Caring for a multicooker, why food burns, getting rid of odors

The variety of household appliances that make life easier for many people is amazing. An appliance such as a multicooker is found in almost every kitchen, because the dishes it produces are tasty and healthy. But sometimes there are mistakes with it in the form of burnt food. Why can a bowl burn in a multicooker and how to deal with it?

Multicooker bowl after burning porridge

mechanical petal steamer

The simplest one, familiar to everyone since Soviet times. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a “Soviet” petal steamer, so I bought a similar one at Ikea. It is glossy and costs about 300 rubles. But it’s perfect for my purposes, to protect the meat from burning.

the handle in the center is not particularly needed, you can take any model of a steamer of this type

At the same time, to create pressure, I pour half a glass of water to the bottom (to the “legs”), the water level does not reach the mesh, allowing the chicken pieces to remain stewed in their marinade sauce

I want to say that sometimes the marinade sticks strongly to the mesh (the chicken itself does not stick), but cleaning the petal steamer after cooking began to take a very indecent amount of time. Then I came up with the idea of first placing the chicken pieces in the sleeve, and only after placing them on the “petal”, cut them on top to allow steam to escape. So that the chicken turns out to be stewed in its own juice, but not completely boiled.

And the juice with the marinade remains inside the sleeve, making everything easy to clean. But if you don’t have a sleeve at hand, then, in principle, you can do without it. And with the sleeve, you can probably do without a petal steamer at all - but in this case, you will always be dependent on the presence of a baking sleeve in the house, and I love independence. If necessary, I will soak and scrub, the main thing is that the product comes out good.

Price of multicookers with heating function

The presence of heating and preheating modes generally does not affect the cost. Since the described functions are present in most models with a wide variety of designs and capabilities, the price range for such devices is quite wide: from 30 to 500 US dollars. You can buy a multicooker with a heating function at any hardware store in your city.

Thus, after analyzing a lot of information about the product being described, we come to the conclusion that the heating and warming functions in multicookers can be useful in certain situations. Since such modes are common in the vast majority of models and do not particularly affect the price, there is no reason to refuse this useful feature, but the choice is yours.

Tips for the hostess

If food burns even when the mode is correctly selected and there is no damage to the surface of the pan, then you can artificially reduce the temperature slightly. To do this, you just need to open the valve to let the steam out. Then the temperature in the pan will drop by several degrees and the boiling will become less active.
Although the multicooker is intended for preparing dishes independently, you still need to take part in the process yourself: stir the porridge in time or add a little water.
After all, the recipes are designed for the average quality of products. For example, different types of rice require different amounts of liquid, white cabbage cooks faster than Dutch cabbage, and homemade chicken takes longer to cook than chicken legs.

Many housewives believe that the multicooker needs to be tamed. But in fact, you just need to come to an agreement with her, taking into account all the nuances of her work. And then it will really turn out to be a very useful and indispensable kitchen appliance.

What to do

Food burns in the multicooker, but the mechanism is fully functional? Then simple but important tips on handling equipment will save you.

Before cooking, grease the bowl with a little oil

Study the instructions. The first step seems banal and hackneyed, but ignoring the manufacturer’s recommendations is the root of all evil.
From simple to complex. Before you become an ace in handling the device, learn from simple recipes. During the learning process, you will not notice how easily more refined dishes are given. This reduces the risk of damage to the device.
Before dipping the ingredients, grease the bowl with a small amount of vegetable oil.
Control the dosage of sugar in desserts and baked goods - if it burns, it will ruin not only the dish, but also the dishes.
Choose the right cooking mode. If you plan to have porridge for breakfast, then the designation “Porridge”, “Cereals”, “Buckwheat” or “Rice” is suitable. For flour – “Baking”, etc. The temperature and duration of cooking depends on the set mode.
If you find scratches on the bottom of the bowl, resist the temptation to reuse it and buy a new one.
Don't leave the entire process to the machine. Yes, it does not require the constant presence of a person, but no one has canceled periodic stirring and adding liquid (if necessary). This way, the food will cook evenly and won’t burn.
Place food correctly. Even such a simple dish as buckwheat can burn with a small amount of water. The loading order is no less important (chaotic immersion of ingredients into the container will affect the temperature, food will begin to stick to the bottom and walls). To avoid mistakes, open the recipe booklet included with the multicookers. It indicates the exact quantity of ingredients and gives a clear sequence of their addition. Don't overfill the cup!
If burning occurs even when the temperature is set correctly and there is no damage to the surface of the pan, you can artificially lower the temperature. Open the valve to release steam. Then the temperature in the dish will drop by several degrees - the boiling will become less active.
Proper care will extend the life of the multicooker. Stir food with silicone or wooden spatulas. Wash the bowl by hand using liquid products without abrasive particles. A surge protector is useful for those who experience frequent power outages.

Choose the right cooking mode

When choosing a multicooker, do not go for budget models. If all operating conditions are met, no visible damage is found, but the food burns, contact the service center.

Larisa, October 14, 2022.

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Correctly placing food in a multicooker is the key to success

If the mode is selected correctly, but the food still burns, this may be due to an imbalance in the proportion between liquid and dry foods. Even unpretentious buckwheat will burn in an ordinary pan if you add little water. What can we say about a multicooker, in which everything is brought to automaticity.

The sequence in which the products are placed into the multicooker bowl is also of great importance.

It’s not for nothing that each multicooker comes with a recipe book, which gives the exact number of ingredients and the order in which they should be added. After all, due to randomly placed food in the bowl, the temperature regime may be disrupted and the food will begin to burn. Especially if water or juicy vegetables are not added in time.

Chemicals

The range of household chemicals includes products specially designed for cleaning multicookers. Their composition copes well with grease and food residues and does not harm the surface. Effectively removes grease and dirt from ceramic or Teflon surfaces. Eliminates odors and has antibacterial protective properties. Sometimes the detergent kit includes a special sponge for cleaning non-stick surfaces.

This product can be replaced with gel or foam for kitchen appliances, as well as dishwashing liquid with a neutral pH level.

Baking is a delicate matter: the nuances of non-stick baking

There are no difficulties with ordinary dishes; it is much more difficult to work with baked goods.

IMPORTANT! Perform all actions in accordance with the instructions so that the dishes do not burn and delight you with their taste.

In this case, it is necessary to pay special attention to the following parameters and performance indicators.

Monitor the condition of the bowl coating. If there is damage, it must be replaced .
Before starting work, lubricate the surface with oil and spread it evenly in a continuous layer.
When kneading the dough, try to add less sugar . Because carbohydrates begin to burn quickly when the temperature rises, forming a bitter crust.
Despite the selected “Baking” program, you need to independently determine the exact time the product is ready . Check the baked goods with a toothpick and determine the time it takes for them to be completely baked. In the future, be guided by the resulting value.

How to clean a steamer?

To descale the steamer you need to:

Pour 1 glass of vinegar into the tank, fill the rest of the space with water.
Turn on the steamer for 10-15 minutes, then turn it off and wait until it cools down.
Drain the liquid and remove excess water.

You can use Antiscale. This product was created specifically to fight scale. Before use, you should read the instructions and act according to them.

Citric acid will help remove traces of lime:

You need to mix acid (1 tbsp) and water (full tank).
Turn on the steamer.
After 25-30 minutes, turn off.
Wash and dry.

Volume matters!

Another important point that you should definitely pay attention to is the volume of products and all components. Read the recipe carefully, prepare in advance all the necessary products to put in the bowl. Follow the main points when putting vegetables, cereals, and meat into the bowl.

Make sure to maintain the ratio of liquid and dry parts of the products . If there is not enough water, the food begins to dry out and burn to the walls.
Follow the bookmarking sequence carefully . There is a special book for this that describes the procedure and principle of action.
Do not overfill the bowl ; all products must mix freely. If this cannot be done, there is a risk of burning.
Add additional oil and water if the dish dries out quickly.

Everything in the equipment is calculated down to the smallest detail, and the work is brought to the point of automation. Therefore, it is important to strictly observe the order and correctness of all actions.

IMPORTANT! If desired, you can double the portion if this is provided for by the volume of the multicooker. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe all the proportions specified in the preparation instructions.

Methods for cleaning the multicooker lid?

Multicookers come with a removable or non-removable lid. Care for it is selected depending on the modification of the device.

With removable cover

Wash the lid, which is completely removable from the body, after each use of the multicooker. Before washing, disassemble it into its component parts: the inner disk, the steam valve and the rubber seal.

Rinse the steam valve under running warm water. It is not necessary to do this every time, just make sure that its holes do not become clogged.
Pay special attention to cleaning the rubber seal, as it absorbs odors too much.
Wash the inner disk with a soapy sponge and rinse.
After the procedure, be sure to dry all parts, and only then assemble the lid.

With non-removable lid

To clean the fixed cover, follow these steps:

Wrap the multicooker body in polyethylene, making sure there are no gaps.
Tilt the device.
Wash the lid with a soapy sponge.
Wipe with a damp, clean cloth and then with a dry one.
Remove the plastic when you are sure the lid is completely dry.

Multicooker bowl. What to replace it with?

Multicooker bowl - if not the heart, then certainly its stomach

For the health of the “multi-cooker body”, it is important that the “stomach” works correctly. The multicooker has long become a common household appliance in the kitchen of many housewives, freeing them from tedious standing at the stove, inhaling the fumes and burning of cooking dishes.

Until recently, you were tormented by the question of how to choose a multicooker? And now you have become the owner of such a miracle.

Praise to its creator!

Thanks to this phenomenon, you fully experienced all the advantages of the owner and no longer want to part with it.

But, one day you suddenly discover a scratch on the surface of the bowl.

(1 rating, average 5 out of 5)

Meaning of non-stick cooking mode

One of the main advantages of using a multicooker is the use of a non-stick coating. It allows you to easily prepare various products, as well as quickly wash the structural elements of the equipment after cooking. However, for the correct implementation of this function, a number of requirements must be met.

The main one is the operating mode . This is what determines the cooking time and temperature corresponding to the chosen dish. When selecting a mode, the system automatically sets the following operating parameters.

Temperature at which the dish will be cooked.
Cooking time . Each menu item has its own indicator.
Features of heating the multicooker bowl
. Some modes have their own characteristics. On the main panel there are buttons for heating and your own recipe, in which you can independently adjust all the parameters listed above.

You should be careful when choosing a program when preparing various dishes in order to get the desired result and delicious food. In the future, with sufficient work experience, you can combine various points.

IMPORTANT! To correctly select the required operating mode, you should pay attention to the recipe book. Typically, manufacturers indicate in it the appropriate main menu item for cooking.

If you don’t have the book, or you’ve lost it, you can find recipes for a slow cooker on the Internet. Carry out all actions according to the presented plan.

Failure Diagnosis

Before troubleshooting these household appliances, the user needs to know that all the main programs of home assistants (multi-cookers and steamers) are considered a trade secret of each manufacturer and are not subject to publicity. Why the multicooker does not work - not a single specialist from the service center will immediately answer this question, because the entire operation of a household appliance is based on the clear interaction of two sensors. Some craftsmen believe that inside the electronic board the developers have stored a memory of the nominal temperature, duration of operations, as well as specified programs. Based on this data, the heating elements in the Redmond multicooker are programmed.

The product has sensors installed.

The thermistor is inserted into the main button of the product. It is very difficult to dismantle it, because manufacturing companies do everything to make independent repairs difficult, considering this the prerogative of special service centers. It is the Redmond company that fills all terminals with a compound - a special insulating material, making their dismantling impossible.
The second working sensor is inserted inside the cover of the product - to get to it you will have to dismantle its filling with compound, disconnect the sensor and try to turn on the product. If it doesn't work, then you are on the right track. For 100% results, test the wires going to the sensor using a multimeter.

For the multicooker to operate effectively, it is necessary to read readings from both sensors at once: they transmit the signal through wires to a special terminal on the control board, which is located under the panel with buttons. When the multicooker does not work when turned on, the culprit may be the power supply - you can check this by plugging the product into the mains. If at least one of the indicators is illuminated from the inside, then everything is fine. In other cases, you will have to contact specialists.

There are times when the product is not included in the cooking process - the bowl cannot heat up to the required temperature. Try measuring the resistance on the transformer. Behind it is a rectifier consisting of 4 diodes. The main board is positioned with all elements down, so if the current increases, the solder will melt and flow down to the bottom of the product. When opening the bottom cover, this can be determined visually by drops of tin - this means that a short circuit has occurred inside and the heating elements have turned off.

Sometimes it is worth checking the functionality of the relay. Connect the product to the network, turn on any program. If you hear a characteristic click, then the relay is working, otherwise you need to make a step-by-step replacement: first the relay, and then the control board.

How to clean a multicooker valve

One of the most important elements of a multicooker is the steam valve. If it becomes clogged or becomes unusable, the cooking process may be disrupted. Regular valve care will help to avoid such phenomena. For most models it is removable, so there should be no problems with washing it.

Immediately after each use of the device, remove the valve and rinse with warm running water. If there is grease or other contaminants on the surface, use dishwashing detergent to wash. After cleaning, be sure to dry the part, and only then return it to its place.

How to remove unpleasant odors

Even a clean bowl can give off old odors:

products (fish, garlic, seasonings, etc.);
sour, rotten food;
burning.

To prevent the inside of the multicooker from becoming saturated with persistent aromas after cooking, follow the following rules for caring for the household appliance:

Do not leave the prepared food in the bowl, cool it, transfer it to another saucepan and put it in the refrigerator.
If a smell appears, you can boil a solution of salt or soda in a bowl (1 teaspoon per liter of water).
You can wipe a clean vessel with apple cider vinegar, and do the same with the lid.
A good way is to leave ground coffee powder in a bowl overnight.

The smell of rotten meat, fish or garlic aromas must be combated with the help of spices. Pour water, add ground allspice, celery roots, lemon slices, boil for 20 minutes. After cooling, the bowl should be rinsed with clean water and left to dry in the open air.

Advice! When storing, remove the bowl from the multicooker or open the lid slightly for ventilation.

Selecting the correct operating mode for the multicooker

It’s not for nothing that the multicooker has several programs. Most often there are “Stew/Soup”, “Baking”, “Steaming”, “Milk porridge”, “Buckwheat”. More expensive multicookers also have additional modes.

Therefore, when you decide to cook a dish according to any recipe, you need to choose the right program, because under different modes a specially set temperature is automatically set.

The operating principle of a multicooker is the same as an iron. After all, when ironing silk fabrics, housewives do not set the iron wheel to “Linen” or “Cotton”. Otherwise, a hole will immediately form on the fabric.

But when cooking milk porridge (even rice) in a multicooker, the housewife can safely set the “Buckwheat” or “Pilaf” mode. In this case, the food will burn, because the milk porridge is cooked over low heat with constant stirring. And if you increase the temperature, the porridge will either run away (if there is a lot of liquid) or burn if it is thick. This is what happens if the mode is incorrectly selected, if a higher temperature is programmed in it than is required for cooking a particular dish.

Causes of burning

Modern models of multicookers amaze with their variety, but their owners are united by the reasons for unsuccessful dishes. Ingredients stuck to the bowl, burnt pieces, and a burning smell are the result of the same violations.

One of the reasons food burns is improper cooking proportions.

If food burns in a multicooker, this may be due to the following reasons:

incorrectly set mode;
non-compliance with proportions - expressed by a lack of liquid, a predominance of dry mixtures (porridge, etc.), as a result of which burning occurs;
mechanical damage to the non-stick coating: scratches, chips;
no stirring of food - despite the “smart” and “independent” system, periodic monitoring of the process is necessary;
poor-quality bowl material - relevant for cheap models, the production of which uses recyclable materials that quickly deteriorate under the influence of high temperatures;
high voltage in the network or power surges;
failure of the temperature sensor.

You won’t be able to solve the last problem yourself; you will have to contact a service center. But other troubles can be avoided by following the operating rules.

Healthy! Kitchen timer

What parts of the multicooker need to be cleaned?

Of course, first of all you need to clean those parts that come into contact with food. You will wash them after each use. In addition, the device has internal elements that also sometimes require cleaning.

Multicooker part	Processing rules
Lid	It requires regular washing after each use, as condensation and grease droplets accumulate on the surface of the lid. Subsequently, the settled residues will give the new dish an unpleasant aroma and taste.
Bowl	Be sure to wash the bowl after each use, following the cleaning instructions depending on the material from which it is made.
Bottom and walls	It is especially important to monitor the condition of the bottom and walls of the device when something has “escaped” or boiled away. It is prohibited to pour liquid into the housing. Soot and food residues are removed with a suitable substance.
A heating element	Occasionally, but still needs cleaning, as over time carbon deposits appear on its surface.
Disk	It is located around the heating element and also requires cleaning from carbon deposits.
Valve on the lid	Steam and grease regularly accumulate here, so you need to wash the valve as often as possible. For most models it can be removed and cleaned.
Moisture collector	Water from the lid drains into it, which evaporates during cooking. It is enough to drain the water from the container from time to time and clean it with detergent.

Each instruction manual for the multicooker describes the component parts in detail; if you do not find any part, look for it in the schematic drawing.

Bowl care

After purchasing, first remove the bowl and rinse with warm water and a regular neutral detergent. You need to wash with a soft cloth.

Bowls are washed with liquid and gel-like products, do not use alkalis, acids or abrasives. Unlike Teflon bowls, ceramic bowls are not dishwasher safe.

What to do if food is burnt?

If, for example, pilaf or porridge is burnt, fill the container with water until it burns and leave for 30-40 minutes. The carbon deposits will soften and can be removed with a wooden spatula or sponge. If it doesn’t help, then do the following: pour 2 cups of water into a container and a teaspoon of soda. Turn on the baking mode and let the solution simmer for 10 minutes with the lid open. Half an hour after this, try again to remove traces of burnt food with a spatula.

Tip: If you notice that the food in the bowl is constantly burning, you need to replace it with a new container. Most likely, due to improper care, small and large scratches or cracks have formed on the inner surface.

Huge variety of recipes

The instructions for the multicooker contain a lot of delicious recipes, including for those who pay attention to their appearance. Fluffy omelettes, casseroles, all kinds of desserts made from berries and vegetables, aromatic porridges and soups will give you the opportunity to feel that proper nutrition is not only beneficial, but also excellent taste. Any dish prepared with a multicooker has a soft and delicate consistency, remains juicy and light.

Secrets of cooking in a slow cooker for the site *Pepper the hostess*

Save time

Some people may find it much faster to cook on the stove than in a slow cooker. This may be true, but there are a few things to consider.

Firstly, food on the stove needs to be constantly monitored, but a multicooker handles the process on its own.

Secondly, this device can be programmed for a delayed start and get an excellent light dinner at a certain time. If you fill the bowl with water and cereal in the evening, in the morning, as soon as you wake up, a healthy breakfast will be waiting for you. Thus, you can load all the necessary products into the miracle pot and calmly go about your business, go for a walk with your child, and when you return, a ready-made lunch or dinner will be waiting for you.

Thirdly, a multicooker can cook several dishes at the same time. For example, in the second compartment you can stew vegetables in their own juice, and in the first compartment you can steam meatballs from lean meat. Here's a complete diet lunch for you.

The multicooker bowl burns - what to do: proven recommendations