GE JES638 User manual

Microwave Oven
Owner’s Manual
700 Watts
Model: JES638
2
25
Helpful Information
Microwave Terms 25
Care and Cleaning 26
28
If Something Goes Wrong
Troubleshooting Tips 28
GE Service Numbers 31
Warranty Back Cover
GE Appliances
11
Important Safety Information
Precautions to Avoid Possible Exposure
to Excessive Microwave Energy 2
Special Notes About Microwaving 6
Operating Instructions
Features of Your Microwave 11
The Controls on Your Microwave 12
Time Cooking 15
Automatic Cooking 18
Other Features 22

2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
READ ALL SAFETY
INFORMATION BEFORE USING
FOR YOUR
SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS
TO AVOID
POSSIBLE
EXPOSURE
TO EXCESSIVE
MICROWAVE
ENERGY
For your safety the information in this manual
must be followed to minimize the risk of fire or
explosion or to prevent property damage,
personal injury or loss of life.
Do Not Attempt to
operate this oven with
the door open since
open-door operation
can result in harmful
exposure to microwave
energy. It is important
not to defeat or tamper
with the safety
interlocks.
Do Not Place any object
between the oven front
face and the door or
allow soil or cleaner
residue to accumulate
on sealing surfaces.
Do Not Operate the oven
if it is damaged. It is
particularly important
that the oven door
close properly and that
there is no damage to
the:
1 door (bent),
2 hinges and latches
(broken or loosened),
3 door seals and sealing
surfaces.
The Oven Should Not
be adjusted or repaired
by anyone except
properly qualified
service personnel.

3
Welcome
Write down the model and
serial numbers here.
They
are on a label inside the
oven.
Model number
Serial number
Date of purchase
Staple your receipt to the
inside back cover of this
manual. You will need it
to make a warranty claim.
Help us
help you
Read this manual.
It contains instructions to
help you use and maintain
your microwave properly.
If you received a damaged
oven...
immediately contact
the dealer (or builder)
that sold you the oven.
Save time and money.
Check the section titled
“If Something Goes
Wrong.” This section helps
you solve common
problems that might occur.
Need Help?
Start Here!…Before using your Microwave

For your safety, the information in this manual must be followed to minimize the risk of fire
or explosion, electric shock, or to prevent property damage, personal injury or loss of life.
WARNING
•Read and follow the
specific “Precautions to
Avoid Possible Exposure
to Excessive Microwave
Energy” on page 2.
•This appliance must be
grounded. Connect only
to properly grounded
outlet. See Grounding
Instructions section on
page 9.
•Do not mount this
appliance over a sink.
•Install or locate this
appliance only in
accordance with the
provided Installation
Instructions.
•Be certain to place the
front surface of the door
three inches or more
back from the countertop
edge to avoid accidental
tipping of the appliance
in normal usage.
•Do not mount the
microwave oven over or
near any portion of a
heating or cooking
appliance.
•Do not store anything
directly on top of the
microwave oven surface
when the oven is in
operation.
•Do not operate any
heating or cooking
appliance beneath
this microwave.
•Use this appliance only
for its intended use as
described in this guide.
Do not use corrosive
chemicals or vapors in
this appliance. This
microwave oven is
specifically designed to
heat, dry or cook food,
and is not intended
for laboratory or
industrial use.
This microwave oven is
not approved or tested
for marine use.
SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS
4
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
READ ALL SAFETY
INFORMATION BEFORE USING

•Do not operate this
appliance if it has a
damaged power cord or
plug, if it is not working
properly or if it has been
damaged or dropped.
•Do not cover or block
any openings on the
appliance.
•Do not store this
appliance outdoors. Do
not use this product near
water---for example, in a
wet basement, near a
swimming pool or near
a sink.
•Keep power cord away
from heated surfaces.
•Do not immerse power
cord or plug in water.
•Do not let power cord
hang over edge of table
or counter.
•To reduce the risk of fire
in the oven cavity:
--- Do not overcook food.
Carefully attend
appliance if paper,
plastic or other
combustible materials
are placed inside the
oven while cooking.
--- Remove wire twist-ties
and metal handles
from paper or plastic
containers before
placing them in the
oven.
--- Do not use the oven
for storage purposes.
Do not leave paper
products, cooking
utensils or food in the
oven when not in use.
--- If materials inside oven
should ignite, keep the
oven door closed, turn
the oven off and
disconnect the power
cord, or shut off power
at the fuse or circuit
breaker panel. If the
door is opened, the fire
may spread.
•See door surface
cleaning instructions in
the Care and Cleaning
section(s) of this guide.
•GE does not support
any servicing of the
microwave. We strongly
recommend that you do
not attempt to service the
microwave yourself.
•As with any appliance,
close supervision is
necessary when used
by children.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
5

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT MICROWAVING
Arcing is the microwave
term for sparks in the
oven. Arcing is caused by:
•Metal or foil touching
the side of the oven.
•Foil not molded to food
(upturned edges act like
antennas).
•Metal, such as twist-ties,
poultry pins, or gold-
rimmed dishes, in
the microwave.
•Recycled paper towels
containing small metal
pieces being used in
the microwave.
If you see arcing, press
the STOP/CLEAR pad
and correct the problem.
ARCING
•Do not pop popcorn in
your microwave oven
unless in a special
microwave popcorn
accessory or unless you
use popcorn labeled for
use in microwave ovens.
•Some products such as
whole eggs and sealed
containers---for example,
closed jars---will explode
and should not be heated
in this microwave oven.
Such use of the microwave
oven could result in injury.
•Do not boil eggs in a
microwave oven. Pressure
will build up inside egg
yolk and will cause it to
burst, possibly resulting
in injury.
•Operating the microwave
with no food inside for
more than a minute or
two may cause damage to
the oven and could start a
fire. It increases the heat
around the magnetron
and can shorten the life
of the oven.
•Foods with unbroken
outer “skin” such as
potatoes, hot dogs,
sausages, tomatoes,
apples, chicken livers
and other giblets, and
egg yolks should be
pierced to allow steam
to escape during
cooking.
FOODS
6

7
•Avoid heating baby food
in glass jars, even with
the lid off. Make sure all
infant food is thoroughly
cooked. Stir food to
distribute the heat evenly.
Be careful to prevent
scalding when warming
formula. The container
may feel cooler than the
formula really is. Always
test the formula before
feeding the baby.
•Spontaneous boiling---
Under certain special
circumstances, liquids
may start to boil during
or shortly after removal
from the microwave
oven. To prevent burns
from splashing liquid, we
recommend the following:
before removing the
container from the oven,
allow the container to
stand in the oven for 30
to 40 seconds after the
oven has shut off. Do not
boil liquids in narrow-
necked containers such
as soft drink bottles, wine
flasks and especially
narrow-necked coffee
cups. Even if the
container is opened,
excessive steam can build
up and cause it to burst
or overflow.
•Don’t defrost frozen
beverages in narrow-
necked bottles (especially
carbonated beverages).
Even if the container is
opened, pressure can
build up. This can cause
the container to burst,
possibly resulting in
injury.
•Hot foods and steam
can cause burns. Be
careful when opening
any containers of hot
food, including popcorn
bags, cooking pouches
and boxes. To prevent
possible injury, direct
steam away from hands
and face.
•Do not overcook
potatoes. They could
dehydrate and catch
fire, causing damage to
your oven.
•Cook meat and poultry
thoroughly---meat to at
least an INTERNAL
temperature of 160°F
and poultry to at least an
INTERNAL temperature
of 180°F. Cooking to these
temperatures usually
protects against foodborne
illness.
SAFETY
FACT
SUPERHEATED WATER
Microwaved water and
other liquids do not
always bubble when
they reach the boiling
point. They can actually
get superheated and not
bubble at all.
Superheated liquid will
bubble up out of the cup
when it is moved or
when something like a
spoon or tea bag is put
into it.
To prevent this from
happening and causing
injury, do not heat any
liquid for more than 2
minutes per cup. After
heating, let the cup
stand in the microwave
for 30 seconds before
moving it or putting
anything into it.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT MICROWAVING
Make sure all cookware
used in your microwave
oven is suitable for
microwaving. Most glass
casseroles, cooking dishes,
measuring cups, custard
cups, pottery or china
dinnerware which does not
have metallic trim or glaze
with a metallic sheen can
be used. Some cookware is
labeled “suitable for
microwaving.”
•If you are not sure if a
dish is microwave-safe,
use this test: Place in the
oven both the dish you
are testing and a glass
measuring cup filled with
1 cup of water---set the
measuring cup either in
or next to the dish.
Microwave 1 minute at
high. If the dish heats, it
should not be used for
microwaving.
If the dish remains cool
and only the water in the
cup heats, then the dish
is microwave-safe.
•If you use a meat
thermometer while
cooking, make sure it is
safe for use in microwave
ovens.
•Do not use recycled
paper products. Recycled
paper towels, napkins
and waxed paper can
contain metal flecks
which may cause arcing
or ignite. Paper products
containing nylon or
nylon filaments should
be avoided, as they may
also ignite.
•Some styrofoam trays
(like those that meat is
packaged on) have a thin
strip of metal embedded
in the bottom. When
microwaved, the metal can
burn the floor of the oven
or ignite a paper towel.
•Do not use the microwave
to dry newspapers.
•Not all plastic wrap is
suitable for use in
microwave ovens. Check
the package for proper use.
•Paper towels, waxed
paper and plastic wrap
can be used to cover
dishes in order to retain
moisture and prevent
spattering. Be sure to
vent plastic wrap so steam
can escape.
•Cookware may become
hot because of heat
transferred from the
heated food. Pot holders
may be needed to handle
the cookware.
•“Boilable” cooking
pouches and tightly
closed plastic bags should
be slit, pierced or vented
as directed by package.
If they are not, plastic
could burst during or
immediately after
cooking, possibly resulting
in injury. Also, plastic
storage containers should
be at least partially
uncovered because they
form a tight seal. When
cooking with containers
tightly covered with
plastic wrap, remove
covering carefully and
direct steam away from
hands and face.
MICROWAVE-
SAFE
COOKWARE
8
How to test for a microwave-
safe dish.

GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS
•Use foil only as directed
in this guide. TV dinners
may be microwaved in
foil trays less than 3/4″
high; remove the top foil
cover and return the tray
to the box. When using
foil in the microwave
oven, keep the foil at
least 1 inch away from
the sides of the oven.
•Plastic cookware---Plastic
cookware designed for
microwave cooking is very
useful, but should be used
carefully. Even microwave-
safe plastic may not be as
tolerant of overcooking
conditions as are glass or
ceramic materials and may
soften or char if subjected
to short periods of
overcooking. In longer
exposures to overcooking,
the food and cookware
could ignite.
Follow these guidelines:
1 Use microwave-safe
plastics only and use
them in strict compliance
with the cookware
manufacturer’s
recommendations.
2 Do not microwave empty
containers.
3 Do not permit children
to use plastic cookware
without complete
supervision.
WARNING
Improper use of the
grounding plug can result in
a risk of electric shock.
This appliance must be
grounded. In the event of
an electrical short circuit,
grounding reduces the risk
of electric shock by
providing an escape wire
for the electric current.
This appliance is equipped
with a power cord having a
grounding wire with a
grounding plug. The plug
must be plugged into an
outlet that is properly
installed and grounded.
Consult a qualified electrician
or service technician if the
grounding instructions are
not completely understood,
or if doubt exists as to
whether the appliance is
properly grounded.
If the outlet is a standard
2-prong wall outlet, it is
your personal responsibility
and obligation to have it
replaced with a properly
grounded 3-prong wall
outlet.
Do not under any
circumstances cut or
remove the third
(ground) prong from
the power cord.
For best operation,
plug this appliance into
its own electrical outlet to
prevent flickering of lights,
blowing of fuse or tripping
of circuit breaker.
GROUNDING
INSTRUCTIONS
Ensure proper ground
exists before use.
PREFERRED
METHOD
9

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
GROUNDING INSTRUCTIONS
Usage situations where
appliance’s power cord will
be disconnected infrequently.
Because of potential safety
hazards under certain
conditions, we strongly
recommend against the
use of an adapter plug.
However, if you still elect
to use an adapter, where
local codes permit, a
TEMPORARY
CONNECTION may
be made to a properly
grounded two-prong wall
receptacle by the use of a
UL listed adapter which is
available at most local
hardware stores.
The larger slot in the
adapter must be aligned
with the larger slot in the
wall receptacle to provide
proper polarity in the
connection of the power
cord.
CAUTION: Attaching the
adapter ground terminal
to the wall receptacle cover
screw does not ground the
appliance unless the cover
screw is metal, and not
insulated, and the wall
receptacle is grounded
through the house wiring.
You should have the
circuit checked by a
qualified electrician to
make sure the receptacle
is properly grounded.
When disconnecting the
power cord from the
adapter, always hold the
adapter with one hand. If
this is not done, the adapter
ground terminal is very
likely to break with repeated
use. Should this happen,
DO NOT USE the appliance
until a proper ground has
again been established.
Usage situations where
appliance’s power cord will
be disconnected frequently.
Do not use an adapter plug
in these situations because
frequent disconnection of
the power cord places
undue strain on the adapter
and leads to eventual failure
of the adapter ground
terminal. You should have
the two-prong wall
receptacle replaced with a
three-prong (grounding)
receptacle by a qualified
electrician before using
the appliance.
ADAPTER PLUGS
A short power supply cord is
provided to reduce the risks
resulting from becoming
entangled in or tripping over
a longer cord.
Extension cords may be used
if you are careful in using
them.
If an extension cord is used---
1 The marked electrical
rating of the extension
cord should be at least as
great as the electrical
rating of the appliance;
2 The extension cord must
be a grounding-type 3-wire
cord and it must be
plugged into a 3-slot
outlet;
3 The extension cord
should be arranged so
that it will not drape over
the countertop or tabletop
where it can be pulled on
by children or tripped
over unintentionally.
If you use an extension cord,
the interior light may flicker
and the blower sound may
vary when the microwave
oven is on. Cooking times
may be longer, too.
EXTENSION
CORDS
Ensure proper ground
and firm connection
before use.
TEMPORARY
METHOD
Align large
prongs/slots
(Adapter plugs not
permitted in Canada)
10