How to use a slow cooker

A slow cooker is a universal assistant, a real breadwinner for the whole family. Do not replenish the ranks of the hostesses in whom this device gathers dust in a cupboard or is used only for cooking 1-2 dishes. Take a closer look at your slow cooker - for sure it can do more than steam porridge and vegetables.

How to properly launch the device

In order for the device to start working for the hostess (who at this time can do other things), you need to turn it on and put the necessary products inside. This process is universal for all devices, regardless of manufacturer and model.

Multicookers consist of:

  • Housings, with a fixed hinged lid and control panel;
  • power cord;
  • Deep containers for preparing first courses and side dishes in a large volume;
  • Removable flat bowls with holes for steam processing products;
  • Additional accessories that facilitate cooking (measuring containers, a ladle, a cooker from materials safe for a multicooker bowl).

Important! A recipe book is another nice bonus with which the manufacturer often understands the device.

The first thing the hostess has to do is decide on the dish and the method of heat treatment. For steaks or steamed vegetables, you will need not a deep container, but a special bowl. All other culinary delights are prepared in the main roomy pot. It is suitable for cereals and soups, as well as for baking.

After that you need:

  • Install the device on a flat surface;
  • Put food in the prescription bowl;
  • Plug the power cord first into the hole on the multicooker, then into the outlet;
  • Turn on the device with a button on the dashboard;
  • Select the desired cooking mode, set the time.

After these manipulations, close the lid tightly.

Important: if you want to stir the contents or report the ingredients, the lid must be opened carefully, as there is a risk of scalding.

What functions and programs does the multicooker have

It is not in vain that the device has a “multi” root in its name; it is able to cook, stew, bake and bake a variety of dishes from the everyday and festive menu.

Cooking (stewing) mode is universal. It is found in all models of any manufacturer of household appliances. It allows you to cook:

  • Soup,
  • Stew
  • Potato tubers,
  • Vegetables for garnish.

Cereals are a traditional dish on our tables not only for breakfast. You can please yourself and your family with loose buckwheat, milk rice or dietary oatmeal without spending time and the painful process of stirring. Most multicookers have a separate mode for cereal dishes.

Baking is an essential complement to any meal. In the bowl of the device you can cook bread, cake, biscuits for cake. Important: if your model does not provide a baking function, it can be replaced by the porridge cooking mode.

Steam cooking is an easy way to eat right and wholesome. In a special container, equally good are obtained:

  • Meat and fish cakes, meatballs or fillets;
  • Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, green beans;
  • Pumpkin, carrots and other vegetables for self-feeding or subsequent chopping in a blender.

Curd, vegetable and meat casseroles in a slow cooker are obtained at 5 + even from inexperienced housewives. In some models, there is a setting specifically for pilaf and rice side dishes. Lovers of fresh and natural products make homemade yogurt with this appliance too.

Features of working with devices from different manufacturers

The main useful functions of multicookers: porridge, soup, pastries, steaming are found in all models. Almost all appliances require not only cooking, but also heating food. Of the additional useful features worth highlighting:

  • Delayed start;
  • Automatic cooking programs for various products (chicken, vegetables, meat, fish) and dishes (jellied meat, stew, casserole, pastries);
  • Pressure cooker mode.

It is worth overpaying for bonus programs, if you plan to often cook a variety of dishes from a rich set of products. For the daily menu (the first and the side dish), a device with simple and clear functions is enough.

Polaris is a manufacturer of household appliances and appliances at an affordable price. Multicookers of this brand cope with stewing, cooking cereals and soups. Management is carried out using the buttons: start, program selection and timer. The device turns on after briefly holding the "Start" button.

Advanced modifications offer:

  • Pizza mode;
  • The ability to ferment milk for yogurt;
  • Convenient extraction of a bowl by means of the special handle;
  • Security lock;
  • 3D heating.

But even laconic models allow you to cook the first, side dish and sweets in one mode.

Phillips is a brand for those who prefer a technique with full improved functionality. Such multicookers are not limited to three or four modes, but allow you to choose a separate algorithm for different dishes. The device is convenient to use and easy to care for; there are:

  • Sturdy carry handle,
  • Simple steam purge valve
  • Possibility to wash bowls in the dishwasher,
  • Touchpad with touch sensitive keys.

Among the range of Phillips multicookers there are devices with the functions of a pressure cooker.

Scarlett brand produces equipment with a capacious 4-liter bowl, which is convenient to cook for a large family. Six ready-made programs are designed for simple and satisfying dishes, their recipes can be found in the book that comes with the device.

Among the available, but trouble-free brands of multicookers are:

  • Vitek,
  • Mulinex,
  • Martha,
  • Supra.

Important: Regardless of which model you use, before the first use, be sure to thoroughly rinse the main and additional containers, all the attached cooking items. Before starting a long operation, simply boil water in a large bowl, setting a tab for steaming above it.

How to cook different dishes

How to fry in a slow cooker? Sometimes it’s enough just to load the necessary ingredients into the container and select an algorithm. But for truly delicious dishes, you will have to perform a number of simple manipulations.

The nuances of cooking cereals

If you have a slow cooker, how to cook porridge in it? This is perhaps the simplest multicooker dish. You should measure the correct ratio of cereals and liquids (milk or water), place the ingredients in a deep bowl and press the "Porridge" button.

This is one of the automatic programs that does not require a time setting. After the sound signal announces the end of the process, carefully open the lid and serve the table. In the finished dish, you can add any fruit, nuts, jam, honey or oil. Enjoy your meal!

How to cook soups

Depending on which soup you plan to cook, calculate the cooking time yourself. First courses consist of many ingredients that reach readiness at different intervals. Therefore, leaving the slow cooker alone will not work.

  1. If you are overcooking, first cook it, and then put it on a separate plate to empty the bowl.
  2. Now it’s the turn of cooking meat or fish broth.
  3. When the broth is ready, you can load other components into it and, having closed the lid, bring to readiness.

Dietary vegetable soups are easier to cook. All components are placed in a bowl, filled with water, seasoned with spices and cooked for the set time. If there is a thick soup in the menu - do not be too lazy to stir it from time to time, especially if you are using the appliance or the recipe for the first time.

Features of frying

If the model does not provide for a special frying mode, it can be replaced by the Baking function. Meat, fish or vegetables will turn out a light golden crust.

Important: At this point, add a drop of oil to get the desired result.

If the hostess plans to please loved ones with a tasty and satisfying dinner, then first put any meat (diced to your taste) into the container that is diced. Pass it until tender, then add carrots and onions. After that, lay the chopped potatoes and cook the roast to the end under the lid.

How to adjust the temperature of the device

The temperature mode when turning on automatic programs (porridge, pilaf, stew, etc.) is set automatically by the device. That is why advanced models have an extended menu. The highest temperature is on frying. When extinguished, approximately 100 ° C is maintained, for porridge this figure is lower.

Important: for milk porridges, a separate key must be provided on the display, otherwise the dish will run away and burn.

How to cook in a slow cooker? If you want to control the cooking process by setting the temperature yourself, choose a device with special functions. They have a different name:

  • Masterchef at Redmond;
  • Chef Pro at Marta;
  • Multi-cook with Polaris.

Instructions and step-by-step photos on how to cook in a slow cooker are usually supplied, in a special booklet for the device. You can make adjustments during cooking or in advance, but as a result, the capabilities of the device expand. He becomes able to cook punch, jam, cottage cheese dishes of varying complexity.

It can be used for sterilization and pasteurization, baking in foil; the preparation of crackers and products with a crispy crust; making yoghurts; baking meringues; smoking. The ability to independently adjust the temperature of the multicooker significantly expands the horizons of a housewife in the case of a satisfying, tasty and not expensive cooking time for every day and for a special occasion.

Watch the video: How to use a Crockpot (March 2024).

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