or strike the control with objects such
as silverware, utensils, etc. Breakage may
occur.

4. Be careful when taking the cooking utensils out
of the oven. Some dishes absorb heat from the
cooked food and may be hot.

5. Do not rinse cooking utensils by immediately
placing them into water just after cooking. This
may cause breakage. Allow the turntable to
cool.

6. Use only specific glass utensils. See cooking
utensils section in this manual.

7. Do not operate the oven empty. Either food or
water should always be in the oven during
operation to absorb microwave energy.

8. Do not use your microwave oven to dry
newspapers or clothes. They can catch fire.

9. Use only thermometers approved for
microwave oven cooking.

10. Be certain the turntable is in place when you
operate the oven.

11. Pierce the skin of potatoes, whole squash,
apples, or any fruit or vegetable which has a
skin covering before cooking.

12. Never use your microwave oven to cook eggs
in the shell. Pressure can build up inside the
shell, causing it to burst.

13. Do not pop popcorn, except in a microwave­safe container or commercial package
designed especially for microwave ovens.
Never try to pop popcorn in a paper bag not
designed for microwave oven use. Overcooking
may result in smoke and fire. Do not repop
unpopped kernels. Do not reuse popcorn bags.

4

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

To reduce the risk of burns, electric shock, fire, injury to persons, or exposure to excessive microwave
energy:

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WARNING

1. Read all instructions before using the appliance.

2. Read and follow the specific PRECAUTIONS TO
AVOID POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO
EXCESSIVE MICROWAVE ENERGY found on
page 3 of this manual.

3. This appliance must be grounded. Connect only to

properly grounded outlet. See

GROUNDING

INSTRUCTIONS

found on page 5 of this manual.

4. Install or locate this appliance only in accordance

with the provided installation instructions.

5. Some products such as whole eggs and sealed

containers – for example, closed glass jars – may
explode and should not be heated in this oven.

6. Use this appliance only for its intended use as

described in the manual. Do not use corrosive
chemicals or vapors in this appliance. This type of
oven is specifically designed to heat, cook, or dry
food. It is not designed for industrial or laboratory use.

7. As with any appliance, close supervision is

necessary when used by children.

8. Do not operate this appliance if it has a damaged

cord or plug, if it is not working properly, or if it has
been damaged or dropped.

9. This appliance should be serviced only by qualified

service personnel. Contact the nearest authorized
service facility for examination, repair, or adjustment.

10. Do not cover or block any openings on the appliance.

11. Do n o t s t o r e t h i s appliance outdoors. Do not use this
product near water - for example, near a kitchen sink, in
a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, and the like.

12. Do not immerse cord or plug in water.

13. Keep cord away from heated surfaces.

14. Do not let cord hang over the edge of table or counter.

15. When cleaning surfaces of door and oven that comes
together on closing the door, use only mild, non
abrasive soaps or detergents applied with a sponge or
soft cloth.

16. Do not heat any type of baby bottles or baby food.
Uneven heating may occur and could cause
personal injury.

17. Avoid heating small-necked containers such as
syrup bottles.

18. Avoid using corrosive and vapors, such as sulfide
and chloride.

19. Liquids heated in certain shaped containers
(especially cylindrical-shaped containers) may
become overheated. The liquid may splash out with a
loud noise during or after heating or when adding
ingredients (instant coffee, etc.), resulting in harm to
the oven and possible injury. In all containers, for best
results, stir the liquid several times before heating.
Always stir liquid several times between reheatings.

To reduce the risk of fire in the oven cavity:

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CAUTION

a. Do not overcook food. Carefully attend appliance if

paper, plastic, or other combustible materials are
placed inside the oven to facilitate cooking.

b. Remove wire twist-ties from paper or plastic bags

before placing bag in oven.

c. If materials inside the oven should ignite, KEEP

OVEN DOOR CLOSED, turn oven off, and
disconnect the power cord or shut off power at the
fuse or circuit breaker panel.

d. Do not use the cavity for storage purposes. Do not

leave paper products, cooking utensils, or food in
the cavity when not in use.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Recognize this symbol as a SAFETY message

A. GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS

This appliance must be grounded. In the event of an
electrical short circuit, grounding reduces the risk of
electric shock by providing an escape wire for the
electric current. This appliance is equipped with a
cord having a grounding wire with a grounding plug.
The plug must be plugged into an outlet that is
properly installed and grounded.

B. CIRCUITS

For safety purposes this oven must be plugged into a
15 or 20 Amp circuit. No other electrical appliances or
lighting circuits should be on this line. If in doubt,
consult a licensed electrician.

C. VOLTAGE

The voltage used at the wall receptacle must be the
same as specified on the oven name plate located
inside oven door. Use of a higher voltage is dangerous
and may result in a fire or other type of accident
causing oven damage. Low voltage will cause slow
cooking. In case your microwave oven does not
perform normally in spite of proper voltage, remove
and reinsert the plug.

D. PLACEMENT OF THE OVEN

Your microwave oven can be placed easily in your
kitchen, family room, or anywhere else in your home.
Place the oven on a flat surface such as a kitchen
countertop or a specially designed microwave oven cart.
Do not place oven above a gas or electric range. Free
air flow around the oven is important.

E. DO NOT BLOCK AIR VENTS

All air vents should be kept clear during cooking. If
air vents are covered during oven operation the oven
may overheat. In this case, a sensitive thermal safety
device automatically turns the oven off. The oven will
be inoperable until it has cooled sufficiently.

F. RADIO INTERFERENCE

1. Microwave oven operation may interfere with TV or
radio reception.

2. When there is interference, it may be reduced or
eliminated by taking the following measures:

a. Clean the door and the sealing surfaces of the oven.
b. Reorient the receiving antenna of radio or television.
c. Relocate the microwave oven in relation to the TV or radio.
d. Move the microwave oven away from the receiver.
e. Plug the microwave oven into a different outlet so

that microwave oven and receiver are on different
branch circuits.

G. UNPACKING OVEN

• Inspect oven for damage such as dents in door or

inside oven cavity.

• Report any dents or breakage to source of purchase

immediately.

Do not attempt to use oven if damaged.

• Remove all materials from oven interior.

• If oven has been stored in extremely cold area, wait

a few hours before connecting power.

5

Installation

Ensure proper ground

exists before use

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WARNING

To avoid risk of electrical shock or death, this
oven must be earthed.

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WARNING

To avoid risk of electrical shock or death, do not
alter the plug.

6

Other Helpful Information

GETTING THE BEST RESULTS
FROM YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN

Keep an eye on things. The instructions in this
book have been formulated with great care, but

your success in preparing food depends, of course,
on how much attention you pay to the food as it
cooks. Always watch your food while it cooks. Your
microwave oven is equipped with a light that turns on
automatically when the oven is in operation so that
you can see inside and check the progress of your
recipe. Directions given in recipes to elevate, stir, and
the like should be thought of as the minimum steps
recommended. If the food seems to be cooking
unevenly, simply make the necessary adjustments
you think appropriate to correct the problem.

Factors affecting cooking times. Many factors
affect cooking times. The temperature of ingredients
used in a recipe makes a big difference in cooking
times. For example, a cake made with ice-cold butter,
milk, and eggs will take considerably longer to bake
than one made with ingredients that are at room
temperature. All of the recipes in this book give a
range of cooking times. In general, you will find that
the food remains under-cooked at the lower end of
the time range, and you may sometimes want to cook
your food beyond the maximum time given, according
to personal preference. The governing philosophy of
this book is that it is best for a recipe to be
conservative in giving cooking times. While
undercooked food may always be cooked a bit more,
overcooked food is ruined for good. Some of the
recipes, particularly those for bread, cakes, and
custard, recommend that food be removed from the
oven when they are slightly undercooked. This is not
a mistake. When allowed to stand, usually covered,
these foods will continue to cook outside of the oven
as the heat trapped within the outer portions of the
foods gradually travels inward. If the foods are left in
the oven until they are cooked all the way through,
the outer portions will become overcooked or even
burnt.
As you gain experience in using your microwave
oven, you will become increasingly skillful in
estimating both cooking and standing times for
various foods.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES IN
MICROWAVE COOKING

Browning: Meats and poultry that are cooked fifteen

minutes or longer will brown lightly in their own fat.
Foods that are cooked for a shorter period of time
may be brushed with a browning sauce to achieve an
appetizing color. The most commonly used browning
sauces are Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and
barbecue sauce. Since relatively small amounts of
browning sauces are added to foods, the original
flavor of recipes is not altered.

Covering: A cover traps heat and steam and causes
food to cook more quickly. You may either use a lid or
microwave cling-film with a corner folded back to
prevent splitting.

Covering with waxed paper: Waxed paper
effectively prevents spattering and helps food retain
some heat. Since it makes a looser cover than a lid or
cling-film, it allows the food to dry out slightly.

Wrapping in waxed paper or paper towel:

Sandwiches and many other foods containing
prebaked bread should be wrapped prior to
microwaving to prevent drying out.

Arranging and spacing: Individual foods such as
baked potatoes, small cakes, and hors d’oeuvres will
heat more evenly if placed in the oven and equal
distance apart, preferably in a circular pattern. Never
stack foods on top of one another.

Stirring: Stirring is one of the most important of all
microwaving techniques. In conventional cooking,
foods are stirred for the purpose of blending.
Microwaved foods, however, are stirred in order to
spread and redistribute heat. Always stir from the
outside towards the center as the outside food heats
first.

Turning over: Large, tall foods such as roasts and
whole chickens should be turned so that the top and
bottom will cook evenly. It is also a good idea to turn
cut-up chicken and chops.

Placing thicker portions near the edge: Since
microwaves are attracted to the outside portion of
foods, it makes sense to place thicker portions of
meat, poultry and fish to the outer edge of the baking
dish. This way, thicker portions will receive the most
microwave energy and the foods will cook evenly.