11
Steam cooking
The steamer basket should be placed on top of the steamer stand in the pressure cooker to allow the steam
to circulate freely in and around the food. At least 750ml or 1¼ pints of water should be used for steam
cooking. The water level must not exceed the level of the steamer stand otherwise the food will be immersed
in the water instead of cooking in steam.
Some heatproof containers may be used in the pressure cooker i.e. metal, enamel, glass, earthenware
or boilable plastic. Do not use any containers that are cracked. Containers should easily fit into the cooker
and must not come to within 2.5cm (1”) of the top of the cooker body.
Caution: Always use oven gloves when handling any hot containers.
Pre-steaming
Some recipes, such as Christmas pudding, require pre-steaming before being brought to cooking
temperature. Pre-steaming can be carried out in a closed pressure cooker, over a medium heat with
the pressure regulator left off.
Make sure there is enough water in the pressure cooker to cover the pre-steaming and the normal cooking
time. Once steaming begins, the heat should be turned down as low as possible in order to reduce the amount
of steam that escapes and the amount of water that is consumed. Once pre-steaming is complete, check that
there is still sufficient water remaining to complete the cooking stage. If in doubt, remove the lid and check
the water level before moving from pre-steaming to pressure cooking. The lid should be locked into position,
the pressure regulator fitted and the heat turned up to bring the pressure cooker up to cooking pressure.
2. USING YOUR PRESSURE COOKER – STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Care & Use Instructions
Helpline: +44 (0)333 220 6066
