Sunbeam SNM1501RAX - Manual (Page 7)

7
ABOUT MICROWAVE COOKING
• Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas towards outside of dish.
• Watch cooking time. Cook for the shortest amount of time indicated and add more as needed. Food
severely overcooked can smoke or ignite.
• Cover foods while cooking. Check recipe or cookbook for suggestions: paper towels, wax paper,
microwave plastic wrap or a lid. Covers prevent spattering and help foods to cook evenly.
• Shield with small flat pieces of aluminum foil any thin areas of meat or poultry to prevent overcooking
before dense, thick areas are cooked thoroughly.
• Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or twice during cooking, if possible.
• Turn foods over once during microwaving to speed cooking of such foods as chicken and hamburgers.
Large items like roasts must be turned over at least once.
• Rearrange foods such as meatballs halfway through cooking both from top to bottom and from the
center of the dish to the outside.
• Add standing time. Remove food from oven and stir, if possible. Cover for standing time that allows
the food to finish cooking without overcooking.
• Check for doneness. Look for signs indicating that cooking temperatures have been reached.
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Doneness signs include:
ƒ Food steams throughout, not just at edge.
ƒ Center bottom of dish is very hot to the touch.
ƒ Poultry thigh joins move easily.
ƒ Meat and poultry show no pinkness.
ƒ Fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
ABOUT SAFETY
Check foods to see that they are cooked to the following recommended temperatures.
TEMP FOOD
160°
…for fresh pork, ground meat, boneless white poultry, fish, seafood,
egg dishes and frozen prepared food.
165°
…for leftover, ready-to-reheat refrigerated, and deli and carry-out
“fresh” food.
170° …white meat of poultry.
180° …dark meat of poultry.
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To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in a thick or dense area away from fat of bone.
NEVER leave the thermometer in the food during cooking, unless it is approved for microwave oven
use.
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ALWAYS use potholders to prevent burns when handling utensils that are in contact with hot food.
Enough heat from the food can transfer through utensils to cause skin burns.
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Avoid steam burns by directing steam away from the face and hands. Slowly lift the farthest edge of a
dish’s covering and carefully open popcorn and oven cooking bags away from the face.
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Stay near the oven while it’s in use and check cooking progress frequently so that there is no chance of
overcooking food.
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NEVER use the cavity for storing cookbooks or other items.
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Select, store and handle food carefully to preserve its high quality and minimize the spread of
food-borne bacteria.
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Keep waveguide cover clean. Food residue can cause arcing and/or fires.
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Use care when removing items from the oven so that utensil, your clothes or accessories do not touch
the safety door latches.