Grill (zigzag at the top)
A heating element (often a quartz tube) in the roof browns and crisps the top of the food, with no microwave power on the grill-only setting.
What it is for
Toast, sausages, chops, and browning the top of a gratin. Use the metal rack or tray the oven came with so the food sits close to the element, and turn food halfway.
Makes differ, check your microwave’s manual: the same drawing can start a different programme on another brand, and only your model’s manual gives its exact watts, weights and times.
- What it looks like
- A zigzag line along the top of a square, or a key labelled GRILL, sometimes with 1, 2 or 3 for high, medium and low.
- Names makers use
- Grill 1, 2 and 3 (Panasonic); Grill (Whirlpool, Teka)
Where makes differ
Panasonic’s NN-CD58 has three grill strengths, 1300, 950 and 700 W, and says not to preheat; other models have one grill setting. Grill times are close to an ordinary grill, not to microwave times.
What it does not mean
The zigzag does not mean microwave power — on grill alone the food cooks only from the top, as under a normal grill. It is also not the same as the combination setting (zigzag with wavy lines).
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No published standard we could check defines microwave control icons, so this meaning is taken from 3 makers’ own manuals and support pages, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Panasonic: Panasonic — Operating instructions and cookbook, convection/grill/microwave oven NN-CD58JS — “The Quartz Grill system on the oven gives fast efficient cooking… Do not preheat the grill before use”; Grill 1 (High) 1300 W, Grill 2 (Medium) 950 W, Grill 3 (Low) 700 W; “there is no microwave power on the grill only program.” Checked 2026-09-28.
- Whirlpool: Whirlpool — JT469 control panel quick guide (GB) — “GRILL: This function uses a powerful quartz grill to brown foods, creating a grill or a gratin effect”; suggested accessory: the high rack. Checked 2026-09-28.
- Teka: Teka — Microwave symbols and functions explained — “The grill function allows you to brown meat and fish, toast bread, and gratinate dishes… It can be used on its own for already-cooked food, or combined with other microwave functions.” Checked 2026-09-28.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.