6
Safety Precautions
IMPORTANT
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
3) DEEP FAT FRYING
•
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
perhaps result in burns. Microwave utensils may
not be able to withstand the temperature of the
hot oil, and could shatter or melt.
4) FOODS WITH NONPOROUS SKINS
• Potatoes, apples, whole eggs, egg yolks,
whole squash and sausages are examples of
foods with nonporous skins. These types of
foods must be pierced before microwave cooking
to prevent their bursting.
• Use fresh potatoes for baking and cook until just
done. Use recommended weights for programmed
cooking. Overcooking causes dehydration and
may result in a fire.
5) LIQUIDS
• Liquids can become "superheated" in a
microwave, and when the container is moved in
any way, the superheated liquids can
"explode" out of the container.
"Superheated" water is hotter than boiling
water, EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT
APPEAR TO BUBBLE. To reduce the possibility
of this occurrence:
Always make sure that liquids are stirred
vigorously before heating to assure that the
liquid is mixed with air. NEVER HEAT LIQUIDS
FOR AN EXCESSIVE LENGTH OF TIME.
6) GLASS TRAY / COOKING UTENSILS / FOIL
• Cooking utensils get hot during microwaving. Heat
is transferred from the HOT food to the container
and the Glass Tray. Use potholders when remov-
ing utensils from the oven or when removing lids
or plastic wrap covers from cooking utensils to
avoid burns.
• The Glass Tray will get hot during cooking. It
should be allowed to cool before handling or
before paper products, such as paper plates or
microwave popcorn bags, are placed in the oven
for microwave cooking.
• When using foil, skewers, warming rack or uten-
sils made of metal in the oven, allow at least 1-
inch (2.5 cm) of space between metal material
and interior oven walls. If arcing occurs (spark-
ing), remove metal material (skewers etc.) and/or
transfer to a non-metallic container.
• Dishes with metallic trim should
not
be used, as
arcing may occur.
• If an entree is heated in a foil tray, maintain at
least 1-inch (2.5 cm) spacing from the oven walls.
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.
• If an oven cooking bag is used for microwave
cooking, prepare according to package directions.
DO NOT
use a wire twist-tie to close bag,
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. Microwave-safe
thermometers are available for both meat and
candy.
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.
Follow These Safety Precautions When Cooking in Your Oven
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 pre-packaged
microwave popcorn, follow recommended
package instructions. Check package weight
before using the Popcorn pad (see Popcorn
Pad section). Set the oven for the weight of
the popcorn package.
If these instructions are not followed, the
popcorn may not pop adequately or may
ignite and cause a fire. Never leave oven
unattended when popping popcorn. Allow
the popcorn bag to cool before opening,
always open the bag away from your face
and body to prevent steam burns.
7
Cookware and Utensil Guide
ITEM
MICROWAVE
COMMENTS
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
only
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
and heating chart. Do not preheat for more than 6 minutes.
Brown paper bags
No
May cause a fire in the oven.
Dinnerware
Check manufacturers' use and care directions for use in
Labeled
Yes
microwave heating. Some dinnerware may state on the
“Microwave-Safe”
back of the dish, “Oven-Microwave Safe”.
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.
Fast Food Carton
No
Metal handle may cause arcing.
with Metal Handle
Frozen Dinner Tray
Frozen dinners may be heated in foil tray, if tray is less than
Metal
Yes
3
/
4
-in.(2 cm) high. Place foil tray in center of oven. Leave at
least 1-in. (2.5 cm) space between foil tray and oven walls.
Microwave-safe
Yes
Heat only 1 foil tray in the oven at a time. For containers
more than
3
/
4
-inch (2 cm) deep,remove food and place in a
similar size microwave-safe container.
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.
Glassware
Heat Resistant Oven
Yes
Ideal for microwave cooking and browning.
Glassware & Ceramics
(See CONTAINER TEST below)
Metal Bakeware
No
Not recommended for use in microwave ovens.
Metal Twist-Ties
No
May cause arcing which could cause a fire in the oven.
Follow manufacturers' directions. Close bag with the nylon tie
Oven Cooking Bag
Yes
provided, a strip cut from the end of the bag, or a piece of
cotton string. Do not close with a metal twist-tie. Make six
1
/
2
-in. (1 cm) slits near the closure.
Paper Plates & Cups
Yes
Use to warm cooked foods, and to cook foods that require
short cooking times such as hot dogs.
Paper Towels & Napkins
Yes
Use to warm rolls and sandwiches by microwave.
Parchment Paper
Yes
Use as a cover to prevent spattering. Safe for use in
microwave, microwave/convection and conventional ovens.
Plastic
Microwave-Safe
Yes
Should be labeled, "Suitable for Microwave Heating." Check
Cookware
manufacuters’ directions for recommended uses.
Reheat & Storage
Yes,
Some microwave-safe plastic dishes are not suitable for
use caution
cooking foods with high fat or sugar content. The heat from
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.
Use to cover food during cooking to retain moisture and
Plastic Wrap
Yes
prevent spattering. Should be labeled “Suitable for
Microwave Heating”. Check package directions.
Straw, Wicker, Wood
Yes
Use only for short term reheating and to bring
food to a low serving temperature.
Thermometers
Microwave-safe, only
Yes
Use only microwave-safe meat and candy thermometers.
Conventional
No
Not suitable for use in microwave oven, will cause sparks
and get hot.
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 oven-safe (transparent to microwave energy), the container should
remain comfortably cool and the water should be hot. If the container is hot, it has absorbed some
microwave energy and should NOT be used. This test cannot be used for plastic containers.