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directly into the pressure cooker,
or, optionally, you can steam your
food in the stainless steel steamer
basket. To use the stainless
steel steamer basket, place
the metal support trivet on the
bottom of the pressure cooker,
add at least half a cup of liquid,
and place the steamer basket
containing the food on top.
Closing the Lid and Cooking
1. When you’re ready to start
cooking, place the lid on the
pressure cooker pot by aligning
the mark on the lid with the
mark on the top of the pot
handle. Once these two marks
are aligned, press the lid down
lightly, then slide the lid handle
to the left (clockwise), bringing
the pot and lid handles together
(Fig 13). The lock on the handle
will automatically “click” into
place. If the pressure lock does
not close, the cooker will not
build any pressure. This is a
safety measure designed to
prevent accidental opening of
the cooker while under pressure.
The lock will block automatically
as soon as the pressure
indicator has risen, and will
unblock only when the pressure
indicator has dropped again.
Figure 13
2. Once the pressure cooker is
locked, select one of the two
levels of pressure with the
operating valve. Pressure level 2
is HIGH PRESSURE, equivalent
to 15 psi (15 pounds of pressure
per square inch) (Fig 14). Use
this setting for most recipes;
stews, soups, meats, grains,
etc. Pressure level 1 is LOW
PRESSURE, equivalent to 8 psi
(8 pounds of pressure per square
inch) (Fig. 15). Use this setting
for delicate foods such as fish
filets or vegetables. NOTE: the
pressure valve will be set on
pressure level 2 when using the
pressure cooker for the first time,
as per factory default setting.
Figure 14
Figure 15
3. Position the pressure cooker on
the center of the stove burner.
The Chef Pressure Cooker
can be used on all types of
burners including gas, electric,
ceramic and induction. As to
not discolor the sides of the
pot, always adjust the burner
so that when using gas, the
flames remain under the base
and do not extend up the sides.
When cooking on an electric
burner, select a burner the same
diameter as the base or smaller.
4. Begin heating with burner set
on high heat (ELECTRIC STOVE
USERS –SEE BELOW). When
the steam comes out of the
operating valve for first time, lower
the heat to maintain a gentle,
steady stream of steam (Fig 16).
At this moment, the COOKING
TIME STARTS. Use the timer that
comes with the Chef pressure
cooker to begin the cooking time.
Figure 16
5. If at any time during cooking
an excessive amount of steam
is released by the operating
valve, lower the burner heat
to adjust and maintain the
proper level of pressure.
6. If the pressure drops and little
or no steam comes out of the
operating valve, raise the burner
heat just until a gentle, steady
stream of steam is released
and can be maintained.
7. While cooking, never inadvertently
shake the pressure cooker.
This can cause the automatic
valve to release steam, which
will create a drop in pressure.
NOTE TO ELECTRiC sTOvE UsERs
Since the coils on an electric stove
retain heat for a long time, food often
becomes overcooked when the
burner is turned down for simmering
(when cooking time is started).
Turn on one burner to medium heat
and bring your cooker to pressure.
Once pressure has been achieved
and steam starts to come out of the
operating valve, turn your burner to
low and start your pressure cooking
time. Make sure you don’t lower
your heat too much; there should
always be some steam coming out
of the operating valve. If there is
no more steam coming out of the
operating valve and/or the pressure
indicator drops, raise the heat until
steam starts coming out of the
operating valve, and adjust the
cooking time by 1 or 2 minutes.
Releasing Pressure After Cooking.
Always check your recipe to
determine how to release the
pressure from the pressure cooker.
The three different methods
of releasing pressure are:
1. Automatic Release Method:
When using the automatic release
method, turn the dial on the
operating valve to the release
Figure 14
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CHEF INTERIOR 12-19.indd 12-13 12/19/11 9:14 AM