User Manual

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2. Never pressure cook applesauce, cranberries, rhubarb, cereals, pasta, split peas, dried soup mixes, or dry beans and peas
which are not listed in the chart on page 22. These foods expand so much as a result of foaming and frothing that they should
never be cooked under pressure.
3. Always add cooking liquid. If an empty pressure cooker is left on a hot burner or if a cooker boils dry and is left on a heated burner,
the cooker will overheat excessively causing possible discoloration and/or damage to the cooker.
4. Always look through the vent pipe before using the cooker to make sure it is clear. If the vent pipe is blocked, it cannot function
as it should and thus cannot relieve excess pressure. Pressure may then build to unsafe levels. To clean the vent pipe, see page 6.
5. Always fully close the pressure cooker. The cooker is fully closed when the cover handles are directly above the body handles. Your
pressure cooker has specially designed lugs on the cover and body which lock the cover in place when the cooker is fully closed.
However, if the cooker is not fully closed, the lugs cannot lock the cover onto the body. It’s possible that pressure could build inside
the cooker and cause the cover to come off and result in bodily injury or property damage. Always be sure the cover handles are
directly above the body handles (see Fig. F, page 3). Do not turn past handle alignment.
6. WARNING! Never open the cooker when it contains pressure. The air vent/cover lock provides a visual indication of pressure
inside the cooker. When it is up, there is pressure. When it is down, there is no pressure in the cooker and it can be opened. If the
pressure cooker is opened before all of the pressure is released, the contents of the cooker will erupt and could cause bodily injury
or property damage.
7. Respond to a warning from the pressure relief valve. The pressure relief valve is a warning device that is designed to provide
both visual (the cap lifts and steam comes out the sides) and audio (a fast, steady release of steam, often times accompanied by a
continuous unpleasant sound) signals to indicate that the vent pipe has been blocked and is no longer regulating pressure and there
is excessive pressure in the cooker.
If you see and/or hear either of these signals, immediately turn off the burner. Do not move the cooker. Instead, allow pressure to
drop of its own accord. When there is no pressure in the cooker (see #6 above), remove the pressure regulator from the cover, open
the cooker, and clean the vent pipe (see page 6).
NOTE: Do not operate the cooker again until you have replaced the pressure relief valve. The high pressure which triggered the
release may have contaminated the valve with food particles, which could prevent it from acting as a warning and a backup pressure
relief valve if the vent pipe is plugged again.
Remember a plugged vent pipe is a result of user error.
• Never overfill the cooker (see page 4, #1).
• Never cook the foods listed in #2 above in a pressure cooker.
• Always follow the special procedures when cooking rice, grains, and dry beans and peas (see #11 below).
8. Never tamper with the internal components of the pressure relief valve. The pressure relief valve is a very sensitive part and can
be easily damaged. When replacing the pressure relief valve, the entire part must be replaced.
9. Replace the sealing ring if it becomes hard, deformed, cracked, worn, pitted, or soft and sticky. The sealing ring provides a
pressure tight seal between the cover and stainless steel body. The sealing ring needs to be in good condition to function properly.
WARNING! Failure to replace the sealing ring when it is hard, deformed, cracked, worn, pitted, or soft and sticky could result in
bodily injury or property damage. It is recommended that the sealing ring be replaced every two years.
10. Replace the overpressure plug if it is hard, deformed, cracked, worn or pitted, or when replacing the sealing ring. The overpres-
sure plug is designed to relieve excess pressure by releasing from the cooker cover in the event that both the vent pipe and pressure
relief valve are blocked.
The overpressure plug is made of rubber, and when new, is soft and pliable. Over time, depending on the frequency and type of use,
rubber becomes hard and inflexible. When hard and inflexible, the overpressure plug loses its ability to act as a secondary pressure
relief valve. It should be replaced immediately. It is recommended that the overpressure plug be replaced every two years.
Should the overpressure plug ever be forced out of the cover due to excess pressure while cooking, it is important to call the Test
Kitchen at 1-800-368-2194. Do not attempt to use the released overpressure plug.
11. Always follow special procedures found in the instruction book when pressure cooking rice, grains, and dry beans and peas.
During cooking, dry beans and peas tend to froth and foam which could cause the vent pipe to become blocked. Therefore, dry beans
and peas need to be soaked and cooked according to instructions on page 22.
Using this method will minimize foam during cooking. Like dry beans and peas, rice and grains tend to froth and foam during cook-
ing; therefore, to contain foaming and frothing during the cooking period, rice and grains must be prepared in a bowl in the pressure
cooker according instructions on page 23.