3.Press the ”Time/Menu/Start” button to commence cooking. The pause symbol goes off, “COMB2” stops fl ashing, and the display shows the remaining cooking time.
Cooking using auto menu
The microwave oven has 10 auto menu programs used for different food types and functions (see auto menu list in the table below).
1.Turn the ”Time/Menu/Start” button in a clockwise direction until the code for the required auto menu program appears on the display (see ”Indication in the display” in the table below). In the top left corner of the display ”AUTO” begins to fl ash, and the number of the auto menu program is shown.
2.Press the ”Wei.Adj.” button (f) repeatedly until the required setting (weight/number) is shown on the display. The setting options vary according to the auto menu program selected. The microwave oven itself calculates the cooking time and
power on the basis of the weight or the number you specifi ed. The pause symbol will now start fl ashing.
oNB! When setting the defrost program, use the “Time/Menu/ Start” button to set the required weight. When the display shows “**” and “100 g”, continue to turn the button until the
required weight is shown on the display.
3.Press the “Time/Menu/Start” button to start cooking. The pause symbol goes off and the display shows the remaining cooking time.
| Auto menu program | Indication in the | Food item |
| display |
| | |
| 1 | 1 | Coffee/soup |
| 2 | 2 | Rice |
| 3 | 3 | Pasta |
| 4 | 4 | Potatoes |
| 5 | 5 | Reheating |
| 6 | 6 | Fish |
| 7 | 7 | Chicken |
| 8 | 8 | Beef/lamb |
| 9 | 9 | Kebabs |
| 10 | ** and 100 g | Defrosting |
NB! It may be necessary to turn the food once half the cooking time has elapsed in order to ensure uniform cooking.
CHILD SAFETY LOCK
The child safety lock prevents small children from using the microwave oven. The microwave oven cannot be operated as long as the child safety lock is active. To activate the child safety lock, press and hold the “Stop/Cancel” button for 3 seconds.
A beep will be heard, and the display shows a lock symbol. To deactivate the child safety lock again, press and hold the “Stop/ Cancel” button for 3 seconds. The symbol will then disappear from the display.
TIPS FOR FOOD PREPARATION
When preparing food in the microwave oven, the following basic rules apply:
Cooking time
Smaller quantities of food cook more rapidly than large quantities. If the amount of food is doubled, the preparation time must be more than doubled correspondingly.
Small pieces of meat, small fi sh and chopped vegetables cook more quickly than large pieces. For the same reason, it is recommended that if, for example, you wish to make goulash, stews or similar, the meat be cut into pieces no bigger than 2 x 2
cm.
The compactness of the food is also very important for the cooking time. The more compact the food is, the longer it takes to cook.
Whole joints require a longer cooking time than stewed dishes. A joint requires a longer time than a dish using minced meat.
The colder the food, the longer the cooking time needs to be. Food at room temperature will therefore cook faster than food from a fridge or freezer.
When cooking vegetables, the cooking time depends on the freshness of the vegetables. Therefore check the condition of the vegetables, and add or deduct a little time accordingly.
The short cooking time when using a microwave oven means that the food does not overcook.
If required, a little water can be added.
When cooking fi sh and vegetables, you only need to use the minimum of water.
Microwave power
The choice of power setting depends on the condition of the food to be cooked.
In most cases, the food is cooked on full power.
Full power is used, among other things, for reheating food quickly, boiling water or similar.
Low power is principally used to defrost food and prepare dishes containing cheese, milk or egg. (Whole eggs in their shell cannot be cooked in the microwave oven, as there is a risk of the eggs exploding.) In addition, lower power settings are also used to
fi nish off and to retain the excellent aroma of a dish.
General information on cooking
•If the whole meal is to be prepared in the microwave oven, it is recommended that you start with the most compact foods, such as potatoes. Once these are ready, cover them while the rest of the food is prepared.
•Most food should be covered. A close-fi tting cover retains the steam and moisture, which shortens the cooking time in the microwave oven. This is particularly the case when cooking vegetables, fi sh dishes and casseroles. Covering food also distributes the heat better, thus ensuring rapid and excellent results.
•In order to achieve the best possible results, it is important to position the food correctly, as the microwave rays are most powerful in the centre of the microwave oven. If, for example, you are baking potatoes, you should position them along the edge of the glass turntable so that they cook evenly.
•In order to cook compact dishes such as meat and poultry evenly, it is important to turn the pieces of meat a few times.
•You can use the microwave oven for baking, although not with recipes that include yeast.
•When preparing food with a thick skin, e.g. potatoes, apples, whole squash or chestnuts, you should prick holes in the skin to prevent the food from bursting during cooking.
•When preparing food in a “traditional” oven, you normally avoid opening the oven door as much as possible. This is not the case with a microwave oven: no energy or signifi cant heat is lost. In other words, you can open the oven door and look at the food as often as you want.
USING UTENSILS WHEN PREPARING FOOD
Before starting to prepare food in containers, you should check that the containers you wish to use are made of a suitable material, as some types of plastic may become limp and deform, while some types of ceramics may crack (particularly when heating small quantities of food).
In order to test if a container is suitable for use in a microwave
oven:
•Place the container in the microwave oven.
•At the same time, place a half-full glass of water in the container.
•Start the microwave oven, and run it for 15-30 seconds on maximum power.
•If the container becomes very hot to the touch, you should avoid using it in the microwave oven.
