What Are Microwaves; Practical Tips - hanseatic AC925EC3-S00E Gebrauchsanleitung

Page GB-16 General information on microwaves
General information on microwaves

What are microwaves?

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves. As
with radio and TV, microwaves are also invis-
ible and intangible.
Microwaves
– are reflected by all metals,
– can penetrate glass, porcelain, plastic and
paper,
– are absorbed by foodstuff.
How does a microwave oven
work?
– A microwave generator, the so-called mag-
netron, generates the microwaves and dis-
perses them into the cooking chamber.
– The cooking chamber walls and inner
screen reflect microwaves, thus presenting
them from being emitted out of the cooking
chamber.
– The rotary plate ensures that the micro-
waves are distributed evenly to the food.
– The microwave's power can be set to one
of six levels.
– The device switches off
– after the selected time has elapsed,
– when opening the cooking compartment
door,
– by pressing the "Stopp/Löschen" button
(11).
What effect do microwaves
have on foodstuff?
– The microwaves penetrate foodstuff to a
depth of approximately 3 cm. The water, fat
and sugar molecules are heated up (dish-
es with a high water content are heated up
most quickly). This heat then slowly pene-
trates the entire dish and leads to the dish
being defrosted, heated and cooked.
– Due to the fact that the individual elements
of the dish are heated unevenly, it is impor-
tant to stir or turn the dish over to ensure
that it is cooked through evenly.
– The cooking chamber and the air inside do
not heat up. The food container is primarily
heated by the hot food itself.
– When heating liquids, a so-called "boiling
delay" can occur. The liquid then reaches
boiling temperature without any outward
visible sign of boiling. Even a small vibra-
tion may cause the liquid to suddenly spray
out, for example when removing it from the
microwave oven.
– Every dish requires a certain amount of en-
ergy for cooking or defrosting – a good rule
of thumb is "high-power, low time" or "low
power, high time".
Applications
The microwave function is particularly suita-
ble for defrosting small portions, as well as for
preparing casseroles, soups, sauces, meat
without the rind, steamed fish, vegetables,
side dishes (rice, potatoes, certain pastry
dishes) and hot beverages.

Practical tips

The correct cooking temperature
Given that microwaves react with varying in-
tensity to water, fat and sugar, the cooking
time depends significantly on the composition
of the dish.
• Dishes with a high fat or sugar content
(doughnuts, puddings, fruitcakes) cook
through more quickly and reach higher
temperatures faster than other dishes.
Please ensure to comply with the rec-
ommended cooking times, as the dishes
may otherwise burn and the device can
become damaged.
• Dishes that have a high water content
(fish, vegetables, sauces) cook faster
than "dry" dishes.