Presto 1362 - Manual (Page 6)

6
For your convenience, both the ⅔ and ½ full levels are marked by
indentations 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 and peas, soups, and stews, the cooker should never be
more than ½ full.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Always fully close the pressure cooker. — The cooker is fully closed when the cover handle is directly above the
body handle. 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 handle is directly above the body handle (see page 4, Fig. H).
Do not turn past handle alignment.
5. 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.
6. Replace the overpressure plug if it is hard, deformed, cracked, worn or pitted, or when replacing the sealing
ring. Replace the sealing ring if it becomes hard, deformed, cracked, worn, pitted, or soft and sticky. — The
overpressure plug is a secondary pressure relief valve which is designed to relieve excess pressure by releasing from
the cooker cover in the event that 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 use the released 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 29. 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 31.
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 29. — These foods expand so much as a result of foaming and frothing that
they should never be cooked under pressure.
CleanInG
1. All parts of your pressure cooker, including the sealing ring and pressure regulator, are fully immersible for easy
cleaning. When washing the unit, however, the sealing ring should always be removed 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 ⁄
3
fill line
1 ⁄
2
fill line
Fig. M