process, remove the lid after cooking and turn the control to high (if set to low or
auto) and simmer for around 30 to 45 minutes.
•
Do not unnecessarily remove the lid during the cooking process as the built up
heat will escape. Each time you remove the lid you will have to add an additional
10 minutes to the cooking time.
•
When cooking soups allow 5cm space between the top of the ceramic pot and the
food surface to allow simmering.
•
Many recipes cooked in a slow cooker demand all day cooking, if you do not have
time to prepare food that morning, prepare the food the night before and store
the food in a covered container in the refrigerator. Transfer the food to the
ceramic pot and add liquid/gravy. Select the low, high or auto setting.
•
Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8
-
10 hours on low, 4
-
6 hours on high or
5
-
7 hours on auto.
•
Some food and ingredients are not suitable for slow cooking such as: pasta,
seafood, milk and cream. These foods or ingredients should always be added
towards the end of the cooking time. Many things can affect how quickly a recipe
will cook for example the fat content of the ingredients, initial temperature of the
food and the size of the food.
•
Cutting food into small pieces will speed up the cooking process. 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 the food is cooked, switch the slow cooker off and leave it covered with the
lid on. There will be enough heat in the ceramic pot to keep it warm for 30
minutes. If you require the food to keep warm for longer switch the cooker to the
low setting.
•
All food cooked in the slow cooker may be covered with a liquid, gravy or sauce.
Prepare your liquid, gravy or sauce in a separate pan or jug and completely cover
the food in the ceramic pot.
•
Browning meat and onions in a pan prior to slow cooking helps seal in juices and
flavours. This also helps reduce the fat content before adding to the ceramic pot.
This will improve the flavour but is not necessary If time is limited and is down to
personal preference.
•
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 it
with water. If necessary cut the joint into two pieces. Joint weight should be kept
within the maximum limit.
