Microwaves And How They Work - Panasonic NN-DS596B Manual

Installation and General Instructions
of, or in the oven. It could be a fire hazard.
9. Do not cook food directly on ceramic plate unless
indicated in recipes. (Food should be placed in a
suitable cooking utensil.)
10. DO NOT use this oven to heat chemicals or other
nonfood products. DO NOT clean this oven with
any product that is labelled as containing corrosive
chemicals. The heating of corrosive chemicals
in this oven may cause microwave radiation
leaks.
11. If the base of the oven is hot, allow to cool before
cleaning.
12. When using the MICROWAVE + GRILL mode,
never place any aluminum or metal container
directly on the Wire Rack. Always insert a
heat-proof and microwave safe, glass plate or
dish between the Wire Rack and the aluminum
container. This will prevent sparking that may
damage the oven.
13. It is recommended not to use the Wire Rack when
cooking in the MICROWAVE mode only.
14. During cooking, some steam will condense inside
and/or on the oven door. This is normal and safe.
Steam will disappear after the oven is cool down.
15. Do not leave the microwave unattended while
reheating or cooking food in disposable containers
made of plastic, paper or other combustible
materials, as these types of containers can ignite if
overheated.
16. Metallic containers for food and beverages are not
allowed during microwave cooking.
Placement of the Oven
1. The oven must be placed on a flat, stable surface,
more than 85 cm above the floor. For correct
operation, the oven must have sufficient air flow.
Allow 25 cm of space on the top of the oven,
10 cm at the back, and 5 cm on both sides. If
one side of the oven is placed flush to wall, the
other side or top must not be blocked. Do not
remove feet.
(a) Do not block air vents. If they are blocked
during operation, the oven may be overheated
and damaged. When using any cloth over the
oven, the air intake and exhaust should not
be blocked. Do not place a cloth on top of the
unit during COMBINATION, STEAM, GRILL,
OVEN, and CRISPY GRILL cooking as the
top of the microwave gets very hot. Also allow
sufficient space on back and both sides of the
oven.
(b) Do not place oven near a hot or damp surface
such as a gas stove, electric range or sink etc.
(c) Do not operate oven when room humidity is too
high.
2. This oven was manufactured for household use
only.
3. The appliance is freestanding type and shall not
be placed in a cabinet.
(continued)
Food
1. Do not use your oven for home canning or the
heating of any closed jar. Pressure will build
up and the jar may explode. In addition, the
microwave oven cannot maintain the food at the
correct canning temperature. Improperly canned
food may spoil and be dangerous to consume.
2. Do not attempt to deep fat fry in your microwave
oven.
3. Do not boil eggs in their shell and whole hard-
boiled eggs (unless otherwise stated in Cooking
Guide section). Pressure will build up and the eggs
will explode.
4. Potatoes, apples, egg yolks, chicken wings, whole
squash and sausages are examples of foods
with nonporous skins. This type of food must be
pierced before cooking, to prevent bursting.
5. When heating liquids, e.g. soup. sauces and
beverages in your microwave oven, overheating
the liquid beyond boiling point can occur without
evidence of bubbling. This could result in a sudden
boil over the hot liquid. To prevent this possibility
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 cooking
time.
(d) After heating, allow to stand in the oven for
a short time, stirring again before carefully
removing the container.
(e) Microwave heating of beverages can result in
delayed eruptive boiling, therefore care must
be taken when handling the container.
6. DO NOT USE A CONVENTIONAL MEAT
THERMOMETER IN THE MICROWAVE OVEN.
To check the degree of cooking of roasts and
poultry use a MICROWAVE THERMOMETER.
Alternatively, a conventional meat thermometer
may be used after the food is removed from the
oven. If undercooked, return meat or poultry to
the oven and cook for a few more minutes at
the recommended power level. It is important
to ensure that meat and poultry are thoroughly
cooked.
7. COOKING TIMES given in the Cooking Guide
section are APPROXIMATE. Factors that may
affect cooking time are preferred degree of
moisture content, starting temperature, altitude,
volume, size, shape of food and utensils used. As
you become familiar with the oven, you will be able
to adjust for these factors.
8. It is better to UNDERCOOK RATHER THAN
OVERCOOK foods. If food is undercooked, it
can always be returned to the oven for further
cooking. If food is overcooked, nothing can be
done. Always start with minimum cooking times
recommended.
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Installation and General Instructions
9. Extreme care should be taken when cooking
popcorn in a microwave oven. Cook for minimum
time as recommended by manufacturer. Use
the directions suitable for the wattage of your
microwave oven. NEVER leave oven unattended
when popping popcorn.
10. When heating food in plastic or paper containers,

Microwaves and How They Work

Microwaves are a form of high frequency radio waves
similar to those used by a radio, including AM, FM
and CB. They are similar to a television where the
radio waves are converted to a picture on the screen.
However, microwaves are much shorter than radio
waves; approximately twelve centimetres wave length.
Electricity is converted into microwave energy by the
magnetron tube (which is the heart of the microwave
oven).
From the magnetron tube, microwave energy is
transmitted to the oven cavity. The microwaves are
converted to heat in the food. The microwaves enter
from the outside of the food and travel through the
food losing half of their power every two to three
centimetres. Continued cooking to the centre occurs
by conduction.
Although pacemakers used to be affected by
microwaves (as well as by other radio waves), they
are now shielded and are not bothered by these
interferences. This allows people with pacemakers
to sit calmly by their radio or television and cook with
microwave ovens.
When microwaves come in contact with a substance,
any one or CRISPY GRILL of three things may occur.
They can be:
1. REFLECTED
(continued)
check the oven frequently due to the possibility of
ignition.
11. The contents of feeding bottles and baby food jars
are to be stirred or shaken and the temperature
is to be checked before consumption, in order to
avoid burns.
2. TRANSMITTED
3. ABSORBED
Reflection:
Metal substances REFLECT microwave energy and
because there is no absorption, there is no heating.
This is why the oven interior is either stainless steel or
epoxy-coated steel. This ensures that the microwaves
are kept inside the cavity and evenly distributed
throughout the food with the help of the turntable.
Transmission:
Such substances as paper, glass and plastic
TRANSMIT microwave energy and do not become
hot except from food. Because these substances do
not reflect or absorb microwave energy, they are ideal
materials for microwave cooking containers.
Absorption:
Food contains moisture and will ABSORB microwave
energy, which causes the moisture molecules within
the food to vibrate at an incredible rate (2,450,000,000
times per second). Friction, created by the vibration,
produces heat energy which is conducted throughout
the food.
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