Cooking with a microwave oven

Warning! Read the section “Microwave Safety” before cooking with your microwave.

Follow these recommendations when cooking with your microwave:

∙Before heating or cooking foods with peel or skin (e.g. apples, tomatoes, potatoes, sausages) prick them so that they do not burst. Cut the food up before starting to prepare it.

∙Before using a container or dish make sure that it is suitable for microwave use (see the section on types of ovenware).

∙When cooking food with very little moisture (e.g. defrosting bread, making popcorn, etc.) evaporation is very quick. The oven then works as if it was empty and the food may burn. The oven and the container may be damaged in such a situation. You should therefore set just the cooking time necessary and you must keep a close eye on the cooking process.

∙It is not possible to heat large quantities of oil (frying) in the microwave.

∙Remove pre-cooked food from the containers they come in since these are not always heat resistant. Follow the food manufacturer’s instructions.

∙If you have several containers, such as cups, for example, set them out uniformly on the turntable plate.

∙Do not close plastic bags with metal clips. Use plastic clips instead. Prick the bags several times so that the steam can escape easily.

∙When heating or cooking foods, check that they reach at least a temperature of 70°C .

∙During cooking, steam may form on the oven door window and may start to drip. This situation is normal and may be more noticeable if the room temperature is low. The oven’s safe working is not affected by this. After you have finished cooking, clean up the water coming from the condensation

∙When heating liquids, use containers with a wide opening, so that the steam can evaporate easily.

Prepare the foods as per the instructions and keep in mind the cooking times and power levels indicated in the tables.

Keep in mind that the figures given are only indicative and can vary depending on the initial state, temperature, moisture and type of food. It is advisable to adjust the times and power levels to each situation. Depending on the exact characteristics of the food you may need to increase or shorten the cooking times or increase or decrease the power levels.

Cooling with microwaves...

1.The greater the amount of food, the longer the cooking time. Keep in mind that:

∙Double the quantity » double the time

∙Half the quantity » half the time

2.The lower the temperature, the longer the cooking time.

3.Foods containing a lot of liquid heat up more quickly.

4.Cooking will be more uniform if the food is evenly distributed on the turntable. If you put dense foods on the outside part of the plate and less dense ones on the centre of the plate, you can heat up different types of food simultaneously.

5.You can open the oven door at any time. When you do this the oven switches off automatically. The microwave will only start working again when you close the door and press the start key.

6.Foods that are covered require less cooking time and retain their characteristics better. The lids used must let microwaves pass through and have small holes that allow steam to escape.