Important Safety Information - Presto 01241 Instructions And Recipes Manual

still may be some pressure in the unit.
Do not force the cover off. Continue to
cool the pressure cooker until steam no
longer is escaping from the vent pipe,
the air vent/cover lock has dropped, and
the cover turns easily.
13. Food is ready to serve.
14. Clean your pressure cooker according to
the instructions on pages 7 and 8.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Cooking under pressure enables you to prepare food both quickly and deliciously. If used properly, your pressure cooker is one
of the safest appliances in your kitchen. To ensure safe operation, make sure you always observe the following simple rules
whenever you use the pressure cooker:
1. Never overfill the pressure cooker. The pressure regulator is designed to maintain cooking pressure at a safe level. It
relieves excess pressure through the vent pipe as it rocks back and forth. Many foods tend to expand when cooked. If the
cooker is overfilled, expansion of food may cause the vent pipe to become blocked or clogged. If the vent pipe becomes
blocked, it cannot relieve excess pressure.
Do not fill the cooker above the ⅔ fill line when cooking most foods. When cooking foods that foam, froth, or expand, such
as rice, grains, dry beans, peas, and lentils, or foods that are mostly liquid, such as soups, never fill the cooker above the ½
fill line.
For your convenience, both the ⅔ and ½ full levels are marked by indenta-
tions on the side of the pressure cooker body (Fig. M). The upper marking
indicates the ⅔ full level and the lower the ½ full level. In addition, in
each section of the recipes you will find instructions on the maximum fill
level for each type of food.
REMINDER: When cooking any food, do not let any portion extend
above the maximum fill mark. When cooking rice, grains, dry beans, peas,
lentils, soups, and stews, the cooker should never be more than ½ full.
2. Never pressure cook applesauce, cranberries, rhubarb, cereals, pasta,
split peas, and dried soup mixes. These foods expand so much as a result
of foaming and frothing that they should never be cooked under pressure.
3. Always follow special procedures found in the instruction book when pressure cooking rice, grains, dry beans, peas,
and lentils. During cooking, dry beans, peas, and lentils tend to froth and foam which could cause the vent pipe to become
blocked. Therefore, dry beans, peas, and lentils need to be prepared and cooked according to instructions beginning on page
30. Using this method will keep foam at safe levels during cooking. Like dry beans, peas, and lentils, rice and grains tend to
froth and foam during cooking; therefore, to contain foaming and frothing during the cooking period, rice and grains must
be prepared in a bowl in the pressure cooker according to directions on page 32.
4. 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.
5. 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 7.
6. Always fully close the pressure cooker. Rotate the cover clockwise as far as it rotates without being forced. The cooker
is fully closed when the cover handle is above or slightly to the left of the body handle (see page 5, Fig. H). 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.
7. 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.
Fig. K
⁄ fill line
2
3
⁄ fill line
1
2
Fig. M
6
Fig. L