6
Before first use
W
ash the Glass Lid (2) and Cooking Pot (3) in hot, soapy water.
R
inse and dry.
Warning
WARNING: The Cooking Pot (3) and the sides of the Base Unit
(5) will become very hot during use. Always use oven gloves
when handling.
Using your Slow Cooker
1
Place the Cooking Pot (3) into the Base Unit (5).
2
Add the ingredients into the Cooking Pot. We recommend searing
meat in a pan before adding to the Cooking Pot for better flavour.
3
Place the Glass Lid (2) onto the Cooking Pot.
4
Select either the Low or High cooking setting on the Control Knob
(7) to start cooking. The Indicator Light (6) will illuminate. Refer to
the recipe for a guide on cooking times.
5
When cooking has finished, turn the Control Knob to Off and
serve.
Handling the Glass Lid and
Cooking Pot
When removing the Glass Lid (2), tilt it so that the opening faces
away from you to avoid being burnt by the released steam.
• The Handle (1), Glass Lid (2), Base Unit (5) and
Cooking Pot (3), all become hot during cooking.
Always use oven gloves when handling ANY part of the Slow
Cooker during cooking.
Foods for slow cooking
Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods, however there
are a few guidelines that need to be followed;
• Ensure all frozen ingredients are thoroughly thawed prior to
cooking.
• Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as they take longer to
cook than meat. Ensure that root vegetables are always placed at
the bottom of the Cooking Pot (3) and all ingredients are
immersed in the cooking liquid.
• Trim all excess fat from meat before cooking as the slow cooking
method does not allow fat to evaporate.
• If adapting an existing recipe from conventional cooking, you may
need to reduce the amount of liquid used. Liquid will not
evaporate from the Slow Cooker to the same extent as
conventional cooking.
• Never leave uncooked food at room temperature in the Slow
Cooker.
• Do not use the Slow Cooker to reheat food.
• Uncooked kidney beans must be soaked overnight and boiled for
at least 10 minutes to remove toxins before use in a Slow Cooker.
Insert a meat thermometer into joints of meat, hams or whole
c
hickens to ensure they are cooked to the desired temperature.
•
WARNING: Do not use the Slow Cooker to reheat food.
Slow cooking tips
•
The Slow Cooker must be at least half full for best results.
•
Slow cooking retains moisture. If you wish to reduce liquid,
r
emove the lid after cooking and turn the control to High. Reduce
the moisture by simmering for 30 to 45 minutes.
• If cooking soups, leave 5cm gap from the rim of the Cooking Pot
(3) to allow for simmering.
•
Removing the Glass Lid (2) will allow heat to escape, reducing the
e
fficiency of your Slow Cooker and increasing the cooking time. If
you remove the lid to stir or add ingredients, you will need to
allow 10-15 minutes extra cooking time for each time you remove
the Glass Lid.
• Many things can affect how quickly a recipe will cook, including
water and fat content, initial temperature of the food and the size
of the food. Check food is properly cooked before serving.
• Many recipes will take several hours to cook. If you don’t have
time to prepare food in the morning, prepare it the night before,
storing the food in a covered container in the fridge. Transfer the
food to the Cooking Pot and add boiling liquid/stock. In most of
the recipes in this book, the meat ingredients are browned by
searing in a pan to improve their appearance and flavour.
• If you are short on preparation time and would prefer to skip the
searing stage, simply add your meat and other ingredients into
the Slow Cooker and cover with boiling liquid/stock. You will need
to increase the recipe cooking time as follows: High setting +1hr
and Low Setting +2-3hrs.
• Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8-10 hours on low, 5-7
hours on medium and 4-6 hours on high.
• Some ingredients are not suitable for slow cooking. Pasta,
seafood, milk and cream should be added towards the end of the
cooking time.
• Food cut into small pieces will cook quicker. A degree of ‘trial and
error’ will be required to fully optimise the potential of your Slow
Cooker.
• All food should be covered with a liquid, gravy or sauce. In a
separate pan or jug, prepare your liquid, gravy or sauce and
completely cover the food in the Cooking Pot (3).
• When cooking joints of meat, ham, poultry etc, the size and shape
of the joint is important. Try to keep the joint in the lower 2/3 of
the pot. If necessary, cut into two pieces. Joint weight should be
kept within the maximum limit of 1kg (3.5L) or 1.5kg (6.5L).
• For ham and brisket fill with hot water to cover 2/3 of the depth of
the joint. For beef, pork or poultry cover to 1/3 depth.
After food is cooked, switch off and leave covered with the lid.
There will be enough heat in the ceramic pot to keep warm for 30
minutes. If you require longer to keep warm, switch to the low
setting.
• All food should be covered with a liquid, gravy or sauce. In a
separate pan or jug, prepare your liquid, gravy or sauce and
completely cover the food in the ceramic pot.
g