Can be used to warm foods or liquids. Delicate glass may break or crack if heated suddenly. Must remove the lid. Suitable for warming only. May cause arcing or fire. For short cooking times and warming. Also to absorb excess moisture. May cause arcing. Particularly if heat-resistant thermoplastic. Some other plastics may warp or discolour at high temperatures. Do not use Melamine plastic. Can be used to retain moisture. Should not touch the food. Take care when removing the film as hot steam will escape. Only if boilable or oven-proof. Should not be airtight. Prick with a fork, if necessary. Can be used to retain moisture and prevent spattering. ^ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^ . . : Recommended use ^ : Limited Use . : Not Recommended 22 USE YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN SAFELY General Use Do not attempt to defeat or tamper with safety interlocks. Do not place any object between the oven front frame and the door or allow residue to build up on sealing surfaces. Wipe with a mild detergent, rinse and dry. Never use abrasive powders or pads. Do not subject the oven door to strain or weight such as a child hanging on an open door. This could cause the oven to fall forward resulting in injury to you and damage to the oven. Food Never use your microwave oven for home canning. The oven is not designed for proper home canning. Improperly canned food may spoil and be dangerous to consume. Always use the minimum recipe cooking time. It is better to undercook rather than overcook foods. Undercooked foods can be returned to the oven for more cooking. If food is overcooked, nothing can be done. Heat small quantities of food or foods with low moisture carefully. These can quickly dry out, burn or catch on fire. Do not heat eggs in the shell. Pressure may build up and eggs can explode. Potatoes, apples, egg yolks and sausages are examples of food with non-porous skins. These must be pierced before cooking to prevent bursting. Do not attempt to deep fat fry in your microwave oven. Always allow a starding time of at least 20 seconds after the oven has been switched off to allao the Do not operate the oven if door seals or sealing surfaces are damaged; or if door is bent; or if hinges are loose or broken. Do not operate the oven empty. This will damage the oven. Do not attempt to dry clothes, newspapers or other materials in the oven. They may catch on fire. Do not use recycled paper products as they may contain impurities which may cause sparks or fires. Do not hit or strike the control panel with hard objects. This can damage the oven. temperature to even out, stir during heating, if necessary, and ALWAYS stir after heating. To prevent eruptive boiling and possible scalding, you should put a spoon or glass stick into the beverages and stir before, during and after heating. Do not leave the oven unattended while popping corn. Do not pop corn in a paper bag unless it is the commercially prepared Microwave Popcorn product. The kernels can overheat and ignite a brown paper bag. Do not put packaged Microwave Popcorn bags directly on the oven tray. Place the package on a microwave safe glass or ceramic plate to avoid overheating and cracking the oven tray. Do not exceed the Microwave Popcorn manufacturers suggested popping time. Longer popping does not yield more popcorn but it can result in scorch, burn of fire. Remember, the Popcorn bag and tray can be too hot to handle. Remove with caution and use pot holders. ARCING If you see arcing, touch STOP/CLEAR pad for microwave oven and correct the problem. Arcing is the microwave term for sparks in the • Metal, such as twist-ties, poultry pins, or gold oven. rimmed dishes, in the microwave. Arcing is caused by: • Recycled paper towels containing small metal pieces being used in the microwave. • Metal or foil touching the side of the oven. • Foil not molded to food (upturned edges act like antennas). 23 MICROWAVING PRINCIPLES Microwave energy has been used in this country to cook and reheat food since early experiments with RADAR in World War ll. Microwaves are present in the atmosphere all the time, both naturally and manmade sources. Manmade sources include radar, radio, television, telecommunication links and car phones. HOW MICROWAVES COOK FOOD In a microwave oven, TRANSMISSION electricity is converted Then they pass through into microwave by the the cooking containers to MAGNETRON. be absorbed by the water molecules in the food, all foods contain water to a more or lesser extent. ^ ^ REFLECTION The microwaves bounce off the metal walls and the metal door screen. ^ ABSORPTION The microwaves cause the water molecules to vibrate which causes FRICTION, i.e. HEAT. This heat then cooks the food. Microwaves are also attracted to fat and sugar particles, and foods high in these will cook more quickly. Microwaves can only penetrate to a depth of 11/2 - 2 inches(4-5cm) and as heat spreads through the food by conduction, just as in a traditional oven, the food cooks from the outside inwards. CONVER...