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22 OPERATION
• Tableware
- Do not put plates with painted decoration in
the oven, as the paint may contain metal and
cause arcing.
Microwave-Unsafe Cookware
• Metal Containers/Metal Decoration
- Never use metal or metal-rimmed cookware in
the microwave oven.
- Microwaves cannot penetrate metal. They will
bounce off any metal object in the oven and
cause arcing, an alarming phenomenon that
resembles lightning.
- Metal shields the food from microwave energy
and produces uneven cooking. Also avoid
metal skewers, thermometers, foil trays,
metal-rimmed or metal-banded dinnerware,
casserole dishes, etc. The metal rim interferes
with normal cooking and may damage the
oven.
• Aluminum Foil
- Avoid large sheets of aluminum foil because
they hinder cooking and may cause harmful
arcing.
- Use small pieces of foil to shield poultry legs
and wings.
- Keep ALL aluminum foil at least 1" (2.54 cm)
from the side walls and door of the oven.
• Wood
- Wood bowls and boards will dry out and may
split or crack when you use them in the
microwave oven.
- Baskets react in the same way.
• Tightly Covered Cookware
- Be sure to leave openings for steam to escape
from covered containers.
- Pierce plastic pouches of vegetables or other
food items before cooking.
- Tightly closed pouches could explode.
• Brown Paper
- Avoid using brown paper bags.
- They absorb too much heat and could burn.
• Flawed or Chipped Cookware:
- Any container that is cracked, flawed, or
chipped may break in the oven.
• Metal Twist Ties
- Remove metal twist ties from plastic or paper
bags.
- They become hot and could cause a fire.
Cooking Tips
Carefully monitor the food in the microwave oven
while it is cooking. Directions given in recipes to
elevate, stir, etc., are the minimum steps
recommended. If food is overcooked (dry),
undercooked, or unevenly cooked, make
adjustments before or during cooking to correct
the problem.
• Overcooked or Dry Food
- Sprinkling: Sprinkle low-moisture foods such
as roasts and vegetables with water before
cooking, or cover them to retain moisture.
- Density: Light, porous food such as cakes and
breads cook more quickly than heavy, dense
foods such as roasts and casseroles.
- Shielding: Cover the corners of square dishes
with small strips of aluminum foil to prevent
overcooking. Don't use too much foil, and
secure the foil to the dish. Foil can cause
arcing if it gets too close to the oven walls
during cooking.
- Bones and Fat: Bones conduct heat, and fat
cooks more quickly than meat. Take care with
bony or fatty cuts of meat.
• Undercooked Food
- Covering: Cover food with a microwave-safe
lid, parchment paper (not waxed paper), or
plastic wrap to trap heat and steam and cook
food more quickly.
- Standing Time: Let food stand for several
minutes after it is removed from the oven to
allow it to finish cooking and help flavors blend
and develop.
- Quantity: The more food you place in the
oven, the longer the required cooking time.
- Temperature: Ice-cold ingredients take much
longer to cook than room temperature
ingredients.
• Unevenly Cooked Food
- Stirring: Stir food from the outside toward the
center during cooking, as food at the outside
of the dish heats more quickly.
- Arranging: Turn food over several times
during cooking. The upper portions of thick
foods cook more quickly than the lower
portions. Thick or dense foods can be elevated
so that microwaves can be absorbed by the
underside and center of the foods.
- Shaping: Place the thickest portions of foods
like meat, poultry or fish toward the outside of
the cookware to help them cook more evenly.
If possible, shape foods into thin rounds or
rings.
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