Centurion SCR220 - Suitable Foods for Slow Cooking; Dos and Donts for the Crock Pot

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time. The glass lid allows you to monitor the cooking progress without
interrupting the cooking time.
SUITABLE FOODS FOR SLOW COOKING
Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods, however there are a few
guidelines that need to be followed.
 Make sure all frozen ingredients are well thawed out.
 Cut root vegetable 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.
The slow cooker needs in general half of the amount of liquid that is
recommended for conventional cooking. Generally 2.5 dl is enough
unless rice or pasta is included in the recipe.
 Never leave uncooked food at a room temperature in the slow cooker.
 Do not use the slow cooker to reheat food.
 Uncooked red beans must be soaked and boiled for at least 10 minutes
to remove toxins before use in a slow cooker.
 Insert a meat thermometer into joints of roasts, hams or whole chickens
to ensure they are cooked to the desired temperature.
DO’S AND DON’TS FOR THE CROCK POT
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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 spearing “crazed”.
 Do not put the crock pot or glass lid in an oven, freezer, microwave or on
a gas/electrical hob.
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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 LOW and reduce by simmering for
30 to 45 minutes.
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heat will escape. Each time you remove the lid allow 10 minutes extra
cooking time.
 If cooking soups, leave 5 cm space between the top of the crock 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 good
in a covered container in the fridge. Transfer the food to the crock pot
and add boiling liquid/gravy. Select the setting LOW, HIGH or AUTO.
 Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8-10 hours on LOW. 4-6 hours
on HIGH and 5-7 hours on AUTO.
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 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.
 After food is cooked, switch off and leave covered with the lid. There
will be enough heat in the crock pot to keep warm for 30 minutes. If you
 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 switch the cooker on when the crock pot is empty or out of
the base.
 The crock pot can be washed in a dish washer.