Fur
ther Informat
ion
10
Hints and Tips
TIPS FOR GOOD COOKING
Please read this section in conjunction with the Safety Guide on
Page 2.
$
Stir liquids and purees before during and after cooking to
distribute the heat evenly. Mashed potato will cook more
evenly and more thoroughly if lightly covered.
$
Never tightly cover food. Always cover it loosely.
$
Do not allow plastic film to touch food as it may chemically
break down or melt or even catch fire and contaminate the
food.
$
Arrange food in the dish so that the thicker part is on the
outside and the thinner part inside for more even cooking.
Fold under the thin edges of fish fillets and tapered foods.
$
5-6 minutes per 500 gr. will cook most fruit and vegetables.
Seafood takes less time.
$
Different foods require different temperatures to cook. Add
more minutes as you drop the power.
$
Up to 20% of the cooking takes place after the oven turns off
so 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 around 15 minutes in the microwave.
$
Foods with baking powder should stand a few minutes
before cooking to allow the leavening agents to work.
$
If a recipe calls for milk and water, reduce the water.
$
Rotate large items of food occasionally during cooking to
encourage even heat distribution.
$
Food cooks best and reheats better in a round dish or a dish
with curved sides.
$
Salt attracts microwaves. Don't just sprinkle it on food before
cooking, stir it in or add it later.
$
Fats and sugars attract microwaves - thoroughly mix sugar
with other 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 gets hotter than the pastry.
Hints for reheating food
$
Heat leftovers and pre-cooked food to at least 70°C. Food
should be hot and steaming before it is served.
$
When re-heating liquids such as meat stews see that the
liquid boils for around 3-5 minutes to ensure the pieces of
meat are completely heated through.
$
Only defrost food in the microwave if you plan to cook the
food immediately after it has thawed. Some areas of the food
may begin to cook during defrosting, which can allow
bacteria can flourish.
$
Remove the food from the wrapping, place it on a microwave
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.
Steam and Smoke
$
Steam is a natural product of microwave cooking. It escapes
from the vents in the top and rear of 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.
$
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.
Hints for defrosting
TROUBLESHOOTING:
If the oven fails to operate:
$
Check that the oven is plugged in securely. If it is not, unplug
from 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, test the outlet with another appliance.
$
Check that the clock is set and that the child lock is off.
$
Make sure that the oven door closes fully and securely.
If none of the above rectifies the situation, contact the Tesco
helpline.
Do not try to adjust or repair the oven yourself.
