Melissa 653-081 manual Child Safety Lock, Tips for Food Preparation

Cooking using the timer

You can use this function to set the microwave oven to automatically start manual cooking at a given time.

NB: The clock must be set as described in “Setting the clock”. The timer function cannot be used for express and automatic cooking, and defrosting.

1.Start by setting microwave power and cooking time as described in “Manual cooking with selection of power”.

2.Hold the Clock key down for 3 seconds. A beep

will sound. You can now set the start time (hours and minutes) using Auto (g) and Auto (h) as described under “Setting the clock”.

3.Press the Clock key to confirm the start time. A beep will sound. Cooking now starts automatically at the time entered.

4.To start cooking immediately, press the Instant/Start key. To delete a start time, press the Pause/Cancel key.

NB: If you want to see the setting you have made, press the Clock key. The start time will be displayed for approx. 3 seconds before the display returns to normal.

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. The child safety lock is activated by holding the Pause/ Cancel key down for approx. 3 seconds. A beep will sound and the display shows “OFF”. The child safety lock is deactivated by holding the Pause/Cancel key down for approx. 3 seconds before the display returns to show the time.

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 fish and chopped vegetables cook more quickly than large pieces. For the same reason, it is recommended, if, for example, you wish to make goulash, stews or similar, that 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 it.

•Whole joints require a longer cooking time than stewed dishes.

•A joint requires a longer time than a dish with 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 fish and vegetables, you only need to use a 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 at 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 finish 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-fitting cover retains the steam and moisture, which shortens the cooking time in the microwave oven. This is particularly the case when cooking vegetables, fish 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 bake in the microwave oven, although not using 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 significant heat is lost. In other words, you can open the microwave door and look at the food as often as you want.

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