Microwave oven first time use — "10 minutes with water"?
The directions are in fact asking you to place a bowl of water in the Microwave Oven and run it for 10mins.

The reason is, it allows things to "break-in" and assures that you don't have any direct issues with the device and that all nasty solvents are given proper time to "burn off." This is so you don't end up with nasty plastic smells and flavors in your first meal. 

For safety reasons, I would recommend placing a wooden spoon in the bowl. This provides plenty of nucleations sites and will prevent "super-heating" of the water. 

Always use microwave appropriate containers, and allow the bowl to come to reasonable (warm to room temp) prior to handling.