If you have a query regarding the Cooking Chef why not take a look at our ‘Frequently Asked Questions and Answers’ page before contacting our Customer Experience Department. We also have information on our ‘Hints & Tips’ page so you may find the answer you need right here.
Q. How much can I cook at once in my Cooking Chef?
A. For cooking the maximum capacity is 3 litres, there is a maximum fill level marked on the inside of the bowl. For general use without the cooking facility the quantities are as follows:
Shortcrust Pastry: Flour weight: 910g - 2lb
Stiff Yeast Dough: Flour weight: 1.5kg - 3lb 5oz / Total weight: 2.4kg - 5lb 5oz
Soft Yeast Dough: Flour weight: 2.6kg - 5lb 12oz / Total weight: 5kg - 11lb
Fruit Cake Mix: Total weight: 4.55kg - 10lb
Egg Whites: Min 1 Max 16
Q. Is the Cooking Chef hot to touch whilst in use?
A. The Cooking Chef bowl and bowl tools will become hot when cooking and will remain hot for a while after cooking in exactly the same way it would be with a conventional saucepan.
Q. Why does my Cooking Chef squeak when I use the Flexi Beater?
A. To ensure good performance the flexible beater must make good contact with the bowl. Therefore it is normal to expect a squeaking noise if the rubber wipers on the flexible beater are contacting dry surfaces in the stainless steel bowl. This noise usually disappears when ingredients are added to the bowl. You can also try rubbing a little vegetable oil or butter to the side of the wipers before use.
Q. How do I get the wipers off my flexible beater?
A. Hold the central metal part of the tool in one hand, and with the other hand grip a rubber wiper and pull away from the metal part whilst twisting slightly in alternating directions. Before fitting the rubber wipers it is best to lubricate the stainless steel beater arms with a small amount of fresh cooking oil. Always remove the wipers after use and use the inclusive brush for cleaning.
Q. When I lift up the head of the machine after cooking I am finding a lot of water running down, is it safe?
A. This is just condensation created from the cooking process. The machine has been designed to be completely watertight in the areas where condensation may flow. Simply wipe dry with a cloth.
Q. Is it normal to get a high pitched noise when I’m cooking?
A. Yes, this is a characteristic of induction cooking. You will also hear the motor running at the same time.
Q. Can I use my Cooking Chef like a slow cooker and leave it switched on all day?
A. The maximum cooking time is 3 hours and if a time hasn’t been set the Cooking Chef will switch itself off automatically after this time. It can be reset and run longer if the recipe requires it, HOWEVER, as with all Kenwood appliances we do not recommend the machine is left unattended whilst in use.
Q. Why has my food burnt at the bottom of the bowl?
A. Our recipe book will advise which temperature and tool to use, follow these and you should not experience problems. All bowl tools can be adjusted if they are not reaching the ingredients at the bottom of the bowl, use the inclusive spanner to adjust the height of the shaft (see instructions for further information). Check the temperature in the LCD screen and adjust if necessary.
Q. Can I fit other metal bowls to the Cooking Chef?
A. The Cooking Chef has a safety feature to ensure that only the correct bowl will get hot when the heating control knob is turned on. Other metal bowls or items will not get hot if placed in the heating area (e.g. cutlery, jewellery, standard non-cooking mixing bowl).
Q. Can I put my Cooking Chef bowl on an induction hob?
A. To prevent damage to the Cooking Chef bowl, do not heat the Cooking Chef Bowl on an induction hob or any heating device other than the Cooking Chef.
Q. Does the Heat Shield always need to be in place?
A. Non-cooking functions can be done without the heat shield fitted. The heat shield must be fitted for the heating functions to work. The user may find it convenient to keep the heatguard fitted for both cooking and non-cooking procedures.
Q. I have turned the temperature control to 140ºC but the temperature is not increasing much above 100ºC, why?
A. The boiling temperature of water is approximately 100ºC. Therefore, when heating ingredients with a high water content it is not possible for the Cooking Chef to heat ingredients above approximately 100ºC. The actual maximum temperature will be different for different ingredients. Ingredients with low or no water content can be heated to the maximum Cooking Chef Temperature of 140ºC.
Q. The display is showing over 100ºC and yet it is not boiling, why?
A. When heating liquids or food with a high water content, the accuracy of the temperature reading is usually within +/- 5°C. The accuracy of the temperature display and control will vary depending upon the consistency of your bowl contents, the volume of your bowl contents, the frequency of stirring and the bowl tool that is used. Again this is similar to cooking on a hob. For example, where a large quantity of food in a large saucepan is heated but not stirred thoroughly. The food will be hot at the base of the saucepan, or even burnt, whereas the food near the top will be much cooler.
Q. Why is the blue LED flashing?
A. The machine has two small blue LEDs, the small blue LED above the Temperature Control Knob will indicate when the temperature control knob has been turned to any ‘ON’ position. This will flash until the bowl contents are heated to the selected temperature set by the temperature control knob. Once the required temperature is reached the light will stop flashing.
However, you should note that when you add further cold ingredients to the bowl the blue LED will begin to flash again as the temperature of the bowl contents will be reduced by cold ingredients. If you set the temperature control knob to a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the bowl contents, the LED will flash until the bowl contents temperature is reached, during which time no heating will be applied. You may also notice the static light begin to flash if the mixing frequency is increased.
The small blue LED above the Speed Control Knob will indicate when the Speed Control Knob has been turned to any ‘ON’ position, or when the Fold or Pulse Buttons are pressed. This may be particularly useful to indicate that an intermittent ‘Stir’ speed is selected.
Note: When the machine is connected to the mains electricity supply, no functions will operate unless the Speed Control Knob has been turned to the ‘OFF’ position first.
Q. What attachments can I use?
A. All Major sized attachments are compatible with the Cooking Chef. The AT998 High Speed Slicer Shredder produced before 2008 also will not fit.