Getting to Know
Your Microwave
Oven
This section discusses the concepts
behind microwave
cooking.
It also shows the basics that you need to
know in order to operate
your microwave
oven. Please read this information
before using your oven.
HOW YOUR MICROWAVE
OVEN
WORKS
Microwave
ovens are safe. Microwave
energy
is not hot. It
causes food to make its own heat, and it is this heat that
cooks the food.
Microwaves
are like TV waves, radio waves, or light waves.
You cannot
see them, but you can see the results of what
they do.
A magnetron
in the microwave
oven produces
microwaves.
The microwaves
move into the oven where they contact
food as it turns on the turntable.
The glass turntable
of your microwave
oven lets microwaves
pass through.
The microwaves
then bounce off a metal
floor, back through
the glass turntable,
and are absorbed
by the food.
Magnetron
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Metal
floo/r
I
O_'en cavity
Glass turntable
Microwaves
pass through
most glass, paper,
and plastics
without
heating
them, so food
absorbs the energy. Microwaves
bounce off metal containers
so food does
not absorb
the energy.
RADIO
iNTERFERENCE
Using your microwave
oven may cause interference
to your radio, TV, or similar
equipment.
When there is
interference,
you can reduce
it or remove it by:
* Cleanlng
the door and sealing surfaces
of the oven.
" Adjusting
the receiving
antenna
of the radio or television.
Moving
the receiver
away
from the microwave
oven.
Plugging
the microwave
oven into a different
outlet so that the microwave
oven and receiver
are on
different
branch
circuits.
COOKING
COMPARISON
GUIDE
MICROWAVE
CONVECTION
COMBINATION
COOKING
METHOD
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Microwave
energy
is
distributed
evenly throughout
the oven for fast, thorough
cooking
of food.
Hot air circulates
around food
to produce
browned
exteriors
and sealed-in
juices.
HEAT
Microwave
energy.
Circulating
heated
air.
SOURCE
BENEFITS
• Fast, high efficiency
cooking.
• Oven and surroundings
do
not get hot.
• Eas dean-u
.
" Aids in browning
and seals
in flavor.
Cooks some foods
faster
than regular ovens.
Microwave
energy
and
convection
heat combine
to
shorten the cooking
time of
regular
ovens, while browning
and sealing in juices.
Microwave
energy
and
circulating
heated
air.
• Shortened
cooking
time
from microwave
energy.
• Browning
and crisping
from convection
heat.
EN-7