Care & cleaning – Maximatic ELITE GOURMET MST-800V User Manual
Page 3
Suitable foods for slow cooking & preparation:
Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods; however there are a few guidelines
that need to be followed.
•
Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as they take longer to cook than
meat. They should be gently sautéed 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.
•
Insert a meat thermometer into joints of roasts, hams, or whole chickens to
ensure they are cooked to the desired temperature.
•
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
imperfection. Low heat cooking does not produce steam so there will be little
heat loss. Due to normal wear and tear through the products life, the outer
surface may start appearing “crazed”.
•
Do not put the ceramic pot or glass lid in an oven, freezer, and microwave or on
a gas/electrical hob.
•
Do not subject the ceramic pot to sudden changes in temperature. Adding cold
water to a very hot opt 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 should be at least half full for best results to avoid over spilling.
•
Slow cooking retains moisture. If you wish to reduce moisture in the cooker,
remove the lid after cooking and turn the control to high (if set to low or medium)
and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
•
The lid is not a sealed fit. Don’t remove unnecessarily as the built up heat will
escape. Each time you remove the lid, allow an additional 10 minutes to the
cooking time.
•
If cooking soups, leave a 5 cm space between the top of the cook pot and the
food surface to allow simmering.
•
Many recipes demand all day cooking, if you do not have time to prepare food
that morning prepare it the night before and store the food in a covered container
in the refrigerator. Transfer the food to the slow cooker and add liquid/gravy.
Select the setting low, high or medium.
•
Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8-10 hours on low. 4-6 hours on high
and 5-7 hours on medium.
•
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.
•
Food cut into small pieces will cook quicker. A degree of ‘trial and error’ will be
required to fully optimize 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 cooker off and leave covered with the lid. There will
be enough heat in the slow cooker 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 slow
cooker.
•
Pre-browning meat and onions in a pan to seal in the juices also reduces the fat
content before adding to the slow cooker. This is not necessary if time is limited,
but improves the flavor.
•
When cooking joints of meat, ham, and poultry etc the size and shape of the joint
is important. Try to keep the joint in the lower 2/3 of the pot and fully cover with
water. If necessary cut in two pieces. Joint weight should be kept within the
maximum limit.
CARE & CLEANING
..
Always make sure the slow cooker is unplugged and in the OFF position before
storing away or cleaning. Make sure the unit has cooled down completely before
cleaning.
-
The stoneware insert is dishwasher safe or can also be cleaned with warm
soapy water. To remove any foods that have been cooked onto the bottom
of the pot, simply soak overnight in soapy water and rinse the next day.
-
The exterior of the slow cooker can be wiped with a damp cloth and dried.
DO NOT use harsh abrasive cleaner or scouring pad to clean any part of the
slow cooker as this will damage the surfaces.
WARNING: NEVER SUBMERGE THE ENTIRE SLOW COOKER INTO WATER OR
ANY OTHER LIQUID OR THIS MAY DAMAGE THE SLOW COOKER.