LG MS2044V User Manual

OWNER'S MANUAL

MICROWAVE OVEN

PLEASE READ THIS OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY BEFORE OPERATING.

MS204***

(optional, please check model speciﬁcation)

ýSLOVENSK ČESKY ENGLISH

MFL65920528

www.lg.com

Precautions

Precautions to avoid possible exposure to excessive microwave energy.

You cannot operate your oven with the door open due to the safety interlocks built into the door mechanism. These safety interlocks automatically switch off any cooking activity when the door is opened; which in the case of a microwave oven could result in harmful exposure to microwave energy.

It is important not to tamper with the safety interlocks.

Do not place any object between the oven front face and the door or allow food or cleaner residue to accumulate on sealing surfaces.

Do not operate your oven if it is damaged. It is particularly important that the oven door closes properly and that there is no damage to the: (1) door(bent),

(2) hinges and latches (broken or loosened), (3) door seals and sealing surfaces.

Your oven should not be adjusted or repaired by anyone except qualified service personnel.

Warning

Please ensure cooking times are correctly set as over cooking may result in the FOOD catching fire and subsequent damage to your oven.

When heating liquids, e.g. soups, sauces and beverages in your microwave oven, delayed eruptive boiling can occur without evidence of bubbling. This could result in a sudden boil over of the hot liquid. To prevent this possibility the following steps should be taken:

1Avoid using straight sided containers with narrow necks.

2Do not overheat.

3Stir the liquid before placing the container in the oven and again halfway through the heating time.

4After heating, allow to stand in the oven for a short time, stir or shake them(especially the contents of feeding bottles and baby food jars) again carefully and check the temperature of them before consumption to avoid burns (especially, contents of feeding bottles and baby food jars).

Be careful when handling the container.

Warning

Always allow food to stand after being cooked by microwaves and check the temperature of them before consumption. Especially contents of feeding bottles and baby food jars.

Contents

How the Microwave Oven Works

Microwaves are a form of energy similar to radio and television waves and ordinary daylight. Normally, microwaves spread outwards as they travel through the atmosphere and disappear without effect. Microwave ovens, however, have a magnetron which is designed to make use of the energy in microwaves. Electricity, supplied to the magnetron tube, is used to created microwave energy.

These microwaves enter the cooking area through openings inside the oven. A turntable or tray is located at the bottom of the oven. Microwaves cannot pass through metal walls of the oven, but they can penetrate such materials as glass, porcelain and paper, the materials out of which microwave-safe cooking dishes are constructed.

Microwaves do not heat cookware, though cooking vessels will eventually get hot from the heat generated by the food.

A very safe appliance

Your microwave oven is one of the safest of all home appliances. When the door is opened, the oven automatically stops producing microwaves. Microwave energy is converted completely to heat when it enters food, leaving no “left over” energy to harm you when you eat your food.

Precautions

Contents

Important Safety Instructions

Unpacking & Installing

Setting the Clock

Child Lock

Micro Power Cooking

Micro Power Level

Two Stage Cooking

Quick Start

Energy Saving

Auto Defrost

Auto Cook

Quick Defrost

More or Less Cooking

Microwave Safe Utensils

Food characteristics & Microwave cooking

Questions & Answers

Technical Specifications

Important Safety

Instructions

Please keep for future reference. Read and follow all instructions before using your oven toprevent the risk of fire, electric shock, personal injury, or damage when using the oven. This guide does not cover all possible conditions that may occur. Always contact yourservice agent or manufacturer about problems that you do not understand.

This is the safety alert symbol. This symbol alerts you to potential hazards that can kill or hurt you and others.

All safety messages will follow the safety alert symbol and either the word “WARNING” or “CAUTION”. These word means :

WARNING

CAUTION

This symbol will alert you to hazards or unsafe practices which could cause serious bodily harm or death.

This symbol will alert you to hazards or unsafe practices which could cause bodily injury or property damage.

WARNING

1.Do not attempt to tamper with, or make any adjustments or repairs to the door, door seals, control panel, safety interlock switches or any other part of the oven which would involve the removal of any cover protecting against exposure to of the microwave oven are faulty. Repairs should only be undertaken by a qualified service technician.

Unlike other appliances, the microwave oven is a high-voltage and a high- electrical-current piece of equipment. Improper use or repair could result in harmful exposure to excessive microwave energy or in electric shock.

2.Do not use the oven for the purpose of dehumidification. (ex. Operating the microwave oven with wet newspapers, clothes, toys, electric devices, pet or child etc.)

It can be the cause of serious damage to safety such as a fire, a burn or a sudden death due to an electric shock.

3.The appliance is not intended for use by young children or elderly persons. Only allow children to use the oven without supervision when adequate instructions have been given so that the child is able to use the oven in a safe way and understands the hazards of improper use.

Improper use may cause damage such as a fire, electric shock or burn.

4.Accessible parts may become hot during use. Young children should be kept away.

They may get a burn.

5.Liquids or other foods must not be heated in sealed containers since they are liable to explode. Remove the plastic wrapping from food before cooking or defrosting. Note though that in some cases food should be covered with plastic film, for heating or cooking.

They could burst.

6.Be certain to use proper accessories on each operation mode

Improper use could result in damage to your oven and accessories, or could make spark and a fire.

7.The children should not allow to play with accessories or hang down from the door handle.

They may get hurt.

Important Safety

Instructions

WARNING

8. If the door or door seals are damaged, the oven must not be operated until it has been repaired by a competent person.

9. It is hazardous for anyone other than a competent person to carry out any service or repair operation that involves the removal of a cover which gives protection against exposure to microwave energy.

10.When the appliance is operated in the combination mode, children should only use the oven under adult supervision due to the temperatures generated.

CAUTION

1. You cannot operate your oven with the door open due to the safety interlocks built into the door mechanism. It is important not to tamper with the safety interlocks.

It could result in harmful exposure to excessive microwave energy. (Safety interlocks automatically switch off any cooking activity when the door is opened.)

2. Do not place any object (such as kitchen towels, napkins, etc.) between the oven front face and the door or allow food or cleaner residue to accumulate on sealing surfaces.

It could result in harmful exposure to excessive microwave energy.

3. Do not operate your oven if it is damaged. It is particularly important that the oven door closes properly and that there is no damage to the:

(1) door(bent), (2) hinges and latches (broken or loosened), (3) door seals and sealing surfaces.

It could result in harmful exposure to excessive microwave energy.

4. Please ensure cooking times are correctly set, Small amounts of food require shorter cooking or heating time.

Over cooking may result in the food catching on fire and subsequent damage to your oven.

5. When heating liquids, e.g. soups, sauces and beverages in your microwave oven,

*Avoid using straight sided containers with narrow necks.

*Do not overheat.

*Stir the liquid before placing the container in the oven and again halfway through the heating time.

*After heating, let it stand in the oven for a short time; stir or shake it again carefully and check the temperature of it before consuming to avoid burns (especially, contents of feeding bottles and baby food jars).

Be careful when handling the container. Microwave heating of beverages can result in delayed eruptive boiling without evidence of bubbling.

This could result in hot liquids suddenly boiling over.

6. An exhaust outlet is located on the top, bottom or side of the oven. Don’t block the outlet.

It could result in damage to your oven and poor cooking results.

7. Do not operate the oven when empty. It is best to leave a glass of water in the oven when not in use. The water will safely absorb all microwave energy, if the oven is accidentally started.

Improper use could result in damage to your oven.

Important Safety

Instructions

CAUTION

8. Do not cook food wrapped in paper towels, unless your cook book contains instructions for the food you are cooking. And do not use newspaper in place of paper towels for cooking.

Improper use can cause an explosion or a fire.

9. Do not use wooden containers and ceramic containers that have metallic (e.g. gold or silver) inlays. Always remove metal twist ties. Check that the utensils are suitable for use in microwave ovens before use.

They may heat-up and char. Metal objects in particular may arc in the oven, which can cause serious damage.

10. Do not use recycled paper products.

They may contain impurities which may cause sparks and/or fires when used in cooking.

11. Do not rinse the tray and rack by placing it in water just after cooking. This may cause breakage or damage.

Improper use could result in damage to your oven.

12. Be certain to place the oven so the front of the door is 8 cm or more behind the edge of the surface on which it is placed, to avoid accidental tipping of the appliance.

Improper use could result in bodily injury and oven damage.

13. Before cooking, pierce the skin of potatoes, apples or any such fruit or vegetable.

They could burst.

14. Do not cook eggs in their shell. Eggs in their shell and whole hardboiled eggs should not be heated in microwave ovens since they may explode, even after microwave heating has ended.

Pressure will build up inside the egg which will burst.

15. Do not attempt deep fat frying in your oven.

This could result in a sudden boil over of the hot liquid.

16. If smoke is observed, switch off or disconnect the oven from the power supply and keep the oven door closed in order to stifle any flames.

It can cause serious damage such as a fire or electric shock.

17. When food is heated or cooked in disposable containers made of plastic, paper or other combustible materials, keep an eye on the oven and check it frequently.

Your food may be poured due to the possibility of container deterioration, which also can cause a fire.

18. The temperature of accessible surfaces may be high when the appliance is operating. Do not touch the oven door, outer cabinet, rear cabinet, oven cavity, accessories and dishes during grill mode, convection mode and auto cook operations, before clearing make sure they are not hot.

As they will become hot, there is the danger of a burn unless wearing thick culinary gloves .

19. The oven should be cleaned regularly and any food deposits should be removed.

Failure to maintain the oven in a clean condition could lead to deterioration of the surface. This could adversely affect the life of the appliance and possibly result in a hazardous situation.

Important Safety

Instructions

CAUTION

20. Only use the temperature probe recommended for this oven.

You can not ascertain that the temperature is accurate with an unsuitable temperature probe.

21. Follow exact directions given by each manufacturer for their popcorn product. Do not leave the oven unattended while the corn is being popped. If corn fails to pop after the suggested times, discontinue cooking. Never use a brown paper bag for popping corn. Never attempt to pop leftover kernels.

Overcooking could result in the corn catching a fire.

22. This appliance must be earthed.

The wires in the mains lead are colored in accordance with the following codes

BLUE ~ Neutral

BROWN ~ Live

GREEN & YELLOW ~ Earth

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is colored BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or Colored BLACK. The wire which is colored BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or colored RED. The wire which is colored GREEN & YELLOW or GREEN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter E or .

If the supply cord is damaged, it must be replaced by the manufacturer, a service agent or a similarly qualified person in order to avoid potential hazards.

Improper use may cause serious electric damage.

23. This oven should not be used for commercial catering purposes.

Improper use could result in damage to your oven.

24. The microwave oven must be operated with the decorative door open if the microwave oven is placed in a cabinet.

If the door is closed while operating, the airflow will get worse possibly resulting in a fire or damage to your oven and the cabinet.

25. The connection may be achieved by having the plug accessible or by incorporating a switch in the fixed wiring in accordance with the wiring rules.

Using improper plug or switch can cause an electric shock or a fire.

26.Should be monitored to ensure that children do not play with the device.

27.The devices are not intended to be operated by an external timer or

by a separate control.

28.Only use utensils that are suitable for use in microwave ovens.

29.The microwave oven shall not be placed in a cabinet unless it has

been tested in a cabinet.

Important Safety

Instructions

CAUTION

30. This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance by a person responsible for their safety.Cleaning and user maintenance shall not be made by children unless they are aged from 8 years and above and supervised.

31. The minimum height of free space necessary above the top surface of the oven.

32.The microwave oven is intended to be used freestanding.

33.The temperature of accessible surfaces may be high when the

appliance is operating.

34. Keep the appliance and its cord out of reach of children less than 8 years.

35. The door or the outer surface may get hot when the appliance is operating.

By following the basic steps on these two pages you will be able to quickly check that your oven is operating correctly. Please pay particular attention to the guidance on where to install your oven. When unpacking your oven make sure you remove all accessories and packing. Check to make sure that your oven has not been damaged during delivery.

Unpacking &

Installing

Unpack your oven and place it on a flat level surface.

GLASS TRAY

ROLLER REST

Place the oven in the level location of your choice with more than 85cm height but make sure there is at least

30cm of space on the top and 10cm at the rear for proper ventilation. The front of the oven should be at least 8cm from the edge of the surface to prevent tipping.

An exhaust outlet is located on top or side of the oven. Blocking the outlet can damage the oven.

THIS OVEN SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL CATERING PURPOSES

Plug your oven into a standard household socket. Make sure your oven is the only appliance

connected to the socket. If your oven does not operate properly, unplug it from the electrical socket and then plug it back in.

Open your oven door .

Place the ROTATING RING inside the oven and place the

GLASS TRAY on top.

Fill a microwave safe container with 300 ml (1/2 pint) of water. Place on the GLASS TRAY and close the oven door. If you

have any doubts about what type of container to use please refer to page 25.

	Press the STOP
	button, and
press the START
button once	30
to set 30	Seconds
seconds of
cooking time.

The DISPLAY will count down from 30 seconds. When it reaches End it will sound BEEPS.

Open the oven door and test the temperature of the

water. If your oven is operating the water should be warm. Be careful when removing the container it may be hot.

You can set either12 hour clock or 24 hour clock.

In the following example I will show you how to set the time for 14:35 when using the 24 clock. Make sure that you have removed all packaging from your oven.

Setting the

Clock

When your oven is plugged in for the first time or when power resumes after a power cut, a ‘0’ will be shown in the display; you will have to reset the clock.

If the clock (or display) shows any strange looking symbols, unplug your oven from the electrical socket and plug it back in and reset the clock.

During clock setting the colon will flash. After setting, the colon will stop flashing.

Make sure that you have correctly installed your oven as described earlier in this book.

Press STOP/CLEAR .

Press CLOCK once.

(If you want to use different option, Press CLOCK once. If you want to change different option after setting clock, you have to unplug and plug it back in.)

Press 10 MIN fifteen times.

Press 1 MIN three times.

Press 10 SEC five times.

If the key (10 MIN / 1 MIN / 10 SEC) is pressed and held, the time will increase rapidly.

Press CLOCK to set the time.

The clock starts counting.

Child

Lock

Press STOP/CLEAR .

Your oven has a safety feature that prevents accidental running of the oven. Once the child lock is set, you will be unable to use any functions and no cooking can take place.

However your child can still open the oven door!

Press and hold STOP/CLEAR until “L” appears in the display and BEEP sounds.

The CHILD LOCK is now set.

The time will disappear on the display if you have set the clock.

“L” remains displayed to let you know that CHILD LOCK is set.

To cancel CHILD LOCK press and hold STOP/CLEAR until “L” disappears. You will hear BEEP when it’s released.

In the following example I will show you how to cook some food on 80% power for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Micro Power

Cooking

Your oven has five microwave Power settings. High power is automatically selected but repeated presses of the POWER key will select a different power level .

POWER	Press	%
POWER	POWER	%

HIGH	time	100%(700W)
MAX	time	100%(700W)

MEDIUM	times	80%(560W)
HIGH	times	80%(560W)
HIGH

MEDIUM	times	60%(420W)

MEDIUM LOW times 40%(280W)

LOW	times 20%(140W)

Make sure that you have correctly installed your oven as described earlier in this book.

Press STOP/CLEAR.

Press MICRO twice to select 80% power.

“560” appears on the display.

Press 1 MIN five times.

Press 10 SEC three times.

Press START.

Micro Power

Level

Your microwave oven is equipped with 5 power levels to give you maximum flexibility and control over cooking. The table below shows the examples of food and their recommended cooking power levels for use with this microwave oven.

POWER LEVEL	OUTPUT	USE
HIGH	100%	* Boil Water
	(700W)	* Brown minced beef
		* Cook poultry pieces, fish, vegetables
		* Cook tender cuts of meat

MEDIUM HIGH	80%	* All reheating
	(560W)	* Roast meat and poultry
		* Cook mushrooms and shellfish
		* Cook foods containing cheese and eggs

MEDIUM	60%	* Bake cakes and scones
	(420W)	* Prepare eggs
		* Cook custard
		* Prepare rice, soup

MEDIUM LOW	40%	* Melt butter and chocolate
	(280W)	* Cook less tender cuts of meat

		* All thawing
LOW	20%	* Soften butter & cheese
	(140W)	* Soften ice cream
		* Raise yeast dough

In the following example I will show you how to cook some food in two stages. The first stages will cook your food for 11 minutes on HIGH; the second will cook for 35 minutes on 280.

Two stage

Cooking

Press STOP/CLEAR.

During two stage cooking the oven door can be opened and food checked. Close the oven door and press START and the cooking stage will continue.

At the end of stage1, BEEP sounds and stage 2 commences.

Should you wish to clear the programme press STOP/CLEAR twice.

Set the power and the cooking time for stage1.

Press MICRO once to select HIGH power.

Press 10 MIN once.

Press 1 MIN once.

Set the power and the cooking time for stage2.

Press MICRO four times to select 280 power.

Press 10 MIN three times.

Press 1 MIN five times.

Press START.

Quick

Start

In the following example I will show you how to set 2 minutes of cooking on high power.

Press STOP/CLEAR.

The QUICK START feature allows you to set 30 seconds intervals of HIGH power cooking with a touch of the START key.

Press START four times to select 2 minutes on HIGH power. Your oven will start before you have finished the fourth press.

During QUICK START cooking, you can extend the cooking time up to 10 minutes by repeatedly pressing the START key.

Energy

Saving

ECO ON feature saves energy by turning off the display. The display will also turn off when the unit is not active for 5 minutes.

Press STOP /CLEAR(ECO ON). “0” appears on the display.

Press STOP /CLEAR(ECO ON).

Press any key to turn the display back on.

Auto

Defrost

The temperature and density of food varies, I would recommend that the food is checked before cooking commences. Pay particular attention to large joints of meat and chicken, some foods should not be completely thawed before cooking. For example fish cooks so quickly that it is sometimes better to begin cooking while still slightly frozen. The BREAD programme is suitable for defrosting small items such as rolls or a small loaf. These will require a standing time to allow the centre to thaw. In the following example I will show you how to defrost 1.4Kg of frozen poultry.

Your oven has four microwave defrost settings:- MEAT, POULTRY, FISH and

BREAD; each defrost category has different power settings. Repeated presses of the AUTO DEFROST buttons will select different settings.

Category	Press
	AUTO DEFROST

Press STOP/CLEAR.

Weigh the food that you are about to defrost. Be certain to remove any metallic ties or wraps; then place the food in your oven and close the oven door.

Press AUTO DEFROST twice to select the POULTRY defrosting programme. “dEF2” appears on the display window.

Enter the weight of the frozen food that you are about to defrost.

Press fourteen times to enter 1.4 Kg.

		Press START.
MEAT	time



POULTRY	times

FISH	times
FISH	times	During defrosting your oven will “BEEP”, at which point open the oven door, turn food over and separate to
		ensure even thawing. Remove any portions that have thawed or shield them to help slow down thawing.

BREAD	times	After checking close the oven door and press START to resume defrosting.
BREAD	times	Your oven will not stop defrosting (even when the beep sounds) unless the door is opened.

AUTO WEIGHT DEFROST GUIDE

*Food to be defrosted should be in a suitable microwave proof container and place uncovered on the glass turntable.

*If necessary, shield small areas of meat or poultry with flat pieces of aluminum foil. This will prevent thin areas becoming warm during defrosting.

Ensure the foil does not touch the oven walls.

*Separate items like minced meat, chops, sausages and bacon as soon as possible.

*When BEEP, at this point remove the food from the microwave oven, turn the food over and return to the microwave oven. Press start to continue. At the end of the program, remove the food from the microwave oven, cover with foil and allow to stand until completely thawed.

To thaw completely , for example joints of meat and whole chickens should STAND for a minimum of 1 hour before cooking.

Category	Weight Limit	Utensil	Food

Meat	0.1 ~ 4.0 kg	Microwave ware	Meat
(dEF1)		(Flat plate)	Minced beef, Fillet steak, Cubes for stew, Sirloin steak, Pot roast, Rump roast, Beef burger
Poultry			Pork chops, Lamp chops, Rolled roast, Sausage, Cutlets(.2cm)
(dEF2)			Turn food over at beep.
Fish			After defrosting, let stand for 5-15 minutes.
(dEF3)			Poultry
			Poultry
			Whole chicken, Legs, Breasts, Turkey breasts(under 2.0kg)
			Turn food over at beep.
			After defrosting, let stand for 20-30 minutes.
			Fish
			Fillets, Steaks, Whole fish, Sea foods
			Turn food over at beep.
			After defrosting, let stand for 10-20 minutes.

Bread	0.1 ~ 0.5 kg	Paper towel	Sliced bread, Buns, Baguette, etc.
(dEF4)		or flat plate	Separate slices and place between paper towel or flat plate.
			Turn food over at beep.
			After defrosting, let stand for 1-2 minutes.

Auto

Cook

In the following example I will show you how to cook 0.5 kg of jacket potato.

AUTO COOK allows you to cook most of your favorite food easily by selecting the food type and entering the weight of the food by pressing the key.

Press STOP/CLEAR.

Press AUTO COOK one time. “AC-1” appears on the display.

	CATEGORY	Press
	CATEGORY	AUTO COOK

	JACKET	time
	POTATO	time

	FRESH	times
	VEGETABLE	times
	VEGETABLE

	FROZEN	times
	VEGETABLE

Select desired weight of potato.

Press key five times to enter 0.5kg.

Press START.

FOOD CATEGORY

1. Jacket potato

(Ac-1)

2. Fresh vegetable

(Ac-2)

3. Frozen vegetable

(Ac-3)

FOOD TEMP. UTENSILS WEIGHT LIMIT

Room

On Glass tray

0.1 kg ~ 1.0 kg

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose medium sized potatoes 170-200g .

Wash and dry potatoes. Pierce the potatoes several times with fork. Place the potatoes on the glass try. Adjust weight and press start. After cooking, remove the potatoes from the oven. Let stand covered with foil for 5 minutes.

Room	Microwave-	0.2 kg ~ 0.8 kg
	safe bowl

Frozen	Microwave-	0.2 kg ~ 0.8 kg
	safe bowl

Place vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl. Add water.

Cover with wrap. After cooking, stir and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Add amount of water according to the quantity.

**0.2kg - 0.4kg : 2 Tablespoon

**0.5kg - 0.8kg : 4 Tablespoon

Place vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl. Add water.

Cover with wrap. After cooking, stir and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Add amount of water according to the quantity.

**0.2kg - 0.4kg : 2 Tablespoon

**0.5kg - 0.8kg : 4 Tablespoon

Quick

Defrost

Use this function to thaw only 0.5kg of Minced meat very quickly.

This will require a standing time to allow the center to thaw. In the following example will show you how to defrost 0.5kg of forzen minced meat.

Press STOP/CLEAR.

Weight the food that you are about to defrost. Be certain to remove any metallic ties or wraps; then place the food in your oven and close

the oven door.

Press Quick Defrost to select the MEAT defrosting programme.

The oven will starts automatically.

During defrosting your oven will “BEEP”, at which point open the oven door, turn food over and separate to ensure even thawing. Remove any portions that have thawed or shield them to help slow down thawing. After checking close the oven door and press START to resume defrosting.

Your oven will not stop defrosting (even when the beep sounded) unless the door is opened.

QUICK DEFROST GUIDE

Use this function to defrost quickly for minced meat.

Remove the meat completely from it’s wrapping. Place the mince onto a microwave-safe plate. When BEEP, at this point remove the mince from the microwave oven, turn the mince over and return to the microwave oven. Press start to continue. At the end of the program remove the mince from the microwave oven, cover with foil and allow to stand 5-15 minutes or until completely thawed.

CATEGORY	WEIGHT	UTENSIL	INSTRUCTIONS
Minced Meat	0.5kg	Microwave ware	Minced meat
		(Flat plate)	Turn food over at beep.
			After defrosting, let stand for 5-15 minutes.

More or Less

Cooking

In the following example I will show you how to change the preset AUTO COOK programmes for a longer or shorter cooking time.

Press STOP/CLEAR.

If you find that your food is over or undercooked when using the AUTO COOK or AUTO REHEAT programme, you can increase or decrease cooking time by pressing the key.

When cooking without Auto function you can extend the cooking time at any point by pressing key.

There is no need to stop the cooking process.

Set the required AUTO COOK programme. (Select weight of food.)

Press START.

Press MORE( ).

The cooking time will increase by 10 seconds for each press of the key.

Press LESS( ).

The cooking time will decrease by 10 seconds for each press of the key.

Microwave-safe

Utensils

Never use metal or metal trimmed utensils in your microwave oven

Microwaves cannot penetrate metal. They will bounce off any metal object in the oven and cause arcing, an alarming phenomenon that resembles lightning.

Most heat resistant non metallic cooking utensils are safe for use in your microwave oven. However, some may contain materials that render them unsuitable as microwave cookware. If you have any doubts about a particular utensil, there’s a simple way to find out if it can be used in your microwave oven.

Place the utensil in question next to a glass bowl filled with water in the microwave oven. Microwave at power HIGH for 1 minute. If the water heats up but the utensil remains cool to the touch, the utensil is microwave-safe. However, if the water does not change temperature but the utensil becomes warm, microwaves are being absorbed by the utensil and it is not safe for use in the microwave oven. You probably have many items on hand in your kitchen right now that can be used as cooking equipment in your microwave oven. Just read through the following checklist.

Dinner plates

Many kinds of dinner-ware are microwave-safe. If in doubt consult the manufacturer’s literature or perform the microwave test.

Glassware

Glassware that is heat-resistant is microwave-safe. This would include all brands of oven tempered glass cookware. However, do not use delicate glassware, such as tumblers or wine glasses, as these might shatter as the food warms.

Plastic storage containers

These can be used to hold foods that are to be quickly reheated. However, they should not be used to hold foods that will need considerable time in the oven as hot foods will eventually warp or melt plastic containers.

Paper

Paper plates and containers are convenient and safe to use in your microwave oven, provided that the cooking time is short and foods to be cooked are low in fat and moisture. Paper towels are also very useful for wrapping foods and for lining baking trays in which greasy foods such as bacon are cooked. In general, avoid colored paper products as the colour may run. Some recycled paper products may contain impurities which could cause arcing or fires when used in the microwave oven.

Plastic cooking bags

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 centre as the outside of the food heats first.

Plastic microwave cookware

A variety of shapes and sizes of microwave cookware are available. For the most part, you can probably use items you already have on hand rather than investing in new kitchen equipment.

Pottery, stoneware and ceramic

Containers made of these materials are usually fine for use in your microwave oven, but they should be tested to be sure.

CAUTION

Some items with high lead or iron content are not suitable for cooking utensils.

Utensils should be checked to ensure that they are suitable for use in microwave ovens.

Food characteristics &

Microwave cooking.

Keeping an eye on things

The recipes in this book have been formulated with great care, but your success in preparing them depends 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 food. 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 microwave 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 overcooked food is ruined for good. Some of the recipes, particularly those for bread, cake, and custards, 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 food gradually travels inward. If the food is left in the oven until it is cooked all the way through, the outer portions will become overcooked or even burnt. You will become increasingly skilful in estimating both cooking and standing times for various foods.

Density of food

Light, porous food such as cakes and bread cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods such as roasts and casseroles. You must take care when microwaving porous food that the outer edges do not become dry and brittle.

Height of food

The upper portion of tall food, particularly roasts, will cook more quickly than the lower portion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall food during cooking, sometimes several times.

Moisture content of food

Since the heat generated from microwaves tends to evaporate moisture, relatively dry food such as roasts and some vegetables should either be sprinkled with water prior to cooking

or covered to retain moisture.

Bone and fat content of food

Bones conduct heat and fat cooks more quickly than meat. Care must be taken when cooking bony or fatty cuts of meat that they do not cook unevenly and do not become

overcooked.

Quantity of food

The number of microwaves in your oven remains constant regardless of how much food is being cooked. Therefore, the more food you place in the oven, the longer the cooking time.

Remember to decrease cooking times by at least one third when halving a recipe.

Shape of food

Microwaves penetrate only about 2.5 cm into food, the interior portion of thick foods are cooked as the heat generated on the outside travels inward. Only the outer edge of food is cooked by microwave energy; the rest is cooked by conduction. The worst possible shape for a food that is to be microwaved is a thick square. The corners will burn long before the centre is even warm . Round thin foods and ring shaped foods cook successfully in the

microwave.

Covering

A cover traps heat and steam which causes food to cook more quickly. Use a lid or

microwave cling film with a corner folded back to prevent splitting.

Browning

Meats and poultry that are cooked fifteen minutes or longer will brown lightly in their own fat. Food that is cooked for a shorter period of time may be brushed with a browning sauce such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or barbecue sauce to achieve an appetizing colour. Since relatively small amounts of browning sauce is added to food, the original

flavour of the recipe is not altered.

Covering with greaseproof paper

Greaseproofing effectively prevents spattering and helps food retain some heat. But

because it makes a looser cover than a lid or clingfilm, it allows the food to dry out slightly.

Arranging and spacing

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

Food characteristics &

Microwave cooking

Stirring

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

of the 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 facing outwards

Since microwaves are attracted to the outside portion of food, 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 food will cook evenly.

Shielding

Strips of aluminium foil (which block microwaves) can be placed over the corners or edges of square and rectangular food to prevent those portions from overcooking. Never use too

much foil and make sure the foil is secured to the dish or it may cause ‘arcing’ in the oven.

Elevating

Thick or dense foods can be elevated so that microwaves can be absorbed by the underside

and centre of the foods.

Piercing

Foods enclosed in a shell, skin or membrane are likely to burst in the oven unless they are pierced prior to cooking. Such foods include yolks and whites of eggs, clams and oysters

and whole vegetables and fruits.

Testing if cooked

Food cooks so quickly in a microwave oven, it is necessary to test it frequently. Some foods are left in the microwave until completely cooked, but most foods, including meats and poultry, are removed from the oven while still slightly undercooked and allowed to finish cooking during standing time. The internal temperature of foods will rise between 50F (30C)

and 150F (80C) during standing time.

Standing time

Foods are often allowed to stand for 3 to 10 minutes after being removed from the microwave oven. Usually the foods are covered during standing time to retain heat unless they are supposed to be dry in texture (some cakes and biscuits, for example). Standing allows foods to finish cooking and also helps flavour blend and develop.

To Clean Your Oven

1Keep the inside of the oven clean

Food spatters or spilled liquids stick to oven walls and between seal and door surface. It is best to wipe up spillovers with a damp cloth right away. Crumbs and spillovers will absorb microwave energy and lengthen cooking times. Use a damp cloth to wipe out crumbs that fall between the door and the frame. It is important to keep this area clean to assure a tight seal. Remove greasy spatters with a soapy cloth then rinse and dry. Do not use harsh detergent or abrasive cleaners. The glass tray can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.

2Keep the outside of the oven clean

Clean the outside of your oven with soap and water then with clean water and dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. To prevent damage to the operating parts inside the oven, the water should not be allowed to seep into the ventilation openings. To clean control panel, open the door to prevent oven from accidentally starting, and wipe a damp cloth followed immediately by a dry cloth. Press STOP after cleaning.

3If steam accumulates inside or around the outside of the oven door, wipe the panels with a soft cloth. This may occur when the microwave oven is operated under high humidity conditions and in no way indicates a malfunction of the unit.

4The door and door seals should be kept clean. Use only warm, soapy water, rinse then dry thoroughly.

DO NOT USE ABRASIVE MATERIALS, SUCH AS CLEANING POWDERS OR STEEL AND PLASTIC PADS.

Metal parts will be easier to maintain if wiped frequently with a damp cloth.

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