Amana Electric Smoothtop Range ACF4255A User Manual

Owner's Manual

Covering TMACF4255A and TMACF4265A

TM

Electric Smoothtop Range

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

Contents
Important Safety Information	.............. 3
Cooking on the Smoothtop .................	6
Cookware Suggestions ......................	8
Oven Cooking Methods ......................	9
Before Using the Oven .....................	10
Features ...........................................	11
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

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-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 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.

Questions on cooking, cleaning or usage?

Refer to

Product Assistance at www.amana.com

or

call Consumer Affairs at 1-800-843-0304

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 range.

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

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

!WARNING

To 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

Toxic 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)

ALL APPLIANCES

1.	Proper Installation—Be sure	SURFACE
	your appliance is properly	COOKING UNITS
	installed and grounded by a
		1. Use Proper Pan Size—
	qualified technician.
2.	Never Use Your Appliance for	This appliance is equipped with one or more
	Warming or Heating the Room.	surface units of different sizes. Select utensils
3.	Do Not Leave Children Alone—	having flat bottoms large enough to cover the
	Children should not be alone or	surface unit heating element. The use of
	unattended in the area where	undersized utensils will expose a portion of the
	the appliance is in use. They should never be	heating element to direct contact and may result in
	allowed to sit or stand on any part of the appliance.	ignition of clothing. Use of oversized utensils
4.	Wear Proper Apparel—Loose fitting or hanging	concentrates heat on cooking surface and can
	garments should never be worn while using	cause damage to range. Proper relationship of
	appliance.	utensil to burner improves efficiency.
5.	User Servicing—Do not repair or replace any part	2. Never Leave Surface Units Unattended—Boilover
	of the appliance unless specifically recommended	causes smoking and greasy spillovers that may ignite.
	in the manual. All other servicing should be	3. Glazed Cooking Utensils—Only certain types of
	referred to a qualified technician.	glass, ceramic, earthware, or other glazed utensils
6.	Storage in or on Appliance—Flammable materials	are suitable for rangetop service without breaking
	(including paper and plastic) should not be stored in	due to sudden change in temperature.
	an oven, its storage drawer or near surface units.	4. Utensil Handles Should Be Turned Inward and Not
7.	Do Not Use Water On Grease Fires—Smother fire	Extended Over Adjacent Surface Units—To reduce
	or flame, or use dry chemical or foam-type	the risk of burns, ignition of flammable materials,
	extinguisher.	and spillage due to unintentional contact with the
8.	Use Only Dry Potholders—Moist or damp	utensil, the handle of a utensil should be positioned
	potholders on hot surfaces may result in burns	so that it is turned inward, and does not extend over
	from steam. Do not let potholder touch elements.	adjacent surface units.

Do not use a towel or other bulky cloth.

!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.

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.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

4

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (cont’d)

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 OFF.

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.

	!	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

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	WHEN TO USE SETTING
	CONTROL SETTINGS
	SIM	Use to prepare food at less than boiling
		temperatures or to simmer.

5Use to maintain boiling of larger amounts of food, low temperature frying.

	HI	Use to bring food to boiling temperatures. When
		food is boiling temperature setting should be
		reduced to LO through MED.

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)

Using the Warming Zone

Your 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	Temperature °F
		(Element)
Breads/Pastries	1	145
Casseroles	1	145
Dinner Plates with Food	1	145
Eggs	1	145
Mashed Potatoes	1	145
Hamburger Casserole	3	175
Gravies	5	205
Meats	5	205
Sauces	5	205
Cream based soups	5	205
Stews	5	205
Vegetables	9	325
Fried Foods	9	325
Hot Beverages	9I	325
Soups	9	325
		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?

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.

Select	Avoid
Flat bottomed cookware.	Cookware with rounded or warped bottoms.
Pans with aluminum disk bottoms.	Glass, glass-ceramic, enamel porcelain or
	cast iron cookware, canners or pressure
	cookers.
Heavy gauge metal cookware.	Light gauge metal cookware.
Handles that are secure, that are not	Cookware with loose or broken handles.
heavy enough to tilt pan.
Proper pan size.	Cookware that is smaller than or greater than
	heating element size by 1 inch.
Flat bottomed wok	Wok with a ringstand on bottom

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	USES
MATERIAL
Aluminum	Heats and cools quickly. Use for frying, braising,
	and roasting.
Stainless Steel	Heats and cools at moderate rate. Use for soups,
	sauces, vegetables, general cooking.
Copper Clad /	Heats and cools quickly. Use for gourmet cooking,
Tin Lined	wine sauces, egg dishes.

8

Oven Cooking Methods

Oven Cooking Methods

Bake

Bake

Broil

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

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.

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 Broiling section to test 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.

! 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

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.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Rack Position Guidelines for Baking, Roasting and Braising

	Rack
	Position	Food Type
	2	Puff pastry products, strudels, casseroles, muffins,
		small pork loin and Eye of Round roast.

Halved chickens, whole pork tenderloin, Cornish hens,

3pot pies, frozen pizzas, quick breads (corn bread, biscuits)

4

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

5Whole turkey, capons, tip roasts and dressings Large cuts of roast meats such as top round,

6standing rib roast, crown roast of lamb and boston butts. Baked and sweet potatoes, flat breads and cobblers.

Rack Position Guidelines for Broiling

	Rack
	Position	Food Type
	1	Boneless pork chops, boneless skinless chicken breast,
		fish fillets, tuna steaks.
	2	1/2 to 3/4" thick beef or tuna steaks, or pork chops.
		London Broil.
	3	1 to 1 1/2" thick steaks, 1 to 2" thick pork chops.
		Lobster tails.

10