Parkinson Cowan Libra User manual

Operating
and
Installation Instructions

Introduction
This gas cooker has been designed and manufactured to all the
necessary British Standards. The cooker complies with European
Council Directive 90/396/EEC. It also carries the C.E. mark.
It is important that you understand how to use and care for the cooker
properly before you use it for the first time.
We have written this booklet with your safety in mind. Read the booklet
thoroughly before you use the cooker. Keep the booklet in a safe place
so that anyone who uses the cooker can read it. Pass the booklet on
with the cooker if you give or sell it to someone else.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We have included several drawings to show the right and wrong way of
doing things.
The right way will have a smiling face by it.
A sad face shows something is wrong.
RATING PLATE
This is situated on the lower front frame of the appliance and can be
seen upon opening the top oven cavity door. Alternatively the rating
plate may also be found on the back or top of some models (Where
applicable). Do not remove the rating plate from the appliance as
this may invalidate the guarantee.
For your safety
This cooker is designed for domestic use to cook food. You must
not use it for any other purpose. It is not designed for commercial
use.
Keep children, babies and toddlers away from the cooker at all
times.
The installation instructions that came with the cooker tell you
how and where it can be fitted. If the cooker is already installed
you must make sure that all instructions have been followed. If
you are in any doubt ask a registered person. More details on
installation on page 22.
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Contents Page
Lighting the appliance 4
The grill 6
The hotplate 8
The oven 11
Oven cooking chart 13
Slow cooking 16
Care and cleaning 19
General information 22
Installing the appliance 23
What is wrong and why? 24
Servicing 25
Installation Instructions 27
Technical data 28
Safety requirements/ventilation 29
Location of appliance 29
Installation 30
Testing 32
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Contents

Lighting the appliance
Grill and hotplate
To light:
1 Push in the control knob and turn it to the lowest setting. This is
shown by a small flame symbol. Light the burner with a match.
2 When the burner has lit, adjust the setting as required.
Oven
To light:
1 Open the oven door.
2 Push in the control knob and turn it to gas mark 9. Light the burner
with a match. There will only be small flames at first.
3 Now turn the control knob to the gas
mark you want.
4 Wait until the burner is showing large
flames.
5. Close the oven door.
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For your safety
Never cover the grill pan or grid with foil as this can lead to grill
fires.
Lighting the appliance

To turn off any burner
1 Push in the control knob and turn it to the off position. This is shown
by a large dot.
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For your safety
When you are lighting any burner check that it has lit before you
leave the appliance.
When you are turning off a burner, do not leave the appliance
until the flame has gone out.
Lighting the appliance

The grill
The grill is a high-speed grill. The instructions below tell you how to vary
the heat setting and how to change the height of the grid to suit the food
you are cooking. You should remember to turn the food regularly.
You should not use the grill to keep food warm as it will continue to
cook the food.
Prior to using the grill
We suggest that you operate the grill for approximately 5 - 10 mins to
burn off any residue from the surface. During this period a slight odour
may be emitted, it is therefore advisable to open a window for
ventilation.
When you first operate the grill you may hear some sounds as the
burner heats up, this is quite normal and is not a fault on the appliance.
Heat control
The grill control gives two heat settings.
The control knob turns to the left from
'OFF' to 'HIGH' and then to 'LOW'. The high
setting should be used for fast cooking such
as toast. Use the low setting to cook thicker
food such as chicken after it has been
browned on the high setting.
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Thegrill
For your safety
Never cover the grill pan or grid with foil as this can lead to grill
fires.

Cooking positions
Place the grill pan so that the bottom of the
handle fits into the hole on the shelf.
Most food should be cooked on the grid in
the grill pan. The grid can be turned over to
suit different thicknesses of food.
You can place some dishes straight on to
the grill shelf. This is useful when you are
browning the top of food such as cauliflower
cheese.
Preheating
You don't usually need to preheat the grill. You may wish to preheat it
for a couple of minutes when you are cooking steak or when browning
food.
Positioning food on the grid
Place food such as toast, teacakes and
muffins towards the centre of the grid.
Place food which needs a more gentle heat
such as tomatoes and mushrooms towards
the edge of the grid.
Arrange meat, meat products and fish to
suit their thickness and how you like them
cooked.
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Thegrill

The hotplate
Heat control
The hotplate control knobs turn anticlockwise
from 'OFF' to 'HIGH' and then to 'LOW'. You
can adjust the heat by turning the control
between the highest and lowest settings.
These are shown as a large and a small
flame symbol.
Burner sizes
The hotplate has three burner sizes to suit
different types of cooking:
Largest burner (Rapid) - use a large pan for
food such as chips.
Medium burners (Normal) - use for everyday
cooking.
Small burner (Simmer) - use for simmering
food such as soups and stews.
The largest pan which you should use on any burner is 230mm (9").
The base of the smallest pan should not measure less than 100mm (4").
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Thehotplate

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For your safety
1 Take care to avoid burns and scalds when you
are reaching across the hotplate.
2 Use pans with flat bases. They are more stable
than pans which are warped.
3Do not use pans with very heavy handles which
cause the pan to tip.
4 Put pans on the centre of the burners.
5 Position pan handles so they cannot be
accidentally knocked.
6 Take extra care when you are deep fat frying. Do
not cover the pan with a lid.
Do not leave a pan unattended. If the pan
catches fire, leave it where it is and turn off all
controls.
Place a damp cloth or a fitting lid over the pan to
smother the flames.
Never put water on the fire.
Leave the pan to cool for 30 minutes.
7 If you are using a Wok we recommend it has a flat
base as it will stand stable on the pan supports. If
you use a round based Wok with a collar support,
the collar must be of the open wire work type. A
closed collar will affect the performance of the
burner. Before you use the Wok make sure that
the collar is stable on the pan supports. Always
follow the instructions that come with the Wok.
Thehotplate

Helpful hints
1 Keep flames under the base of
pans. If the flames lick round the
sides of the pans you are wasting
gas.
2 Only heat the amount of liquid you
need. Do not overfill pans.
3 Cover pans with a lid whenever
possible. The food will heat up
more quickly and there will be less
steam in the kitchen.
4 Try cooking more than one
vegetable in the same pan, for
example potatoes and carrots.
5 Cut vegetables into smaller pieces.
This way they will cook more
quickly.
6 A pressure cooker will save time
and energy.
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Thehotplate

The oven
Before you use the oven you should wipe it out with a damp cloth to
remove any dust.
Heat zones
There are zones of heat within the oven.
The temperature in the middle is the gas
mark you have chosen. The top of the
oven is slightly hotter and the lower shelf
slightly cooler. The base of the oven is
quite a lot cooler. You can make use of
these heat zones when you are cooking
foods requiring different temperatures all at
the same time.
If you are cooking more than one tray of similar items, for example
cakes or biscuits, swap the trays during cooking or you can remove the
top tray when the food is cooked and move the lower tray to the higher
shelf to finish cooking.
Preheating
You do not need to preheat the oven when casseroling and so on.
Preheat the oven for baking or when you are cooking sensitive food
such as Yorkshire puddings, soufflés and yeast mixtures.
When you are cooking or reheating frozen or chilled food read the
instructions on the packing.
When you need to preheat the oven, we recommend you do so for
20 minutes.
Oven Shelves
You can slot the oven shelves in any of five
positions. Positions are counted from the top
downwards.
For safety the shelf will only pull out so
far. If you want to remove a shelf completely
pull it forward as far as it will go, raise the
front edge and lift it out. To put the shelf into
a different position keep the front edge
raised, slot the shelf on to the runner, lower
the front edge and slide the shelf in.
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Theoven

Baking trays and dishes
Leave a gap of 13mm (½") between
all dishes and the sides of the oven
so the heat can circulate properly.
Do not push dishes too far back as
food will burn if it overhangs the
burner flames.
For the best results we recommend that you use a baking tray which is
310mm (12") square. If you use a tray or tin which is larger than this,
you may need to turn it around during cooking.
Place single dishes on the centre of the shelf. You may need to turn
large items around during cooking.
Roasting
For best results we recommend open roasting using minimal fat or oil to
prevent splashing.
It is not necessary to cover meat or poultry or wrap food in foil when
roasting as this restricts the circulation of heat and will lead to extended
cooktimes.
If you are using a roasting bag or cover chicken breast with foil, be
prepared to allow an extra 10 - 15 minutes for each 1/2kg (1lb).
When cooking large items such as turkeys, the use of foil may be
required to prevent the breast becoming dry before the rest of the bird is
fully cooked.
Condensation
Condensation may form on the appliance. This is quite normal and
nothing to worry about. The condensation forms when heat and
moisture are present, for example during cooking. Whenever possible
try to make sure that food which contains a lot of moisture for example
casseroles are covered. If you do notice any condensation, wipe it up
straight away.
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Leave a gap of 13mm (½")
between all dishes and the sides
of the oven so the heat can
circulate properly.
Do not push dishes too far back
as food will burn if it overhangs
the burner flames.
For your safety
Never place cooking dishes, trays
and so on over the oven burner.
This will damage the appliance as
well as the ovenware and possibly
the floor covering underneath the
appliance.
Theoven

Oven cooking chart These instructions are for cooking in the oven after it has been pre-heated for 20 minutes. If you are cooking more than one tray of similar items, for example cakes or biscuits, swap the trays around during cooking or you can take the top tray out of the oven when the food is cooked and move the lower tray to the higher shelf to finish cooking. Always leave at least one shelf position between shelves to allow heat to circulate. The recommended shelf positions give the best results. Put the dishes in the centre of the shelf. You can change the gas marks and cooking times to suit your own tastes. It is important to check that food is piping hot before serving.
Food Gas
mark Shelf
position Approximate
cooking time
Roasting meat: Beef 5 4 Rare:
Medium: Well Done:
20 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 30 mins. 25 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 25 mins. 30 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 30 mins.
Lamb 5 4 Medium:
Well Done: 25 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 25 mins.
30 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 30 mins.
Pork and Veal 5 4 Medium:
Well Done: 30 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 30 mins.
35 mins. per ½kg (1lb) and 35 mins.
Thoroughly thaw frozen joints before cooking them.
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Oven cooking chart
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Food Gas
mark Shelf
position Approximate
cooking time
Poultry: Chicken
Turkey below 4.5kg (10lbs) over 4.5kg (10 lbs) Duck and duckling
5 4 4 5
4 4 4 or 5 4
20 mins. per ½ kg (1lb) and 20 mins. 25 mins. per ½ kg (1lb) and 25 mins. 15 mins. per ½ kg (1lb) and 15 mins. 25 mins. per ½ kg (1lb)
Stuffed poultry Cook as above but calculate weight including stuffing.
Thoroughly thaw frozen joints before cooking them.
The times given above are for open roasting in a preheated oven. If you cover the food with foil or a lid allow an extra 10 - 15
minutes for each ½kg (1lb).
Yorkshire pudding - large
- individual 7
72
225 - 30 mins.
15 - 25 mins.
Cakes: Christmas cake (8")
Rich fruit 180mm (7") 205mm (8") Madeira, 180mm (7") Small cakes Scones Victoria sandwich 180mm (7") 205mm (8")
2 2 2 4 5 7 4 4
4 4 4 4 1 & 3 1 & 3 2 & 4 2 & 4
4-5 hours 2¼-2½ hours 2½-2¾ hours 1 hour 15-25 mins. 10-20 mins. 20-30 mins. 20-35 mins.
Oven cooking chart
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Food Gas
mark Shelf
position Approximate
cooking time
Pastries: Plate tart (shortcrust)
Fruit pie (shortcrust) Mince pies (flan pastry)
6 6 5
1 1 1 & 3
25-35 mins. 25-35 mins. 15-25 mins.
To help pastry brown on the underside cook on a metal plate, or if plates are flat and have no rim underneath, place on baking tray to cook. Puddings: Milk puddings
Baked sponge pudding Baked custards
2 4 3
3 4 4
2 hrs. 45-60 mins. 50-60 mins.
Yeast Mixtures: Bread 0.45kg (1lb loaves)
0.90kg (2lb loaves) Rolls and buns
8 * 8 * 8 *
3 3 2
30-40 mins. 30-40 mins. 10-20 mins.
* When baking bread cook at Gas mark 8 for 10 minutes before reducing to Gas mark 6 for the remainder of the cook time. Note: You must soak dried beans then boil them in an open pan for 15 minutes before you add them to any dish.
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Oven cooking chart
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Slow cooking
The slow cook setting gives a very low heat in the oven. It is particularly
useful when you are cooking soups, stews and casseroles because
the long slow cooking will make cheaper, tougher cuts of meat more
tender.
You need to cook food at gas mark 6 for 30 minutes before you turn the
oven down to the slow cook setting. This makes sure that the
temperature of the food gets hot enough to start the food cooking.
Some foods such as pastry and biscuits are not suitable for slow
cooking because the temperature is too low.
Cover all food during cooking to prevent it from drying out. You can
uncover food for the last half hour if it is normally served golden brown.
Food preparation
- slow cooking
Joints of meat and poultry
l Do not cook meat joints over 2.7kg (6lb).
l Do not cook poultry over 2kg (4lb 8oz).
l Cook on the middle shelf of the oven or above.
l Cook stuffing separately.
l Cook for at least 6 hours.
l Only cook joints of Pork if you can make sure, by using a meat
thermometer, that the temperature inside the joint is at least 88o C.
l For good air circulation always stand joints on a rack in a roasting
tin or casserole.
l Thaw all frozen meat and poultry before you cook it.
l Prime cuts of meat do not benefit from slow cooking.
l Cut off unwanted fat and skin unless it is browned first.
l Cook for 30 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce to the slow cook
setting.
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Slowcooking

Soups, casseroles and stews
l Do not cook casseroles over 2.7 kg (6lb).
l Bring to the boil on the hotplate then cook on slow cook.
l Cook in the middle of the oven or above.
l Cover food with a tight fitting lid or tin foil.
Vegetables
l Cut into small pieces.
l Dried beans must be pre-soaked then boiled in an open pan for 15
minutes before adding to any dish.
l Place vegetables under meat in casseroles.
l Cover food with a tight fitting lid or tin foil.
l Cook for 30 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce to the slow cook
setting.
Milk puddings
l Cover the cereal with boiling water and leave it to stand for 30
minutes.
l Drain and make the pudding in the usual way.
l Cook for 30 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce to the slow cook
setting.
General points for slow cooking
Frozen foods
Thaw thoroughly before cooking.
Thickening
Toss meat in flour for casseroles. Alternatively blend cornflour with
water and add it at the end of cooking.
Flavouring
Flavours are held in the food because there is little evaporation. Adjust
flavouring at the end of the cooking time.
Liquid
Use slightly less liquid as there is little evaporation during cooking.
Milk and milk products, for example cream
Add these towards the end of cooking to prevent them from curdling.
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Slowcooking

Reheating
Cool left over food quickly and then put it in the fridge. Do not reheat
food using the slow cook setting. Reheat food in the usual way or in a
microwave.
Only reheat food once.
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Slowcooking

Care and cleaning
Do not use any polishes, caustic cleaners, abrasives, washing soda
or soap powder except those recommended
in this booklet.
Please note: If we recommend you use hot
soapy water we mean hot water with
washing up liquid in it and not any other
cleaning product.
If you own a dishwasher please read the
operating instructions for the machine before
you wash any part of your appliance in it.
Clean your appliance regularly using a cloth that has been wrung out
in hot soapy water. Rinse and polish it dry using a soft cloth.
When you remove parts of your appliance for cleaning do not plunge
them into water whilst they are very hot as this may damage the finish of
the parts.
The hotplate
Clean the hotplate top using a mild abrasive such as 'Cif'.
You can remove the pan supports, burner caps and burner crowns to
clean them.
If any food spills do occur during cooking you can place the pan on
another burner to finish cooking. Then you can remove the dirty parts
and clean them before the spill 'burns on'.
You can wash the removable parts in very hot soapy water. You may
use mild abrasives. Make sure that the hole and slots in the crown are
not blocked with food or cleaning materials.
Clean the burner crowns by soaking them in very hot soapy water. You
can remove any stubborn stains by scouring with a soap filled
padsuchas 'Brillo'. If you look after the burner crowns in this way they
will stay reasonably clean. However the surface will dull with time.
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For your safety
For hygiene and safety reasons you must keep this gas appliance
clean. A build up of fat or other foodstuff could cause a fire.
Try to mop up spills and splashes as soon as they happen. But
be careful as parts of the appliance will be hot.
Careandcleaning

Aluminium based saucepans can leave shiny metal marks on the
pan supports. To clean the pan supports regularly remove the marks
using a mild abrasive like 'Cif' with a soft scourer. For more stubborn
marks you can use a soap filled pad such as 'Brillo'.
After cleaning the appliance parts, dry
them thoroughly before you put them back.
When replacing hotplate burner parts
1. Crown to body (Do not try to force the crown on to the body).
Check that the two longer location pegs
sit in the slots in the body. When the
crown is in this position let it fall freely on
to the body.
Check that the crown can be moved
slightly from side to side.
2. Cap to crown
Place cap centrally on the top of crown
(enamel side up). Move sideways and
front to back to check the cap is fitted
properly.
3. Check that the burner lights
If a burner will not light then you need to
check the crown and cap positions.
The grill
Do not clean the grill burner itself.
The burner is designed to be self cleaning. Cleaning the grill may cause
the holes in the burner to become blocked preventing it from operating
correctly.
Please note that due to the nature of stainless steel the grill burner may
tarnish through use over a period of time. This is quite normal and is not
a fault on the appliance.
Clean the area around the grill frequently using
hot soapy water.
After use you can soak the pan for a few minutes
and then clean it using mild abrasives or a soap
filled pad such as 'Brillo'.
The grill shelf and support may be removed for
cleaning. Clean regularly with hot soapy water.
Mild abrasives can be used if necessary. When you
want to replace them make sure both the shelf and
support are fitted as shown in the diagrams.
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Careandcleaning
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