The oven offers a wide range of alternatives which allow you to cook any type of food in the best possible way. With time you will learn to make the best use of this versatile cooking appliance and the following directions are only a guideline which may be varied according to your own per- sonal experience.
Cooking on More Than One Rack
If you have to cook food using several racks, use either the “baking” mode u or the “Multi-cooking” mode b, as these are the only modes that allow you to do so.
When cooking delicate food on more than one rack, use the “baking” mode u, which allows you to cook on 3 racks at the same time (the 1st, 3rd and 5th from the bottom). Some examples are included in the “Practical Cooking Advice” table.
When cooking other food on several racks, use the “Mul- ti-cooking” mode b keeping the following suggestions in mind:
•The oven is fitted with 5 racks. During fan assisted cooking, use two of the three central racks; the lowest and highest racks receive the hot air directly and therefore delicate foodstuffs could be burnt on these racks.
•As a general rule, use the 2nd and 4th rack from the bottom, placing the foodstuffs that require greater heat on the 2nd rack from the bottom. For example, when cooking meat roasts together with other food, place the roast on the 2nd rack from the bottom and the more delicate food on the 4th rack from the bottom.
•When cooking food that requires differing times and temperatures, set a temperature that is somewhere between the two temperatures required, place the more delicate food on the 4th rack from the bottom and take the food requiring less time out of the oven first.
•Use the dripping pan on the lower rack and the grid on the upper;
Using the “Fast Cooking” Mode
Functional, fast and practical for those of you who use pre-packed products (such as for example: frozen or pre- cooked food) along with other food items.You will find useful suggestions in the “Practical Cooking Advice” table.
Using the Grill
The “7 Cuochi” oven offers you several different grilling modes.
Use the “grill” mode 2 with the oven door ajar, placing
the food under the centre of the grill (situated on the 3rd or 4th rack from the bottom).
To catch any fat and/or grease that may drip from the rack, place the dripping pan provided on the first rack from the bottom.
When using this mode, we recommend you set the en- ergy level to the highest setting, even though lower levels can be set, simply by adjusting the thermostat knob to the desired level.
In models fitted with a rotisserie 2, you can use the spit kit provided when using the “grill” mode. In this case, cook with the oven door shut, placing the spit kit on the third
oven rack from the bottom and the dripping pan on the bottom rack to collect any sauce and /or dripping fat.
The “Gratin” mode T only with the oven door shut, is
extremely useful for grilling foods rapidly, as the distribution of heat makes it possible not only to brown the surface, but also to cook the bottom part.
Moreover, it can also be used for browning foods at the end of the cooking process, such as adding that gratin finish to pasta bakes, for example.
When using this mode, place the grid on the 2nd or 3rd oven rack from the bottom (see cooking table) then, to prevent fat and grease from dripping onto the bottom of the oven and thus smoke from forming, place a dripping- pan on the 1st rack from the bottom.
Important: always cook in “Gratin” mode with the oven door shut. This will allow you both to obtain excellent results and to save on energy (approximately 10%).
When using this mode, we advise you to set the thermostat to 200°C, as it is the most efficient way to use the grill, which is based on the use of infrared rays. However, this does not mean you cannot use lower temperatures, simply by adjusting the thermostat knob to the desired tempera- ture.
In models fitted with a rotisserie T, you can use the spit kit provided when using the “gratin” mode. In this case, place the spit kit on the third oven rack from the bottom and the dripping pan on the bottom rack to collect any sauce and /or dripping fat.
Therefore the best results when using the grill modes are obtained by placing the grid on the lower racks (see cooking table) then, to prevent fat and grease from dripping onto the bottom of the oven and smoke from forming, place a dripping-pan on the 1st oven rack from the bottom.
Baking Cakes
When baking cakes, always place them in a preheated oven. Do not open the oven door during baking to prevent the cake from dropping. In general:
Pastry is too dry
Increase the temperature by 10°C and reduce the cooking time.
Pastry dropped
Use less liquid or lower the temperature by 10°C.
Pastry is too dark on top
Place it on a lower rack, lower the temperature, and increase the cooking time.
Cooked well on the inside but sticky on the outside
Use less liquid, lower the temperature, and increase the cooking time.