User Manual Russell Hobbs RHPC1000 Express Chef Digital Multi Cooker

• Owner's manual - (English)

Table of contents

• PARTS
• USING YOUR COOKER
• GENERAL FUNCTIONS
• DE-PRESSURISING AND OPENING THE LID
• PRE-SET AUTOMATIC COOKING FUNCTIONS
• MULTI COOKER FUNCTIONS
• MANUAL OPERATION GUIDE
• PRESSURE COOKING TIPS
• CARE AND CLEANING
• TROUBLESHOOTING

Digital Cooker User Manual

PARTS

HOW PRESSURE COOKING WORKS

Your Russell Hobbs Multi Cooker has pressure cooking functionality and has been specially designed to safely control the steam pressure and temperature during cooking.

When liquid inside this multi cooker is boiled, steam builds up and creates pressure. This pressure allows the temperature to rise above the normal 100°C boiling point and creates a superheated vapour’ that has a cooking potential several times greater than standard cooking methods.

BEFORE FIRST USE

• Remove all packaging material from the product.
• As some parts may be packed separately, check to ensure all items have been unpacked before disposing of the packaging.
• Remove all accessories and components.
• Wash all removable parts as instructed in “CARE AND CLEANING” section of this manual.
• Select a level, dry countertop where the appliance is to be used, allowing air space on all sides to provide sufficient ventilation and a safe distance from hot surfaces of the multi cooker.
• To prevent damage from steam and heat, ensure the multi cooker is not placed directly under cupboards when in use.
• Do not place cooking pot into an oven or on a directly on a stove top. The cooking pot must only be used with this multi cooker.
• Ensure the multi cooker is always disconnected from the wall power outlet when not in use.

USING YOUR COOKER

COOKING PREPARATION

1. How to open the lid

Hold the lid handle and turn the lid counter-clockwise until the “” marking on the lid aligns with the OPEN ” marking on the multi cooker and lift the lid up and off the multi cooker.

2. Check whether parts on the lid are correctly in place

Check the red float valve and exhaust valve for any obstructions, and ensure the gasket, red float valve seal and anti-block shield are installed correctly.

Note: Always ensure these parts are clean before use.

3. In most cases food and water should be added to the cooking pot prior to placing it in the multi cooker.

The exterior of the cooking pot must be clean and dry before placing into the multi cooker.

NOTE: If adding ingredients to the cooking pot while the pot is in the multi cooker, avoid any spillage into the interior of the multi cooker as this may cause damage to the appliance. If a spillage does occur, switch the power off and clean immediately.

Total amount of food and water should not exceed the MAX level of the cooking pot. Level markings can be seen on the inside of the cooking pot. The unused space is used to build up pressure.

IMPORTANT: The multi cooker requires liquid to work. A minimum of 1 cup (250ml) of liquid must be added to the cooking pot.

4. Inserting the cooking pot in the multi cooker

Be sure to remove any food residue and water droplets from the exterior of the cooking pot and interior of the multi cooker.

After placing the cooking pot into the multi cooker, rotate the cooking pot slightly left to right to ensure the pot is in place and there is contact between the cooking pot and heating plate.

5. Close the lid

Place the lid onto the multi cooker, aligning the “” marking on the lid with the “OPEN ” marking on the multi cooker. Rotate the lid clockwise until the “” marking on the lid aligns with the “ CLOSE” marking on the multi cooker.

IMPORTANT: Be sure the lid is fully locked into place. If the lid is not in place correctly the multi cooker will beep.

The “” marking on the lid must align directly with the “ CLOSE” marking on the multi cooker, otherwise the multi cooker will not pressurise.

6. Position the exhaust valve

When cooking, align the handle of exhaust valve with the sealing icon, indicating that the multi cooker is airtight.

7. Insert the Power Cord

Insert the power cord into the socket provided on the side of the multi cooker.

NOTE: When the plug is switched on at the power outlet, the power will come on.

GENERAL FUNCTIONS

IMPORTANT: Be certain to use utensils that will not scratch the cooking surface of the cooking pot. Use the utensil provided or use silicone or rubber utensils when cooking and serving. Do not use metal utensils, be careful not to scrape the non-stick finish.

1. Complete the Cooking Preparation as per pages 7 and 8.
2. Plug in and switch on at the power outlet. The display screen will flash 4 red horizontal lines, indicating that the multi cooker is in standby mode.
3. Select a menu function by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel.

A red light will illuminate above the button showing your menu selection and the display screen will continue to flash 4 red horizontal lines.

NOTE: This method will apply for all functions except for Manual and Steam. Please see the “MANUAL OPERATION” section on page 19 for detailed instructions on how to use the Manual and Steam functions.

4. After 10 seconds the multi cooker will beep 3 times and the display screen will then display "HEAt” indicating the multi cooker is in heating mode and beginning to build pressure.

The display will not begin to count down time until sufficient pressure has built up. Time to build pressure can vary and depends on the menu selected, volume and temperature of the ingredients placed in the cooking pot.

NOTE: Lid safety- once there is pressure built up within the multi cooker, for safety reasons the lid will lock and not be able to be opened until it is de-pressurised.

5. Once cooking is complete and time has elapsed the multi cooker will beep 10 times and automatically switch to the “KEEP WARM” setting and the display screen will display “EAt” indicating your food is now ready to eat. You will need to de-pressurise the unit either by quick release or natural release.

NOTE: Some food will deteriorate if kept in “keep warm” mode for extended periods of time.

6. Switch off the wall power outlet and remove the plug from the socket.

NOTE: During the cooking functions, you can cancel the current operation and return to standby mode by pressing the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button. Keep warm can be switched on or off by pressing the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button.

NOTE: During cooking, some steam will release from the exhaust valve, this is normal as the multi cooker is maintaining required pressure.

DE-PRESSURISING AND OPENING THE LID

CAUTION: The lid will not unlock until pressure inside the pot has been released. This will be indicated when steam has stopped coming out of the exhaust valve and the red float valve has lowered.

Once cooking is complete, the multi cooker will automatically switch to KEEP WARM. You then have two options to release pressure prior to opening the lid:

A. Natural pressure release method

When the unit is finished cooking, it will automatically switch to KEEP WARM. In this mode, the unit will naturally release pressure and the red float valve will eventually lower. This will take up to 20 minutes depending on the contents and amount of pressure built up. During this time, food will continue to cook. This method is recommended for ingredients that will not overcook”.

B. Quick pressure release method

• Cover your hand with an oven mitt to protect your skin from escaping steam.
• Using tongs or a wooden spoon to carefully rotate the exhaust valve to the release position in very short spurts, taking care to keep your hands and face away from the escaping steam coming from the exhaust valve.

• If liquid is ejected from the valve, wait a minute longer before proceeding.
• The red float valve will eventually lower and all pressure will be released.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to keep clear of the Exhaust valve steam outlet at all times as the escaping steam will be extremely hot and can scald.

IMPORTANT:

• For liquid foods (such as soups, stocks, casseroles and soaked beans) only fill the unit ½ way, otherwise the food may eject from the exhaust valve.
• Never pull out the exhaust valve when pressure is releasing.
• When a large quantity of food is cooked, do not release pressure immediately after cooking. It is recommended to leave the food in KEEP WARM mode for 5-10 minutes before releasing the pressure.

HOW TO OPEN THE LID

Wearing an oven mitt, hold the lid handle and turn the lid counter-clockwise until the “” marking on the lid aligns with the “OPEN ” marking on the housing. To open the lid, lift and tilt it so it opens from the back first, to avoid steam coming towards you.

CAUTION: Be careful when opening the lid as there may still be steam built up in the multi cooker.

NOTE: Once the lid has been opened, if you would like to close and lock the lid back into place, you may need to carefully push down using the handle of the lid and rotating with gentle pressure. This is because there may be a small amount of pressure remaining in the cooking pot which needs to be released before the lid will lock again.

CAUTION: Do not touch the metal part of the lid as it may be very hot.

REMOVING THE COOKING POT AFTER COOKING

Always wait until the cooking pot is cool enough to handle (less than 40°C) before removing from the multi cooker, as a hot cooking pot may cause serious burns or damage to benchtops.

PRE-SET AUTOMATIC COOKING FUNCTIONS

WHITE RICE

The white rice function on the Multi Cooker will create delicious fluffy rice every time; and suits

Basmati, Jasmine and Long Grain rice. Simply follow the packet instructions for the ratio of water to rice but as a general rule use 1 cup of white rice to 1 1/2 cups of water. There is also no need to rinse white rice or add salt or oil; simply put the rice in the cooking pot with the measured amount of water and press the WHITE RICE function.

BROWN RICE

It’s always tricky perfecting brown rice – it seems to take forever on the stovetop. Not with your multi cooker! Simply add 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of brown rice, press the BROWN RICE function and you will have delicious brown rice ready to eat in no time.

RISOTTO

Use this function to create creamy risottos with little fuss. No more standing over the cooktop stirring, stirring, stirring! Simply cook the Risotto (Aborio rice) in oil with the SAUTÉ function to toast the rice and add any other ingredients and liquids, secure the lid and press the RISOTTO function. It’s never been easier to create a delicious risotto every time! See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some recipes to get you started.

STEAM

NOTE: The STEAM function works using the same method as MANUAL.

This function is perfect for steaming vegetables and seafood, as well as mouth watering dumplings and dim-sims. When steaming in the multi cooker, you should first place the trivet over at least one cup of water. Then place food items in a steamer basket and place this on the trivet. Close the lid, press STEAM and adjust the time up or down depending on how long you need to steam the food. To speed up cooking time, instead of adding cold water, you can place hot water in the bowl. See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some recipes to get you started.

SLOW COOK

There is nothing better than a delicious slow cooked meal and slow cooking in your multi cooker couldn’t be simpler. Just follow your recipe instruction and press the SLOW COOK button. The multi cooker default time is 4 hours but you can alter this depending on your recipe requirements. The minimum amount of time on the pre-set function is 2 hours and the maximum time is 10 hours. However unlike a normal slow cooker, as the pressure builds up the usual cook time will be less than a traditional slow cooker, so keep this in mind when cooking with this function.

You can slow cook meat, soups, bolognaise, fruit or vegetables as you would in a normal slow cooker. See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some recipes to get you started.

POT ROAST

Sunday roasts just got easier, as you can even cook roasts such as topside beef, shoulders of lamb or pork, whole chickens and silverside with the pot roast function.

You can brown your piece of meat first using the SAUTÉ function to seal in the flavour. Then use 1-2 cups stock for the liquid in the bowl, place meat on the trivet and select POT ROAST function for required time and you will end up with a succulent roast in less time than a traditional oven. You can even use the left over stock in the pot to make your gravy. See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some recipes to get you started.

IMPORTANT: Always remember to ‘rest’ meat for at least 10 minutes for it to relax and retain juices. It is also wise to have a meat thermometer in your kitchen to test the doneness of your meat (safe internal temperatures for red meat is 72°C, poultry 75°C and fish 65°C), especially for large cuts of meat. Also, please note, it is not recommended to cook frozen meat.

SAUTÉ

The SAUTÉ function cooks at a medium-high heat similar to stove top cooking. This function will heat the cooking pot quickly and is useful for browning meat for casseroles and slow cooking along with caramelising ingredients, as well as toasting rice for risottos. This function is for a set time of 20 minutes maximum. Should your recipe require sautéing or simmering for longer, simply Press KEEP WARM/CANCEL and press SAUTÉ again which will cook for another cycle of 20 minutes.

Ingredients will not brown or caramelise unless you use the Sauté function first. To caramelise, brown or sauté ingredients prior to pressure cooking, simply select the SAUTÉ function. When you have finished sautéing, press the KEEP WARM/CANCEL button.

IMPORTANT:

Do not place the cooking pot directly on a stove top. The cooking pot must only be used with this multi cooker.

Do not place the lid on when using the Sauté function. If you do so, the multi cooker will beep repeatedly until the lid is removed.

CURRY

No need for hours of simmering and stirring with the CURRY function of your multi cooker!

Curry can be ready in just 30 minutes and still have rich and intense flavours along with tender meat as if you have cooked it for hours. Should you be adapting a favourite curry recipe for the multi cooker, just remember to halve the amount of liquid. See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some fabulous recipes to get you started.

PUDDINGS (AND CAKES)

Using the pudding function you can cook stunning puddings, creamy rice desserts, cheese cakes and sponge style cakes in your multi cooker. Desserts cooked in the multi cooker come out beautifully moist and spongy and can be cooked in a round cake tin, pudding bowl or individual ramekins. The cake tin, pudding bowl or ramekins will need to be double wrapped in foil for cooking in the multi cooker.

NOTE: Prior to adding ingredients we strongly recommend that you measure that your cake tin will fit in the cooking pot.

Place water in the cooking pot along with the trivet, then place your cake tin or ramekins on top of the trivet. For most steamed puddings, water will need to come ¾ way up the side of the cake tin or pan, or ramekin.

You will need to be very careful when taking out the cake tin or pan from the multi cooker and suggest you make a ‘foil strap’ to help you lift the vessel out without burning yourself. Take a length of 50cm foil and fold it long ways to form a 6cm wide strap. Place this under the cooking vessel for you to lower it onto the trivet - you can use this to lift it out. Please refer to the recipe section of this manual to get you started.

SOUP

Using the soup function you can create delicious soups and rich stocks in minutes. The multi cooker can produce delicious hearty soups. It will also give you an intensely rich stock for soups, sauces and gravies. If you are adapting a favourite soup recipe for the multi cooker, just remember to halve the amount of liquid. See the recipe guide in the back of this instruction booklet for some recipes to get you started.

IMPORTANT: After making soup or stock, allow at least 15 minutes before releasing pressure to ensure the hot liquid inside will not boil over.

NOTE: If you recipe includes pasta as an ingredient, cook it separately then it add to your soup when it has finished cooking. Pasta should not be cooked in the multi cooker as it creates foam that can block the multi cooker exhaust valve and red float valve.

MULTI COOKER FUNCTIONS

ADJUST FUNCTION:

• The adjust function allows you to adjust the pre-set cooking time. It can be used depending on the quantity of food added to the cooking pot. A larger quantity may require more cooking time versus a smaller quantity.
• Press your desired menu selection button, then within 10 seconds of pressing your menu selection button, you can use the “Adjust” button to determine the amount of cooking time. The options are Less, Normal or More.

NOTE: The default is Normal.

• Each time you press the “Adjust button” it will scroll through and light up Less, Normal or More on the control panel.

NOTE: Once operation begins you cannot use the adjust button. If required you can change the function by pressing the Keep Warm/Cancel button and re-select the function required.

NOTE: The adjust function can be used for all menu selections except for Steam, Slow

Cook & Manual – refer to the Cooking Menu Functions table on page 16 for more details.

DELAY START FUNCTION:

The delay start function allows you to add your ingredients into the multi cooker and postpone the cooking function. This means you can program the cooking function to finish at a time when you are ready to eat.

NOTE: The time set will be when the multi cooker will finish cooking. For example, if you want your meal to be cooked and ready to eat in 6 hours, select “6:00” using the instructions below.

IMPORTANT: Do not use the delay start function when cooking perishable ingredients including meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish as they may spoil.

1. Within 10 seconds of pressing your menu selection button, press the “Delay Start” button once and the hour flashes. Then use the “-“ & “+” buttons to select the amount of hours before you would like your meal to be ready.
2. Press the “Delay Start” button again and the minutes will flash. Then use the “-“ & “+” buttons to adjust the number of minutes.
   • NOTE: The minute selection is in 10 minute increments. seconds after the desired time is selected, the multi cooker will beep 3 times, the
3. DELAY START button light will become solid and the display screen timer will then begin to count down.
   • NOTE: Once the desired time is selected, wait for the program to automatically start.
   • NOTE: Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button at any time to cancel the function selected.
4. After the preset time elapses and when cooking is complete the multi cooker will automatically switch to Keep Warm mode.

NOTE: Delay start is not available for the Slow Cook and Pudding menu functions. All other menu functions have the option a 2 hour up to 24 hour delay start function.

KEEP WARM FUNCTION:

• After cooking, the multi cooker automatically switches into “KEEP WARM” mode.
• When in “KEEP WARM” mode, the indicator light will illuminate and “EAt” will be displayed on the display screen.
• The keep warm temperature is 60-80°C.
• If the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button is pressed while in standby mode, the multi cooker will heat up.

IMPORTANT: For health and safety reasons do not use the keep warm function to heat or re-heat foods.

NOTE: Some food will deteriorate if kept in “keep warm” mode for extended periods of time.

NOTE: When the cooking cycle has finished, the unit will automatically switch to KEEP

WARM and slowly release pressure for up to 30 minutes. Please note, food will continue to cook until all the pressure is released.

MANUAL OPERATION:

NOTE: The STEAM function works using the same method as MANUAL. See detailed instructions on how to use the Manual and Steam functions below:

The manual function can be used if the preset menu functions and timings do not suit your required cooking preferences.

1. Press the Manual button, and within 10 seconds use the “+” and “–“ buttons to select the desired cooking time. Time can be set from 1 to 60 minutes.

NOTE: The default time for manual cooking is 30 minutes

2. 10 seconds after the time is selected, the multi cooker will beep 3 times and the “Manual” button light will stop flashing and become solid.

NOTE: Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button at any time to cancel the function selected.

The display screen will then display “HEAT” indicating the multi cooker is in heating mode and beginning to build pressure. The display will not begin to count down time until sufficient pressure has built up. Time to build pressure can vary and depends on the menu selected, volume and temperature of the ingredients placed in the cooking pot.

NOTE: Lid safety - once there is pressure built up within the multi cooker, for safety reasons the lid will lock and will not be able to be opened until it has de-pressurised.

3. Once cooking is complete, the multi cooker will beep 10 times and automatically switch to the “Keep Warm” setting and the display screen will display “EAt”. Your food is now ready to eat.

NOTE: Some food will deteriorate if kept in “keep warm” mode for extended periods of time.

4. Switch off the wall power outlet and remove the plug from the socket.

MANUAL OPERATION GUIDE

Follow the guide below as an approximate indication for recommended cooking times.

VEGETABLES

Vegetables cook in no time in the multi cooker. Always use the quick pressure release method when the cook time has ended, this will ensure your vegetables retain some texture and don’t overcook. Use at least one cup of water (or liquid) when cooking vegetables and if cooking frozen vegetables, allow an additional 2 minutes cooking time.

Should the vegetables require more cooking, simply place them back in the multi cooker, turn it off and place the lid on to steam them a bit more.

MEAT, FISH & POULTRY

Meat cooked in the multi cooker will give a succulent and flavoursome result, every time. For maximum flavour, first brown the meat or poultry (not fish) on all sides in the multi cooker using 1 tablespoon of oil on the SAUTÉ function before locking the lid and commencing pressurecooking.

Refer to the guide below for MANUAL cook times and use this as a general indication for adapting recipes that you want to convert for the multi cooker. Always remember to ‘rest’ meat for at least 10 minutes for it to relax and retain their juices. It is also wise to have a meat thermometer in your kitchen to test the doneness of your meat (safe internal temperatures for red meat is 72°C, poultry 75°C and fish 65°C), especially for large cuts of meat. Also, please note, it is not recommended to cook meat from frozen.

RICE & GRAINS

The following recommendations are only a guide. You can always return the lid and KEEP WARM to continue cooking slightly. Alternatively, add ½ cup of hot water and pressure cook for an additional 1 minute and leave to release pressure naturally.

Never fill (combined rice/grain and liquid) past the halfway mark when cooking in the multi cooker.

PRESSURE COOKING TIPS

• The multi cooker must never be filled more than 2/3 full or to the MAX. marking, the unused space is needed to produce pressure.
• The amount of liquid required is less than for traditional cooking methods.
• Time to build pressure can vary and depends on the menu selected, volume and temperature of the ingredients placed in the cooking pot. Once pressure has built up, cooking will commence.
• Cooking times will vary slightly due to ingredient sizes and starting temperatures.
• When adapting your own recipe to cook in the multi cooker, reduce the cook time by half and the liquid by half. However, never cook with less than 1 cup of liquid. We suggest you experiment with your recipes to get a feel for what changes you will need to adapt.
• Hot liquid will come to pressure quicker than cold liquid.
• Foods can overcook if using the natural release method.
• Do not cook foods that foam such as oatmeal, barley, rhubarb, apples and pasta. Foaming from these foods can block the multi cooker exhaust valve and red float valve.

CARE AND CLEANING

1. Switch off the wall power outlet and remove the plug from the socket.
2. Allow the multi cooker to cool completely prior to cleaning.
3. Remove the lid and cooking pot, and hand wash them in warm soapy water. The cooking pot is dishwasher safe.
4. If ingredients have built up and stuck at the bottom of the cooking pot, soak the pot in warm water before cleaning.
5. Remove the gasket, anti-block shield, exhaust valve, red float valve and red float valve seal and wash in warm soapy water. Allow all parts to dry completely before re-installing into the lid.
   • Note: Ensure gasket and anti-block shield are put back correctly. Refer to assembly information.
6. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.
7. Dry all parts completely before placing them back into the multi cooker interior. Ensure the outside of the cooking pot is completely dry and that the inside of the multi cooker is also dry.
8. Do not use alkaline cleaning agents or harsh abrasives when cleaning the cooking pot and exterior.
9. Do not immerse base in water or any other liquid.
10. When storing the multi cooker, leave the lid disengaged to preserve the life of the gasket.
11. If your multi cooker has been left with an odour, simply place 2 cups of boiling water in the cooking pot with half a lemon in it and use the manual function to cook for 3 minutes with the exhaust valve in release position. Rinse thoroughly, dry well and store.
12. If there is a lingering odour soak the rubber gasket in warm soapy water. This will help to degrease the rubber and to avoid lingering odour.
13. The cooking pot is dishwasher safe. However, with many non-stick cooking vessels, it is wise to simply wash in hot soapy water in your sink. This will maintain the non-stick coating of the cooking pot over life.
14. When cooking, cleaning and caring for your multi cooker, be certain to use utensils that will not scratch the cooking surface of the cooking pot.

TROUBLESHOOTING