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TIPS FOR GOOD COOKING
Please read this section together with the Safety Guide on Page 2.
Stir liquids and purees before during and after cooking to distribute
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the heat evenly. Mashed potato will cook more evenly and more
thoroughly if lightly covered.
Never tightly cover food. Always cover it loosely.
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Do not allow plastic film to touch food as it may chemically break
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down, melt or even catch fire and contaminate the food.
Arrange food in the dish so that the thicker part is on the outside and
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the thinner part inside for more even cooking. Fold under the thin
edges of fish fillets and tapered foods.
6-7 minutes per 500 gr. will cook most fruit and vegetables. Seafood
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takes less time.
Different foods require different temperatures to cook. Add more
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minutes as you drop the power.
Up to 20% of the cooking takes place after the oven turns off so
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always remember that your food will continue cooking after you’ve
removed it.
Food that takes an hour in to cook in a regular oven should take
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around 15 minutes in the microwave.
Foods with baking powder should stand a few minutes before
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cooking to allow the leavening agents to work.
If a recipe calls for milk and water, reduce the water.
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Rotate large items of food occasionally during cooking to encourage
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even heat distribution.
Food cooks best and reheats better in a round dish or a dish with
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curved sides.
Salt attracts microwaves. Don’t just sprinkle it on food before cooking,
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stir it in or add it later.
Fats and sugars attract microwaves - thoroughly mix sugar with other
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ingredients. Care should be taken when cooking foods with high
sugar or fat contents as they can reach very high temperatures.
Handle pastry-wrapped foods like mince pies carefully as the filling
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gets hotter than the pastry.
General guidance
Hints for reheating food
Heat leftovers and pre-cooked food to at least 70°C. Food should be
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hot and steaming before it is served.
When re-heating liquids such as meat stews see that the liquid boils
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for around 3-5 minutes to ensure the pieces of meat are completely
heated through.
Is it cooked?
Temperature should reach 70º C for meat, fish and eggs.
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Fish should be opaque and flake easily.
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Hints for defrosting
Only defrost food in the microwave if you plan to cook the food
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immediately after it has thawed. Some areas of the food may begin
to cook during defrosting, which can allow bacteria can flourish. Do
not cook defrosted raw meat in a microwave oven.
Remove the food from the wrapping, place it on a microwave
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safe dish. Rotate and re-arrange food during defrosting. Where
appropriate, stir the food and if possible, separate the food items and
remove those which have already defrosted.
GENERAL NOTES
Steam: Steam is a natural product of microwave cooking. It escapes from
the vents in the appliance. These vents should never be blocked. Steam
may condense in and around the oven during cooking and should be
dried off after use.
Smoke: If during cooking, smoke starts to come from the oven do NOT
open the oven door! Immediately switch off at the mains, unplug the
oven and wait for the smoke to completely subside and the oven to fully
cool down before removing the food. Before you use your microwave
oven again, consult a service technician and have the oven tested .
Testing Your Oven: Place a cup of water in the oven and heat it on full
power for 2 minutes. If the water gets hot the oven is working.
Dim Oven Light: During low power microwave cooking the oven light
may appear to dim slightly. This is normal and not a cause for concern.
If the oven fails to work or will not respond to commands: Unplug the
oven and inspect the plug fuse. If this is intact, leave the oven for 30
minutes and then plug the oven in again. The oven should now work
normally.
CLEANING AND CARE
These steps should be taken after every use.
Disconnect the power supply and wait for the appliance to
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completely cool down.
Remove the turntable support ring and the turntable and wash then
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in warm soapy water.
Clean the oven cavity, the outer edge of the cavity, and the oven door
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with water and a mild detergent. A special microwave oven cleaner
is not necessary. Do not use scouring pads, or other abrasives.
Wipe outer surfaces and control panel with a damp soft cloth.
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If liquids have been splashed on the wall of the oven cavity, they
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must be fully removed otherwise smoke may occur when the
appliance is next used.
If the cavity emits odours, boil a cup of water with a squeeze of
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lemon juice for 5-7 min. to remove them.
Dry all parts thoroughly and replace them.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
If the oven fails to operate:
Check that the oven is plugged in securely. If it is not, unplug from
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the outlet, wait 10 seconds and plug it in again securely.
Check for a blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker. If these are intact,
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test the outlet with another appliance.
Check that the clock is set and that the child lock is off.
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Make sure that the oven door closes fully and securely.
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If none of the above rectifies the situation, contact the Tesco helpline. Do
not try to adjust or repair the oven yourself.
