Cooking Using The Timer; Child Safety Lock; Tips For Food Preparation; Cooking Time - Melissa 653-081 Instruction Manual

Cooking using the timer

You can use this function to set the microwave oven to
automatically start manual cooking at a given time.
NB: The clock must be set as described in "Setting
the clock". The timer function cannot be used for
express and automatic cooking, and defrosting.
1. Start by setting microwave power and cooking time
as described in "Manual cooking with selection of
power".
2. Hold the Clock key down for 3 seconds. A beep
will sound. You can now set the start time (hours
and minutes) using
described under "Setting the clock".
3. Press the Clock key to confi rm the start time. A beep
will sound. Cooking now starts automatically at the
time entered.
4. To start cooking immediately, press the Instant/Start
key. To delete a start time, press the Pause/Cancel
key.
NB: If you want to see the setting you have made,
press the Clock key. The start time will be displayed
for approx. 3 seconds before the display returns to
normal.

CHILD SAFETY LOCK

The child safety lock prevents small children from using
the microwave oven. The microwave oven cannot be
operated as long as the child safety lock is active. The
child safety lock is activated by holding the Pause/
Cancel key down for approx. 3 seconds. A beep will
sound and the display shows "OFF". The child safety
lock is deactivated by holding the Pause/Cancel key
down for approx. 3 seconds before the display returns to
show the time.

TIPS FOR FOOD PREPARATION

When preparing food in the microwave oven, the
following basic rules apply:

Cooking time

Smaller quantities of food cook more rapidly than
large quantities. If the amount of food is doubled,
the preparation time must be more than doubled
correspondingly.
Small pieces of meat, small fi sh and chopped vegetables
cook more quickly than large pieces. For the same
reason, it is recommended, if, for example, you wish to
make goulash, stews or similar, that the meat be cut into
pieces no bigger than 2 x 2 cm.
The compactness of the food is also very important for
the cooking time. The more compact the food is, the
longer it takes to cook it.
• Whole joints require a longer cooking time than
stewed dishes.
• A joint requires a longer time than a dish with minced
meat.
Auto (g) and Auto (h) as
The colder the food, the longer the cooking time needs
to be. Food at room temperature will therefore cook
faster than food from a fridge or freezer.
When cooking vegetables, the cooking time depends
on the freshness of the vegetables. Therefore check the
condition of the vegetables, and add or deduct a little
time accordingly.
The short cooking time when using a microwave oven
means that the food does not overcook.
• If required, a little water can be added.
• When cooking fi sh and vegetables, you only need to
use a minimum of water.

Microwave power

The choice of power setting depends on the condition of
the food to be cooked.
In most cases, the food is cooked at full power.
• Full power is used, among other things, for reheating
food quickly, boiling water or similar.
• Low power is principally used to defrost food and
prepare dishes containing cheese, milk or egg.
(Whole eggs in their shell cannot be cooked in
the microwave oven, as there is a risk of the eggs
exploding). In addition, lower power settings are also
used to fi nish off and to retain the excellent aroma of
a dish.

General information on cooking

• If the whole meal is to be prepared in the microwave
oven, it is recommended that you start with the
most compact foods, such as potatoes. Once these
are ready, cover them while the rest of the food is
prepared.
• Most food should be covered. A close-fi tting cover
retains the steam and moisture, which shortens
the cooking time in the microwave oven. This is
particularly the case when cooking vegetables,
fi sh dishes and casseroles. Covering food also
distributes the heat better, thus ensuring rapid and
excellent results.
• In order to achieve the best possible results, it is
important to position the food correctly, as the
microwave rays are most powerful in the centre of
the microwave oven. If, for example, you are baking
potatoes, you should position them along the edge
of the glass turntable so that they cook evenly.
• In order to cook compact dishes such as meat and
poultry evenly, it is important to turn the pieces of
meat a few times.
• You can bake in the microwave oven, although not
using recipes that include yeast.
• When preparing food with a thick skin, e.g. potatoes,
apples, whole squash or chestnuts, you should prick
holes in the skin to prevent the food from bursting
during cooking.
• When preparing food in a "traditional" oven, you
normally avoid opening the oven door as much as
possible. This is not the case with a microwave oven:
no energy or signifi cant heat is lost. In other words,
you can open the microwave door and look at the
food as often as you want.
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