Presto 6-quart Programmable Cooker User Manual
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
To reduce the risk of personal injury or property damage, basic safety precautions should always be followed, including the following:
- Read all instructions. Improper use may result in bodily injury or property damage.
- Before each use, check both the vent pipe and the vent filter to be certain they are free of any blockage. Remove the filter and clean any debris from both the vent pipe and filter.
- Always check the air vent/cover lock to be sure it moves freely before use.
- To protect against electrical shock, do not immerse the cord, plug, or cooker body in water or other liquid.
- Do not let children handle or put electrical cords or plugs in their mouths.
- Always attach the plug to the appliance first, then plug the cord into the wall outlet. To disconnect, press CANCEL once, then remove the plug from the wall outlet.
- Unplug the cord from the unit and outlet when not in use and before cleaning. Allow the unit to cool before putting on or taking off parts and before cleaning.
- Do not operate any appliance with a damaged cord or plug or in the event the appliance malfunctions or has been damaged in any manner. Return the appliance to the Presto Factory Service Department for examination, repair, or electrical or mechanical adjustment.
INTRODUCTION
With your new Presto® Electric Pressure Cooker Plus, you’ll discover how fast and easy it is to prepare a wide variety of delicious meals. There are 12 preset cooking programs for the most popular foods, or you can manually program the cooker. You need only select the desired program and cooking time, and the pressure cooker automatically does the rest. There are 8 built-in safety features, including a cover-locking system that allows pressure to build only when the cover is closed.
It also prevents the cover from being opened until pressure is safely reduced. The pressure cooker preserves flavors and nutrients, tenderizes less expensive cuts of meat, and is faster than ordinary cooking methods. A rack is included for cooking several foods at the same time with no intermingling of flavors, colors, or odors. This appliance can also be used to brown, sauté, and slow-cook foods.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
In order for the unit to function properly, always follow these instructions:
- Check both the vent pipe and vent filter to be sure they are clear. In order to do this, you will need to remove the quick pressure release valve and sealing ring plate from the cover. Then hold the cover up to the light and make sure you can see light coming through the vent pipe. If you cannot, remove the vent filter and clean the vent pipe with a small brush or pipe cleaner to remove the blockage. Reattach the sealing ring plate to the cover.
- Always verify that the sealing ring plate is attached to the pressure cooker cover before cooking.
- Make sure you have not overfilled the cooking pot. Do not fill 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 liquids, such as soups, never fill the cooking pot above the ½ fill line. For your convenience, both the ⅔ and ½ fill lines are marked inside of the cooking pot. In addition, in each section of the recipes you will find instructions on the maximum fill level for each type of food.
- Always make sure cooking liquid has been added to the cooking pot. One cup of liquid is the minimum amount.
- Always follow special procedures found in the instruction book when pressure cooking dry beans, peas, and lentils. During cooking, these foods tend to froth and foam which could cause the vent pipe to become blocked.
HOW TO OPERATE THE DIGITAL CONTROL PANEL
Whenever you plug in the unit, it will beep once and four red dashes will appear in the display window on the digital control panel. The following information describes the control panel buttons and their function.
KEEP WARM/CANCEL BUTTON
When the cooking time has expired, the unit will automatically switch to the keep warm mode. When in the keep warm mode, the light on the KEEP WARM button will illuminate and the red dashes will scroll continuously. The unit will remain on for 4 hours and then shut off automatically unless the CANCEL button is pressed. The CANCEL button allows you to cancel the cooking or keep warm function at any time. Simply press the CANCEL button once. When you press CANCEL, the light on the button will go out and the four red dashes will stop scrolling.
BROWN/SAUTÉ BUTTON
Use this function to brown or sauté foods prior to pressure cooking or slow cooking. Browning is typically used for meats and poultry. Sautéing is used for vegetables and to reduce liquid after pressure cooking to make a flavorful sauce for your food. Press the button once to brown and twice to sauté. The red light next to the function selected will light up and the left digit will scroll continuously. Allow the unit to preheat for 3 to 4 minutes before browning or sautéing your food.
SLOW COOK BUTTON
To slow-cook foods, press the SLOW COOK button once for the high setting or twice for the low setting. The red light next to the function selected will light up. The default cook time is 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low. You can manually adjust the slow cooking time in 30-minute increments by pressing the + or – buttons. You must do this within the first 6 seconds of pressing the SLOW COOK button before the unit begins to heat. The maximum slow cooking time at both the high and low settings is 9 hours and 30 minutes and the minimum slow cooking time is 30 minutes. The left digit scrolls continuously throughout slow cooking but stops in the keep warm mode.
PRESSURE BUTTON
If you prefer to manually set the pressure, instead of using the preset buttons, simply press the PRESSURE button once for the low setting or twice for the high setting. The red light next to the selected pressure will be illuminated. The default cook time is 30 minutes for low and 15 minutes for high. Adjust the cooking time, if desired, by pressing the + or – buttons immediately after pressing the PRESSURE button. NOTE: You must adjust the time within the first 6 seconds before the unit begins to heat. If you accidentally press the wrong setting or time, simply press CANCEL and reset the cooker. High pressure is suitable for most foods. Use low pressure for delicate foods such as fish and some vegetables.
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’s body.
- As is the case with all cookware, avoid chopping or cutting food inside the cooking pot with a knife or other sharp utensils. 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. This is a routine replacement and is not covered under the warranty. 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.
REFERENCE LINK
https://www.gopresto.com/product/presto-electric-pressure-cooker-plus-02141
