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14 15
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
Closing the Lid and Cooking
1. When you’re ready to start cooking, place the lid on the pressure cooker pot,
press the lid down lightly if needed, turn the lid handle toward the direction of
the arrow marked on the handle (close). Once the pressure cooker is locked,
select one of the two levels of pressure on the operating valve. Pressure level
I is LOW PRESSURE, equivalent to 8 psi (8 pounds of pressure per square
inch). Use this setting for delicate foods such as fish fillets or vegetables.
Pressure level II is HIGH PRESSURE, equivalent to 15 psi (15 pounds of
pressure per square inch). Use this setting for most recipes; stews, soups,
meats, grains, etc.
2. Position the pressure cooker on the center of the stove burner. The Helix
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.
3. Begin the cooking process with the burner set on high heat if you have a gas
or induction stove. (ELECTRIC STOVE USERS – SEE NOTE TO ELECTRIC
STOVE USERS). When the pressure indicator has risen and steam starts to
come out of the operating valve, lower the heat to maintain a gentle, steady
stream of steam. At this moment, the COOKING TIME STARTS and you can
begin timing your recipe. It is recommended that a kitchen timer be used to
monitor the exact cooking time.
4. 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.
5. If the pressure drops and little or no steam comes out of the operating
valve, raise the burner heat slightly until a gentle, steady stream of steam is
released and can be maintained.
6. 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 over-
cooks when the burner heat is lowered (when cooking time is started). To com-
pensate for that, we recommend using the Two-Burner Method: Use one burner
to medium heat to bring your cooker to pressure. Turn on a second burner to low
heat so that once pressure has been achieved and steam starts to come out of
the operating valve on your cooker you can carefully move the pressure cooker
with oven mittens to the lower burner and start the pressure cooking time. You
can then turn off the burner with the medium heat. Make sure you don’t lower the
heat too much on the second burner; there should always be a steady steam of
steam coming out of the operating valve when cooking. 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 if the pressure cooker should be cooled
down naturally, or whether the quick release method should be used. The Fagor
Helix Pressure Cooker also features an automatic release position on the ope-
rating valve that can be used for releasing pressure automatically when cooking
foods such as stews, meats, poultry, soups. You can choose one of the following
3 methods to release the pressure.
1. Natural Release Method: To use this method, remove the pressure cooker
from the hot burner and let the pressure drop and cool down naturally.
Depending on the amount of food and liquid in the cooker, this method
can take from 10-15 minutes. Once pressure has totally been released, the
pressure indicator has dropped and there isn’t any more steam coming out
of the operating valve, go to # 4 in this section.
2. Quick Release Method: Also called the cold-water release method, is used
to release pressure as quickly as possible. This method is used primarily
when cooking vegetables, seafood and other tender foods that can quickly
overcook. To use this method, remove the pressure cooker from the burner,
place in the sink and run tap water gently over the lid until steam dissipates
and the pressure indicator is lowered.
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