Use and Care Manual
Fig. R
Air vent/cover lock
Gasket
Fig. T
Sensor
Fig. S
Gasket
1716
Occasionally
1. Remove the air vent/cover lock for cleaning.
Place your nger over the top of the air vent/
cover lock on the cover (Fig. R) and remove the
gasket from the underside of the cover (Fig. S).
Push the air vent/cover lock through the top of
the cover. Wash it and the gasket in warm, soapy
water. The metal shaft may be cleaned with a
nylon mesh pad. Clean the cover hole with a
small brush. After cleaning, reinsert the metal
shaft from the top side of the cover down through
the cover hole. Place a nger over the top of the
air vent/cover lock and push the gasket onto the
end of the metal shaft, tting it into the groove.
2. Remove the gasket on the sensor (Fig. T) and
wash it in warm, soapy water. Clean the sensor
with a damp cloth and place the gasket back on
the sensor.
3. Wipe the outside of the cooker body with a damp
cloth.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
● When not in use, store your pressure cooker in a dry place. To prevent unpleasant
odors from lingering, store the unit with the cover inverted on the cooker body.
● As is the case with all cookware, avoid chopping or cutting food inside the cook-
ing pot with a knife or other sharp utensil. Do not use metal utensils as they may
scratch the nonstick surface.
● Do not strike the rim of the cooking pot with any cooking utensil. This could
cause nicks in the rim which may allow steam to escape and prevent the pressure
cooker from sealing.
● The sealing ring and gasket for the air vent/cover lock may shrink, become hard,
deformed, cracked, or torn with normal use. When this happens, replace the
sealing ring and/or the air vent/cover lock gasket.
Leakage between the cover and cooker body is usually caused by deterioration of
the sealing ring after prolonged use.
● Periodically check the vent pipe nut for looseness. If necessary, retighten with a
½ʺ wrench.
● If for any reason the pressure cooker cannot be opened, contact the Consumer
Service Department in Eau Claire, WI at 1-800-877-0441.
● Any maintenance required for this product, other than normal household care and
cleaning, should be performed by the Presto Factory Service Department (see
page 43).
HELPFUL HINTS
● Your favorite recipes may be adjusted for cooking in the pressure cooker by
following the general directions in this manual. Use the included timetables
and recipes as a guide for specic foods and cooking times. There is very little
evaporation during pressure cooking, so the amount of liquid used should be
decreased. A minimum of 1 cup of water or cooking liquid should always be used
for pressure cooking.
Of course, the easiest way to adapt your favorite conventional recipe is to nd a
similar recipe for pressure cooking in this book and use it as a guide.
● Use the cooking rack when it is desirable to cook foods out of the cooking liquid.
When foods are pressure cooked out of the liquid, avors will not intermingle.
Therefore, it is possible to cook several foods at once, as long as they have simi-
lar cooking times. If it is desirable to blend avors, do not use the cooking rack.
● Many different cooking liquids can be used in a pressure cooker. Wine, beer,
broth, fruit juices, and of course water all make excellent cooking liquids in the
pressure cooker.
● It is the size and shape of the food pieces, rather than the quantity, that affects
pressure cooking time. For example, 1 potato will have the same cooking time as
6 potatoes of similar size. It is important to note the size of the food specied in
the cooking timetables; if the pieces of food being cooked are of a size different
than those noted, it will be necessary to adjust the cooking time.
● If you have any questions on recipes, cooking times, or the operation of your
pressure cooker, call our Test Kitchen at 1-800-368-2194 or contact us at our
website www.GoPresto.com.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Sometimes when pressure cooking, I notice beads of moisture forming in
the area of the pressure release valve and hear what sounds like escaping
steam before the timer begins to count down. Is there something I am doing
wrong?
No. Both are normal and can be expected as part of pressure cooking.
2. I accidentally selected the wrong program and pressed the start button and
the cooker is not allowing me to select the right program. What can I do?
Press the cancel button. This will enable you to start over and select the correct
program.
3. When I try to adjust the time, nothing happens. What should I do?
Press the cancel button and begin again by selecting the desired program. Then
press the control knob once and adjust the time as needed.