Russell Hobbs 17892 User manual

instructions

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Read the instructions and keep them safe. If you pass the fryer on,
pass on the instructions too. Remove all packaging, but keep it till
you know the fryer works.
important safeguards
Follow basic safety precautions, including:
1 The fryer must only be used by a responsible adult. Use and store
it out of reach of children.
2 Don’t put the fryer in liquid, don’t use it in a bathroom,
near water, or outdoors.
3 Don’t touch hot surfaces (including the outside of the fryer) – use
oven gloves.
4 Don’t lean or reach over the fryer while the oil is hot.
5 Don’t carry or pass anything through the space over or near the
fryer – if anything drops into the fryer, hot oil will splash out.
6 Don’t try to move or carry the fryer if it contains hot oil. Let it cool
down fully first.
7 Steam will billow out as you open the lid, so stand well
back before pressing the lid button E.
8 Raise and lower the basket with the lid closed.
9 Don’t use the fryer without first filling with good quality cooking
oil to between the MIN (2 litres) and MAX (2.5 litres) marks inside
the bowl.
caution If the oil level is below the MIN mark, you may damage
the fryer. If above the MAX mark, hot oil may escape,
causing damage and injury.
10 Sit the fryer on a stable, level, heat-resistant surface, at least 75cm
above floor level.
11 Leave a space of at least 5cm (2”) all round the fryer.
12 Position the fryer so that the basket handle doesn’t extend up to
or over the edge of the work surface, where it might be caught
accidentally when passing.
13 Don’t put the fryer beneath cupboards, shelves, or anything
which could be damaged by the heat and steam it gives off. Keep
it away from curtains and other combustible materials.

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14 Keep the fryer and cable away from the edge of the work surface
and out of reach of children, the infirm, and anyone under the
influence of alcohol or other judgement-affecting substance.
15 Route the cable so it doesn’t overhang, and can’t be tripped over
or caught.
16 Don’t leave the fryer unattended while plugged in.
17 Don’t use the fryer with an external timer or remote control.
18 Close the lid when cooking, and when the oil is cooling.
19 Don’t put anything on top of the fryer while it’s in use.
20 Before using any aerosol spray in the kitchen, or any part of the
house where the spray might drift into the kitchen, check that
the lid is closed, to avoid contaminating the oil.
21 Keep the fryer and cable away from sources of heat.
23 Unplug the fryer when not in use, before moving and before
cleaning, let it cool down fully before cleaning or storing away.
24 Don’t use accessories or attachments unless we supply them.
25 Don’t use the fryer for anything other than heating cooking oil
for deep frying.
26 Don’t use the fryer if it’s damaged or malfunctions.
27 If the cable is damaged, return the fryer, to avoid hazard.
household use only
before using for the first time
•Clean the fryer, to remove manufacturing dust, grease, etc.
preparation
1 Sit the fryer on a stable, level, heat-resistant surface, at least 75cm
(30”) above the floor, with at least 5cm (2”) space all round it.
2 Keep it away from cupboards, curtains, anything combustible,
and anything which might be damaged by heat or steam.
3 With the basket in the fryer, and the basket handle unfolded,
position the fryer so the basket handle doesn’t extend up to or
over the edge of the work surface, where it might be caught
accidentally when passing.
4 Line a colander with kitchen paper, to drain the food after frying.
5 Fetch your oven gloves – and use them! They protect your hands
from heat. They protect them from drips and splashes too.

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filling
caution if the fryer is hot, steam will escape as the lid opens,
so stand back before pressing the lid button E.
6 Stand back, and press the lid button E, to open the lid.
7 If the bowl is empty, fill with liquid cooking oil to between the
MIN (2 litres) and MAX (2.5 litres) marks. If it already contains oil,
then check the level and top up as necessary.
8 Don’t use solid cooking oil, fat, butter, margarine, or olive oil.
Olive oil generally contains too much water, and it’s smoking
point is a bit low for deep frying. Buy a good quality liquid
cooking oil suitable for deep frying, like sunflower or corn oil.
9 Don’t mix oils of different types, as they’ll have different
temperature characteristics.
heating the oil
10 Close the lid before you start to heat the oil.
11 Check that the switch is off (press 0).
12 Plug the fryer into a wall socket (switch the socket on, if it’s
switchable).
13 Turn the temperature control to the required temperature.
14 Press 1to switch on.
15 The power light will come on.
16 The thermostat light will come on, to show the fryer is heating up,
then cycle on and off as the thermostat operates.
17 When the thermostat light goes out, the fryer has reached the set
temperature, and you can start frying.
prepare the food
18 Cut food into uniformly sized pieces.
19 Coat wet food (e.g. fish, fruit) with flour, crumbs, batter, etc.
20 Don’t defrost food in the fryer. Any food other than pre-cooked,
quick-frozen foods (e.g. scampi in breadcrumbs, chicken pieces
in batter) must be fully defrosted before putting into the fryer.
21 When frying pre-packed or pre-cooked frozen foods, follow the
instructions on the packet.
22 Before frying raw vegetables (e.g. chips), dry them with kitchen
paper or a tea towel.

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loading the basket
23 Put a finger under the end of the handle and lift it through about
90 degrees, till it locks. This raises the basket out of the oil.
caution steam will escape as the lid opens, so stand back
before pressing the lid button E.
24 Stand back, and press the lid button E, to open the lid.
25 Put the prepared food pieces in the basket.
26 Try not to put more than two layers of food in the basket. If you
need to fry more, do it in batches.
27 Close the lid and press down till the latch clicks, locking it shut.
frying the food
28 Press the handle release button, and lower the handle slowly.
This will lower the basket into the oil.
29 The oil will foam as it comes into contact with water from the
food. As long as the foam doesn’t threaten to overflow the bowl,
this should not be a cause for alarm.
30 If the foam threatens to overflow the bowl, raise the handle, to
lift the basket out of the oil, then turn to “problems” on page 11.
31 Stay in the kitchen while the fryer is plugged in, and keep an eye
on the frying process.
32 Don’t lean or reach over the fryer while the oil is hot.
done?
33 When the food has cooked, press 0, to switch off.
34 Put a finger under the end of the handle and lift it through about
90 degrees, till it locks. This raises the basket out of the oil.
caution steam will escape as the lid opens, so stand back
before pressing the lid button E.
35 Stand back, and press the lid button E, to open the lid.
36 Put on an oven glove, then use the handle to lift the basket
straight up, out of its mounts in the front of the fryer.
37 Empty the food into the colander, to drain further before serving.
38 Return the empty basket to the fryer, align the tab in front of the
handle with the slot in the front of the fryer, and slide the basket
down, into its mounts in the front of the fryer.

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39 Don’t lower the basket while the lid is open. The lid is there to
protect you from the hot oil.
40 Close the lid and press down till the latch clicks into place.
41 Press the handle release button, and lower the handle slowly.
This will lower the basket into the oil.
42 Finished? – unplug the fryer and let it cool before cleaning.
43 Continue frying? – check the oil level and top up as necessary.
frying guide
the wrong way
44 Bring the oil to the ideal frying temperature.
45 Fill the basket to the rim. You’ve got an extra 25% of the original
mass sharing the heat, so the temperature plummets.
46 The thermostat recognises this, turns the element on, and tries to
bring the whole mass up to frying temperature. This takes time.
47 The oil, being a liquid, heats up fairly uniformly.
48 The food, as it’s solid, heats up from the outside in.
49 The heat causes a skin to form on the outside of the food:
a) the skin prevents moisture leaving the food
b) so it takes even longer for the food to reach temperature
c) so the skin gets thicker
d) so it becomes even more difficult for the moisture to escape
e) so some of the moisture is trapped forever
f) so your food is soggy
50 That’s only half the story.
51 When you put food into the fryer, you should see bubbles.
52 This is steam, formed when the moisture inside the food heats up.
53 This steam normally prevents oil from soaking into the food.
54 If the food heats up slowly, there’s not enough steam, so more oil
soaks into the food, so it gets even soggier.
the right way
55 Bring the oil to the ideal frying temperature.
56 Put a single layer of cold food into the basket. You’ve got an extra
8% of the original mass, so the temperature only drops a little.
57 The thermostat turns the element on, and bring the whole mass
back up to frying temperature very quickly.

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58 Steam forms inside the food, keeping the oil out.
59 The food cooks uniformly – firm and crisp.
coatings
60 Coat all foods, except those high in starch, like potatoes and
doughnuts. The coating protects the food, helps prevent juices
leaking into the oil, and gives a crisp, tasty result. Generally,
coatings won’t stick to frozen foods.
seasoned flour
61 Thicker coatings don’t stick well to wet/damp foods, so coat
them first in seasoned flour. Use on its own to coat small whole
oily fish like whitebait.
egg and breadcrumbs
62 Popular on fish, chicken, and scotch eggs, it gives an attractive,
crisp, crunchy exterior. Ideal for foods that are to be served cold,
as it stays crisp for hours.
•coat in seasoned flour, to dry the food.
•dip in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs – repeat till fully coated
•press well, then shake off any excess.
•Fresh breadcrumbs give a rough appearance. Make dry raspings
or breadcrumbs by baking scraps of bread till golden, then crush
or process to a fine crumb.
basic batter
100g self raising flour
pinch of salt
cold water
Just before it’s needed, mix the salt and flour with enough water to
form a smooth cream that will coat the back of a spoon.
basic fritter batter
100g self-raising flour
5ml (1tsp) cooking oil
pinch of salt
cold water
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir in the oil. Just before it’s
needed, stir in enough water to form a smooth batter.

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posh fritter batter
100g plain flour
1 egg, separated
150ml liquid
15ml (1tbsp) cooking oil
pinch of salt
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir in the egg yolk, then the liquid.
Beat in the oil. Just before it’s needed, whisk the egg white and fold
into the batter.
crispy Chinese batter
75g cornflour
1 large egg
10ml (2tsp) baking powder
5ml (1tsp) cooking oil
good pinch of salt
cold water
Mix the egg, cornflour, salt and oil with enough cold water to form a
creamy base on which to add either egg and breadcrumbs or batter.
It helps to hold the other coatings firmly to the food.
frying times
Use these times purely as a guide. Check that food is cooked
through before serving. If in doubt, cook it a bit more. Chips and
other veg should be crisp. Cook meat, poultry, and any derivatives
(mince, burgers, etc.) till the juices run clear. Cook fish till the flesh is
opaque throughout.
chips (french fries)
Use a chipping potato, like King Edward, Cara, Maris Piper, Romano
or Desirée.
•Peel, cut, rinse, drain, and dry thoroughly. Don’t put more than
two layers of chips in the basket at a time. For best results, fry in
two stages:
stage 1 fry for 5-10 minutes (depending on quantity) at 170°C.
When the chips reach pale gold, and the outside is firm, lift
the basket out of the oil, and let the chips drain and cool

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stage 2 fry for 2-4 minutes at 190°C. When golden brown and crisp,
remove from the oil, and drain in a colander lined with
kitchen paper.
frozen chips (french fries)
Follow the directions on the package.
other vegetables
Many vegetables may be deep fried – onion rings, mushrooms,
cauliflower florets. They can be fried from fresh or frozen, and
should be coated.
frozen food (small pieces in batter, breadcrumbs, etc.)
•Frozen food cools oil quickly, so fry a single layer at a time..
•Keep the pieces apart, or they’ll stick together.
•Shake off excess ice or water before adding the food to the oil.
•Use the highest temperature setting, and lower the basket slowly
into the oil, to reduce foaming.
•For pre-packed food, follow the instructions on the package.
meat
Only deep fry fresh/thawed meat. Coat in egg and breadcrumbs or
batter. For frozen meat products, follow directions on the package.
goujons 190°C 3
chops, cutlets – small/large 170°C 10/15
scotch eggs 170°C 10
rissoles, meat balls 190°C 6
Wiener schnitzel (depending on thickness) 170°C 3-8
fish – frozen temp (°C) time (min)
You may fry pre-coated fish – follow the directions on the package.
plaice 190°C 5-6
fillets 170°C 10-15
goujons 190°C 3
scampi 170°C 3-5
fish cakes – small 170°C 3
fish cakes – medium/large 170°C 4-5
whitebait 190°C 2-3