Microwave Symbols

[jonbar.1]

Our Landlord has given us a new microwave. Very good
Problem is we've got used to cooking in "watts" / "numbers" in the functions.
You can see that our new gadget has weird symbols. Could anyone please translate the "Squigley-Lines" into "watts" Please?
....sorry; seem to have made the inserted pics a rather big.

[Wicksey]

I've never seen one with watts before. Ours has the squiddly lines: 1 line, then the defrost symbol, then the next three setting are 2, 3 and 4 squiddly diddlies. In fact the same as yours but without the combi options.

So we use the defrost to defrost, then if I'm cooking something that says 5 mins on high, I just turn it to the 4 lines. Our power is a bit iffy so we often use the 2 line setting to defrost otherwise it takes all day!

Ours is an 800w but if instructions say 5 mins on high for a 600w microwave, I simply cook it for less time, rather than turn the power down. I find now that instructions don't always give the different power options and timings, perhaps most machine are around the 800w mark?

[jonbar.1]

Thanks Wicksey.
Interestingly the old function dial simply leapt from one setting to the next ; whereas the new one has ten extra settings in-between.
a bit of trial and error I reckon.

[El Cid]

You should be able to download the manual.

Sid

[Wicksey]

The combi settings are presumably because it is a combination microwave perhaps with a convectional oven, and I think the final wavy line like a W at the end will be a grill? The first 5 settings will be for microwave only as I described above so they should be fairly simple to use.

[costakid]

I always download the manual in english for anything that i buy in Spain from the makers website.

[El Cid]

I do the same, but I always download it BEFORE I buy.

Sid

[Cádiz]

I do the same, but I always download it BEFORE I buy.

Sid

I generally look at the manual after i break something....

[jonbar.1]

I also usually download manuals first.
The manual ,which came ( in a polythene bag big enough to hold a pillowcase )with the unit, is a tome similar in size to "War & Peace".
However there is an English section.
Most of it is taken up explaining how you shouldn't do things.( why it's best not to microwave paper-clips or WD 40 etc)).
It's all good fun though.Looking forward to experimenting with various bits of meat & crockery.

[knowal]

I only ever use a microwave on full power. The lower power settings don't actually reduce the power, it cycles the RF on and off so that the average is lower. You probably knew that.

[jonbar.1]

Tell you what Knowal; you took the words right out of my mouth.

[Wicksey]

That's how I understand they work as well which is why I thought the one with various wattages was unusual. We do use a lower setting to defrost the bread that is always kept in the freezer as full power is too much as we seem to have hotspots in ours. I cook puppudums in ours and it really shows up the areas that get blasted so I have to turn them every few seconds. Mind you, it is 26 years old now, one of the very first things we bought when we got our first house!

[chrissiehope]

Blimey - in these days of built-in obsolescence it's done remarkably well

[Wicksey]

Blimey - in these days of built-in obsolescence it's done remarkably well

Yes I think that. Mind you, our original one we bought in the UK in 1985 (cost a fortune too, about 200 pounds!!) did last around 20 years too and was just chucked out by the person who bought the property as it was huge. This one came from Supersol in Nerja in 1996, it is their own brand I think, Superser. (My FiL still has his 1960s freezer going strong .... they don't make things like that any more!)

[gerryh]

Just to elaborate on what knowal has already said.
Our newish microwave has power settings from 90W to 800W.
At the 90W setting, it cycles on for about 5 seconds and off for about 20 seconds consuming about 5.5 amps when on.
On the 800W setting, it is on all the time consuming about 5.3 amps all the time.
Also has 6 programmed defrost programmes. They just use different power settings for different lengths of time.

Cheers
Gerry
.

[jonbar.1]

just to drag things back down to my level:
Many of the recipes we've been using over the last 10years suggest settings of "700" or "800" ( great; piece of cake!)
If you see my pic of our new microwave there are just squigley lines ( 1,2 &3) rather than numbers ( watts)
I know that 3 squigley lines is 800 (watts) but where is "700"?? .....come to that; where is "500"?

[Wicksey]

I only have squiddly lines but I tend to just reduce the cooking time a bit and still use full power. If it's a type of ready meal thing, chicken in a sauce for example, then I always cook for half the time, then take it out give it a stir then put it back in, but I do tend to use guesstimate for the timings, and just check that it is piping hot. I just adapt the instructions, which I have found rarely seem to give a power setting these days anyway.