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General Guidelines
Starting
Temperature
The colder the food, the longer
it takes to heat up. Food from a
fridge takes longer to reheat than
food at room temperature. Food
temperature should be between
5-8 °C before cooking.
Arranging
Individual foods e.g. chicken
portions or chops, should be placed
in a dish so that the thicker parts
are to the outside.
Ingredients
Foods containing fat, sugar or salt
heat up very quickly. The filling may
be much hotter than the pastry. Take
care when eating. Do not overheat
even if the pastry does not appear
to be very hot.
Turning and
Stirring
Some foods require stirring during
cooking. Meat and poultry should be
turned after half the cooking time.
Liquids
All liquids must be stirred
before,
during and after heating
. Water
especially must be stirred before
and during heating, to avoid
eruption. Do not heat liquids that
have previously been boiled.
Do
not overheat.
Checking Food
It is essential that food is checked
during and after a recommended
cooking time, even if an
auto
program
has been used (just as
you would check food cooked in a
conventional oven). Return the food
to the oven for further cooking if
necessary.
Cleaning
As microwaves work on food
particles, keep your oven clean at
all times. Stubborn spots of food
can be removed by using a branded
oven cleaner, sprayed onto a soft
cloth. Always wipe the oven dry
after cleaning. Avoid any plastic
parts and door area. Customers
should not spray directly into the
cavity.