Microwave Magic Today’s microwave cooking - speedy, cool, clean and energy efficient - opens up a new world of excitement and challenge. Don’t think you have to forget what you already know about cooking. You are simply adding another dimension. Microwave cooking saves time when you’re cooking from scratch, when you’re thawing frozen foods, and when you’re reheating previously cooked foods. Many foods cook by microwaves in about a quarter of the time it would take in a conventional oven. But not all foods cook well in the microwave. Very large quantities, foods that need time to absorb water (like whole grain rice and pasta), and foods that need to simmer a long time to become tender, are best left to conventional methods. Not only do many foods cook faster in the microwave, but they also retain more color, flavor and texture. You will especially appreciate the way the microwave cooks vegetables - they emerge bright, flavorful, and tender-crisp. Moreover, there’s a greater retention of nutrients in microwave cooking because you’re not boiling them away in water. Since the microwave oven cavity doesn’t heat up (except minimally from the food), cooking is cool - no blast of hot air hits you when you open the door to check or remove food. Of course, now you won’t have an excuse not to cook on a hot summer day! Cool cooking also means less clean up: foods don’t burn onto their containers, and spatter (if any) doesn’t burn on to the oven surface. Because most foods are cooked in serving containers, there are rarely and pots and pans to wash. And as an added bonus, the microwave can also save energy because it cooks so quickly. On Safety - Microwaves are nonionizing radiant energy, like radio wave s. Unlike ionizing X-rays, microwaves don’t cause chemical change, except as heat is created. No ionizing radiation is produced with microwaves; if you were exposed to microwaves, you would feel heat just as the food does. Though pacemakers used to be affected by microwaves as well as by other radio waves, pacemakers no are shielded and aren’t bothered by these interferences. Follow manufacturer instructions for the use and maintenance of your oven, and keep the oven clean, especially around the door seal. Never tamper with the oven in any way. Be sure nothing is caught in the door, and if you suspect damage of any kind, do not use your oven until a service representative has checked it.
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