21
USE YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN SAFELY
General Use
Do not attempt to defeat or tamper with safety interlocks.
Do not place any object between the oven front frame and the door or allow residue to build up on
sealing surfaces. Wipe with a mild detergent, rinse and dry. Never use abrasive powders or pads.
Do not subject the oven door to strain or weight such as a child hanging on an open door.
This could cause the oven to fall forward resulting in injury to you and damage to the oven.
Do not operate the oven if door seals or sealing surfaces are damaged; or if door is bent; or if hinges are
loose or broken.
Do not operate the oven empty. This will damage the oven.
Do not attempt to dry clothes, newspapers or other materials in the oven. They may catch on fire.
Do not use recycled paper products as they may contain impurities which may cause sparks or fires.
Do not hit or strike the control panel with hard objects. This can damage the oven.
Food
Never use your microwave oven for home canning. The oven is not designed for proper home canning.
Improperly canned food may spoil and be dangerous to consume.
Always use the minimum recipe cooking time. It is better to undercook rather than overcook foods.
Undercooked foods can be returned to the oven for more cooking. If food is overcooked, nothing can be
done.
Heat small quantities of food or foods with low moisture carefully. These can quickly dry out, burn or
catch on fire.
Do not heat eggs in the shell. Pressure may build up and eggs can explode.
Potatoes, apples, egg yolks and sausages are examples of food with non-porous skins.
These must be pierced before cooking to prevent bursting.
Do not attempt to deep fat fry in your microwave oven.
Always stir liquids before heating. Heated liquids can erupt, if not mixed with air.
Do not leave the oven unattended while popping corn.
Do not pop corn in a paper bag unless it is the commercially prepared Microwave Popcorn product. The
kernels can overheat and ignite a brown paper bag.
Do not put packaged Microwave Popcorn bags directly on the oven tray. Place the package on a
microwave safe glass or ceramic plate to avoid overheating and cracking the oven tray.
Do not exceed the Microwave Popcorn manufacturers suggested popping time.
Longer popping does not yield more popcorn but it can result in scorch, burn of fire. Remember, the
Popcorn bag and tray can be too hot to handle. Remove with caution and use pot holders.
ARCING
If you see arcing, press “STOP/CLEAR” button and correct the problem.
Arcing is the microwave term for sparks in the oven.
Arcing is caused by:
• Metal or foil touching the side of the oven.
• Foil not molded to food (upturned edges act like antennas).
• Metal, such as twist-ties, poultry pins, or gold rimmed dishes, in the microwave.
• Recycled paper towels containing small metal pieces being used in the microwave.
