Melissa Steel Series 253-006: TIPS FOR FOOD PREPARATION

Automatic defrosting

1.  Press the Micro/Defrost/Grill button until the display shows "DEF".

2.  Enter the weight of the food using the 1 min (kg) and 10 sec (g)

buttons. The programme will automatically determine the defrosting

time.

3.  Press the Start/Reset button to commence defrosting. Press the

Start/Reset button to interrupt defrosting at any point.

Example:

You want to defrost 1.1 kg frozen food.

•

Press the Micro/Defrost/Grill button until the display shows "DEF".

•

Press the 1 min button once, followed by the 10 sec button once.

The display now shows "1.1".

•

Press the Start/Reset button to commence defrosting.

•

The display shows defrosting time remaining.

NB: You can defrost up to 2 kg frozen food.

Grill and combination cooking

The microwave oven has 4 different cooking programmes, where you don’t

need to select a power level but must set the cooking time yourself. You

can choose between the following programmes:

Display

Programme type

Function

G1

Grill programme

85 % grill

G2

Grill programme

50 % grill

C1

Combination programme

55 % microwave, 45 % grill

C2

Combination programme

30 % microwave, 70 % grill

1.  Press the Micro/Defrost/Grill button until the display shows the

desired programme.

2.  Set the cooking time using the 10 min, 1 min and/or 10 sec buttons.

3.

Press the Start/Reset button to commence cooking. Press the

Start/Reset button to interrupt cooking at any point.

When using the grill programmes (but not the combination programmes),

the microwave oven stops automatically and beeps twice once half the

time has elapsed to allow you to turn the food. Once you have turned the

food and closed the door, press the Start/Reset button to resume cooking.

If you do not turn the food, the oven will resume cooking automatically

after a 1-minute pause.

General information on the cooking functions

•

Each time you press one of the microwave oven buttons, a beep is

heard.

•

Maximum cooking time programmable is 59 minutes and 50

seconds. Cooking time is specified in 10-second intervals up to 50

seconds using the 10 sec button and then in 1-minute or 10-minute

intervals up to 59 minutes using the 1 min or 10 min buttons.

Start and resetting

When the door is open:

•

Pressing the Start/Reset button once will cancel the set time or

selected programme.

When the door is closed:

•

Pressing the Start/Reset button once will start the cooking process if

a cooking programme or time has been selected.

•

Pressing the Start/Reset button once will resume the cooking

process if it has been temporarily interrupted.

•

If you press and hold the Start/Reset button for 2 seconds, cooking

will stop and the display will be reset.

CHILD SAFETY LOCK

The child safety lock prevents small children from using the microwave

oven. The microwave oven cannot be operated as long as the child safety

lock is active. The child safety lock is activated by pressing and holding the

1 min and 10 sec buttons for 2 seconds. A beep will be heard, and the

display shows a square. To deactivate the child safety lock again, press

and hold the 1 min and 10 sec buttons for 2 seconds, after which the

display will return to normal.

TIPS FOR FOOD PREPARATION

When preparing food in the microwave oven, the following basic rules

apply:

Preparation time

Smaller quantities of food cook more rapidly than large quantities. If the

amount of food is doubled, the preparation time must be correspondingly

almost doubled.

Small pieces of meat, small fish and chopped vegetables cook more

quickly than large pieces. For the same reason, it is recommended, if, for

example, you wish to make goulash, stews or similar, that the meat be cut

into pieces no bigger than 2 x 2 cm.

The compactness of the food is also very important for the cooking time.

The more compact the food is, the longer it takes to cook it. 

•

Whole joints require a longer cooking time than stewed dishes.

•

A joint requires a longer time than a dish with minced meat. 

The colder the food, the longer the cooking time needs to be. Food at

room temperature will therefore cook faster than food from a fridge or

freezer.

When cooking vegetables, the cooking time depends on the freshness of

the vegetables. Therefore check the condition of the vegetables, and add

or deduct a little time accordingly.

The short cooking time when using a microwave oven means that the food

does not overcook.

•

If required, a little water can be added. 

•

When cooking fish and vegetables, you only need to use the

minimum of water.

Microwave power

The choice of power setting depends on the condition of the food to be

cooked. 

In most cases, the food is cooked on full power.

•

Full power is used, among other things, for reheating food quickly,

boiling water or similar. 

•

Low power is principally used to defrost food and prepare dishes

containing cheese, milk or egg. (Whole eggs in their shell cannot be

cooked in the microwave oven, as there is a risk of the eggs

exploding). In addition, lower power settings are also used to finish

off and to retain the excellent aroma of a dish.

General information on cooking

•

If the whole meal is to be prepared in the microwave oven, it is

recommended that you start with the most compact foods, such as

potatoes. Once these are ready, cover them while the rest of the food

is prepared.

•

Most food should be covered. A close-fitting cover retains the steam

and moisture, which shortens the cooking time in the microwave

oven. This is particularly the case when cooking vegetables, fish

dishes and casseroles. Covering food also distributes the heat better,

thus ensuring rapid and excellent results.

•

In order to achieve the best possible results, it is important to

position the food correctly, as the microwave rays are most powerful

in the centre of the microwave oven. If, for example, you are baking

potatoes, you should position them along the edge of the glass

turntable so that they cook evenly.

•

In order to cook compact dishes such as meat and poultry evenly, it

is important to turn the pieces of meat a few times.

•

You can bake in the microwave oven, although not with recipes that

include yeast.

•

When preparing food with a thick skin, e.g. potatoes, apples, whole

squash or chestnuts, you should prick holes in the shell to prevent

the food from bursting during cooking.

•

When preparing food in a "traditional" oven, you normally avoid

opening the oven door as much as possible. This is not the case with

a microwave oven: no energy or significant heat is lost. In other

words, you can open the microwave door and look at the food as

often as you want.

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Important safety measures when preparing food!

•

If using the microwave oven to heat baby food or liquids in a feeding

bottle, you must always stir the food/liquid and check the

temperature thoroughly before serving. This ensures that the heat is

evenly distributed and avoids scalding injuries. The lid and/or teat

must not be fitted on a feeding bottle when it is placed in the

microwave oven.

•

If some foods are heated too long, they may char and give off smoke.

If this happens, you should leave the door closed and switch off the

microwave oven completely.

•

Some foods with low water content, e.g. chocolate in squares and

pastries with a sweet filling, should be heated carefully, otherwise

they or the container may be ruined.

USING UTENSILS WHEN PREPARING FOOD

Before starting to prepare food in containers, you should check that the

containers you wish to use are made of a suitable material, as some types

of plastic may become "limp" and deform, while some types of ceramics

may crack (particularly when heating small quantities of food).

In order to test if a container is suitable for use in a microwave oven:

•

Place the container in the microwave oven.

•

At the same time, place a half-full glass of water in the container. 

•

Start the microwave oven, and run it for 15-30 seconds on maximum

power. 

•

If the container becomes very hot to the touch, you should avoid

using it in the microwave oven.

When you prepare food in the microwave oven, you should

preferably use the following implements:

•

Glass and glass bowls

•

Stoneware (glazed and unglazed). The food stays hot longer in

glazed stoneware than in other dishes.

•

Plastic containers These can be used for many heating purposes, but

are not suitable for roasting. 

Please note! Plastic containers made from melamine, polyethylene

and phenol must NOT be used.

•

Porcelain All porcelain can be used in microwave ovens, although

fireproof porcelain is preferable.

•

Fireproof covered dishes Glass dishes with lids that fit so closely that

steam cannot escape are ideal for vegetables and fruit to which no

liquid is added (however, the cooking time must not exceed 5

minutes).

•

Browning dishes You must be very careful when using this type of

dish. Never heat the browning dish for more than 5 minutes on the

turntable. Suitable insulation, such as a heat-tested plate, should be

placed between the browning dish and the turntable to prevent the

turntable from overheating.

•

Clingfilm can be used particularly for soups, sauces, stewed dishes

or when defrosting food. Can also be used as a loose covering to

prevent fat, etc. from spraying out into the oven space.

•

Kitchen roll is ideal, as kitchen roll absorbs moisture and fat. For

example, bacon can be placed in layers, with kitchen roll between

each layer. The bacon will then be completely crispy, as it does not

sit in "its own fat". Home-baked bread can be taken directly from the

freezer, packed in kitchen roll and heated in the microwave oven.

•

Wet kitchen roll can be used for fish or vegetables. Covering the food

prevents it from drying out.

•

Greaseproof paper Fish, large vegetables, such as cauliflower, corn

on the cob and similar can be packed in wet greaseproof paper.

•

Roasting bags are ideal for meat, fish and vegetables. However, they

must never be closed using metal clips. Cotton thread should be

used instead. Prick the bag with small holes, and place it in the

microwave oven on a plate or glass dish.

Important!

When you prepare food in the microwave oven, you should not use the

following implements:

•

Sealed glass/bottles with small openings, as they may explode.

•

General purpose thermometers

•

Silver foil/foil trays, as the microwave rays cannot penetrate and the

food will not cook.

•

Recycled paper, as it may contain small metal splinters that could

cause sparks and/or a fire.

•

Closed tins/containers with tightly sealed lids, as excess pressure

may cause the tin/container to explode.

•

Metal clips and other lids/foils, containing metal wires. These can

form sparks in the microwave oven and must therefore be removed.

•

Metal bowls/containers and packaging, unless they are designed

specifically for use in microwave ovens. The microwaves are

reflected and cannot penetrate the food through the metal.

•

Plates, dishes and bowls/containers with metal, gold and silver

decorations. They may break and/or cause sparks to form in the

oven space.

CLEANING

When cleaning the microwave oven, you should pay attention to the

following points:

•

Switch the microwave oven off and remove the plug from the wall

socket before cleaning.

•

Never use scouring powder, steel scourers or other strong cleaning

agents to clean the interior or exterior surfaces of the microwave

oven, as they may scratch the surfaces. 

•

Instead use a cloth dampened with hot water, and add detergent if

the microwave oven is very dirty. 

•

Make sure that no water gets into the vent holes.

•

Always keep the door open when cleaning the control panel, to avoid

the microwave oven accidentally starting up during the cleaning

process.

•

The turning ring and the floor of the microwave oven must be

cleaned regularly so that the glass turntable can move around

without hindrance. 

•

The glass turntable and turning ring can be cleaned in a dishwasher. 

BEFORE GOING TO A REPAIR CENTRE

If the microwave oven will not start:

•

Check that the plug is correctly in place in the wall socket. If that is

not the case, remove the plug, wait 10 seconds and then plug it in

again.

•

Check whether a fuse has blown or whether the fuse relay has been

switched off. If it is not that, you can check that the socket itself is

working by plugging in another device.

•

Check that the door is closed properly. If this is not the case, the

automatic safety system (via the lock dowels) ensures that the

microwave oven cannot be started.

•

Check whether the operating panel has been set correctly, and

whether the timer has been activated.

If the microwave oven still does not work, you should contact a repair

engineer.

ENVIRONMENTAL TIPS

Once any electronic product is no longer functional, it should be disposed

of in such a way as to cause minimum environmental impact, in

accordance with the regulations of your local authority. In most cases you

can take such products to your local recycling station.

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GUARANTEE TERMS

The guarantee does not apply:

•

if the above instructions are not followed

•

if the appliance has been interfered with

•

if the appliance has been mishandled, subjected to rough treatment,

or has suffered any other form of damage

•

if faults have arisen as a result of faults in your electricity supply.

Due to the constant development of our products in terms of function and

design, we reserve the right to make changes to the product without prior

warning.

IMPORTER

Adexi Group

We cannot be held responsible for any printing errors

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