Morphy Richards Slow Cooker User Manual

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

Upon registration with Morphy Richards

(UK & ROI only)

Register online for your 2 year guarantee. See back of this instruction book for details.

(UK and Ireland customers only) www.morphyrichards.co.uk

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

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

	IMPORTANT	• WARNING: Do not use					order to avoid a hazard.
	SAFETY			underneath cupboards.
	INSTRUCTIONS			Personal safety			Children
	The use of any electrical
						• Children should be supervised to
	appliance requires the following	• WARNING: Do not touch the
	common sense safety rules.						ensure that they do not play with
				top of the appliance or other			the appliance.
	Primarily there is danger of injury			hot parts during or after use,
	or death and secondly the danger			use handles or knobs.		• Teach children to be aware of
	of damage to the appliance.	• To protect against the risk of					dangers in the kitchen, warn
	These are indicated in the text by						them of the dangers of reaching
	the following two conventions:			electrical shock do not put the			up to areas where they cannot
	WARNING: Danger to the			base in water or in any other			see properly or should not be
				liquid.			reaching.
	person!

IMPORTANT: Damage to the appliance!

In addition, we offer the following safety advice.

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

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

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.

•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.

•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.

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.

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

•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.

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

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 3

• Do not place on or near a hot gas		Cooking capacity		IMPORTANT: DO NOT
electric burner or in a heated		The 6.5 litre slow cooker has a		IMMERSETHE SLOW
oven.		maximum working capacity of		COOKER BASE IN WATER.
• Only use for intended purpose.		4.5 litres. The 3.5 litre slow
		cooker has a maximum working		Please note: During initial use,
• Unplug from the socket when		capacity of 2.5 litres.		you may notice a slight odour
				due to the burning off of
not in use and before cleaning.				manufacturing residues. This is
• Do not move the appliance whilst				completely normal and will
	⁄			disappear after a few uses.
hot.

ELECTRICAL

Instructions for

use

REQUIREMENTS

¤

1 Place the base ‹ on a dry,

Check that the voltage on the

level, heat resistant surface,

rating plate of your appliance

away from the edge of the work

corresponds with your house

surface. Do not use on the floor.

electricity supply which must be

2 Place ingredients into the

A.C. (Alternating current).

If the socket outlets in your home

ceramic pot ¤, and place the

pot into the base. Cover with

are not suitable for the plug

‹

the glass lid. If you need to

supplied with this appliance, the

pre-cook or brown foods prior

plug should be removed and the

to slow cooking, this must be

appropriate one fitted.

done in a pan. Do not try to

WARNING: The plug removed

›fi

brown or pre-cook food in the

slow cooker.

from the mains lead, if

severed, must be destroyed,

3 With the control knob › set to

as a plug with a bared flexible

the OFF position, plug the unit

cord is hazardous if engaged

into the mains socket.

into a live socket outlet.

4 Set the control to low, medium

Should the fuse in the 13 amp

or high and cook for the

plug require changing, a 3 amp

recommended time given in the

BS1362 fuse must be fitted.

recipes, or use the cooking

WARNING: This appliance

guide on page 5.

must be earthed.

5 Switch off and unplug the slow

FEATURES

cooker after cooking and

Control knob and

remove the ceramic pot using

oven gloves.

settings

⁄ Glass lid

Always place the ceramic pot

The control knob on the slow

¤ Ceramic pot

on a heat proof mat or surface.

cooker offers a low, medium and

‹ Base

high setting for cooking. This

CAUTION: BE CAREFUL NOT

setting allows you to adapt the

› Control knob

TO TOUCH THE BASE UNIT

cooking time to your

AFTER COOKING AS IT

convenience.

fi Power indicator

REMAINS HOT.

The MED (MEDIUM) setting is

Before first use

About slow

the standard setting for slow

cooking with this product. This

cooking

gives you an average of 51/2-71/2

• Remove all labels and tags from

hours cooking time.

the product.

•

Slow cooking has always been

However, if you wish to extend

• Wash the ceramic pot and glass

the best way to prepare a

nutritious hot meal with

the cooking period, can use the

lid in hot soapy water, with a

minimum preparation and

LOW setting, and if you wish to

sponge or a dish cloth, rinse

maximum free time away from

shorten the cooking period, you

thoroughly and dry.

the kitchen. Morphy Richards

can use the HIGH setting.

has brought this style of

cooking into this modern,

cooking system; providing you

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

3

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 4

	with style, convenience and			cooking method does not allow
	great tasting meals.			fat to evaporate.
• Traditionally, slow cooking has		• If adapting an existing recipe
	centred on soups and			from conventional cooking, you
	casseroles, but with this oval			may need to cut down on the
	ceramic pot you can also			amount of liquid used. Liquid
	produce most modern family			will not evaporate from the slow
	meals and dinner party dishes.			cooker to the same extent as
	This pot is convenient as well			with conventional cooking.
	as looking good enough to take	• Never leave uncooked food at
	straight to the table for serving
	(always place the ceramic pot			room temperature in the slow
	on a heat proof mat or surface).			cooker.
• Slow cooking gives you		• Do not use the slow cooker to
	convenient, versatile and			reheat food.
	flavoursome food. The longer	• Uncooked red beans must be
	cooking times allow better
	distribution of flavours, giving			soaked and boiled for at least
	them time to blend and season			10 minutes to remove toxins
	the food. A slow cooker heats			before use in a slow cooker.
	food gently, making it a great	• Insert a meat thermometer into
	way to cook meats - in
	particular, less-expensive cuts,			joints of roasts, hams, or whole
	such as stewing beef, which are			chickens to ensure they are
	tenderised through the long			cooked to the desired
	cooking process.			temperature.
• IMPORTANT: The slow cooker				Care for the
	works by building up heat and
	maintaining an even			ceramic pot
	temperature. To get the best
		• Authentic stoneware is fired at
	cooking results, do not remove
	the lid during cooking, since			high temperatures, therefore,
	this will lose heat and therefore			the ceramic pot may have minor
	slow down the cooking time.			surface blemishes, the glass lid
	The glass lid allows you to			may rock slightly due to these
	monitor the cooking progress			imperfections. Low heat
	without interrupting the cooking			cooking does not produce
	time.			steam, so there will be little
				heat loss. Due to normal wear
	Suitable foods for			and tear through the product’s
				life, the outer surface may start
	slow cooking			appearing ‘crazed’.
• Most foods are suited to slow		• Do not put the ceramic pot or
	cooking methods, however			glass lid in an oven, freezer,
	there are a few guidelines that			microwave or on a gas /
	need to be followed.			electrical hob.
• Make sure all frozen ingredients		• Do not pre-heat before adding
	are well thawed out.			ingredients.
• Cut root vegetables into small,		• Do not subject the ceramic pot
	even pieces, as they take longer			to sudden changes in
	to cook than meat. They should			temperature. Adding cold water
	be gently sauteed for 2-3			to a very hot pot could cause it
	minutes before slow cooking.			to crack.
	Ensure that root vegetables are
	always placed at the bottom of	• Do not allow the pot to stand in
	the pot and all ingredients are			water for a long time (you can
	immersed in the cooking liquid.			leave water in the pot to soak).
• Trim all excess fat from meat				There is an area on the base of
				the ceramic pot that has to
	before cooking, since the slow			remain unglazed for

4UK Helpline 0844 871 0956 Replacement Parts 0844 873 0722

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.

Ireland Helpline 1800 409 119

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

•Most meat and vegetable recipes require 71/2-91/2 hours on low, 41/2-61/2 hours on medium and 31/2-51/2 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.

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 31/2-51/2 hours (MED) and you require this to be a shorter time, cook on HIGH, which will reduce the cooking time to 21/2-31/2 hours. Increasing the time, choose LOW which will give 51/2-71/2 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 / 41/2 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.

• 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
	A Equivalent cook times for (LOW) and (HIGH) settings
shape of the joint is important.
Try to keep the joint in the lower
2/3 of the pot and fully cover	Cook on				Cook on	Cook on
with water. If necessary, cut into	(MEDIUM)				(LOW)	(HIGH)
two pieces. Joint weight should	31/2 - 51/2 hours				51/2 - 71/2 hours	21/2 - 31/2 hours
be kept within the maximum
limit: 1 kg for a medium sized	51/2 - 71/2 hours				71/2 - 91/2 hours	41/2 - 51/2 hours
slow cooker, and 1.5 kg for a
large sized slow cooker.	71/2 - 91/2 hours				91/2 - 111/2 hours	61/2 - 71/2 hours
For details of other Morphy Richards products, please see our website:							5

48726 rev2:x 02/11/2009 14:26 Page 6

RECIPES

Visit our website for more delicious recipes.

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
	3	4

Tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped 3 medium 4 large

Chicken stock	1.25 litres	2.25 litres
Tomato puree	11/2 tbsp	3 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce	11/2 tsp	3 tsp
Parsley, finely chopped
	11/2 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 31/2-51/2 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	200g	400g
Can of chopped tomatoes
	400g	2x 400g
Chicken stock	1100ml	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 31/2-71/2 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.

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