Morphy Richards Slow Cooker User Manual

Slow cooker

Please read and keep these instructions

Getting the best from your new appliance...

Environmental benefits

Slow cookers use low levels of energy making them economical to run rather than heating a large conventional oven. This slow cooker also has a seal around the lid to ensure a snug fit on the ceramic pot which minimises the heat loss and reduces overall cooking times.

Efficiency

Removing the lid will allow valuable heat to escape, reducing the efficiency of your slow cooker and increasing the cooking time. If you remove the lid more than a couple of times to stir or add ingredients, then you will need to allow 10-15 minutes extra cooking time each time you remove the lid.

Enjoy the benefits

Slow cooking gives you convenient, versatile and flavoursome food. Longer cooking times allow better distribution of flavours, giving them time to blend and season the food. A slow cooker heats food gently, making it a great way to cook meats, less expensive cuts in particular, such as stewing beef, which are tenderised through the long cooking process.

SC48726 MUK Rev 2

If you have a problem or complaint, please call our dedicated UK based helpline before returning your product to the retailer from where it was purchased.

UK Helpline: 0844 871 0956 Replacement Parts: 0844 873 0722 Ireland Helpline: 1800 409 119

Register online for your 2 year guarantee. See back of this instruction book for details. (UK and Ireland customers only)

www.morphyrichards.co.uk

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 1

Upon registration with Morphy Richards

(UK & ROI only)

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The use of any electrical appliance requires the following common sense safety rules.

Primarily there is danger of injury or death and secondly the danger of damage to the appliance. These are indicated in the text by the following two conventions:

WARNING: Danger to the person!

IMPORTANT: Damage to the appliance!

In addition, we offer the following safety advice.

Location

•

This appliance is intended to be used in household and similar applications such as:

farm houses;

by clients in hotels, motels and other residential type environments;

bed and breakfast type environments.

It is not suitable for use in staff kitchen areas in shops, offices and other working environments.

• Always locate your appliance away from the edge of the worktop.

• Ensure that the appliance is used on a firm, flat, heat resistant surface.

• Ensure that sufficient space is left above and around all sides of your appliance to allow air to circulate.

• Do not use the appliance outdoors or near water.

• IMPORTANT: Do not use too close to curtains, draperies, walls, cupboards and other flammable materials.

• WARNING: Do not use underneath cupboards.

Personal safety

• WARNING: Do not touch the top of the appliance or other hot parts during or after use, use handles or knobs.

• To protect against the risk of electrical shock do not put the base in water or in any other liquid.

• Do not touch hot surfaces. Use oven gloves or a cloth when removing lid or handling hot containers.

• Extreme caution must be used when moving an appliance containing hot food, water, or other hot liquids.

• This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance by a person responsible for their safety.

Mains lead

• The mains lead should reach from the socket to the appliance without straining the connections.

• Do not let the mains lead hang over the edge of the worktop where a child could reach it.

• Do not let the lead run across an open space e.g. between a low socket and table.

• Do not let the lead run across a cooker or hot area which might damage the cable.

• Never leave the appliance connected to the socket outlet when not in use.

• If the supply cord is damaged, it must be replaced by the manufacturer, its service agent or similarly qualified persons in

order to avoid a hazard.

Children

• Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the appliance.

• Teach children to be aware of dangers in the kitchen, warn them of the dangers of reaching up to areas where they cannot see properly or should not be reaching.

• Children are vulnerable in the kitchen, particularly when unsupervised and if appliances are being used or cooking is being carried out.

• Never allow a child to operate this appliance.

Other safety considerations

• Never touch the outer enclosure of the slow cooker during it’s operation or before it cools. Use the handles or knobs.

• Do not switch on the slow cooker if the ceramic pot is empty.

• Allow the lid and ceramic pot to cool before immersing in water.

• Never cook directly in the base unit. Use the ceramic pot.

• Do not use the ceramic pot or lid if cracked or chipped.

• Do not switch on the appliance when it is upside down or laid on it’s side.

• The lid and ceramic pot are fragile. Handle them with care.

• Do not operate with a damaged cord or plug or after the appliance malfunctions or has been damaged in any manner. Contact Morphy Richards for advice.

• Do not attempt repairs - the appliance contains no user-serviceable parts. Call our helpline for advice.

UK Helpline 0844 871 0956 Replacement Parts 0844 873 0722 Ireland Helpline 1800 409 119

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 2

• Do not place on or near a hot gas electric burner or in a heated oven.

• Only use for intended purpose.

• Unplug from the socket when not in use and before cleaning.

• Do not move the appliance whilst hot.

ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS

Check that the voltage on the rating plate of your appliance corresponds with your house electricity supply which must be A.C. (Alternating current).

If the socket outlets in your home are not suitable for the plug supplied with this appliance, the plug should be removed and the appropriate one fitted.

WARNING: The plug removed from the mains lead, if severed, must be destroyed, as a plug with a bared flexible cord is hazardous if engaged into a live socket outlet.

Should the fuse in the 13 amp plug require changing, a 3 amp BS1362 fuse must be fitted.

WARNING: This appliance must be earthed.

Control knob and settings

The control knob on the slow cooker offers a low, medium and high setting for cooking. This setting allows you to adapt the cooking time to your convenience.

The MED (MEDIUM) setting is the standard setting for slow cooking with this product. This gives you an average of 5

/2-71/2

hours cooking time.

However, if you wish to extend the cooking period, can use the LOW setting, and if you wish to shorten the cooking period, you can use the HIGH setting.

Cooking capacity

The 6.5 litre slow cooker has a maximum working capacity of

4.5 litres. The 3.5 litre slow cooker has a maximum working capacity of 2.5 litres.

FEATURES

⁄ Glass lid

¤ Ceramic pot

‹ Base

› Control knob

ﬁ Power indicator

Before first use

• Remove all labels and tags from the product.

• Wash the ceramic pot and glass lid in hot soapy water, with a sponge or a dish cloth, rinse thoroughly and dry.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT IMMERSE THE SLOW COOKER BASE IN WATER.

Please note: During initial use, you may notice a slight odour due to the burning off of manufacturing residues. This is completely normal and will disappear after a few uses.

Instructions for use

1 Place the base ‹ on a dry,

level, heat resistant surface, away from the edge of the work surface. Do not use on the floor.

2 Place ingredients into the

ceramic pot ¤, and place the pot into the base. Cover with the glass lid. If you need to pre-cook or brown foods prior to slow cooking, this must be done in a pan. Do not try to brown or pre-cook food in the slow cooker.

3 With the control knob › set to

the OFF position, plug the unit into the mains socket.

4 Set the control to low, medium

or high and cook for the recommended time given in the recipes, or use the cooking guide on page 5.

5 Switch off and unplug the slow

cooker after cooking and remove the ceramic pot using oven gloves.

Always place the ceramic pot on a heat proof mat or surface.

CAUTION: BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH THE BASE UNIT AFTER COOKING AS IT REMAINS HOT.

About slow cooking

• Slow cooking has always been the best way to prepare a nutritious hot meal with minimum preparation and maximum free time away from the kitchen. Morphy Richards has brought this style of cooking into this modern, cooking system; providing you

For details of other Morphy Richards products, please see our website:

⁄

‹

›ﬁ

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with style, convenience and great tasting meals.

• Traditionally, slow cooking has centred on soups and casseroles, but with this oval ceramic pot you can also produce most modern family meals and dinner party dishes. This pot is convenient as well as looking good enough to take straight to the table for serving (always place the ceramic pot on a heat proof mat or surface).

• Slow cooking gives you convenient, versatile and flavoursome food. The longer cooking times allow better distribution of flavours, giving them time to blend and season the food. A slow cooker heats food gently, making it a great way to cook meats - in particular, less-expensive cuts, such as stewing beef, which are tenderised through the long cooking process.

• IMPORTANT: The slow cooker works by building up heat and maintaining an even temperature. To get the best cooking results, do not remove the lid during cooking, since this will lose heat and therefore slow down the cooking time. The glass lid allows you to monitor the cooking progress without interrupting the cooking time.

Suitable foods for slow cooking

• Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods, however there are a few guidelines that need to be followed.

• Make sure all frozen ingredients are well thawed out.

• Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as they take longer to cook than meat. They should be gently sauteed for 2-3 minutes before slow cooking. Ensure that root vegetables are always placed at the bottom of the pot and all ingredients are immersed in the cooking liquid.

• Trim all excess fat from meat before cooking, since the slow

cooking method does not allow fat to evaporate.

• If adapting an existing recipe from conventional cooking, you may need to cut down on the amount of liquid used. Liquid will not evaporate from the slow cooker to the same extent as with conventional cooking.

• Never leave uncooked food at room temperature in the slow cooker.

• Do not use the slow cooker to reheat food.

• Uncooked red beans must be soaked and boiled for at least 10 minutes to remove toxins before use in a slow cooker.

• Insert a meat thermometer into joints of roasts, hams, or whole chickens to ensure they are cooked to the desired temperature.

Care for the ceramic pot

• Authentic stoneware is fired at high temperatures, therefore, the ceramic pot may have minor surface blemishes, the glass lid may rock slightly due to these imperfections. Low heat cooking does not produce steam, so there will be little heat loss. Due to normal wear and tear through the product’s life, the outer surface may start appearing ‘crazed’.

• Do not put the ceramic pot or glass lid in an oven, freezer, microwave or on a gas / electrical hob.

• Do not pre-heat before adding ingredients.

• Do not subject the ceramic pot to sudden changes in temperature. Adding cold water to a very hot pot could cause it to crack.

• Do not allow the pot to stand in water for a long time (you can leave water in the pot to soak). There is an area on the base of the ceramic pot that has to remain unglazed for

manufacturing purposes. This unglazed area is porous, therefore will soak up water, this should be avoided.

• Do not switch the slow cooker on when the ceramic pot is empty or out of the base.

Tips for slow cooking

• The slow cooker must be at least half full for best results.

• Slow cooking retains moisture. If you wish to reduce this, remove the lid after cooking and turn the control to high (if set to low or medium) and reduce the moisture by simmering for 30 to 45 minutes.

• Removing the lid will allow valuable heat to escape, reducing the efficiency of your slow cooker and increasing the cooking time. If you remove the lid more than a couple of times to stir or add ingredients, then you will need to allow 10-15 minutes extra cooking time each time you remove the lid.

• If cooking soups, leave 5 cm space between the top of the cook pot and the food surface to allow for simmering.

• 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 ceramic pot and add boiling liquid/stock. In most of the recipes in this book, the meat ingredients are browned first to improve their appearance and flavour.

• If you are short on preparation time and would prefer to skip the browning 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, Medium setting +1-2hrs, Low Setting +2-3hrs.

UK Helpline 0844 871 0956 Replacement Parts 0844 873 0722 Ireland Helpline 1800 409 119

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• Most meat and vegetable recipes require 7

/2-91/2 hours on low,

/2-61/2 hours on medium and

/2-51/2 hours on high.

• Do not use frozen meat or poultry unless it is thoroughly thawed out first.

• Some ingredients are not suitable for slow cooking. Pasta, seafood, milk, and cream should be added towards the end of the cooking time. Many things can affect how quickly a recipe will cook, water and fat content, initial temperature of the food and the size of the food.

• Pieces of 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.

• Vegetables usually take longer to cook than meat, so try and arrange vegetables in the lower half of the pot.

• 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.

• Pre-brown meat and onions in a pan to seal in the juices, this also reduces the fat content if separated before adding to the ceramic pot. This is not necessary if the time is limited, but improves the flavour.

• 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

/3 of the pot and fully cover

with water. If necessary, cut into two pieces. Joint weight should be kept within the maximum limit: 1 kg for a medium sized slow cooker, and 1.5 kg for a large sized slow cooker.

COOKING GUIDE

The cooking times given in the following recipes are for the ‘MEDIUM’ setting. Should you want to increase or reduce the time, please refer to the cooking guide. A Please note that these cooking times are for guidance only and may vary depending on food type and personal tastes. For your convenience, a conversion table for weight and volume has been included on page 19.

Eg. If the recipe says cook for 3

/2-51/2 hours (MED) and you

require this to be a shorter time, cook on HIGH, which will reduce the cooking time to 2

/2-31/2 hours. Increasing the

time, choose LOW which will give 5

/2-71/2 hours.

The recipes are based on MAXIMUM WORKING VOLUMES which are:

6.5 litres: Working capacity of 4

.5 litres / 8 pts. This allows a

3cm space between the top of the ceramic pot and the food.

3.5 litres: Working capacity of 2

.5 litres / 4

/2 pts. This allows a

2cm space between the top of the ceramic pot and the food.

NOTE: THE CAPACITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE RATING PLATE UNDERNEATH THE PRODUCT.

Equivalent cook times for (LOW) and (HIGH) settingsA

Cook on (MEDIUM)

- 5

hours

- 7

hours

- 9

hours

Cook on (LOW)

- 7

hours

- 9

hours

- 11

hours

Cook on (HIGH)

- 3

hours

- 5

hours

- 7

hours

For details of other Morphy Richards products, please see our website:

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 5

Soups

Minestrone soup

2.5 litres 4.5 litres

Butter 30g 55g

Streaky bacon, chopped

60g 100g

Onion, finely chopped 1 large 2 large

Garlic cloves, crushed 1 2

Celery, chopped 3 sticks 4 sticks

Potatoes, peeled and cubed

300g 500g

Carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium 2 large

Cabbage leaves, shredded

Tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped

3 medium 4 large

Chicken stock

1.25 litres 2.25 litres

Tomato puree 1

/2 tbsp 3 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce 1

/2 tsp 3 tsp

Parsley, finely chopped

/2 tbsp 2 tbsp

Pasta shells 75g 150g

Parmesan cheese, grated

2-3 tbsp 3 tbsp

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and fry bacon and vegetables until soft. Make up stock and add the stock, bacon and vegetables to the ceramic pot. Add remaining ingredients except the parsley, pasta shells and parmesan cheese. Place the ceramic pot in the base unit, cover with lid and cook for approximately 3

/2-51/2

hours. 45 minutes before serving, add the pasta shells and parsley. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty french bread.

Lentil soup

2.5 litres 4.5 litres

Smoked bacon, chopped

125g 200g

Onion, finely chopped 1 large 2 large

Carrots, finely diced 3 4

Celery, finely sliced 2 sticks 4 sticks

Orange lentils 20 0g 400g

Can of chopped tomatoes

400g 2x 400g

Chicken stock 110 0ml 2 litres

Worcestershire sauce 3 tsp 4 tsp

Bayleaf 1 1

Basil 1 tsp 2 tsp

Parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp 2 tbsp

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a pan, gently fry the bacon until the fat begins to run. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry until soft. Add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to the ceramic pot. Place the ceramic pot into the slow cooker base, cover with the lid. Cook for approximately 3

/2-71/2 hours. If a smoother

consistency is required, liquidise the soup after cooling and then reheat the soup in a pan. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty french bread.

UK Helpline 0844 871 0956 Replacement Parts 0844 873 0722 Ireland Helpline 1800 409 119

RECIPES

Visit our website for more delicious recipes.

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