GE JE320 Owner’s Manual

GE Appliances

GE Answer Center®800.626.2000

Microwave Oven

Part No. 164D3370P045 Pub. No. 49-40045 4-98 CG

JE320

Owner’s Manual

■ Read and follow the specific

precautions in the

Precautions to Avoid Possible Exposure to Excessive Microwave Energy

section above.

■ This appliance must be

grounded. Connect only to a properly grounded outlet. See the

Grounding

Instructions

section on page 8.

■ Install or locate this

appliance only in accordance with the provided Installation Instructions.

■ Be certain to place the front

surface of the door three inches or more back from the countertop edge to avoid accidental tipping of the appliance in normal usage.

■

Do Not Attempt

to operate this oven with the door open since open-door operation can result in harmful exposure to microwave energy. It is important not to defeat or tamper with the safety interlocks.

■

Do Not Place

any object between the oven front face and the door or allow soil or cleaner residue to accumulate on sealing surfaces.

■

Do Not Operate

the oven if it is damaged. It is particularly important that the oven door close properly and that there is no damage to the:

door (bent)

hinges and latches (broken or loosened)

door seals and sealing surfaces.

■

The Oven Should Not

be adjusted or repaired by anyone except properly qualified service personnel.

PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO EXCESSIVE MICROWAVE ENERGY

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING.

For your safety, the information in this manual must be followed to minimize the risk of fire or explosion, electric shock, or to prevent property damage, personal injury, or loss of life.

WARNING!

This microwave oven is not approved or tested for marine use.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Use this appliance only for its intended purpose as described in this Owner’s Manual.

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■ Do not mount this appliance

over a sink.

■ Do not mount the microwave

oven over or near any portion of a heating or cooking appliance.

■ Do not store anything directly

on top of the microwave oven surface when the microwave oven is in operation.

■ Do not operate this appliance

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

■ Do not cover or block any

openings on the appliance.

■ Use this appliance only for its

intended use as described in this manual. Do not use corrosive chemicals or vapors in this appliance. This microwave oven is specifically designed to heat, dry or cook food, and is not intended for laboratory or industrial use.

■ Do not store this appliance

outdoors. Do not use this product near water—for example, in a wet basement, near a swimming pool or near a sink.

■ Keep power cord away from

heated surfaces.

■ Do not immerse power cord

or plug in water.

■ Do not let power cord hang

over edge of table or counter.

■ To reduce the risk of fire in

the oven cavity:

— Do not overcook food.

Carefully attend appliance if paper, plastic or other combustible materials are placed inside the oven while cooking.

— Remove wire twist-ties and

metal handles from paper or plastic containers before placing them in the oven.

— Do not use the oven for

storage purposes. Do not leave paper products, cooking utensils or food in the oven when not in use.

— If materials inside the oven

should ignite, keep the oven door closed, turn the oven off and disconnect the power cord, or shut off power at the fuse or circuit breaker panel. If the door is opened, the fire may spread.

■ See door surface cleaning

instructions in the

Care and cleaning of the microwave oven

section of this manual.

■ This appliance should be

serviced only by qualified service personnel. Contact nearest authorized service facility for examination, repair or adjustment.

■ As with any appliance, close

supervision is necessary when used by children.

Arcing is the microwave term for sparks in the oven. Arcing is caused by:

■ Metal or foil touching the

side of the oven.

■ Foil not molded to food

(upturned edges act like antennas).

■ Metal, such as twist-ties,

poultry pins, or gold-rimmed dishes, in the microwave.

■ Recycled paper towels

containing small metal pieces being used in the microwave.

■ Do not pop popcorn in your

microwave oven unless in a special microwave popcorn accessory or unless you use popcorn labeled for use in microwave ovens.

■ Some products such as

whole eggs and sealed containers—for example, closed jars—will explode and should not be heated in this microwave oven. Such use of the microwave oven could result in injury.

■ Do not boil eggs in a

microwave oven. Pressure will build up inside egg yolk and will cause it to burst, possibly resulting in injury.

■ Operating the microwave

with no food inside for more than a minute or two may cause damage to the oven and could start a fire. It increases the heat around the magnetron and can shorten the life of the oven.

■ Foods with unbroken outer

“skin” such as potatoes, hot dogs, sausages, tomatoes, apples, chicken livers and other giblets, and egg yolks should be pierced to allow steam to escape during cooking.

FOODS

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING.

WARNING!

If you see arcing, press the CLEAR/OFF pad and correct the problem.

ARCING

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■

SUPERHEA TED WA TER

Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all.

Superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than 2 minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for 30 seconds before moving it or putting anything into it.

■ Avoid heating baby food in

glass jars, even with the lid off. Make sure all infant food is thoroughly cooked. Stir food to distribute the heat evenly. Be careful to prevent scalding when warming formula. The container may feel cooler than the formula really is. Always test the formula before feeding the baby.

■ Don’t defrost frozen

beverages in narrow-necked bottles (especially carbonated beverages). Even if the container is opened, pressure can build up. This can cause the container to burst, possibly resulting in injury.

■ Spontaneous boiling—Under

certain special circumstances, liquids may start to boil during or shortly after removal from the microwave oven. To prevent burns from splashing liquid, we recommend the following: before removing the container from the oven, allow the container to stand in the oven for 30 to 40 seconds after the oven has shut off. Do not boil liquids in narrow-necked containers such as soft drink bottles, wine flasks and especially narrow-necked coffee cups. Even if the container is opened, excessive steam can build up and cause it to burst or overflow.

■ Hot foods and steam can

cause burns. Be careful when opening any containers of hot food, including popcorn bags, cooking pouches and boxes. To prevent possible injury, direct steam away from hands and face.

■ Do not overcook potatoes.

They could dehydrate and catch fire, causing damage to your oven.

■ When cooking pork, follow

the directions exactly and always cook the meat to an internal temperature of at least 170°F. This assures that, in the remote possibility that trichina may be present in the meat, it will be killed and meat will be safe to eat.

Make sure all cookware used in your microwave oven is suitable for microwaving. Most glass casseroles, cooking dishes, measuring cups, custard cups, pottery or china dinnerware which does not have metallic trim or glaze with a metallic sheen can be used. Some cookware is labeled “suitable for microwaving.”

■ If you are not sure if a dish is

microwave-safe, use this test: Place in the oven both the dish you are testing and a glass measuring cup filled with 1 cup of water—set the measuring cup either in or next to the dish. Microwave 1 minute at high. If the dish heats, it should not be used for microwaving.

If the dish remains cool and only the water in the cup heats, then the dish is microwave-safe.

■ If you use a meat

thermometer while cooking, make sure it is safe for use in microwave ovens.

■ Do not use recycled paper

products. Recycled paper towels, napkins and waxed paper can contain metal flecks which may cause arcing or ignite. Paper products containing nylon or nylon filaments should be avoided, as they may also ignite.

■ Some styrofoam trays (like

those that meat is packaged on) have a thin strip of metal embedded in the bottom. When microwaved, the metal can burn the floor of the oven or ignite a paper towel.

■ Do not use the microwave to

dry newspapers.

■ Not all plastic wrap is suitable

for use in microwave ovens. Check the package for proper use.

■ Paper towels, waxed paper

and plastic wrap can be used to cover dishes in order to retain moisture and prevent spattering. Be sure to vent plastic wrap so steam can escape.

■ Cookware may become hot

because of heat transferred from the heated food. Pot holders may be needed to handle the cookware.

MICROW A VE-SAFE COOKWARE

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING.

WARNING!

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■ “Boilable” cooking pouches

and tightly closed plastic bags should be slit, pierced or vented as directed by package. If they are not, plastic could burst during or immediately after cooking, possibly resulting in injury. Also, plastic storage containers should be at least partially uncovered because they form a tight seal. When cooking with containers tightly covered with plastic wrap, remove covering carefully and direct steam away from hands and face.

■ Use foil only as directed in

this guide. TV dinners may be microwaved in foil trays less than 3/4

² high; remove the top foil cover and return the tray to the box. When using foil in the microwave oven, keep the foil at least 1 inch away from the sides of the oven.

■ Plastic cookware—Plastic

cookware designed for microwave cooking is very useful, but should be used carefully. Even microwavesafe plastic may not be as tolerant of overcooking conditions as are glass or ceramic materials and may soften or char if subjected to short periods of overcooking. In longer exposures to overcooking, the food and cookware could ignite.

Follow these guidelines:

Use microwave-safe plastics only and use them in strict compliance with the cookware manufacturer’s recommendations.

Do not microwave empty containers.

Do not permit children to use plastic cookware without complete supervision.

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 power cord having a grounding wire with a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an outlet that is properly installed and grounded.

Consult a qualified electrician or service technician if the grounding instructions are not completely understood, or if doubt exists as to whether the appliance is properly grounded.

If the outlet is a standard 2-prong wall outlet, it is your personal responsibility and obligation to have it replaced with a properly grounded 3-prong wall outlet.

Do not under any circumstances cut or remove the third (ground) prong from the power cord.

We do not recommend using an extension cord with this appliance. If the power cord is too short, have a qualified electrician or service technician install an outlet near the appliance. (See

WARNING—

EXTENSION CORDS

section.)

For best operation, plug this appliance into its own electrical outlet to prevent flickering of lights, blowing of fuse or tripping of circuit breaker.

GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING.

WARNING!

Improper use of the grounding plug can result in a risk of electric shock.

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