GENERAL GUIDE LINES
n TO INTERRUPT THE COOKING CYCLE 3. Pressbutton.Since microwave cooking to some extent is different fromCovering food helps:
DURING OPERA TION-open the door or traditional cooking, the following general guidelines should beY To reduce spattering
considered whenever you use your microwave ovenY To shorten cooking times
press stop/clear button.4. Four beeps will sound at the end of the cooking time.
The indicator light will go off. The display panel will return toY To retain food moisture
1. The oven will immediately stop.If the food is undercookedAll covering, which will allow microwaves to pass through are
2. The cooling fan will run for 5 minutes.Note:Check if:suitable-See above OWhich utensils can be used in the oven?�
Y When the operation is over, a cooling fan will run for 5Y You have selected the correct power level.
3. If no further cooking required, press STOP/CLEAR button.minutes.Y The selected time is sufficient-the times given in the recipesReleasing pressure in foods
4. The time of day is displayed. If you press stop/clear button
during cooling time, the Ocool� is displayed.are approximate. They depend on initial temperature,Several foods are tightly covered by a skin or membrane.
the Otime of day�. The oven light will turn off and the turntableweight and density of the food etc.These foods should be pricked with a fork or cocktail stick to
5. To continue cooking, close the oven door and presswill stop turning.Y The container is appropriate.release the pressure and to prevent bursting, as steam builds
button. The oven will restart.up within them during cooking. This applies to potatoes,
n SPEED Y COOK
If the food is overcooked,i.e. dried out or burntchicken livers, sausages, egg yolks and some fruits.
n GENERAL COOKING HINTSBefore you cook again, consider whether:
1. When cooking a roast with an excess amount of fat, it is helpfulNote:Y The power level was too high.Standing time
to remove the fat at turnove times to prevent pattering.Y The cooking time increases by 30 seconds from 30Y The set time was too long-the times in the recipes areAlways allow the food to stand for some time after using the
seconds to 5 minutes.
2. Prick the meats, fish or poultry with a fork to prevent bursting.approximate. They depend on initial temperature, weightoven. standing time after defrosting, cooking/reheating
Steam builds up pressure in meals, fish or poultry which isand density of the food etc.always improves the result since the temperature will then be
SETTING THE CONTROLSevenly distributed through out the food.
tightly covered by a skin or membrance.Points to remember when defrostingIn a microwave oven foods continue to cook even when the
3. Reduce suggested cooking times. It is always better to under-1. Pressbutton.M/WY The shape of the package alters the defrosting time.microwave energy is turned off. They are no longer cooking
cook foods rather than to overcook them. If a range of times is
Shallow rectangular packets defrost more quickly than aby microwaves, but they are still being cooked by the
stated in a recipe, cook the food at the minimum suggested2. " :30" will appear in thedeep block. Separate pieces as they begin to defrost; freefconduction of the high residual heat to the centre of the food.
time, check for doneness, and then cook slightly longer ifdisplay window.low slices defrost more easily.The length of standing time depends on the volume and
necessary.
3. Whenever this button isY Shield areas of food with small pieces of foil if they start todensity of the food. Sometimes it can be as short as the time
pressed, cooking time isbecome warm.it takes you to remove the food from the oven and take it to
n PIE COOK increased by 30 seconds.Y When defrosting, it is better to under thaw the food slightlythe serving table. However, with larger, denser foods, the
and allow the process to finish during the standing time.standiing time may be as long as 10 minutes. During
1. Press button.4. If the time was set this oven �standingO, the internal temperature of the food will rise by as
OPIE� will show in the display.will operate automatically after 2 seconds.The amount of foodmuch as 8uC and the food will finish cooking in this time.
The more food you want to prepare the longer it takes. A rule
5. Four beeps will sound at the end of the cooking time.
2. Turn the DIAL KNOB for theThe indicator light will go off. The display panel will return toof thumb is that double amount of food requires almostArranging food
desired cooking time.PIEthe time of day. The oven light will turn off and the turntable willdouble the time. If one potato takes four minutes to cook,This is done in several ways in microwave cooking to give
approximately seven minutes are required to cook twomore even cooking results.
stop turning.potatoes.If you are cooking several items of the same
food such as jacket potatoes, place them in
Starting temperature of fooda ring pattern for uniform cooking. When
The lower the temperature of the food which is being put intocooking foods of uneven shapes or
the microwave oven, the longer time it takes. Food at roomthickness, place the smaller or thinner area of
temperature will be reheated more quickly than food atthe food towards the centre of the dish where it will be heated
refrigerator temperature.last.
Composition of the foodUneven foods such as fish should be arranged
Food with a lot of fat and sugar will be heated faster thanin the oven with the tails to the centre.
food containing a lot of water. fat and sugar will also reach aIf you are saving a meal in the refrigerator
higher temperature than water in the cooking process.or �platingO a meal for reheating, arrange the
The more dense the food, the longer it takes to heat. OVerythicker, denser foods to the outside of the
dense� food like meat takes longer time to reheat than lighter,plate and the thinner or less dense foods
more porous food like sponge cakes.in the middle.
Place thin slices of meat on top of each
Size and shapeother or interlace them. Thicker slices such
Smaller pieces of food will cook more quickly than largeras meat loaf and sausages have to be placed
pieces and uniform pieces of food cook more evenly thanclose to each other. Gravy or sauce should be
irregularly shaped foods.reheated in a separate container.2/3
With unevenly shaped food, the thinner parts will cook faster
than the thicker areas. Place the thinner chicken wings andChoose a tall, narrow container rather than a
legs to the centre of the dish.low and wide container. When reheating
gravy, sauce or soup, do not fill the container
Stirring, turning of foodsmore than 2/3.
Stirring and turning of foods are techniques used in
conventional and well as in microwave cooking to distributeWhen you cook or reheat whole fish, score
the heat quickly to the centre of the dish and avoid over-the skin this prevents cracking.
cooking at the outer edges of the food.Shield the tail and head with small pieces
of foil to prevent over-cooking but ensure
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ACEC
