COMPACT SLOW COOKER 18446
instructions
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Read the instructions, keep them safe, pass them on if you pass the slow cooker on.
Remove all packaging, but keep it in case you ever need to return the product.
important safeguards
1 The slow cooker must only be used by or under the supervision of a responsible
adult. Use and store it out of reach of children.
2 Don’t put the slow cooker in liquid, don’t use it in a bathroom, near a source of water,
or outdoors.
3 Don’t cook on the low setting without first preheating the cookpot, in the
slow cooker, on the high setting for at least 20 minutes.
4 Don’t cook on the warm setting – this setting must only be used to keep food warm
after it has been cooked.
5 Don’t use the slow cooker to re-heat food that has already been cooked.
6 Dried beans (e.g. red kidney beans) must be boiled for at least 10 minutes before
being added to the slow cooker. They’re poisonous if eaten raw or undercooked.
7 Don’t touch hot surfaces (including the outside of the slow cooker). Use
the handles and lid knob, and wear oven gloves.
8 Keep clear of steam issuing from the edge of the lid.
9 Don’t touch internal surfaces till the slow cooker has cooled down fully.
10 Sit the slow cooker on a stable, level, heat-resistant surface.
11 Leave a clear space of at least 5cm (2 inches) all round it.
12 Route the cable so it doesn’t overhang, and can’t be caught or tripped over.
13 Unplug the slow cooker when not in use, before moving, and before cleaning. Let it
cool down fully before cleaning or storing away.
14 Don’t try to cook in the slow cooker without using the cookpot.
15 Don’t cover the slow cooker or put anything on top of it while in use.
16 Don’t use the slow cooker near or below curtains or other combustible materials.
17 Keep the cable, the slow cooker, and the cookpot away from hotplates, hobs and
burners.
18 Don’t put a hot cookpot on a cold surface, or in cold water, as it may crack.
19 Don’t put cold water into a hot cookpot, or hot water into a cold cookpot, as it may
crack.
20 Don’t use the cookpot with any appliance (cooker, hob, oven, microwave oven, etc.)
other than the slow cooker.
21 Don’t use accessories or attachments other than those we supply.
22 Don’t use the slow cooker for any purpose other than that described in these
instructions.
23 Don’t connect the slow cooker to an external timer or remote control system.
24 Don’t use the slow cooker if it’s damaged or malfunctions.
25 If the cable is damaged, return the slow cooker, to avoid hazard.
household use only
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before using for the first time
Remove all packaging and clean the slow cooker, to remove manufacturing dust, etc.
the benefits of slow cooking
health The gentle cooking action reduces damage to vitamins and retains more
of the nutrients and flavours.
economy Long, slow cooking can tenderise the cheaper, tougher cuts of meat,
and uses about a quarter of the power of the small ring on the average
hob.
convenience Prepare the ingredients the night before, put them in the slow cooker in
the morning, before you leave for work, and have a delicious meal
waiting for you when you get home.
the switch
The slow cooker is controlled by a 4-position switch.
the positions are:
0 off
low for traditional “slow cooking”. You must preheat the cookpot, in the slow
cooker, on high for at least 20 minutes before cooking at low.
high for “fast cooking”, using the slow cooker as an electric stewpot. Keep an eye
on it, to make sure that the food doesn’t dry out. If it looks like drying out,
add hot water, not cold water – you might crack the cookpot.
warm for keeping food warm – but only after it has been cooked to readiness in
the slow cooker.
caution Don’t use the warm setting to heat food up – you won’t kill the bugs.
general
1 Thaw frozen food completely before adding it to the cookpot.
2 Brown the meat and sauté the vegetables in a pan, not in the cookpot.
3 Don’t use the cookpot for cooking anywhere other than inside the slow cooker.
4 Don’t cook on the low setting without first preheating the cookpot, in the slow
cooker, on the high setting for at least 20 minutes.
5 Soak dried peas and beans for 8 hours (or overnight) before cooking, to soften them.
warning boil dried beans (e.g. red kidney beans) for at least 10 minutes before
adding to the slow cooker. They’re poisonous if eaten raw or undercooked.
6 You don’t need to soak lentils overnight.
7 Store ingredients prepared beforehand (e.g. the night before) in containers in the
fridge. Don’t put the slow cooker or the cookpot into the fridge.
8 Root vegetables, tubers, and bulbs (carrots, potatoes, onions) take much longer to
cook than meat, so cut them down to about 5mm (¼ inch) thick slices, sticks or dice,
and sauté them gently for 2-3 minutes before adding to the cookpot.
9 All vegetables (including dried veg) must be immersed in the cooking liquid.
10 When cooking with rice, use at least 150ml (¼pt) of cooking liquid for each 100g
(4oz) of rice. We’ve found that “easy-cook” rice gives the best results.
11 Pasta isn’t suitable for slow cooking, it becomes too soft. If your recipe requires
pasta, it should be stirred in 30-40 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
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preparation
12 Decide when you want to eat and when you want to start cooking.
13 If you want to eat at 6 p.m., and you need to start cooking at 8 a.m., find a recipe
that takes 8-10 hours. If you’re slow cooking at low power, an extra hour or so at the
end of the cooking time doesn’t make much difference, as long as there’s sufficient
cooking liquid to prevent the food drying out.
14 Prepare the food in accordance with the recipe.
15 Sit the slow cooker on a stable, level, heat-resistant surface.
16 Check that the slow cooker is off – turn the control to 0.
17 Plug the slow cooker into a wall socket (switch the socket on, if it’s switchable).
18 Put the cookpot into the slow cooker, and fit the lid.
19 Turn the control to high, and leave the slow cooker preheat for 20 minutes.
20 Meantime, brown the meat and sauté the vegetables in a pan.
21 Boil the cooking liquid in a pan. If you use a tinned cooking sauce, add it to the pan
before bringing it to the boil.
fill the cookpot
22 When the 20 minutes is up, remove the lid (oven gloves) and put it on a heatproof
surface.
23 Put the meat and vegetables into the cookpot and add the boiling cooking liquid.
choose the mode
24 Turn the control to low for traditional slow cooking, or to high, if you’re using it as
an electric stewpot.
25 The light will come on, and cooking will start.
finished?
26 When the cooking time is over:
a) if you want to serve the food right away, turn the control to 0, unplug the slow
cooker (switch the socket off first, if it’s switchable)
b) if you’re not ready to serve, turn the control to warm, to keep the food warm till
you’re ready to serve
serving
27 Check that the slow cooker is off – turn the control to 0.
28 Using oven gloves, remove the lid, and put it on a heatproof surface.
29 It’s best to ladle the food from the slow cooker into serving dishes or plates.
30 Don’t carry the slow cooker, the trailing cable may catch on something.
31 You may use oven gloves to lift the cookpot, complete with the lid, but it’s hot and
it’s heavy – so take care.
32 You’ll find that cleaning the cookpot is much easier if you remove all the food as
soon as it’s cooked, then fill the cookpot with warm water.
gravy/sauce
Slow cooking retains more of the juices than normal cooking. This tends to increase the
volume of cooking liquid, and thin the sauce or gravy. To allow for this, sauces should
initially be thicker than normal. Anything to be sautéed could be tossed in seasoned
flour beforehand, to thicken the gravy/sauce.
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