We used to boil a billy to make a cup of tea,
bake ourselves a damper when we had company,
but now Australia's cooking with a brand new energy.
I'd rather be with my guests than stuck in the kitchen.
My Sharp Microwave cooks vegetables in just minutes.
Nothing could be simpler. Nothing could be simpler.
My Sharp Accelerator uses two cooking energies,
Microwave and Fan Force heat.
Let me get at that crackling level.
So it roasts beautifully in half the time.
In half the time you'd expect, my Sharp Microwave
turns frozen food into dinner's ready.
It wouldn't be without it.
In fact, the Sharp's the only oven we use,
so it made sense to have it built in.
Well, with Sharp you get free cooking lessons, free recipes.
It's no wonder Sharp is Australia's best selling microwave.
They're simply the best.
Now that's what I really want,
simply the best from Sharp.
Hi, I'm Sharnay Hickman.
Cooking with Microwave Energy is so simple and quick,
it's no wonder it's revolutionised our way of thinking in the kitchen.
Microwave cooking is cleaner and healthier too.
Anyone can cook delicious and nourishing meals,
like this, without having to spend hours in the kitchen
preparing and cleaning up after.
The world of Sharp Microwave cooking.
It's a world of delicious food,
combined with the ease and simplicity
which your new Sharp Microwave will bring you.
It'll save you time and effort in the kitchen.
It's simply the best.
Sharp is the leading brand in microwave ovens in Australia.
Did you know that there are more Sharp ovens in Australian homes
than any other brand?
And Sharp want to help us all enjoy this brilliant new cooking energy.
Here I am in the Sharp Test Kitchen,
and I'd like you to meet Desley,
the senior home economist from Sharp.
In this video, Desley and I will explain everything you need to know
about microwave ovens.
We'll show you how they work,
the cookware and utensils you'll need,
and any special techniques and helpful hints.
We'll cover some of the questions people ask often about microwave cooking.
Desley will take us through some recipes,
and an advanced class,
and I'll help you prepare a dinner party.
And some special tips for those of us who've chosen
one of Sharp's Xceler convection microwave ovens.
There's a huge range of Sharp ovens,
compact and family size,
to suit everyone's needs and pockets.
All have been carefully designed for Australian homes,
and some of Sharp's original features,
like the carousel turntable,
are now standards in the marketplace.
Shani and I hope that this video will help you and your friends
make the most of your Sharp microwave oven.
Welcome to the world of microwave cooking.
It's exciting and a little different at first,
but soon you'll find it becomes second nature,
a very quick and easy way to cook.
Now before you take your new Sharp microwave out of the box,
please read the unpacking instructions carefully.
Once unpacked, the oven door opens by pressing a button like this,
or a similar latch on the door.
Inside you will find your Sharp carousel turntable,
your cookery book,
the operation manual for your oven,
your service directory,
and your registration card entitling each
and joining the Sharp microwave owners club.
Your carousel turntable was designed by Sharp to ensure even cooking.
Put the carousel turntable into the oven like this.
Next, make a cup of coffee,
sit down in front of your oven and thoroughly read your manual.
It's well worth the few minutes it takes.
Sharp has consulted design specialists to check the ease of operation
and appearance of your Sharp oven,
so it's best suited to Australian conditions.
If your Sharp oven has touch controls like this one,
it will also have a digital display,
which will light when you switch the power on, flashing a row of eights.
To set the clock, just press the clear pad,
then the clock pad,
now enter the time of day, like this.
Now press the clock again to lock the time in.
Depending on which Sharp oven you've chosen,
you may have auto touch pads like this.
Some Sharp ovens have rotary controls, which set the time and power.
Perhaps you also have special controls to combine convection cooking with microwave power,
or extra pads to activate special features.
In any case, the operation is simple.
Thanks.
Just pop the food into the oven,
close the door,
set the cooking time,
set the power level, medium high for this one,
and then press start.
The oven starts cooking.
The signal goes off at the end of the time and the oven switches off.
It's that easy.
Is it safe to open the door while the oven is on?
Yes.
All microwave activity stops when the oven door is opened or the stop pad is touched.
During a cooking program, the first pressure on the open door button, or latch,
stops all microwave activity.
It takes more pressure to actually open the door.
So microwave cooking is perfectly safe.
In fact, all microwave ovens must conform to strict regulations before they can be sold.
Let's spend a moment or two talking about the microwaves themselves,
what they are and how they work.
Microwaves are high frequency electromagnetic waves,
similar to those that carry radio and television through the air to your receiver.
Now, microwaves love moisture, and there's moisture in all food.
The microwaves actually excite the water molecules in food until they vibrate at an incredible rate,
so fast that they create heat right there in the food itself.
That's why the oven doesn't get hot when you're microwaving.
Quite a blessing in summer.
But beware, the dish you're cooking in may well get hot, thanks to the hot food on it.
It depends on the cooking time, but keep an oven glove handy just in case.
Thanks, Disney.
Incidentally, if you haven't tasted vegetables cooked in a microwave oven, you're in for a real treat.
Mmm, perfectly done.
Microwaving means they retain all flavor, color, and goodness.
When you're cooking, the microwaves are trapped inside by the metal walls and the metal mesh on the door.
They can't penetrate metal, they just bounce off it.
That's why you don't use metal dishes in a microwave oven, because the microwaves can't pass through it to get to the food.
However, there is a need for the use of aluminium foil, as we'll see later on.
What's the soft thumping sound in my oven?
You'll hear that soft thump-thump when your oven is operating on any power setting except high.
It's just the sound of the microwave oven cutting in and out. It's quite normal.
A fundamental but important feature of sharp microwave ovens is the variable power that allows you to do everything from defrost to slow cooking to reheating to baking.
To demonstrate, I'll slip this neon light display into the oven.
These lights respond to the microwaves and will illuminate so you can see the microwave pattern.
Let's try medium-low.
As you can see, 100% power comes on at first.
Then cuts out, then cuts back in. It's just like turning the gas down on the stove.
This is when you hear that soft thump-thump.
Now let's try high.
See the difference? The lights remain on because the power is continuous.
With Sharp's variable power, you can control the cooking power just as you do with a conventional oven.
Alright, a lot of people first decide on a microwave oven for the convenience of fast defrosting, and that's certainly a great advantage, though by no means the only one.
All Sharp microwaves defrost very efficiently, and your cookbook gives you the correct times and power settings.
Or, if your oven features Sharp's Compu-Defrost, it's all done automatically for you.
Just cover any thin edges or fatty areas as I've done with a little foil.
Place the food in the baking dish and place into the oven.
Compu-Defrost will automatically thaw frozen meat using the pre-programmed times and variable powers.
We've done a lot of work to make sure your oven is programmed for the best results to suit Australian needs.
Firstly, press the Compu-Defrost pad, then the number that applies to the food, such as number three for chicken.
Then we place in the weight, and our chicken weighs 1.4 kilos, so we place in one, then four, and then the start pad.
The oven displays the total defrost time and calls you at different stages during the program to remove the thawed pieces or turn meat over.
Before we actually look at a few recipes, there are some basic cooking hints to explain, like the way to arrange food for microwave cooking.
That's a good place to start. You see, microwave ovens cook food from the outside to the centre.
So when we arrange food in a dish, we always place the thicker portions to the outside with the smaller, less meaty ends to the inside.
With my vegetables here, the softer ones that need less cooking are in the centre, and the harder ones are around the outside of the dish.
And the food looks so good like that, you can take it straight from the oven to the table.
Now, our chicken is perfectly defrosted, so I'll just give it a dash of soy sauce for colouring.
Soy, Worcestershire, BBQ and any special browning sauces are fine.
Some people like to baste with honey or butter, or you can sprinkle paprika to bring up the colour.
We don't use metal containers in a microwave oven, but a little foil can be used to shield fine edges of the food to prevent overcooking.
Just leave this foil on the wings and leg tips for at least part of the cooking time, but just make sure the foil doesn't touch the wall of the oven.
OK, another hint, and this is one of the questions I'm asked most often.
Yes, you do cover food in a microwave to absorb fatty spatters from chicken or bacon, for instance.
Otherwise, the rule is, if you would cover the food on the stove, then cover it in your microwave too.
And plastic wraps hand for this, and it saves on washing up.
Another point worth remembering is that all foods continue to cook at the end of the cooking time due to stored heat in the food.
Therefore, it's best to allow a few minutes standing time to ensure an even temperature, especially with meat.
Is it safe to eat food straight from the microwave?
It's perfectly OK to eat any food straight from the oven, but roasted meat carves better after a few minutes standing time.
The amount of time actually needed for cooking will always depend on the amount of food.
If a recipe is doubled, then almost double the time and test the results.
You can always add more time if necessary.
If your sharp microwave features a sensor temp, the probe will automatically cook your roast for you.
Simply insert the probe sideways into the meat, like this, away from any fat and bone, and connect the other end into the top of the oven.
And close the oven door.
Now press the sensor temp pad, the number applicable to the food you're cooking, which is number 6 for chicken, and press start.
The probe works out the correct internal temperature for each food and lets you know when it's done.
Can you use an oven bag in a microwave oven?
Certainly, I often use them. Just add a tablespoon of flour to stop the bag from bursting.
Add food and secure it with an elastic band or string, not those metal twist ties.
Then pop the bag in your casserole or roasting dish.
There's another really great feature on sharp ovens, like this one we call sensor cook.
It actually senses the correct cooking time and power for a wide range of foods.
Cooking vegetables, for instance.
You just press the sensor cook pad, number 1 for vegetables, then the start pad, and then you're up and does the rest.
How long does a chicken take to cook?
A good guide for chicken is 10 minutes per 500 grams on high.
How long for other meats?
Most other meats will take 10 minutes on high, then 10 minutes per 500 grams on medium high.
But of course, it depends whether you like your meat rare, medium or well done.
So check your sharp microwave cookbook for all the details.
And remember, overcooked meat is tough.
What if meat is seasoned?
Bread-based seasonings don't need extra cooking time.
A raw meat seasoning will need another 5 minutes per 500 grams.
Let's take a look at some of the simpler cooking hints.
Let's start with poached eggs.
Ideally, eggs should be at room temperature.
And a few toothpick marks helps with the popping.
Dishes such as these eggs and muffin pans are ideal.
And we'll just cover them and cook for 50 seconds per egg on medium.
For 6 eggs, this works out to be about 5 minutes.
Bacon is just great in the microwave oven.
Place some paper towel over the bacon rashers and cook for approximately 1 minute per rasher.
You may like it cooked a little more, but you'll soon work out times to suit your own tastes.
One of the best uses for a microwave oven is reheating.
And a typical example would be some dinners.
Just cover and heat for approximately 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes on medium-high.
The flavor and color is as if you've just cooked it.
And these plate stackers are a great idea if heating more than one dish.
You may have to rearrange the layers for more even heating.
Hot drinks can be made in the cups you are serving them in.
We've just added a generous tablespoon of Milo and mixed in 1 cup of milk.
We'll heat these two mugs for 3 minutes on high.
Baked potatoes, pumpkin, onion, etc. can be cooked in the juices from the roast meats.
These are the juices from the chicken we cooked earlier.
And we've darkened the juices with a little parisian essence.
And I'll just toss these vegetables in.
These can be cooked during the standing time of your roast meats.
And for this quantity we'll cook for approximately 15 minutes on high and then check.
A white sauce is so easy in the microwave oven.
We have a tablespoon of melted butter, a tablespoon of flour, and I'll just gradually add 1 cup of milk.
Then we'll cook our white sauce for 3 minutes or until thickened and season with salt and pepper.
To thaw and heat a frozen supermarket item is just so quick.
We have some lasagna here and I'll just place some parmesan cheese over the top.
You may heat the lasagna in the shallow metal container it comes in or you may like to transfer it to a serving dish.
Remember the metal must be shallow with a large area of the food exposed.
This will take about 80 minutes on medium high from the frozen state.
Confectionery is so easy in your sharp microwave oven.
You can have rocky road, peanut brittle, french chocolates ready in half the time with half the mists.
See a cookbook for the recipes but make sure you use a large bowl as toppy does rise and bubble as it's cooking.
Isn't it easy?
I suggest you practice using your microwave as often as possible from the word go.
I did and soon you'll be as confident with microwave cooking as you are with your traditional stove.
Can meat brown in a microwave oven?
Yes it can but because of the fast cooking time and because there is no external heat
microwave cooked food often doesn't brown the way it does in a conventional oven.
A larger joint for instance which takes longer to cook will brown.
As we saw earlier chicken needs basting to help it along.
How do you use a browning dish?
A browning dish requires preheating in the microwave oven for approximately 5 to 8 minutes on high.
Then food is placed on the hot dish, seed on both sides and final cooking is completed in the oven.
Foods such as sausages, steaks, chops and hamburgers are ideal for the browning dish.
In a moment we'll be back to tell you about the wide range of accessories developed for the microwave.
And I have some more advanced recipes and presentation techniques to teach you.
The change over to microwave cooking is simple when you understand just a few basic rules
and when you hear them you'll realize just how much time and effort you'll be saving from now on.
You won't be using saucepans in your oven because the metal reflects microwaves from the food.
Instead you'll be cooking and serving in the same dish, preferably a shallow straight sided dish.
Much of the crown corn in cookware, pyrex and orifice dishes are ideal.
And there's a large range of plastic microwave cookware to choose from too.
Like anchor hocking, mighty chef, willow ware, nordic ware and litten ware.
And you can even popcorn.
Do pick up one of these cooking racks for roasting meats so fats can drain away from the meat itself.
If you're not sure if the dish you're using is suitable for microwaving,
place the dish in the oven along with a cup of water and heat on high for two minutes.
If the dish feels hot it's not suitable to use as the dish could absorb a lot of heat instead of the food.
Paper towels, plastic wrap and plastic cooking bags that are microwave safe
are very worthwhile to save splatters and to keep the food moist.
You may leave a tiny vent for steam to escape and check that the plastic wrap is marked as suitable for microwave cooking.
Some are made especially for microwave oven use.
How do you cook vegetables to perfection?
Never overcook vegetables in your microwave.
Unlike conventionally cooked vegetables that tend to go soggy,
overcooked microwave vegetables begin to dehydrate or dry out.
There's a chart of cooking times in your Sharp cookbook.
Try to cut any foods you're cooking together into uniform sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
And try cutting your meat and vegetables for casserole a little smaller than what you used to just to speed up the cooking.
Because of the fast cooking time and because there is no external heat,
microwaved food often doesn't brown the way it does in a conventional oven.
Remember I brushed a little soy sauce over this. Doesn't that look nice?
Cakes of course don't brown either.
However you can create a slight crust by lightly greasing a container with biscuit crumbs, bread crumbs or coconut.
Otherwise a little icing or frosting works wonders.
But do try making a cake. The texture of microwave cooked cakes is light and lovely.
They are light. In fact, pack a cake mixer should be mixed with a fork
to prevent the batter from getting too much air into it.
Eater have cake mixers on the market which have been specially formulated for microwave cooking.
And white wings give excellent directions for microwave cooking on the side of the pack.
We also recommend using a ring-shaped container so the microwaves can penetrate the centre as well as the outsides.
But you'll find out all about that and everything else Desley's told you in your Sharp Microwave Cookbook.
It's really worthwhile reading your copy thoroughly, especially the Learn to Cook section.
And it's packed with hundreds of beautiful recipes as well as all the details on cooking times, defrosting and so on.
Should you elevate cakes in the oven?
Yes. If you put your cake dish on a plastic rack like this or an upturned dinner plate,
it allows the microwaves to get down around the base of the cake for more even cooking.
Do all microwaved cakes have to be round?
Use a square or rectangular dish if you like,
and be prepared to cover the corners of the dish with foil halfway through the cooking time while the centre of the cake finishes cooking.
Can a microwaved cake become dry?
Sure. Any cake will taste a little dry if you overcook it.
Set your cooking time to be certain your cake's just cooked or even underdone at first.
You can always add another minute or two cooking time if necessary.
Okay, it's time to start cooking again, and I thought I'd show you the way your Sharp Microwave Oven really comes into its own when the pressure's on for pairing a dinner party.
The menu we've chosen is simple and very impressive.
We have some pumpkin soup, trout homindine, scalloped potatoes, snow peas, and an Allende sauce, followed by cheesecake for dessert.
You'll find most recipes in your Sharp Microwave recipe book, but we'll start with the cheesecake because that needs to be chilled.
In fact, I made this crust earlier.
To cook microwave on medium for 10 minutes, then we'll check to see that the filling is set.
It can take from 10 to 15 minutes.
The scalloped potatoes can also be prepared ahead of time.
So we've sliced some potatoes with a quarter cup of water, and we'll cook that for seven to eight minutes on high.
When they're finished cooking, drain water off and add the sour cream, the chopped bacon, shallots, and grated tasty cheese.
Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Now the soup can also be prepared ready to reheat at serving time, and we have 500 grams of chopped pumpkin with a couple of chopped onions also, and a cup of chicken stock.
We're going to cover that and cook for 10 minutes on high.
Then we'll puree it and add a half a cup of cream and reheat at serving time, just adjusting any seasonings.
The snow peas can be prepared and placed in a serving dish and cooked for three minutes on high, not until the last minute.
Do double quantities mean double cooking time?
No. When you double your recipe, allow about half as much time again, then test to see if it's cooked.
We'll just take a short break and we'll be back with you in a moment.
That's not what you said at all. You said bocino.
No I didn't. I said de Niro.
I don't know. You said bocino. No way.
Hang on. I'll prove it to you.
So Puccino was driving this cab in New York.
See? Told you.
Yes, splitter.
So anyway, you had this gun in your seat which you took out.
Look out!
Ah!
Thanks. That was close.
Am I?
Did I really see that?
I really did see that.
Excuse me.
The original fast worker.
Wouldn't it be great if life was as easy to control as a sharp video recorder?
There'll be you in a minute.
There'll be ages yet.
While the trout is standing, place some butter in a small dish and melt on high for about one minute.
Then stir in the slivered almonds and heat for about three, three and a half minutes
just until they're lightly toasted, stirring every minute, which I've already done here.
And here we have our trout on a lovely dish and I'll just sprinkle the almonds over to garnish before serving.
If your sharp microwave features auto start, you can of course preset the oven to start by itself.
You just put the food in the oven and press the time you would like it to start cooking.
Say 7.30.
Press the auto start pad and program the cooking time and the power setting.
20 minutes, medium, and then press the start.
Your oven will start cooking automatically at the time you requested,
but do make sure your clock's right before you start.
Let's talk a little about Sharp's magnificent range of convection microwaves, the Acceler ovens.
This one is built in.
You can do that with any of Sharp's large capacity ovens.
Just ask your Sharp retailer about an installation kit.
It's a great idea and it saves you bench space.
But back to the oven.
The difference with these convection microwaves is that they combine fan force hot air with microwave power.
So you have the best of both worlds.
In fact, a lot of people are replacing their ordinary ovens with one of those because it does a lot.
They grill, bake, microwave, and combine convection with microwave cooking.
To demonstrate, Desley has already prepared a piece of pork.
Look at that crackling.
That's right.
It's perfect.
Well, it took just an hour and 10 minutes in the oven,
and that's 18 to 20 minutes for every 500 grams of pork on high mix.
The hot temperature ensures that food is sealed and browned while microwave power speeds up the cooking time.
Of course, it's even easier if you use the CompuCook feature that you'll find on some Sharp Acceler ovens.
It takes all the guesswork out of cooking.
I'll show you.
You set the oven by simply setting the CompuCook pad.
Number four for pork.
Enter the weight, which in our case was two kilos.
And then press start.
If you were doing some other meat instead of pork, you could even specify rare, medium rare, well done, and so on, and the oven does the rest.
Incidentally, these metal racks you found with your Sharp Acceler oven have been specially designed for convection and mix settings, not for microwave cooking.
You can use metal containers if you like on convection and mix settings, but not on microwave only.
Are plastics and plastic wrap safe in a convection microwave oven?
When you're using microwave only, certainly.
But remember, convection heat is just that, heat, so no plastic wrap.
However, there is heatproof plasticware available for convection and microwave cooking.
With your Sharp Acceler oven, you'll cook biscuits, bread, pastry shells, and grill steaks, sausages, chops, hamburgers, and chicken pieces to perfection using the convection or grill.
Your convection microwave oven can grill your favorite foods with the use of the grill settings, or your oven may feature broil, which is exactly the same setting, but different wording.
The oven grills by preheating the oven to a hot 250 degrees, which seals and cooks foods just like a normal grill.
Meat is placed on these racks so it is healthier as the fat drips away from the food as it cooks.
Oh, look at this.
You'll microwave vegetables, bacon, casseroles, desserts, and sauces for speed and flavor, and of course microwave power is brilliant for defrosting and reheating.
But you'll quickly appreciate the advantages of the mix settings for most of your cooking.
Mix, remember, simply means that you get the perfect combination of fan-forced heat and microwave power automatically.
Generally, you choose a high mix setting for roasts and other meat dishes, and a low mix setting for cakes, breads, and desserts.
Can you change the mix settings to suit different recipes?
Yes, you can change the settings. High mix has 30% microwave power with a convection temperature of 200 degrees Centigrade, typical for cooking meats.
To alter the set temperature, just select the temperature you want. For example, you may be cooking pork, which would require a higher temperature, and once you've tried it, it's easy.
Low mix has 10% microwave power and 180 degrees Centigrade, typical for cakes, and that temperature can be altered in just the same way if you wish.
A paddle over would require 150 degrees Centigrade. Your Sharp Convection Microwave Cookbook will advise you on all cooking times and settings.
Let's spend a moment explaining how to clean your Sharp Convection Oven.
You may use JIF or liquid AJAX on the stainless steel interior surfaces with a little help from a gentle scourer if necessary to remove the baked-on stains.
Don't use aerosol oven cleaners. They're really not necessary. If your oven has a self-cleaning ceiling, then simply wipe that over with a damp dishcloth.
Never use abrasive cleaners on any self-cleaning surface. For acrylic interiors, a damp cloth is sufficient to clean gravy spills.
On the outside, a gentle wipe over is all that is needed. Do pay particular attention to the seal around the door to avoid any build-up of dirt or grease that might affect the seal.
A regular wipe over keeps the job easy and quick.
As the proud owner of a Sharp Microwave Oven, you have automatically become eligible to join a very special club. Just send in the registration slip. You'll find it in your oven.
As a member, you can feel free to call the Sharp kitchen if you have any problems, like converting a favourite old recipe for a microwave, for instance.
Desley and her team of home economists are always delighted to help you, and they'll be sending you new recipes every three months if you wish, to expand your microwave cooking repertoire.
You'll never be short of cooking ideas. Should your Sharp Microwave need service, you know that Sharp will always be around to take care of it for you.
Sharp is the leader in microwave ovens in Australia, and they have a complete range of many other fantastic products. Colour TVs, video recorders, hi-fi systems, portable sound, calculators, computers, business equipment, and so on.
Sharp likes to be simply the best in everything they do.
Here we are, a meal fit for your most special guests.
Mmm, doesn't that trout smell superb? If you notice, everything has been served, very simply and elegantly, on the same dishes they were cooked in.
And presentation of the food is so important. Your microwave retains the colour and texture so well, and with a lovely cookware available, you can cook and serve on the same plate.
We hope you thoroughly enjoy your new Sharp Microwave oven.
He-he, and we wish you simply the best from Sharp.
www.sharpmicrowave.com