Almost every housewife has a multicooker in her arsenal. And if you haven’t purchased it yet, you’re definitely planning to. After all, it’s even better than a ceramic frying pan. But even those who already use a multicooker do not know whether it is possible to open the multicooker during operation. Housewives are often filled with curiosity when food is prepared inside the magic pot. What's going on with her there? Does the meat burn? Is there enough liquid for the cereal? Is it possible to open the lid or not?!
To answer this burning question, you need to understand what a multicooker is. At its core, a multicooker is a device that can cook delicious dishes for you. I threw all the ingredients into the bowl, closed the lid, pressed a couple of buttons and that’s it, wait and paint your nails. The food is delicious, healthy, and a fairy tale for those who want to lose weight. After all, many diets, for example, the Dukan diet or the anti-cellulite diet, are based on food prepared in this particular kitchen appliance. In theory, why open the multicooker lid at all? And to check if everything inside is going according to plan, stir, add salt, add spices and herbs. The question of whether it is possible to open the lid of a multicooker is discussed on many forums, but a definite answer cannot be found even there.
Cover parts
The multicooker lid must be disassembled. This is important to facilitate the maintenance and repair of the device. In older models, a thermistor was attached between the two detachable halves, which was responsible for turning off the device if the lid overheated.
Main parts of the cover:
In models of the SkyCooker M40S series, the handle is made in the shape of an arc and is attached to the lid with metal “ears” on the outside and screws on the back side of the lid. More modern ones are latched with a key lock.
Cooking options for various dishes
Cooking different products requires a different approach, and a multicooker is a device that is designed to bring any dishes to readiness. With its help you can cook:
- any side dishes;
- a variety of first courses;
- meat of any kind;
- baked goods and dough products.
If you cook this food in the usual way using pots and pans, each dish requires a special approach, temperature, and heat intensity. In addition, they all require human intervention differently. In order, for example, to stew meat, you need to stir it regularly, adding salt, seasonings and other ingredients. And although a multicooker is a special device that requires almost no manual intervention, it can be opened. If vegetables are stewed in a multicooker, they can also be stirred and cooked with the lid open, although they cannot burn, even if the multicooker is closed the entire cooking time.
But baked goods and dough products need the lid closed throughout the baking process. You should not look into the multicooker when a cupcake or pie is baking, the dough does not tolerate air. Even when the housewife bakes pies in a conventional oven, she tries to look into it less so as not to disturb the cooking process.
Useful tips for use
The presence of a rubber gasket and a tightly closing lid allows the multicooker to perform the function of a thermos. If in the evening you pour heated milk into the device’s container and add the starter, then you can enjoy delicious kefir for breakfast. And baked milk combined with the same starter will give fermented baked milk.
In the stewing mode, boiling the milk will take 1.5 hours. Moreover, you will not need to worry about it “running away”. And if you keep the milk in the slow cooker for another 6 hours, it will turn into melted milk.
The baking function allows you to use the device not only for preparing pies, cakes, muffins, but also for frying fish and meat.
Attention! The functionality of the equipment includes the option of maintaining temperature. The unit first prepares the dish. Then the heat support mode is automatically switched on. This nuance allows you to prepare breakfast in the evening.
By using the heating mode, you can make real homemade yogurt in 12 hours, which will have excellent taste.
Often, when baking using a multicooker, it happens that the cake burns or is difficult to remove. Burning indicates an error in timing on the timer. You just need to set a lower value next time. To prevent the dough from sticking, it is recommended to lubricate the walls of the container with oil. A radical solution to both problems could be the purchase of a ceramic bowl.
Another way to use such equipment is as an air humidifier. To increase the humidity in the room, the device should be opened and set to boiling mode.
The use of kitchen appliances such as multicookers is becoming increasingly common and ubiquitous among modern housewives. The ease of the process and the delicious dishes that result from cooking are two of the main reasons why cooking in slow cookers is becoming popular. There are specialized websites and forums where owners of kitchen appliances communicate, exchange experiences and recipes, and clarify controversial issues. One of these is the question, is it possible to open the multicooker while cooking?
To answer this question correctly, it is important to understand the operating principle of a kitchen appliance and understand the features of its operation during cooking in different modes. In addition, the dish that is prepared in a slow cooker is important. In relation to this, the same rules apply that housewives use when preparing food in ordinary cutlery - pots and pans. When potatoes are fried, they need to be stirred frequently, and when a pie is baked, it is best to disturb it as little as possible.
Thermal fuse
The above-mentioned device, for which they asked for 5,000 rubles to repair, suffered from a common disease. The self-taught master opened the multicooker body, poured out the porridge, got to the thermal fuse, and replaced it. Then, having assembled the device, he gave it to the owner.
What is a thermal fuse. When it comes to repairing a multicooker, we are talking about a cylindrical piece of wire that strongly resembles a resistor in appearance. The operating temperature is 170 ºС, the maximum current is 10 - 15 A, depending on the type of element. When these parameters fall outside the permissible range, the thermal fuse burns, breaking the electrical circuit in which it is connected.
Why can't you make this item yourself? Firstly, the cost of the element is modest, and secondly, they installed a thermal fuse for a reason. A homemade copy has different characteristics, which will not lead to good things. Repairing a multicooker at home using such amateur activities will, in the worst case, end in a fire.
redmond 4504
recipes, questions, useful things
Why is the lid loose?
This is how it should be - this is not a defect, the lid should fit freely on the pan! The pressure cooker lid has a special design designed to work with high pressure. There is a silicone ring inside the lid that fits tightly into the bowl and creates a seal. When pressure builds up, the lid lifts and locks the mechanism that allows the lid to be opened until the pressure decreases. VIDEO with lifting lid
How to insert the valve?
The valve must be firmly pressed onto the pin of the pressure cooker lid where the inscriptions VENT - SEAL - VENT are located. VENT - valve open (low pressure), SEAL - valve closed (high pressure)
Why is the valve hanging?
The valve should be hanging! This is one of the degrees of protection of the pressure cooker; this “dangling” valve reacts to the pressure inside the pressure cooker and, if there is excessive pressure, releases it by slightly snoring and splashing water.
Do I need to somehow prepare the pressure cooker for use, maybe boil a lemon in it?
First, install the valve, rinse the bowl and lid. For general disinfection, you can fill the bowl with water to the bottom mark (1 liter), set the “soup” program and wait for it to finish. The lemon story was invented by users of Redmond multicookers, which had a plastic smell when cooking. In REDMOND 4504, no foreign odors have been observed so far.
Where to find and how to replace the thermal fuse
The thermal fuse is hidden inside, in the heart of the multicooker. A number of things covered with cambrics, dressed with multi-colored wires. Accordingly, in order to detect a burnt part, you should unscrew the bottom of the multicooker.
If you remove the saucepan, you will find a button underneath it. At least that’s what the node looks like and has a name among forum users. This is a solid-sized steel mushroom, the stem of which is covered by a loose spring. The surrounding surface is a heating element. When a multicooker is disassembled during repairs, thermal fuses are placed near the “main” button.
The mentioned cambrics are in plain sight. Sometimes they are additionally covered with a clamp screwed on with a screw; more often they hang in the air.
Note. Cambric is a piece of wired plastic insulation, usually white. Serves to protect junctions of various components.
Thermal fuses are attached by crimping; soldering is strictly prohibited. A hot tip will easily burn a heat-sensitive element. At this point, the repair of the multicooker will stop, and the search for a new thermal fuse will begin.
How to identify a faulty element and check the operation of at least one. Fans recommend using a Chinese tester. To do this, you do not need to remove the thermal fuse. The detected malfunction is eliminated.
How to repair
Scandal! In the service center of a well-known manufacturer of household appliances - we will not name the name - they do not even open the equipment given to repairmen. As we found out: on the forum, a local Lefty was asked to repair a multicooker with his own hands. The response report stated: the case is full of... remains of porridge, no one opened the device. The cause of the malfunction was limited to the thermal fuse! But the office workers said: the microprocessor is broken, repairs will require financial costs of 5,000 rubles!
The company's address was replenished with serious accusations: this is not the first time that a multicooker has been repaired in this way. The reputation of the service center is tarnished. Calls to repair a multicooker with your own hands have gained relevance. A disguised dealer representative appeared on the forum and said:
- gave an email address to leave a complaint about the multicooker repair service;
- explained the dangers of doing work at home;
- I asked if people were ashamed to post photos and videos describing the repair of a multicooker.
While the disguised representative was telling what problems had been noticed and what caused them, impressing the old-timers with his knowledge, several forum users managed to leave a “thank you” to the author of the note. Despite the dangers, the multicooker bodies were dismantled and the ill-fated thermal fuse was subsequently replaced.
Note. The authors think that the danger of electric shock can be avoided if you disconnect the multicooker from the AC mains before repairs. I don’t want to overpay when repairs are carried out by service centers.
When the details were revealed, ideologists were found who were enlightened by the field of assembling and disassembling these complex devices. It turns out that 90% of multicooker repairs involve replacing the thermal fuse.
Product design
To carry out repairs, you must become familiar with the operating principle of the electrical appliance and its structure. All multicookers resemble an ordinary saucepan in appearance with a side or top display and buttons for setting cooking modes. It closes at the top with a snap-on sealed lid. The multicooker bowl is enclosed in a thermally insulated casing and placed inside. The direct cooking process takes place in it. Under the bowl and on the sides there are heating elements, control and power units for the multicooker. The bottom is covered with a plastic lid. This is the bottom of the multicooker.
Master class on board repair
To troubleshoot problems, the microcircuits should be carefully inspected. To identify malfunctions, you should pay attention to the following signs:
If certain elements malfunction, they should be replaced immediately. It is easier to restore soldering. The board tracks can be repaired by sanding with scratch paper. You can also tinning damaged areas.
In some cases, jumpers are used, which are easily made from resistor legs. After completing the work, the surface should be filled with varnish. Otherwise, a leak can lead to negative consequences. Varnish helps protect the metal from moisture and oxygen. It is these factors that pose the greatest danger to conductors.
