Parkinson Cowan Metropolitan Quick start guide

Owners handbook
and
Installation instructions

Introduction
This gas cooker has been designed and manufactured to all the
necessary British Standards. This 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.
Do not remove the rating plate from the cooker as this may invalidate
the guarantee.
I
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For your safety
The 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 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 24.
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Contents Page
Lighting the cooker 4
The grill 6
The hotplate 8
The oven 11
Oven cooking chart 13
Slow cooking 16
Care and cleaning 19
Installing the cooker 24
General information 26
What is wrong and why? 28
Servicing 30
Installation instructions 31
Technical Data 32
Safety requirements/ventilation 33
Location of appliance/installation 34
Testing 37
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Contents

Lighting the cooker
The ignition system works by means of a battery. Details on how to
replace the battery are given on page 26.
Grill and hotplate
To light:
1 Push in the control knob and turn to the large flame symbol (highest
setting), and press the ignition button immediately. When the burner
has lit release the button.
Warning: If the ignition button is not pressed immediately a build up of
gas may cause the flame to spread.
Main Oven
To light:
1 Open the oven door.
2 Push in the control knob and turn it to gas mark 9, and press the
ignition button immediately. When the burner has lit release the
button. 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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Lighting the cooker
MAIN OVEN
MAIN OVEN
For your safety
Never cover the grill pan or grid with foil as this can lead to
grill fires.

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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5
For your safety
When you are lighting any burner check that it has lit before you
leave the cooker.
When you are turning off a burner, do not leave the cooker
until the flame has gone out.
Lighting the cooker
MAIN OVEN RAPID

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.
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.
Grill pan
The pan is designed so that you can pull it
forward but it will stay supported. To remove
the pan push it back as far as possible and
lift it off. Replace it in reverse order.
Cooking positions
Most food should be cooked on the grid in
the grill pan. You can turn the grid 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.
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6
Thegrill
For your safety
After replacing the pan, pull it out to make sure it has fitted back
properly.
Accessible parts may be hot when the grill is used. Young children
should be kept away.
Never cover the grill pan or grid with foil as this can lead to grill
fires.

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 to the left 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
RAPID

M E T R O P O L I T A N
9
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.
3 Do 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 from your oven 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 round 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 cooker. 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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For your safety
Never place cooking dishes, trays
and so on over the oven burner.
This will damage the cooker as
well as the ovenware and possibly
the floor covering underneath the
cooker.
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

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 when you are open roasting. If you cover the food with foil or a lid you should allow an extra 10 - 15
minutes cooking time for each ½ kg (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
2 & 4
2 & 4
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.
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Oven cooking chart

Food Gas mark Shelf position Approximate cooking time
Pastries: Plate tart (shortcrust)
Fruit pie (shortcrust)
Mince pies (flan pastry)
6
6
5
2
2
2 & 4
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.
Note: You must soak dried beans then boil them in an open pan for 15 minutes before you add them to any dish.
* Cook bread at Gas mark 8 for 10 minutes before reducing to Gas mark 6 for the remainder of the cook time.
M E T R O P O L I T A N
Oven cooking chart
15

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 the 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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MAIN OVEN MAIN OVEN
Sl
owcoo
ki
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Soups, casseroles and stews
l Do not cook casseroles over 3 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.
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 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. 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 cooker.
Clean your cooker 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 cooker for cleaning do not plunge
them into water whilst they are very hot as this may damage the finish of
the parts.
Cleaning the brass plated handle
It is strongly recommended that only hot soapy water is used for
cleaning the handle. ANY OTHER CLEANING MATERIALS WILL DULL
THE BRASS PLATED FINISH.
The hotplate
Clean the hotplate top using a mild abrasive such as 'Jif'. Take care not
to damage the spark electrodes. If the spark electrodes are damaged
the burners will not light.
You can remove the pan supports, burner caps and burner crowns to
clean them. Again take care not to damage the spark electrodes.
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'.
M E T R O P O L I T A N
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For your safety
For hygiene and safety reasons you must keep this gas cooker
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

You can wash the removable parts in very hot soapy water. You may
use mild abrasives. Make sure that the electrode and 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 pad
such as 'Brillo'. If you look after the burner crowns in this way they will
stay reasonably clean. However the surface will dull with time.
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 'Jif' with a soft scourer. For more stubborn
marks you can use a soap filled pad such as 'Brillo'.
After cleaning the cooker 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). Make
sure that the hole in the crown is centrally over the electrode.
Check that the two longer location pegs
sit in the slots in the body. When the
crown is in the 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 for ignition
If a burner will not light then you need to
check the crown and cap positions.
The grill
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'.
Clean the shelf using hot soapy water. Mild abrasives can be used if
necessary.
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C
areandcleaning