Safety Precautions
Follow These Safety Precautions When Cooking in Your Oven
Cookware and Utensil Guide
ITEM | MICROWAVE | COMMENTS |
IMPORT ANT
Proper cooking depends upon the power, the
time set and the quantity of food. If you use a smaller portion than recommended and cook at
the time for the recommended portion, fire can result.
1)HOME CANNING / DRYING FOODS / SMALL QUANTITIES OF FOODS
•DO NOT use your oven for home canning, your oven cannot maintain the food at the proper can- ning temperature. Improperly canned food may
spoil and be dangerous to consume.
•DO NOT dry meats, herbs, fruits or vegetables in your oven. Small quantities of food or foods with
low moisture content can dry out, scorch or catch on fire if overheated.
2) POPCORN
Popcorn may be popped in a microwave oven corn popper. Microwave popcorn which pops in its own package is also available. Follow pop- corn manufacturers’ directions and use a brand suitable for the wattage of your microwave oven.
CAUTION: When using |
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microwave popcorn, follow recommended |
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package instructions. Check package weight | |||
before using the | Popcorn | pad (see Popcorn | |
Pad section). Set the oven for the weight of | |||
the popcorn package. |
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If these instructions are not followed, the | |||
popcorn may not pop adequately or may |
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ignite and cause a fire. Never leave oven |
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unattended when popping popcorn. Allow |
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the popcorn bag to cool before opening, | |||
always open the bag away from your face | |||
and body to prevent steam burns. |
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3) DEEP FAT FRYING |
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•DO NOT | attempt to deep fat fry in your | ||
microwave oven. Cooking oils may burst into | |||
flames and may cause damage to the oven and |
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perhaps result in burns. Microwave utensils may | |||
not be able to withstand the temperature of the | |||
hot oil, and could shatter or melt. |
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4) FOODS WITH NONPOROUS SKINS |
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•Potatoes, apples, whole eggs, egg yolks, |
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| whole squash and sausages are examples of |
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| foods with nonporous skins. | These types of | ||||
| foods must | be pierced before microwave cooking | ||||
| to prevent | their bursting. |
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•Use fresh | potatoes for baking and cook until just | |||||
| done. Use | recommended weights for programmed |
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| cooking. | Overcooking causes dehydration and |
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| may result | in a fire. |
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5) LIQUIDS |
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•Liquids can become "superheated" in a |
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| microwave, and when the container is moved in |
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| any way, the | superheated liquids can |
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"explode" out of the container | . |
"Superheated" water is hotter than boiling |
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water, EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT |
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APPEAR TO BUBBLE. To reduce the possibility |
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of this occurrence: |
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Always make sure that liquids are stirred |
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vigorously | before heating to assure that the |
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liquid is mixed with air. | NEVER HEAT LIQUIDS | ||
FOR AN EXCESSIVE LENGTH OF TIME | . | ||
6) GLASS TRAY / COOKING UTENSILS / FOIL |
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•Cooking utensils get hot during microwaving. Heat |
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is transferred from the HOT food to the container |
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and the Glass Tray. Use potholders when remov- |
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ing utensils from the oven or when removing lids |
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or plastic wrap covers from cooking utensils to |
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avoid burns. |
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•The Glass Tray will get hot during cooking. It |
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should be allowed to cool before handling or |
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before paper products, such as paper plates or |
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microwave popcorn bags, are placed in the oven |
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for microwave cooking. |
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•When using foil, skewers, warming rack or uten- |
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sils made of metal in the oven, allow at least 1- |
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inch (2.5 cm) of space between metal material |
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and interior oven walls. If arcing occurs (spark- |
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ing), remove metal material (skewers etc.) and/or |
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transfer to a | not |
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•Dishes with metallic trim should | be used, as | ||
arcing may occur. |
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•If an entree is heated in a foil tray, maintain at least
7) PAPER TOWELS / CLOTHS
•DO NOT use paper towels or cloths which con- tain a synthetic fiber woven into them. The syn- thetic fiber may cause the towel to ignite. Use paper toweling under supervision.
8)BROWNING DISHES / OVEN COOKING BAGS
•Browning dishes or grills are designed for microwave cooking only. Always follow instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer. | DO NOT | |
preheat browning dish more than 6 minutes. |
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•If an oven cooking bag is used for microwave |
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cooking, prepare according to package directions. |
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DO NOT | use a wire |
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instead use plastic ties, cotton string or a strip cut from the open end of the bag.
9) THERMOMETERS
•DO NOT use a conventional meat thermometer in your oven. Arcing may occur.
10) BABY FORMULA / FOOD
•DO NOT heat baby formula or food in the microwave oven. The glass jar or surface of the food may appear to be only warm while the interi- or can be so hot as to burn the infant’s mouth and esophagus.
11) REHEATING PASTRY PRODUCTS
•When reheating pastry products, check tempera- tures of any fillings before eating. Some foods have fillings which heat faster and can be extremely hot, while the surface remains warm to the touch (ex. Jelly Donuts).
12) GENERAL OVEN USAGE GUIDELINES
•DO NOT use the oven for any reason other than the preparation of food.
•DO NOT leave oven unattended while in use.
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| Yes for |
| Small strips of foil can be molded around thin parts of | |||
Aluminum Foil | Shielding | meat or poultry to prevent overcooking. Arcing can occur | |||||
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| if foil is too close to oven wall or if too much foil is used. | |||
Browning Dish | Yes |
| Browning dishes are designed for microwave cooking | ||||
| only. Check browning dish information for instructions | ||||||
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| and heating chart. Do not preheat for more than 6 minutes. | |||
Brown paper bags | No | May cause a fire in the oven. |
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Dinnerware |
| Yes | Check manufacturers' use and care directions for use in | ||||
Labeled |
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| microwave heating. Some dinnerware may state on the | ||||
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| back of the dish, |
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Other Dinnerware | ? |
| Use | CONTAINER TEST | below. | ||
Disposable polyester |
| Yes |
| Some frozen foods are packaged in these dishes. Can be | |||
Paperboard Dishes |
| purchased in grocery stores. |
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Fast Food Carton |
| No |
| Metal handle may cause arcing | . | ||
with Metal Handle |
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Frozen Dinner Tray |
| Yes | Frozen dinners may be heated in foil tray, if tray is less than | ||||
Metal |
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Yes |
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| least | ||||
| Heat only 1 foil tray in the oven at a time. For containers | ||||||
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| more than | |||
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| similar size | |||
Glass Jars |
| Yes, |
| Remove lid. Heat food until just warm, not HOT. Most glass | |||
use caution | jars are not heat resistant. Do not use for cooking. | ||||||
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Glassware |
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Heat Resistant Oven |
| Yes(See | Ideal for microwave cooking and browning. | ||||
Glassware & Ceramics |
| CONTAINER TEST | below) | ||||
Metal Bakeware | No | Not recommended for use in microwave ovens. |
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Metal | No |
| May cause arcing which could cause a fire in the oven. | ||||
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| Follow manufacturers' directions. Close bag with the nylon tie | |||
Oven Cooking Bag | Yes |
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| provided, a strip cut from the end of the bag, or a piece of | |||
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| cotton string. Do not close with a metal | |||
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Paper Plates & Cups | Yes |
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| Use to warm cooked foods, and to cook foods that require | |||
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| short cooking times such as hot dogs. |
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Paper Towels & Napkins | Yes | Use to warm rolls and sandwiches by microwave. |
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Parchment Paper | Yes |
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| Use as a cover to prevent spattering. Safe for use in | |||
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| microwave, microwave/convection and conventional ovens. | |||||
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Plastic |
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Yes |
| Should be labeled, "Suitable for Microwave Heating." Check | |||||
Cookware |
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| manufacuters’ directions for recommended uses. | ||||
Reheat & Storage | Yes, |
| Some | ||||
| use caution | cooking foods with high fat or sugar content. The heat from | |||||
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| hot food may cause the plastic to warp. | |||
Melamine | No |
| This material absorbs microwave energy. Dishes get HOT! | ||||
Plastic Foam Cups |
| Yes, |
| Plastic foam will melt if foods reach a high temperature. Use | |||
use caution | to bring foods to a low serving temperature. |
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Plastic Wrap | Yes |
| Use to cover food during cooking to retain moisture and | ||||
prevent spattering. Should be labeled “Suitable for | |||||||
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| Microwave Heating”. Check package directions. | |||
Straw, Wicker, Wood | Yes |
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| Use only for short term reheating and to bring | |||
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| food to a low serving temperature. |
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Thermometers |
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Yes | Use only | ||||||
Conventional | No |
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| Not suitable for use in microwave oven, will cause sparks | |||
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| and get hot. |
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Wax paper | Yes | Use as a cover to prevent spattering and to retain moisture. |
CONTAINER TEST
TO | TEST A CONTAINER FOR SAFE MICROWAVE OVEN USE: | Fill a 1- cup glass measure with water |
and | place it in the microwave oven along with the container to be tested; | heat one (1) minute at P10 |
(HIGH) . If the container is microwave
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