35
BEFORE USING MICROWAVE
About Children and the Microwave
Children below the age of 7 should use the micro-
wave oven with a supervising person very near to
them. Between the ages of 7 and 12, the supervis-
ing person should be in the same room.
At no time should anyone be allowed to lean or
swing on the microwave oven door.
Children should be taught all safety precautions:
use pot holders, remove coverings carefully, pay
special attention to packages that crisp food be-
cause they may be extra hot.
Don’t assume that because a child has mastered
one cooking skill he/she can cook everything.
Children need to learn that the microwave oven is
not a toy.
About Food Safety
Check foods to see that they are cooked to the
United States Department of Agriculture’s recom-
mended temperatures.
To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in
a thick or dense area away from fat or bone. Never
leave the thermometer in the food during cooking,
unless it is approved for microwave oven use.
CAUTION
•
ALWAYS use pot holders to prevent burns
when handling utensils that are in contact
with hot food. Enough heat from the food can
transfer through utensils to cause skin burns.
•
Avoid steam burns by directing steam away
from the face and hands. Slowly lift the far-
thest edge of a dish’s covering and carefully
open popcorn and oven cooking bags away
from the face.
Note:
•
Stay near the microwave oven while it’s in use
and check cooking progress frequently so that
there is no chance of overcooking food.
•
NEVER use the cavity for storing cookbooks or
other items.
•
Select, store, and handle food carefully to pre-
serve its high quality and minimize the spread
of food-borne bacteria.
•
Keep the waveguide cover clean. Food residue
can cause arcing and/or fi res.
•
Use care when removing items from the micro-
wave oven so the utensil, your clothes, or ac-
cessories do not touch the safety door latches.