Home Safety Zone - Oven Safety

Oven Safety

It is very common for us to do a lot of our cooking and heating of foods in the microwave oven. It has proven to be a very useful appliance and actually uses less energy to cook foods than does a regular or convention oven and can be fund in almost every home in the United States. Children, too, use a microwave oven to make a lot of their on snacks and meals. There are different oven safety rules that should be followed when using a microwave than those that are used when using a regular oven.

Insuring microwave oven safety

There is little known about the effects that the radiation from microwaves emit, but it is considered to be such a small amount that is present when using one as to be inconsequential. Still the EPA has set certain guidelines that have been strictly enforced since 1971. One should still not lean or stand against a microwave oven while it is operating as an extra level of precaution. As with any kitchen appliances one should always follow all of the instuctions in the manufacturers instruction manual. Avaid heating liquids for too long, they have been known to cause major burns on people after they have removed them from the microwave becasue they have the tendency to splash when they ahev been overheated.

In addition to the above, there are certain oven safety precautions that should be taken when cooking food in the microwave.

keep in mind that microwave ovens cook food unevenly and can leave spots that are undercooked, where bacteria can live.
use a thermometer to make sure that the food has reached high enough temperatures that would kill bacteria. Take the reading from the thickest spot in the food you are cooking.
cover things with plastic wrap or another type that is suitable for use in the microwave. The covering will cause the container to produce steam that is also effective in killing harmful bacteria.
cook large pieces of meat at 50% power and for a longer period of time instead of 100% power for a shorter period. This will cause the meat to cook more throughly without leaving the inside raw while the edges get overcooked.

Kitchen safety is not a mystery, learn all that you can about effective ways to prevent accidents through proper use of appliances.

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