6
Do's and Don'ts for
crock pot
• Authentic stoneware is fired at high
temperatures therefore the crock 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 products life, the outer
surface may start appearing 'crazed'.
• Do not put the crock 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 crock 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 crock
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 cooker on when the
crock pot is empty or out of the base.
Tips for slow
cooking
• The slow cooker must be at least half full
for best results.
• 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 10 minutes extra cooking time.
• If cooking soups, leave 5cm space
between the top of the cook pot and the
food surface to allow simmering.
• Many recipes require 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 fridge. Transfer the food to the crock
pot and add boiling liquid / gravy.
• Most meat and vegetable recipes require
4-6 hours.
• 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 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.
• 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 crock
pot.
• Pre-brown meat and onions in a pan to
seal the juices. This also reduces the fat
content if separated before adding to the
crock 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
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.
1.5 kg Large sized slow cooker
digital slow cooker rev 1 20/8/03 3:57 pm Page 7
