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Cooking Guidelines
The Amana Microwave Oven can make your job easier.
Youll cook ahead and pre-portion more. You will also
spend less time preparing special-order dishes.
To be sure of consistently good results, youll want to
remember a few simple guidelines.
How Microwave Ovens Heat Food
All food and liquid molecules have positive and negative
particles which are in constant - but slow - motion.
(Positive and negatives attract and repel each other like
magnets.) In microwave cooking this molecular action is
then accelerated. The instant microwaves bombard food
they agitate the molecules. Agitation causes friction as
molecules rub and bump into each other at a frenzied
rate. This friction results in heat that cooks food and boils
water.
Once the microwaves stop, this friction action continues
by itself - eventually tapering off and returning to normal
molecular action.
Microwaves penetrate food to a depth of ¾ to 1½ inches.
As cooking begins, heat is spread by conduction to the
interior portion of the food...just as in conventional cooking
methods. Your microwave oven features variable power
settings that allow you to choose the speed at which food
cooks.
Food Variables
Microwave cooking can be directly affected by different
food variables.
The shape of foods can greatly affect the amount of
cooking time. Foods that are flat and thin heat faster than
foods which are chunky. For example, a casserole will
cook faster in a flat dish, rather than if heaped in a small
dish. Foods cut into small pieces will cook faster than
large-shaped foods. Pieces should be of a uniform size
and shape for more uniform cooking, or the smaller pieces
will cook faster. The greatest amount of heating takes
place within ¾ of an inch of the foods surface. The interior
of large food items, or dense foods, is heated by the heat
conducted from the outer food layer. The most uniform
heating occurs in flat, doughnut-shaped foods. For best
results, cook foods together which have similar sizes and
shapes.
Unpacking Equipment
Inspect equipment for damage such as dents in door or
dents inside oven cavity.
Report any dents or breakage to source of purchase
immediately. Do not attempt to use oven if damaged.
Remove all materials from oven interior.
If oven has been stored in extremely cold area, wait a
few hours before connecting power.
Radio Interference
Microwave operation may cause interference to radio,
television, or similar equipment. Reduce or eliminate
interference by doing the following:
Clean door and sealing surfaces of oven according to
instructions in Care and Cleaning section.
Place radio, television, etc. as far as possible
from oven.
Use a properly installed antenna on radio, television,
etc. to obtain stronger signal reception.
Equipment Placement
Do not install equipment next to or above source of
heat, such as pizza oven or deep fat fryer. This could
cause microwave oven to operate improperly and could
shorten life of electrical parts.
Do not block or obstruct oven filter. Allow access for
cleaning.
Install oven on level countertop surface.
A
B
A
A—Allow at least 1½ inches/3.81 centimeters of clearance
around top and sides of equipment. Proper air flow around
equipment cools electrical components. With restricted air flow,
oven may not operate properly and life of electrical parts is
reduced.
B—Allow at least 5/8 inche/1.58 centimeters between air
discharge on back of equipment and back wall. Cord wrap
provides proper spacing.
Oven Clearances
Installation