Questions and Answers
Q. What’s wrong when the oven light will not
glow?
A.
■
Light bulb has blown.
■
Door is not closed.
Q. Why is steam coming out of the air exhaust
vent and/or why is water dripping from the
bottom of the door?
A. Steam is normally produced during cooking
operations. The microwave has been made
to vent this steam out of the side vent,
occasionally this steam condenses on the
door and water then drips out at the bottom
of the door. This is quite normal and safe.
Q. Does microwave energy pass through the
viewing screen in the door?
A. No. The metal screen reflects the energy to
the oven cavity. The holes, or ports are
made to allow light to pass; they do not let
microwave energy through.
Q. Will the microwave oven be damaged if it
operates while empty?
A. Yes. Never run it empty.
Q. Why do eggs sometimes pop?
A. When baking or poaching eggs, the yolk
may pop due to steam build-up inside the yolk
membrane. To prevent this, simply pierce the
yolk with a toothpick before cooking.
Never cook eggs witthout piercing their shells.
Q. Why is standing time recommended after the
cooking operation has been completed?
A. Standing time is very important.
With microwave cooking, the heat is in the
food, not in the oven.
Many foods build up enough internal heat to
allow the cooking process to continue, even
after the food is removed from the oven.
Standing time for joints of meat, large
vegetables and cakes is to allow the inside to
cook completely, without overcooking the outside.
Q. Why does my oven not always cook as fast
as the microwave cooking guide says?
A. Check your cooking guide again, to make
sure you’ve followed directions exactly;
and to see what might cause variations in
cooking time. Cooking guide times and heat
settings are suggestions, to help prevent
over-cooking . . . the most common problem
in getting used to a microwave oven.
Variations in the size, shape and weights and
dimensions could require longer cooking time.
Use your own judgement along with the
cooking guide suggestions to check
whether the food has been properly cooked
just as you would do with a conventional
cooker.
Q. Why do sparks and crackling (arcing) occur
in the oven?
A. There may be several reasons why sparks
and crackling (arcing) within cavity happens.
■
You are using dishes with metal parts or trim
(silver or gold).
■
You have left a fork or other metal utensil in
the oven.
■
You are using a large amount of metal foil.
■
You are using a metal twist-tie.
