ELECTRA ER3124B
Owner's Manual

Freezing of fresh food
To quick-freeze foods when the appliance has not been in use, switch on the freezer and let it run on the quick-freeze setting for at least three hours before putting the food to be frozen in the compartment. If instead the appliance is already in operation, it should run on the quick-freeze setting for at least 24 hours before the foods are put in the freezer compartment. Once the foods have been placed in the freezer, the freezing operation can be considered to be complete 24 hours later. Once freezing is complete, the freezer should be reset for normal «storage» use. Food to be frozen has to be placed in the top basket. The maximum amount of food which is freezable in 24 hours is indicated on the rating plate. This is to be found in the refrigerator compartment on the bottom left-hand side. To help you to get the best out of the freezing process, here are a few hints: Freeze only good-quality, fresh and well-cleaned foods. Split them into small portions to speed up freezing and avoid having to thaw more food than you require. It is in fact important to remember that once the foods have thawed out, they deteriorate fast. Another point to remember is that lean foods keep better and longer than fatty foods. Salt too reduces storage time. Wrap the foods in foil or polythene �lm, ensuring that the wrapping adheres closely to the food and is well sealed. In this way, by avoiding contact with air, the colour, �avour and nutritional value of the foods remain intact. You should never freeze all at once a greater quantity of foods than the maximum indicated on the appliance�s rating plate. During the freezing process, do not add further foods for freezing and do not open the freezer door. The foods for freezing should not be placed in contact with already frozen foods, but put in the special freezing basket. This will avoid a rise of temperature of the already frozen foods. Never put �zzy drinks in the freezer as they might burst. In addition, never put hot foods or liquids in the freezer compartment and take care not to �ll recipients up to the brim if they are covered with a lid. It is a good idea to mark the packs � or the cards on the sliding drawers if your model has them � with the date on which freezing started so that you can keep a check on storage periods. If accidental thawing occurs � due to a power cut for example � the foods must be used up very quickly or else cooked immediately and refrozen. If, however, the

power failure is relatively brief (from 6 to 8 hours) and the freezer compartment is packed full, the frozen foods will not suffer any damage. On the inner freezer door you will �nd schematic drawings of foods and animals indicating the maximum storage time (in months) possible from the time of freezing.

Storage of commercially frozen food
To get the best out of your freezer in case of storage of commercially frozen food you should ensure that: the products have been correctly stored by the retailer; that there is only a very short time between the purchase moment of the products and the moment of putting them into the freezer; you do not store products for longer than the time speci�ed by the food manufacturer. In addition, if the freezer has been out of use for some time, before putting the products in the compartment let the freezer run for at least two hours on the quickfreeze (SUPER) setting. After this, reset the freezer for normal storage use. Avoid opening the door too often and when you do open it, leave it open only for as long as is strictly necessary. A word of warning about ice lollies: they should not be eaten straight from the freezer as this might cause cold burns. If there happens to be a power failure do not open the freezer door. If the freezer is completely full, frozen products will not be affected. Otherwise they should be used up very quickly.

Thawing
Before being used, deep-frozen and frozen food can be thawed out either in the refrigerator compartment or at room temperature, depending on the time available for this operation. Small pieces of food � such as hamburgers, cutlets, chips, and �sh �ngers, for example � can be cooked straight from the freezer, without any intermediate thawing operation. Clearly, cooking time will be marginally longer than in the case of thawed food.

Ice cubes tray
The refrigerator is provided with one or more ice cubes tray. This tray should be �lled with drinking water and then be placed into the freezer compartment. Do not use metal tools to remove the tray when it is stuck-frozen inside the compartment.

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