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Service Manual UK
Indesit
Company
English
GENERAL RULES FOR MICROWAVE COOKING
Microwaves consist of electromagnetic radiation found in nature in the form of light waves (e.g.
sunlight). Inside the oven, these waves penetrate food from all directions and heat up the water, fatty
and sugar molecules. Their frequency is in the 2450 MHz range. The penetration depth of the wave is
approximately 2.5 cm; if the food is thicker, the core of the food will be cooked by conduction, as in
traditional cooking.Heat is produced very quickly only in the food itself, whereas the container being
used warms up indirectly by means of heat given off by the heated food. This prevents food from
sticking to its container, so you can use very little fatty substance or, in some cases, no fat at all during
the cooking process.
Therefore cooking in a microwave oven is considered to be healthy and good for ones diet.
In contrast to traditional methods, by cooking in a microwave, foodstuffs are less dehydrated, lose less
of their nutritional value and retain more of their original flavour.
Basic Rules for Correct Cooking with a Microwave Oven
1)
In order to set the cooking times correctly, remember that when you increase the amount of
foodstuffs, the cooking temperatures must likewise be proportionally increased and vice versa.
It is important to respect the 'standing' times.
Standing time
means that period during which the
food must be left to 'rest' after being cooked so as to allow an even greater spreading of the
temperature within. The temperature of meat, for example, will rise about 5° - 8°C (approximately
9° - 15°F) during the standing time. Standing times may be observed either inside or outside the
oven.
2)
One of the main things you must do is
stir
the food several times while it is being cooked.
This helps make the temperature distribution more uniform and thus shortens the cooking time.
3)
It is also advisable to turn the foodstuff over during its cooking process. This applies especially for
meat, whether it is in large pieces (roasts, whole chickens, etc.) or small (chicken breasts, etc.).
4)
Foods having a skin, shell or peel (e.g. apples, potatoes, tomatoes, frankfurters, fish) must
be pierced with a fork in several points so as to permit steam to escape and to prevent
those items from exploding.
5)
If you are preparing a large number of portions of the same food item (e.g. boiled potatoes), place
those portions in a Pyrex dish in order to have them cook in a uniform manner.
6)
The lower the temperature at which a foodstuff is placed in a microwave oven, the longer the
cooking time required. Food having a room temperature will cook more quickly than food having a
refrigerator temperature.
7)
Always do your cooking by placing the food in a food container in the centre of the turntable.
8)
It is perfectly normal for condensation to form inside the oven and near the air outlet.
To reduce
such condensation, cover the foodstuffs with clear sheet, wax paper, a glass lid or simply
an overturned plate.
Foods having water content (e.g. greens and vegetables) cook better when
covered.
The covering of food also helps keep the oven clean on the inside. Use clear sheet made
expressly for microwave ovens.
9)
Do not cook eggs in their shells;
the pressure, which builds up on the inside, would cause the
egg to explode, even after cooking gas finished. Do not heat up eggs, which have already been
cooked, unless they are scrambled.
10) Do not forget to open containers, which are airtight or sealed, before heating or cooking food in the
oven. The pressure on the inside of the container would rise, causing them to explode even after
cooking has finished.
