USING YOUR MICROWAVE OVEN
MICROWAVE POWER LEVELS
For best results, some recipes call for different cook
powers. The lower the cook power, the slower the
cooking. Each number from 10 to 0 stands for a
different percentage of full cook power.
The following chart gives the percentage of cook
power each number pad stands for, and the cook
power name usually used.
COOK Power
100% of full power
9 = 90% of full power
8 = 80% of full power
7 = 70% of full power
6 = 60% of full power
5 = 50% of full power
4 = 40% of full power
3 = 30% of full power
2 = 20% of full power
1 = 10% of full power
0 = 0% of full power
16
It also tells you when to use each cook power. Follow
recipe or food package instructions if available.
NOTE: Refer to a reliable cookbook for cooking times
based on the 1000 Watt cook power of your microwave
oven.
LEVEL
WHEN TO USE IT
High
• Quick heating many convenience foods and
foods with high water content, such as soups and
beverages.
• Cooking tender cuts of meat, ground meat,
• Heating cream soups
• Heating rice, pasta, or casseroles
• Cooking and heating foods that need a
Medium-High
Cook Power lower than high (for example,
whole fish and meat loaf) or when food is
cooking too fast
• Reheating a single serving of food
• Cooking requiring special care, such as cheese
and egg dishes, pudding, and custards
• Finishing cooking casseroles
Medium
• Cooking ham, whole poultry, and pot roasts
• Simmering stews
• Melting chocolate
• Heating pastries
Medium-Low,
• Manually defrosting foods, such as bread, fish,
Defrost
meats, poultry, and precooked foods
• Softening butter, cheese, and ice cream
• Keeping food warm
Low
• Taking chill out of fruit
• Standing time in oven
None