MANUAL COOKING
MICROWAVE POWER LEVELS
For best results, some recipes call for different cook
powers. The lower the cook power, the slower the
cooking. Each number from 1 to 9 stands for a
different percentage of full cook power.
The following table gives the percentage of cook
power each number pad stands for, and the cook
power name usually used.
NOTE:
COOK POWER
LEVEL
WHEN TO USE IT
High
with high water content, such as soup and
Quickly heating convenience foods and foods
Cooking and heating foods that need a
beverages.
Cooking tender cuts of meat, ground meat or
chicken.
9 = 90% of full power
8 = 80% of full power
7 = 70% of full power
Medium-High
Cook Power lower than High (for example, whole
fish and meat loaf) or when food is cooking too fast.
6 = 60% of full power
Cooking that requires special care, such as
cheese and egg dishes, pudding, and custards.
5 = 50% of full power
Medium
Cooking ham, whole poultry, and pot roasts.
immering stews.
4 = 40% of full power
Melting chocolate.
3 = 30% of full power
Medium-Low, Defrost
Manually defrosting pre-cooked and other foods,
such as bread, fish, meats and poultry.
2 = 20% of full power
oftening butter, cheese, and ice cream.
1 = 10% of full power
Low
0 = 0% of full power
None
Heating cream soups.
Heating rice, pasta, or casseroles.
Reheating a single serving of food.
Finishing cooking casseroles.
Heating pastries.
Keeping food warm.
Standing time in oven.
Taking chill out of fruit.
The table also tells you when to use each cook power.
Follow recipe or food package instructions if available.
Refer to a reliable cookbook for cooking times
based on the 1000 Watt cook power of your
microwave oven.
13
100% of full power
