Maytag MMC5086AAQ - Manual (Page 8)

8
Cooking Utensils
To avoid risk of personal injury or property damage, do not use stoneware, aluminum foil, metal utensils, or metal
trimmed utensils in the oven.
CAUTION
MICROWAVE-SAFE
UTENSILS
Never use metal or metal-trimmed
utensils in your microwave oven:
Microwaves cannot penetrate metal.
They will bounce off any metal object
in the oven and cause arcing, an
alarming phenomenon that resem-
bles lightning. Most heat-resistant
non-metallic cooking utensils are
safe for use in your microwave oven.
However, some may contain materi-
als that render them unsuitable as
microwave cookware. If you have
any doubts about a particular utensil,
there is a simple way to find out if it
can be used in your microwave oven.
Testing utensils for microwave
use: Place the utensil in question
next to a glass bowl filled with water
in the microwave oven. Microwave at
power HIGH for 1 minute. If the water
heats up but the utensil remains cool
to the touch, the utensil is
microwave-safe. However, if the
water does not change temperature
but the utensil becomes warm,
microwaves are being absorbed by
the utensil and it is not safe for use in
the microwave oven. You probably
have many items on hand in your
kitchen that can be used as cooking
equipment in your microwave oven.
Just read through the following
checklist.
1. Dinner plates: Many kinds of
dinnerware are microwave-safe.
If in doubt, consult the manu-
facturer's literature or perform
the microwave test, above.
2. Glassware: Glassware that is
heat-resistant is microwave-
safe. This includes all brands of
oventempered glass cookware.
However, do not use delicate
glassware, such as tumblers or
wine glasses, as these might
shatter as the food warms.
3. Paper: Paper plates and con-
tainers are convenient and
safe to use in your microwave
oven, provided the cooking
time is short and foods to be
cooked are low in fat and
moisture. Paper towels are also
very useful for wrapping foods
and for lining baking trays in
which greasy foods, such as
bacon, are cooked. In general,
avoid colored paper products as
the color may run.
4. Plastic storage containers:
These can be used to hold foods
that are to be quickly reheated.
However, they should not be
used to hold foods that will need
considerable time in the oven as
hot foods will eventually warp or
melt plastic containers.
5. Plastic cooking bags: These
are microwave-safe provided
they are specially made for
cooking. However, be sure to
make a slit in the bag so that
steam can escape. Never use
ordinary plastic bags for cooking
in your microwave oven, as they
will melt and rupture.
6. Plastic microwave cookware:
A variety of shapes and sizes of
microwave cookware is avail-
able. For the most part, you can
probably cook with items you
already have on hand rather
than investing in new kitchen
equipment.
7. Pottery, stoneware, and
ceramic: Containers made of
these materials are usually fine
for use in your microwave oven,
but they should be tested to be
sure.