Care And Maintenance - Presto 100th Anniversary Instructions And Recipes Manual

Pressure cooker

Table of Contents

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 handle is directly

above the body handle (see page 3, Fig. F). Do not turn past handle alignment.

5. Never open the cooker when it contains pressure . The blue 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.

6. Check the overpressure plug . If it is hard, deformed, cracked, worn, or pitted, replace it immediately . The overpressure plug

is a secondary pressure relief valve which is designed to relieve excess pressure if the vent pipe becomes 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.

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 replace the overpressure plug .

7. 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 beginning on page 21. Using this method will keep foam at safe

levels during cooking. Like dry beans and peas, 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 23.

8. Never pressure cook applesauce, cranberries, rhubarb, cereals, pastas, 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.

1. All parts of your pressure cooker except the PressureTru indicator are fully immersible for easy cleaning. Always remove the

PressureTru indicator from the cover before immersing the cover in

water . When washing the cover, always remove the sealing ring to allow easy

cleaning of the inside rim of the cover. The sealing ring should be washed with

hot sudsy water after each use.

2. Wipe the PressureTru indicator with a damp cloth. Never immerse the

PressureTru indicator in water as water may damage the parts.

3. To be sure the vent pipe is clear, hold the cover up to the light and look through

the vent pipe. Clean it with a small brush or pipe cleaner if it is blocked or

partially blocked (Fig. M). Also clean the vent pipe nut as shown.

4. Occasionally remove the air vent/cover lock in the pressure cooker cover handle for clean-

ing. To remove the air vent/cover lock, place your finger over the hole (Fig. O) in the cover

handle and remove the white rubber gasket from the air vent/cover lock on the underside of

the cover (Fig. N). Push the air vent/cover lock through the top of the cover and wash it and

the gasket in hot sudsy water.

The metal shaft of the air vent/cover lock may be cleaned with a nylon mesh pad. Clean the

hole in the cover handle with a small brush. After cleaning, reinsert the metal shaft of the air

vent/cover lock from the top side of the cover (Fig. O) down through the cover handle hole.

Place a finger over the handle hole (to keep the air vent/cover lock from falling out) and turn

the cover over. Wet the rubber gasket and push onto the end of the metal shaft until it snaps

into the groove on the shaft.

5. The overpressure plug can also be removed for cleaning by pushing it out of its opening

from the top of the cover. After cleaning, reinsert it by pushing the domed side of the plug

into the opening from the underside of the cover, until the bottom edge is fully and evenly

seated against the underside of the cover (Fig. P). When the overpressure plug is properly

installed, the word "TOP" will be visible on the overpressure plug when viewing the outside

of the cover.