Cleaning & Care; Tips & Hints - Cuisinart Cook Central MSC-800C Series Instruction Booklet

CLEANING & CARE
All removable parts are dishwasher safe.
1. Unplug unit and allow it to cool
completely before cleaning.
2. Never immerse unit in water or other
liquids.
3. To clean the housing and control panel,
simply wipe with a clean damp cloth.
4. Wash cooking pot, lid and rack with
warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
Or, clean in the dishwasher.
5. Dry all parts after every use.
6. Any servicing should be performed by
an authorized service representative.
NOTE: If food residue sticks to cooking
pot surface, fill pot with warm soapy water
and allow to soak before cleaning. If
scouring is necessary, use a nonabrasive
cleanser or liquid detergent with a nylon
pad or brush.
TIPS & HINTS
• H eatup times may vary in different
cooking modes, based on a number of
factors. The selected temperature, the
current temperature of the cooking pot,
the contents of the pot, and other
factors can all affect heatup time.
For example, you may reach the set
temperature in the Brown/Sauté mode,
but require additional heatup time if you
switch to the Roast mode, even though
your temperature selection is the same.
For an idea of how long it takes to
reach a temperature in different modes,
see below:
• Brown/Saute (350ºF [176°C], empty pot)
- 5 min
• Roast (400ºF [204°C], with 4-lb [1.8 Kg]
roast) - 9½ min
• Steam (1 quart [0.95 L] of water) -
8½ min
• Always use nonstick utensils in your
cooking pot. Metal utensils may
damage the nonstick coating.
BROWN/SAUTÉ TIPS
• U se Brown/Sauté as you would a skillet
or sauté pan on the stove – from quickly
sautéed skillet dishes to the first step in
many braised or slow-cooked dishes.
• Brown/Sauté also works well to brown
foods on all sides before roasting.
• For even browning, it is important not to
crowd the pan. Foods should be
cooked in an even layer on the bottom
of the pan, so it is good to cook foods
in batches when necessary.
• Many recipes call for browning and
sautéing foods before slow cooking or
roasting. Some items produce more
grease and fat than is desirable in the
finished dish. To remove the excess
grease, using pot holders, very carefully
remove the cooking pot from the base
and pour out the grease from the corner
of the cooking pot. Return the cooking
pot to the base and finish cooking the
dish as desired.
• When browning meats, any brown bits
that are left in the bottom of the pan
can be used to flavour the dish. Simply
add a small amount of liquid (like wine
or broth) to the pan and scrape up the
browned bits with a wooden spoon –
leave in pot. Incorporate into the dish or
sauce.
• Foods can be reheated with the Brown/
Sauté function. Put precooked foods
into the cooking pot. Set on Brown/
Sauté at 350°F [176°C]. Stir ingredients
while heating so that all ingredients are
warmed through. Once food is
simmering, switch to Warm on the Slow
Cook function for serving.
ROASTING TIPS
• For roasting, foods should first be
placed on the roasting rack and then
into the multicooker pot. The pot should
then be covered during preheating and
cooking.
• There are some recipes that do not
require the use of the rack – some
dishes benefit from direct heat.
• Be careful removing foods after
roasting, as the sides of the pot can still
be very hot. Allow foods like roasted
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meats to rest for about 10 minutes for
juices to distribute evenly. Remove
foods from rack and arrange on a
cutting board or platter for serving.
• Foods like meats and poultry benefit by
browning first on all sides to caramelize
the exterior and lock in flavors.
• F or easy food release, spray roasting
rack with nonstick cooking spray before
roasting.
• Baked goods like cakes and breads can
also be prepared using the Roast
function. An 8-inch (20 cm) round or
square pan or a loaf pan fits well on top
of the roasting rack. For baking, the
roasting temperature should be set the
same as you would your oven.
SLOW COOKING TIPS
• Slow cooking is perfect for foods that
require long, slow simmering, such as
soups, stocks, stews, and dried beans.
• Slow cooking is ideal for tougher and
less expensive cuts of meat like
shoulder and pot roast.
• We encourage browning foods before
slow cooking as it adds much depth
and flavor to the finished dish. However,
if time is short this step can be skipped
and all ingredients can be added to
your cooking pot to slow cook.
• When converting a traditional slow cook
recipe for the multicooker that
incorporates the Brown/Sauté or Roast
function first the liquid amount will need
to be increased. This is because the
cooking pot will start at a higher
temperature than it would in a
traditional slow cooker. Every recipe is
different and we've created our
recommended recipes accordingly, but
our approximate guideline is to double
the liquid for a long braise and increase
it by about 50% for a soup or stew.
Also, set the slow cook timer to the
lower end of the recommended time
range.
• Ground meats should always be
browned before slow cooking.
• Slow cook up to 24 hours, with an 8
hour Keep Warm. Certain foods benefit
from a long, slow cook time on either
Low or Simmer, but may be finished
and served much sooner. Some
included recipes have a range of
cooking times – adjust the
recommended time to suit yours.
• For best cooking results, fill multicooker
at least one-quarter full but not more
than three-quarters full.
• To ensure that root vegetables such as
carrots and potatoes are cooked
through, they should be cut no larger
than 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. This is
most important for slow-cooked dishes
under 6 hours.
• " Crisp-tender" vegetables should be
added during the last 30 minutes of
cooking time to prevent overcooking.
Fresh herbs should be stirred into
dishes immediately before serving.
• I n general, cooking for 1 hour on High is
the equivalent of cooking for 2 hours on
Low.
• The Keep Warm function keeps foods
at perfect serving temperature after they
are finished cooking on the Slow Cook
function.
• W e do not recommend removing the
lid when slow cooking as heat will
escape, requiring extra cooking time.
Each time the lid is removed, about
15 to 20 minutes of cooking time
should be added.
• A fat mop can be used to remove
separated fat from slow-cooked food by
brushing it over the top. Alternatively,
the food may be refrigerated and the
congealed fat can then be lifted off and
discarded before reheating and serving.
• Many slow-cooked foods such as stews
benefit from cooling and refrigerating,
then reheating – as the saying goes, stew
or chili is always better the second day.
• A great way to reheat slow-cooked
foods is to bring them to a simmer on
the Brown/Sauté function at 350°F
(176°C). Stir to ensure all ingredients are
warmed through and then switch to
Warm on the Slow Cook function for
serving.
• If using frozen foods, thaw completely
before slow cooking.
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