MegaChef MCPR3500 - Helpful Tips for Pressure Cooker Use

12-Quart Digital Pressure Cooker | Model MCPR3500 | 39
HELPFUL TIPS
● Read this manual thoroughly and follow all instructions.
● Be familiar with the recipe and have all ingredients prepped before you begin.
● Be sure the lid is secured and locked properly before beginning.
● You may wish to brown some meats before cooking with other ingredient (see p.15).
● Cut foods into equal-sized pieces to promote even cooking. In recipes that call for multiple
ingredients, cut those that cook more quickly into larger pieces, and those that take longer
to cook into smaller pieces.
● A large variety of liquids can be used for pressure cooking, such as wine, beer, bouillon, fruit
juices, water, broth and more.
● After becoming familiar with your pressure cooker, you can adapt conventional recipes
to be used with it. As a general rule, cut cooking times of your conventional recipes by
two thirds. The amount of liquid used may also have to be reduced because there is very
little evaporation in the pressure cooker. Remember, however, there must always be some
liquid in the pressure cooker to produce the necessary steam and pressure. As a rule of
thumb, add 1 cup of liquid for the rst 15 minutes of pressure cooking then 1/3 cup of liquid
for each subsequent 15 minutes. This rule may vary depending on the type and amount of
food cooked.
● In the event that the unit is unable to build pressure, simply add more liquid until it can
pressurize.
● Since pressure cooking enhances avors, we recommend reducing the amounts of herbs
and seasonings when adapting conventional recipes.
● The use of fresh herbs is recommended as they will have a more intense avor than dried
herbs.
● In general, pressure cookers cook foods in about 1/3 of the time of conventional cooking
methods.
● Increase cooking times by about 10% when cooking in high altitudes of over 3,500 feet.
● If you wish to cook food in less time than the preset timer default setting, observe the timer
and press “KEEP WARM/CANCEL” when you would like to stop the cooking process before
the timer has reached 0.
● Never ll the inner pot above the ll line whenever cooking under pressure.
● Never manually release pressure whenever cooking soups, stews, or any recipes requiring
large amounts of liquids.