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STEAM COOKING — COMPARTMENT OPERATION
Refer to the
Steam Cooking with Vulcan Kettles and Steamers
(booklet packed with your steamer) for
suggested cooking times of various foods. All cooking times are approximate because size, weight,
pan loading and product quality will affect steamer cooking times. Use these suggestions and then
adjust cooking times to your own requirements.
1. Prepare vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood and poultry as you would for steam cooking or cooking
in water, clean, separate, cut, remove stems, and place in a pan.
2. Place loaded pans in the compartment and close the compartment door. Turn the door screw
handle clockwise to seal the door gasket. Additional tightening of the door screw may be needed
to eliminate leaks. The compartment pressure gauge typically reaches a maximum pressure of
(5 to 6 psi).
3. The timer knob must be turned to 5 minutes or beyond. The knob may then be turned back to a
lower setting if a shorter cooking cycle is desired. Set the timer to the sum of the desired cooking
time plus some minutes allowed for preheat. The preheat allowance will generally be 5 to 10
minutes. It will vary with the type, size, temperature and condition (frozen or thawed) of the load,
and must be determined from experience.
4. Press the top half of the red switch located under the timer; the cooking light will come on. This
closes the drain, allows steam to enter the compartment and starts the timer. The balance of the
cooking time sequence is automatic. If steam leaks around the door gasket, tighten the door screw.
Do not overtighten the door screw. Excessive tightening of the door screw may shorten gasket life
and result in steam leakage around the gasket.
5. Steam automatically exhausts one minute before the end of the cooking cycle, and the steam
supply shuts off. Never attempt to open the compartment door during the cooking cycle, when the
cooking light is lit or before the buzzer sounds.
6. At the end of the cooking cycle (and the 1 minute exhaust period), the cooking light shuts off and
the buzzer sounds. Turn the compartment switch off by pressing the bottom half of the red switch;
this also shuts off the buzzer. Loosen the door screw and allow moisture to escape. After a few
seconds, move the latch paddle to the left, then slowly open the door and remove the pans of food.
SHUT DOWN AT END OF DAY
WARNING: THE WATER BEING DRAINED IS HOT AND UNDER PRESSURE. USE CARE WHEN
SERVICING THE STEAM GENERATOR.
To prevent malfunction of controls from scale related clogging, it is essential to flush (blow down)
the steam generator every day. This will remove accumulated minerals from the feed water and
reduce internal scale build-up which could interfere with proper steam generator operation.
Failure to blow down the steam generator every day may void the steamer warranty.
1. Turn the power switch OFF. Steamers equipped with automatic blow down will blow down.
2. If your steamer is equipped with manual blow down, open the blow down valve.
TO SHUT OFF FOR AN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN
For an extended shutdown, turn the Boiler On-Off switch off; turn the Ignition Switch off. Allow to blow
down before water is shut off. Close the water inlet valve(s). Close the gas shutoff valve. Shut off the
electrical supply to the machine. Clean the compartments. Leave the doors open.