# Amana Commercial Microwaves and XpressChef Ovens: A Practical Guide > Install, program, cook with and clean Amana commercial microwaves and XpressChef high speed ovens, using the steps in ACP's own manuals and videos. How-to by Norpex. Published 2026-10-15, updated 2026-10-15. Canonical: https://norpex.ca/guides/amana-commercial-microwave-and-xpresschef-guide ![Stainless steel commercial microwave oven with a numbered touch keypad](https://norpex.ca/m/69/5c/695cb5240b6e2735ae406a088a58dc0f4bf1fb6d7a00bf9848e0503f7a7df16f.jpg) Pictured: [Amana Commercial HDC12A 16.5″1200W Digital Microwave Oven](https://norpex.ca/product/amana-commercial-hdc12a-16-51200w-digital-microwave-oven) Amana commercial microwaves and XpressChef high speed ovens are made by ACP. This guide follows ACP's owner's manuals and videos: clearances and power, preset and manual cooking, menus on a USB drive, preheat and cool-down on XpressChef ovens, and the daily, weekly and monthly cleaning ACP sets out. ## Key takeaways - ACP's manuals ask for at least 2 inches above the oven, 1 inch at the sides and the oven bottom at least 3 feet above the floor. - Each oven goes on its own grounded circuit, never an extension cord, and is sealed to the counter by its basepan gasket. - Compact models store 10 to 200 cooking programs, cook in up to four stages and load menus from a USB flash drive. - An XpressChef 4i preheats between 200 and 520 degrees F; let the fan stop before cutting its power. - Clean daily, wash the air filter weekly and check the air vents monthly, using only ACP-approved cleaners. ## The Amana and XpressChef families Amana commercial microwaves come from ACP, which publishes the manuals, runs the service network and posts the how-to videos on this page. Our catalogue carries several families. The HDC heavy volume compacts and the Menumaster MDC models share one owner's manual, which describes a 0.6 cubic foot (17 litre) cavity; they run from 1200 W (HDC12A, HDC12A2, MDC12A2) to 1800 W (HDC182, HDC1815, HDC18Y2, MDC182) and 2100 W (HDC212, MDC212). ACP's own video descriptions split the HDC line into ovens with the classic top control panel and ovens with a bottom control panel; the HDC18Y2 is a bottom-panel model. Beside them sit the RFS and MFS models (1200 to 2100 W), the RCS and MCS 1000 W models with dial (DSE) or touch (TS) controls, the RMS and MMS models, the RC and MRC models from 1700 to 3000 W, the MSO and AMSO microwave powered steamer ovens, and the OnCue AOC24 and MOC24. XpressChef is ACP's high speed line, combining microwave with heat. Its owner's manual calls the XpressChef 4i (our MXP22TLT) a high speed commercial combination oven, with microwave, fan and infra-red power entries when you cook manually. The XpressChef 2c comes as the JET14 and JET19, with JET14V and JET19V versions that add a catalytic converter, and the XpressChef 3i as the MRX1 and MRX2. ## Choosing between them Start with power and voltage, because they set both cooking speed and the outlet you need. In our catalogue the 1200 W HDC12A2, MDC12A2, MFS12TS and RFS12TS are 120 volt ovens with a NEMA 5-20 plug. The 1800 and 2100 W HDC, MDC, MFS and RFS models are 208/240 volt; most use a NEMA 6-20 plug, and the HDC1815 lists a NEMA 6-15P. Check the plug on the spec sheet against your outlet before ordering. Next, choose the controls: dial controls (the DSE models) or touch keypads. The keypad ovens covered by ACP's compact manual store cooking programs, so staff start a menu item with one or two key presses and get the same cycle every time. If food has to be cooked with heat as well as microwave energy, look at the XpressChef line, which adds infra-red heat and a convection fan to the microwave. For sizes, weights and electrical ratings, use the product page and the maker's spec sheet linked there. Our restaurant equipment checklist and café equipment list show where a microwave fits in a full kitchen. ## Installing a compact microwave ACP's owner's manual for the HDC and MDC ovens, and the quick start guide for the bottom-panel models, give the same clearances. Air flow around the oven cools its electrical parts, so blocking it shortens their life. Do not install the oven next to or above a source of heat such as a pizza oven or deep fat fryer, and do not block its filters. Set it on a clean, flat, level counter with the plug reachable once it is in place. The oven is sealed to the counter by a basepan gasket that keeps spills from running under it: inspect the gasket before placing the oven and avoid sliding the oven, which damages it. Use two or more people to lift it. The oven must be grounded and plugged into a separate circuit with the rating on its serial plate. Do not use an extension cord; if the cord is too short, have a qualified electrician install a three-slot receptacle. On a shared circuit cook times can rise and fuses can blow. If the oven has been stored somewhere very cold, wait a few hours before connecting power. Bottom-panel HDC and MDC models ship with their two air filters taped to the oven floor; remove the tape and snap each filter into the recessed grill at the base of the left and right sides before first use. - At least 2 inches (5.1 cm) of clearance above the oven. - At least 1 inch (2.54 cm) at the sides. - No clearance requirement at the back on general market models. - The oven bottom at least 3 feet (91.5 cm) above the floor. ## Cooking with preset keypads, manual time and stages The compact ovens arrive with programs already stored, which ACP's video 01 - How to Cook With Preprogrammed Menu Items (HDC) walks through. Open the door, load the food, close the door and press the number keypad, and the oven starts on its own. On the factory Menu A, keypad 1 runs 10 seconds and keypad 0 runs 5 minutes at 100 percent power, though the manual notes the factory setting may vary by model. The oven stores 10 to 200 programs depending on its Digit Entry option (single digit, double digit or folders) and whether Menu A/B is enabled. For a new item, use manual cooking, shown in 02 - How to Manually Cook (HDC). Manual time entry lets you heat without changing the stored programs: enter the time, set the power level (keypad 1 is 10 percent, 2 is 20 percent and so on) and press START/OK. Stage cooking runs up to four cycles in a row, so one program can defrost, then cook, then hold. Press and hold keypad 5 to toggle X2 double quantity cooking, and keypad 6 to switch between Menu A and B on models that have it. To change a stored program on the bottom-panel models, press and hold keypad 3 to enter programming mode, open the program location, then edit its name, the cook time and power level for each stage, and press START/OK to save. Open the door or press STOP/RESET to interrupt a cycle; close the door and press START/OK to resume. ## Menus on a USB drive and the ACP Programming Application For more than a handful of items, ACP recommends building the menu on a computer or tablet in its ACP Programming Application, available from acpsolutions.com, and moving it to the oven on a USB flash drive. To import, the menu file must be in .xml format, must be the only .xml file on the drive, and must sit at the top level of the drive rather than inside a folder. With the drive in the oven's USB port, press and hold keypad 4 for User Options, enter the PIN Code if asked, scroll to Load Recipe File, choose it and pick the menu file; when Loaded OK appears, remove the drive. Exporting an oven's menu to a drive uses the same Load Recipe File screen and needs the PIN Code enabled in User Options first. The exported file opens in the ACP Programming Application for editing. XpressChef 4i ovens use the same application and USB transfer; models without an N suffix can also be programmed over Wi-Fi, and the manual covers Ethernet too. ## XpressChef: preheat, cook and cool down An XpressChef is a hot oven as well as a microwave, so its day starts and ends differently. ACP's video 01 - How to Turn Oven on and Preheat (JET) shows the start for the 2c. On the 4i, the screen reaches standby about 30 seconds after the oven is plugged in; touch the green Power icon and the oven preheats to its set temperature, adjustable between 200 and 520 degrees F (95 to 270 degrees C). After preheating the menu appears, and a stored item starts when you touch it. Enable Preheat Warning in User Options to stop a cook cycle from starting before the oven reaches the temperature you set. At the end of the day, touch Power again. The fan keeps running and a Cooling Down screen stays up until the oven is below 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Do not unplug the oven or switch off its breaker until the fan stops, or the convection motor can be damaged. The 4i's manual recommends a 26 inch (66 cm) deep counter and gives the same clearances as the compact ovens, with no clearance needed at the back. Set the date and time on first use, since the oven keeps a data log used to diagnose errors. Install the rack with its rear guard toward the back, never cook directly on the oven floor, never run the microwave with the oven empty, and do not cook food with plastic wrap on it. ## Daily, weekly and monthly cleaning ACP's manuals rule out cleaners containing ammonia, phosphates, chlorine, or sodium or potassium hydroxide (lye), and water pressure cleaning systems; the compact ovens' manual also rules out abrasive and citrus cleaners. Unapproved cleaners void the warranty. Wear protective gloves and glasses. On a compact oven, unplug it before cleaning, never pour water into its bottom, and never run it without the antenna shield and air filter in place. Daily, on the compact ovens (the routine in 07 - Oven Maintenance: Daily Cleaning (HDC)): unplug, remove food debris, and wipe the interior, exterior and door with mild detergent in warm water on a well wrung soft sponge or cloth. Boiling a cup of water first loosens soil. Open the door before wiping the control panel so the timer is off. Clean the antenna shield in place; for stubborn debris, press its two front tabs, pull it down and tilt it out at 45 degrees, wash and dry it, and reinstall it with This Side Up facing up and all four pins engaged. Weekly, as 08 - Oven Maintenance: Weekly Cleaning (HDC) shows, pull the air filter below the door forward out of its clips, wash it in hot water and mild detergent, rinse, dry and clip it back. Bottom-panel models have two filters, in the grills at the base of each side. Monthly, check the intake and discharge louvers on the bottom and back for a buildup of cooking vapours and wipe them with a damp cloth. On an XpressChef 4i, switch the oven off and let the interior reach room temperature (a tray of ice speeds this up), lift out the porcelain infrared element cover and raise the element, then remove baked-on particles with a plastic scouring pad and wipe the cavity with a warm, damp towel two or three times. ACP Oven Cleaner can be sprayed for stubborn debris and left 2 minutes, but never into the perforations. Wipe the touchscreen with a dry or damp microfiber cloth only, and wash the two side air filters weekly. The 09 - Oven Maintenance: Daily Cleaning (JET) video covers the 2c. ## Troubleshooting and service Some things that look like faults are normal: the fan runs for 60 seconds after a cycle to cool the components, and a Clean Filter message stays on the display for 24 hours. If the oven does not run, check that it is plugged into its own grounded circuit and that the breaker or fuse has not tripped. If it runs but does not heat, ACP's test is to heat one cup of cool water for one minute; if the water does not warm, call for service. A frozen display resets by unplugging the oven for 5 seconds. Never remove the outer case; only an authorized servicer should. Warranty service must be done by an authorized ACP servicer, and ACP ComServ Service Support can locate one. Have the model, manufacturing and serial numbers from the oven's serial plate ready. Ask Norpex if you need help choosing a model. ## Videos from the maker - [01 - How to Cook With Preprogrammed Menu Items (HDC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXBBr4evrOo) (Amana) - [02 - How to Manually Cook (HDC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XwNm2r6qnI) (Amana) - [07 - Oven Maintenance: Daily Cleaning (HDC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aejGpIQLfE) (Amana) - [08 - Oven Maintenance: Weekly Cleaning (HDC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1GJd2jDWx8) (Amana) - [01 - How to Turn Oven on and Preheat (JET)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n80MMgHFUUo) (Amana) - [09 - Oven Maintenance: Daily Cleaning (JET)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMjO2T9MVlU) (Amana) ## Common questions ### How much clearance does an Amana compact microwave need? ACP's manual asks for at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above the oven and 1 inch (2.54 cm) at the sides, with the oven bottom at least 3 feet (91.5 cm) above the floor. General market models need no clearance at the back. ### How often should the air filter be cleaned? Weekly. ACP says to wash the air filter in hot water and mild detergent, rinse and dry it, and never run the oven without it. A Clean Filter message on the display is a reminder to do it. ### Can I load a menu from a USB drive? Yes. Save the menu as the only .xml file at the top level of the drive, then use Load Recipe File in User Options. ACP's Programming Application builds and edits these files on a computer. ### Can I unplug an XpressChef as soon as I turn it off? No. The fan keeps running until the oven is below 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and ACP warns that cutting power before the fan stops can damage the convection motor. ## Related guides - [Restaurant Equipment Checklist: What to Buy to Open in Canada](https://norpex.ca/guides/restaurant-equipment-checklist) - [Café and Coffee Shop Equipment List: Planning the Bar and Kitchen](https://norpex.ca/guides/cafe-equipment-list) ## Shop the catalogue - [Microwave Ovens](https://norpex.ca/products/microwave-ovens) - [High Speed Ovens](https://norpex.ca/products/high-speed-ovens)