31
Care and Cleaning
Body and Lid
•
Remove label, wash, rinse and dry cooker before use (do not wash
in a dishwasher).
•
Remove any adhesive by rubbing a little vegetable oil with a piece
of cloth.
•
Do not hit or knock the rim of the cooker body with a ladle, spoon
or any other object. Protect the edge of the lid from all knocks
and dents which may disturb the sealing of the cooker.
•
Do not bang cooker down on pan supports. Lift cooker from the
pan supports – do not drag it across the pan supports.
•
Do not cook or store food items which are acidic in nature such
as tomatoes for more than 1 hour in the pressure cooker. Do not
leave other food or water for more than 4 hours in the pressure
cooker. Do not leave the cooker lying in water or with dirty
dishes for long. Chemicals and natural salts in the water and
decomposing food can cause pitting of the metal.
•
Do not leave salted liquid, vinegar, lemon juice, mayonnaise or
mustard in the cooker. Never add salt to the cooker when there
is no liquid in the cooker. First add the liquid, warm it, then add
the salt and stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
•
Do not put the hot cooker in cold water – allow to cool first.
for the Ceramic-Coated Contura:
1. Protect the exterior ceramic coating from chipping and
scratching by not hitting, cutting or banging it or the rim of the
cooker body with any hard or sharp objects.
2. After use, faint scratches or marks may appear on the exterior
ceramic coating. These are marks of normal wear and tear and
do not affect the performance of the cooker. The coating is non-
toxic and inert.
Handles
•
Plastic handles may break under a blow.
•
Do not attempt to remove the "play" or movement provided for
the lid handle bar where it is attached to the lid. The "play" is
designed deliberately and is essential for proper sealing.
Rubber Gasket
•
Do not stretch the gasket, particularly when it is hot, as it may
distort over time.
•
Replace the gasket when it becomes hard or cracked and no
longer seals.
•
Before replacing at the first sign of not sealing, check that the
gasket is sitting flush in the lid curl and that the lid is properly
centered. Sometimes, just moving the gasket around or inverting
it stops the leak. Do not invert the gasket of 8 Litre (Wide), 10 Litre
and 12 Litre cookers – see
Getting to Know Your Hawkins
,
page 9.
