INFORMA TION YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT MICROWAVE COOKING
Y Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas towardsY Rearrange foods such as meatballs halfway
outside of dish.through cooking both from top to bottom and from
the center of the dish to the outside.
Y W atch cooking time. Cook for the shortest amount
of time indicated and add more as needed. FoodY Add standing time. Remove food from oven and
severely overcooked can smoke or ignite.stir, if possible. Cover for standing time which allows
the food to finish cooking without overcooking.
Y Cover foods while cooking. Check recipe or cook-
book for suggestions: paper towels, wax paperY Check for doneness. Look for signs indicating that,
microwave plastic wrap or a lid. Covers preventcooking temperatures have been reached.
spattering and help foods to cook evenly.
Doneness signs include:
Y Shield with small flat pieces of aluminum foil any
-Food steams throughout, not just at edge.
thin areas of meat or poultry to prevent overcooking
-Center bottom of dish is very hot to the touch.
before dense, thick areas are cooked thoroughly.
-Poultry thigh joints move easily.
Y Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or twice
during cooking, if possible.-Meat and poultry show no pinkness.
Y Turn foods over once during microwaving to-Fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
speed cooking of such foods as chicken and ham-
burgers. Large items like roasts must be turned over
at least once.
ABOUT SAFETY
Y Check foods to see that they are cooked to theY ALWAYS use potholders to prevent burns when
United States Department of Agriculture'shandling utensils that are in contact with hot food.
recommended temperatures.Enough heat from the food can transfer through
utensils to cause skin burns.
TEMPFOODY Avoid steam burns by directing steam away from
the face and hands. Slowly lift the farthest edge of
160°F...for fresh pork, ground meat,
a dish's covering and carefully open popcorn and
boneless white poultry, fish,
oven cooking bags away from the face.
seafood, egg dishes and frozen
Y Stay near the oven while it's in use and check
prepared food.
cooking progress frequently so that there is no
165°F...for leftover, ready-to-reheat
chance of overcooking food.
refrigerated, and deli and carry-
Y NEVER use the cavity for storing cookbooks or
out Ofresh� food.
other items.
170°F... white meat of poultry.
Y Select, store and handle food carefully to preserve
180°F... dark meat of poultry.its high quality and minimize the spread of
foodborne bacteria.
To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in aY Keep waveguide cover clean. Food residue can
thick or dense area away from fat or bone. NEVERcause arcing and/or fires.
leave the thermometer in the food during cooking,
Y Use care when removing items from the oven so
unless it is approved for microwave oven use.
that the utensil, your clothes or accessories do not
touch the safety door latches.
ABOUT CHILDREN AND THE MICROWAVE
Children below the age of 7 should use the microwaveChildren should be taught all safety precautions: use
oven with a supervising person very near to them.potholders, remove coverings carefully, pay special
Between the ages of 7 and 12, the supervising personattention to packages that crisp food because they
should be in the same room.may be extra hot.
The child must be able to reach the oven comfortably;DonOt assume that because a child has mastered one
if not, he/she should stand on a sturdy stool.cooking skill he/she can cook everything.
At no time should anyone be allowed to lean or swingChildren need to learn that the microwave oven is not
on the oven door.a toy. See page 25 for Child Lock feature.
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