7
Safety
If smoke or a fire occurs in the oven, press Stop/Cancel pad and
leave the door closed in order to stifle any flames.
Disconnect the power cord, or shut off power at the fuse or the circuit
breaker panel.
Short Cooking Times
As microwave cooking times are much shorter than other cooking
methods it is essential that recommended cooking times are not
exceeded without first checking the food.
Cooking times given in the cookbook are approximate. Factors that
may affect cooking times are: preferred degree of cooking, starting
temperature, altitude, volume, size and shape of foods and utensils
used. As you become familiar with the oven, you will be able to adjust
these factors.
It is better to undercook rather than overcook foods. If food is
undercooked, it can always be returned to the oven for further
cooking. If food is overcooked, nothing can be done. Always start with
minimum cooking times.
Important.
If the recommended cooking times are exceeded the food will be
spoiled and in extreme circumstances could catch fire and possibly
damage the interior of the oven.
1. Small Quantities of Food.
Take care when heating small quantities of food as these can
easily burn, dry out or catch fire if cooked too long. Always set
short cooking times and check the food frequently.
NEVER OPERATE THE OVEN WITHOUT FOOD INSIDE ON
MICROWAVE OR COMBINATION EXCEPT WHEN
PREHEATING THE PANACRUNCH PAN (SEE PAGE 37).
2. Foods Low in Moisture.
Take care when heating foods low in moisture, e.g. bread items,
chocolate, popcorn, biscuits and pastries. These can easily burn,
dry out or catch on fire if cooked too long.
3. Christmas Pudding.
Christmas puddings and other foods high in fats or sugar, e.g.
jam, mince pies, must not be over heated. These foods must
never be left unattended as with over cooking these foods can
ignite.
4. Boiled Eggs.
Eggs in their shell and whole hard-boiled eggs should not be
heated in microwave ovens since they may explode even after
microwave heating has ended.
5. Foods with Skins.
Potatoes, apples, egg yolk, whole vegetables and sausages are
examples of food with non porous skins. These must be pierced
using a fork before cooking to prevent bursting.
6. Liquids.
Liquids and other foods must not be heated in sealed containers
since they are liable to explode. When heating liquids, eg soup,
sauces and beverages in your microwave oven, overheating the
liquid beyond boiling point 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:
a) Avoid using straight-sided containers with narrow necks.
b) Do not overheat.
c) Stir the liquid before placing the container in the oven and
again halfway through the heating time.
d) After heating, allow to stand in the oven for a short time,
stirring again before carefully removing the container.
e) Microwave heating of beverages can result in delayed
eruptive boiling, therefore care should be taken when handling
the container.
7. Lids.
Always remove the lids of jars and containers and takeaway food
containers before you microwave them. If you donʼt then steam
and pressure might build up inside and cause an explosion even
after the microwave cooking has stopped.
8. Deep Fat Frying.
Do not attempt to deep fat fry in your oven.
9. Meat Thermometer.
Use a meat thermometer to check the degree of cooking of roasts
and poultry only when meat has been removed from the
microwave. If undercooked, return to the oven and cook for a few
more minutes at the recommended power level. Do not leave a
conventional meat thermometer in the oven when microwaving.
10. Paper, Plastic.
When heating food in plastic or paper containers, keep an eye on
the oven due to the possibility of ignition. Do not use wire twistties with roasting bags as arcing will occur.
Do not use re-cycled paper products, e.g. Kitchen roll unless they
say they are specifically designed for use in a microwave oven.
Important Information – Read Carefully