6
Important safety instructions
Lids
Always remove the lids of jars and
containers and takeaway food
containers before you microwave
the food. If the lid remains, then
steam and pressure might build up
inside and cause an explosion
even after the microwave cooking
has stopped.
Babies bottles and food jars
When reheating babies bottles
always remove top and teat. Liquid
at the top of the bottle will be much
hotter than that at the bottom and
must be shaken thoroughly before
checking the temperature. This
should be carried out before
consumption to avoid burns. See
page 25.
Boiled eggs
Eggs in their shell and whole
hard-boiled eggs should not be
heated in microwave ovens since
they may explode even after
microwave heating has ended.
Foods with skins
Potatoes, apples, egg yolk, whole
vegetables and sausages are
examples of food with non porous
skins. These must be pierced using
a fork before cooking to prevent
bursting.
Paper and plastic
When heating food in plastic or paper
containers, keep an eye on the oven
due to the possibility of ignition. Do
not use wire twist-ties with roasting
bags as arcing will occur.
Do not use re-cycled paper products,
e.g. Kitchen roll unless they say they
are specifically designed for use in a
microwave oven. These products
contain impurities which may cause
sparks and/or fires when used.
Liquids
Microwave heating of beverages
can result in delayed eruptive
boiling, therefore care should be
taken when handling the container.
To prevent the possibility of sudden
boil the following steps should be
taken:
a) Avoid using straight-sided
containers with narrow necks.
b) Do not overheat.
c) Stir the liquid before placing the
container in the oven and again
halfway through the heating
time.
d) After heating, allow to stand in
the oven for a short time, stirring
again before carefully removing
the container.
Deep fat frying
Do not attempt to deep fat fry in
your oven.
Arcing
Arcing may occur accidentally if a
metal container has been used or
the incorrect weight of food is used.
Arcing is flashes of blue light seen
in the microwave oven. If this
occurs, stop the machine
immediately. If the oven is left
unattended and this continues it
can damage the machine.
Meat thermometer
Use a meat thermometer to check the
degree of cooking of joints and poultry
only when meat has been removed
from the microwave. If undercooked,
return to the oven and cook for a few
more minutes at the recommended
power level. Do not leave a
conventional meat thermometer in the
oven when microwaving.
