buy pressure cooker safety valve free sample

A safety valve is a valve that acts as a fail-safe. An example of safety valve is a pressure relief valve (PRV), which automatically releases a substance from a boiler, pressure vessel, or other system, when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits. Pilot-operated relief valves are a specialized type of pressure safety valve. A leak tight, lower cost, single emergency use option would be a rupture disk.

Safety valves were first developed for use on steam boilers during the Industrial Revolution. Early boilers operating without them were prone to explosion unless carefully operated.

Vacuum safety valves (or combined pressure/vacuum safety valves) are used to prevent a tank from collapsing while it is being emptied, or when cold rinse water is used after hot CIP (clean-in-place) or SIP (sterilization-in-place) procedures. When sizing a vacuum safety valve, the calculation method is not defined in any norm, particularly in the hot CIP / cold water scenario, but some manufacturers

The earliest and simplest safety valve was used on a 1679 steam digester and utilized a weight to retain the steam pressure (this design is still commonly used on pressure cookers); however, these were easily tampered with or accidentally released. On the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the safety valve tended to go off when the engine hit a bump in the track. A valve less sensitive to sudden accelerations used a spring to contain the steam pressure, but these (based on a Salter spring balance) could still be screwed down to increase the pressure beyond design limits. This dangerous practice was sometimes used to marginally increase the performance of a steam engine. In 1856, John Ramsbottom invented a tamper-proof spring safety valve that became universal on railways. The Ramsbottom valve consisted of two plug-type valves connected to each other by a spring-laden pivoting arm, with one valve element on either side of the pivot. Any adjustment made to one of valves in an attempt to increase its operating pressure would cause the other valve to be lifted off its seat, regardless of how the adjustment was attempted. The pivot point on the arm was not symmetrically between the valves, so any tightening of the spring would cause one of the valves to lift. Only by removing and disassembling the entire valve assembly could its operating pressure be adjusted, making impromptu "tying down" of the valve by locomotive crews in search of more power impossible. The pivoting arm was commonly extended into a handle shape and fed back into the locomotive cab, allowing crews to "rock" both valves off their seats to confirm they were set and operating correctly.

Safety valves also evolved to protect equipment such as pressure vessels (fired or not) and heat exchangers. The term safety valve should be limited to compressible fluid applications (gas, vapour, or steam).

For liquid-packed vessels, thermal relief valves are generally characterized by the relatively small size of the valve necessary to provide protection from excess pressure caused by thermal expansion. In this case a small valve is adequate because most liquids are nearly incompressible, and so a relatively small amount of fluid discharged through the relief valve will produce a substantial reduction in pressure.

Flow protection is characterized by safety valves that are considerably larger than those mounted for thermal protection. They are generally sized for use in situations where significant quantities of gas or high volumes of liquid must be quickly discharged in order to protect the integrity of the vessel or pipeline. This protection can alternatively be achieved by installing a high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS).

In the petroleum refining, petrochemical, chemical manufacturing, natural gas processing, power generation, food, drinks, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries, the term safety valve is associated with the terms pressure relief valve (PRV), pressure safety valve (PSV) and relief valve.

The generic term is Pressure relief valve (PRV) or pressure safety valve (PSV). PRVs and PSVs are not the same thing, despite what many people think; the difference is that PSVs have a manual lever to open the valve in case of emergency.

Relief valve (RV): an automatic system that is actuated by the static pressure in a liquid-filled vessel. It specifically opens proportionally with increasing pressure

Pilot-operated safety relief valve (POSRV): an automatic system that relieves on remote command from a pilot, to which the static pressure (from equipment to protect) is connected

Low pressure safety valve (LPSV): an automatic system that relieves static pressure on a gas. Used when the difference between the vessel pressure and the ambient atmospheric pressure is small.

Vacuum pressure safety valve (VPSV): an automatic system that relieves static pressure on a gas. Used when the pressure difference between the vessel pressure and the ambient pressure is small, negative and near to atmospheric pressure.

Low and vacuum pressure safety valve (LVPSV): an automatic system that relieves static pressure on a gas. Used when the pressure difference is small, negative or positive and near to atmospheric pressure.

In most countries, industries are legally required to protect pressure vessels and other equipment by using relief valves. Also, in most countries, equipment design codes such as those provided by the ASME, API and other organizations like ISO (ISO 4126) must be complied with. These codes include design standards for relief valves and schedules for periodic inspection and testing after valves have been removed by the company engineer.

Today, the food, drinks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals industries call for hygienic safety valves, fully drainable and Cleanable-In-Place. Most are made of stainless steel; the hygienic norms are mainly 3A in the USA and EHEDG in Europe.

The first safety valve was invented by Denis Papin for his steam digester, an early pressure cooker rather than an engine.steelyard" lever a smaller weight was required, also the pressure could easily be regulated by sliding the same weight back and forth along the lever arm. Papin retained the same design for his 1707 steam pump.Greenwich in 1803, one of Trevithick"s high-pressure stationary engines exploded when the boy trained to operate the engine left it to catch eels in the river, without first releasing the safety valve from its working load.

Although the lever safety valve was convenient, it was too sensitive to the motion of a steam locomotive. Early steam locomotives therefore used a simpler arrangement of weights stacked directly upon the valve. This required a smaller valve area, so as to keep the weight manageable, which sometimes proved inadequate to vent the pressure of an unattended boiler, leading to explosions. An even greater hazard was the ease with which such a valve could be tied down, so as to increase the pressure and thus power of the engine, at further risk of explosion.

Although deadweight safety valves had a short lifetime on steam locomotives, they remained in use on stationary boilers for as long as steam power remained.

Weighted valves were sensitive to bouncing from the rough riding of early locomotives. One solution was to use a lightweight spring rather than a weight. This was the invention of Timothy Hackworth on his leaf springs.

These direct-acting spring valves could be adjusted by tightening the nuts retaining the spring. To avoid tampering, they were often shrouded in tall brass casings which also vented the steam away from the locomotive crew.

The Salter coil spring spring balance for weighing, was first made in Britain by around 1770.spring steels to make a powerful but compact spring in one piece. Once again by using the lever mechanism, such a spring balance could be applied to the considerable force of a boiler safety valve.

The spring balance valve also acted as a pressure gauge. This was useful as previous pressure gauges were unwieldy mercury manometers and the Bourdon gauge had yet to be invented.

Paired valves were often adjusted to slightly different pressures too, a small valve as a control measure and the lockable valve made larger and permanently set to a higher pressure, as a safeguard.Sinclair for the Eastern Counties Railway in 1859, had the valve spring with pressure scale behind the dome, facing the cab, and the locked valve ahead of the dome, out of reach of interference.

In 1855, John Ramsbottom, later locomotive superintendent of the LNWR, described a new form of safety valve intended to improve reliability and especially to be tamper-resistant. A pair of plug valves were used, held down by a common spring-loaded lever between them with a single central spring. This lever was characteristically extended rearwards, often reaching into the cab on early locomotives. Rather than discouraging the use of the spring lever by the fireman, Ramsbottom"s valve encouraged this. Rocking the lever freed up the valves alternately and checked that neither was sticking in its seat.

A drawback to the Ramsbottom type was its complexity. Poor maintenance or mis-assembly of the linkage between the spring and the valves could lead to a valve that no longer opened correctly under pressure. The valves could be held against their seats and fail to open or, even worse, to allow the valve to open but insufficiently to vent steam at an adequate rate and so not being an obvious and noticeable fault.Rhymney Railway, even though the boiler was almost new, at only eight months old.

Naylor valves were introduced around 1866. A bellcrank arrangement reduced the strain (percentage extension) of the spring, thus maintaining a more constant force.L&Y & NER.

All of the preceding safety valve designs opened gradually and had a tendency to leak a "feather" of steam as they approached "blowing-off", even though this was below the pressure. When they opened they also did so partially at first and didn"t vent steam quickly until the boiler was well over pressure.

The quick-opening "pop" valve was a solution to this. Their construction was simple: the existing circular plug valve was changed to an inverted "top hat" shape, with an enlarged upper diameter. They fitted into a stepped seat of two matching diameters. When closed, the steam pressure acted only on the crown of the top hat, and was balanced by the spring force. Once the valve opened a little, steam could pass the lower seat and began to act on the larger brim. This greater area overwhelmed the spring force and the valve flew completely open with a "pop". Escaping steam on this larger diameter also held the valve open until pressure had dropped below that at which it originally opened, providing hysteresis.

These valves coincided with a change in firing behaviour. Rather than demonstrating their virility by always showing a feather at the valve, firemen now tried to avoid noisy blowing off, especially around stations or under the large roof of a major station. This was mostly at the behest of stationmasters, but firemen also realised that any blowing off through a pop valve wasted several pounds of boiler pressure; estimated at 20 psi lost and 16 lbs or more of shovelled coal.

Pop valves derived from Adams"s patent design of 1873, with an extended lip. R. L. Ross"s valves were patented in 1902 and 1904. They were more popular in America at first, but widespread from the 1920s on.

Although showy polished brass covers over safety valves had been a feature of steam locomotives since Stephenson"s day, the only railway to maintain this tradition into the era of pop valves was the GWR, with their distinctive tapered brass safety valve bonnets and copper-capped chimneys.

Developments in high-pressure water-tube boilers for marine use placed more demands on safety valves. Valves of greater capacity were required, to vent safely the high steam-generating capacity of these large boilers.Naylor valve) became more critical.distilled feedwater and also a scouring of the valve seats, leading to wear.

High-lift safety valves are direct-loaded spring types, although the spring does not bear directly on the valve, but on a guide-rod valve stem. The valve is beneath the base of the stem, the spring rests on a flange some height above this. The increased space between the valve itself and the spring seat allows the valve to lift higher, further clear of the seat. This gives a steam flow through the valve equivalent to a valve one and a half or twice as large (depending on detail design).

The Cockburn Improved High Lift design has similar features to the Ross pop type. The exhaust steam is partially trapped on its way out and acts on the base of the spring seat, increasing the lift force on the valve and holding the valve further open.

To optimise the flow through a given diameter of valve, the full-bore design is used. This has a servo action, where steam through a narrow control passage is allowed through if it passes a small control valve. This steam is then not exhausted, but is passed to a piston that is used to open the main valve.

There are safety valves known as PSV"s and can be connected to pressure gauges (usually with a 1/2" BSP fitting). These allow a resistance of pressure to be applied to limit the pressure forced on the gauge tube, resulting in prevention of over pressurisation. the matter that has been injected into the gauge, if over pressurised, will be diverted through a pipe in the safety valve, and shall be driven away from the gauge.

There is a wide range of safety valves having many different applications and performance criteria in different areas. In addition, national standards are set for many kinds of safety valves.

Safety valves are required on water heaters, where they prevent disaster in certain configurations in the event that a thermostat should fail. Such a valve is sometimes referred to as a "T&P valve" (Temperature and Pressure valve). There are still occasional, spectacular failures of older water heaters that lack this equipment. Houses can be leveled by the force of the blast.

Pressure cookers are cooking pots with a pressure-proof lid. Cooking at pressure allows the temperature to rise above the normal boiling point of water (100 degrees Celsius at sea level), which speeds up the cooking and makes it more thorough.

Pressure cookers usually have two safety valves to prevent explosions. On older designs, one is a nozzle upon which a weight sits. The other is a sealed rubber grommet which is ejected in a controlled explosion if the first valve gets blocked. On newer generation pressure cookers, if the steam vent gets blocked, a safety spring will eject excess pressure and if that fails, the gasket will expand and release excess pressure downwards between the lid and the pan. Also, newer generation pressure cookers have a safety interlock which locks the lid when internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, to prevent accidents from a sudden release of very hot steam, food and liquid, which would happen if the lid were to be removed when the pan is still slightly pressurised inside (however, the lid will be very hard or impossible to open when the pot is still pressurised).

"Trial of HMS Rattler and Alecto". April 1845. The very lowest pressure exhibited "when the screw was out of the water" (as the opponents of the principle term it) was 34 lb, ranging up to 60 lb., on Salter"s balance.

A pressure cooker is a sealed cooking vessel that uses high pressure to increase the boiling point of liquids. This allows food to cook more quickly and with less water and energy than with standard cooking methods.  However, pressure cookers can be dangerous.  Manufacturing defects and design defects are frequently the cause of pressure cooker explosions.  Some common injuries from pressure cooker use are steam burns, contact burns, splashed/spilled hot liquids, and explosion.  However, proper use can minimize the risk of these types of injuries when using a pressure cooker.

Faulty Gaskets that Allow Premature Opening – A faulty gasket that allows the premature opening of the pot during high pressure can cause steam and contact burns.

Inspect the Pressure Cooker Before Cooking – The rubber gasket between the pot and lid is critical to the proper functioning of a pressure cooker.  Before cooking, ensure the gasket is clean and is not cracked or dried out.  Some manufacturers suggest replacing the rubber gasket once a year, depending on how frequently you use your pressure cooker.

Don’t Overfill the Pressure Cooker –A pressure cooker should never be over two-thirds full.  This is to prevent food from blocking the vents in the lid of the cooker.  For foods that swell or froth (i.e. beans, rice, pasta), only fill the cooker halfway.

Use Enough Liquid –Pressure cookers are designed to cook food by using steam under extreme pressure.  Steam cannot be created without some form of liquid.  At least half a cup of liquid is needed to create enough steam to properly use the cooker.

Be Mindful of the Type of Food Being Cooked –Froth produced during the cooking process by certain foods (i.e. pasta, split peas, oatmeal, applesauce and cranberries) can block the steam valves and vents of the cooker.  Before cooking these foods in a pressure cooker, ensure your recipe calls for the same size cooker as yours and do not overfill the cooker.  Never fry food in a standard pressure cooker.  Some pressure cookers are specifically designed for the purpose of frying.  A small amount of oil can be included in a recipe, but frying in a cooker that is not made for frying can melt the gasket and other parts.

Release Pressure in a Safe Way –Pressure can be released three ways:  Natural release by removing the cooker from heat and allowing it to sit until the pressure reduces; cold water release by running cold water over the lid of the closed cooker; or quick release by using the steam release valve to expel steam.  Always be sure to protect  your face, hands and body when releasing pressure and remember that steam may still escape when opening the pressure cooker—even if you believe you have properly released the pressure.

Clean the Cooker Properly –When you have finished using your pressure cooker, remove the gasket and clean it separately from other parts of the cooker.  Clean out the release valve with a toothpick.  To reduce unnecessary wear on the gasket, store your cooker with the lid upside down on the pot rather than locked in place.

If you’ve never had a pressure cooker in your home before, you may not know what kind of sounds or statuses to expect from your new tool. Hissing, for example, can seem unexpected and even indicative of pressure cooker failure when you first hear it.

In reality, your pressure cooker is supposed to hiss. The noise indicates the successful release of steam from the cooking unit either at the end of its cook time or when pressure gets too high. Let’s break down the basics of your pressure cooker’s quirks so that you can confidently put your unit to use.

Pressure cookers work by using a combination of steam and the aforementioned pressure to raise your food to a certain temperature. The high heat of your average pressure cooker allows your food to cook faster than it might otherwise. Similarly, the seal created by the pressure cooker helps keep the flavor in your food.

To work, then, your pressure cooker needs to safely generate, trap, and eventually release the steam and pressure that cooks your food. Ideally, manufacturers will test their products and ensure that each is not only efficient but also safe to use. However, because pressure cookers generate so much pressure and heat, they can often imbalance and explode or malfunction.

If you’re not careful when using a pressure cooker, you could suffer from steam burns, contact burns, or extensive spills. Pressure cooker explosions resulting from a poorly-made product can do significant damage to both your health and your home.

Pressure cookers trap their liquid courtesy of an internal seal. This seal needs to bind the lid of a pressure cooker as tightly as possible to prevent steam and pressure from escaping. If you have a pressure cooker that does not seal efficiently, the meals you cook won’t turn out like they’re supposed to.

Pressure cookers use an impressive amount of heat to cook your food in a short period of time. As a result, the whole of your unit may become warm. It’s in your best interest to avoid interacting with the lid of your pressure cooker while your meal is cooking, as you could risk burning yourself.

With that in mind, only touch the steam release or protected handle of a pressure cooker once your food is done cooking. Even then, make sure you keep exposed skin away from the steam that escapes from the pressure cooker.

So long as the rest of your pressure cooker’s parts are working as they should, your pressure cooker should only hiss when it’s venting pressure. There are times when the pressure inside your cooker may get too high during the cooking process. In turn, the unit will vent that pressure, resulting in a low hissing sound.

If your pressure cooker is hissing, keep your hands and exposed skin away from the steam valve and vents. The steam that your cooker is releasing has the capacity to burn you if you’re not careful.

Both stovetop and electric pressure cookers hiss when they release pressure. This sound is not indicative of anything wrong with your unit. However, you’ll want to practice due diligence if you do hear your pressure cooker making a hissing sound. By taking measures to protect your skin from steam burns, you can limit your personal injuries and enjoy a good meal.

The food inside of your pressure cooker can start to bubble or foam for several different reasons. Adding too much salt to your food, for example, can increase its starch content and make the cooking process more dynamic. Similarly, overfilling a pressure cooker can see your ingredients struggle to find the space they need to cook.

While all foaming and bubbling is cause for concern, there are only some occasions on which it indicates something at fault with your unit. If your pressure cooker’s value or opening procedures aren’t properly configured, bubbles, steam, and foam may all escape from your unit.

Your pressure cooker cooks its food by compressing heat and liquid in a confined space. If your pressure cooker isn’t able to retain that force, your food isn’t going to cook in the way that you’d like it to.

Most of the time, you can blame your pressure cooker’s lack of pressure on a failed seal. If you’re struggling to cook some of your favorite dishes, inspect that seal and determine whether or not your pressure cooker shuts effectively.

If you’ve never used your pressure cooker before, its manufacturer may allow you to return a unit with a broken seal. Anyone who’s tried to use their pressure cooker, however, may have to invest in a replacement part. Our team can go over your product warranty with you to determine what repairs your purchase may entitle you to.

A defective pressure cooker poses a threat to more than your evening meals. Pressure cookers that have been falsely advertised or improperly put together put your health at risk. Fortunately, you can contact a product liability attorney about a faulty pressure cooker within hours of a pressure cooker accident.

Zanes Law’s product liability lawyers know that pressure cooker accidents can result in both injuries and significant property damage. In turn, we bring together your product liability case while you focus on recovering. We’ll stand with you whether you choose to pursue settlement negotiations or compensation via trial. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

While pressure cookers may look intimidating, many of today’s greatest pressure cookers are remarkably simple to operate. You can whip up some amazing entrees like curry and pot roast, whether you’re cooking overnight or leaving them to simmer while you’re at work. In this breakdown, we take a look at the fundamentals of pressure cooking, covering the device basics, and offering a few cooking suggestions of our own.

A pressure cooker is an airtight cooking device that cooks food quickly, thanks to the steam pressure that builds up inside. The steam makes the food moist, which is why this device is perfect for meat stews, cheesecakes, and much more. There are stovetop pressure cookers that use the heat of the stove, as well as countertop units that you plug into a wall outlet. Many plug-in pressure cookers boast other features and functions, like slow cooking, steaming, and sautéing in addition to pressure cooking.

Getting to know your pressure cooker for the first time? Try pressure cooking with just water — this is called a water test, and it will help you get to know your machine better. All you have to do is add one or two cups of water into the pot (always use the inner pot, and never put food directly into the cooker without this pot for safety reasons). Lock the lid into position, and make sure to adjust the valve so that it is in the sealed position.

Next, select a button for which the cooking time is relatively short. For example, if your device has a button for fish, use that. You can also manually set the pressure cooking time for two or three minutes. Now, all you have to do is watch the pressure cooker do its magic. After a few minutes or so of the water heating up and building steam pressure, the pressure will then start counting down and slowly release. You should then be able to try it out with real food items.

This is a top concern among people who have never used pressure cookers before. The good news is that modern pressure cookers are very safe and easy to use. Most pressure cookers have a steam release valve, which you can move into the vent position to start releasing the pressure.

The easiest approach, however, is to just let the pressure cooker slowly release the pressure all by itself. Keep an eye on the countdown to make sure it’s complete — don’t try to open the lid before the countdown is up, or you could get burned (fortunately, many cookers lock the lid and prevent you from opening it before the pressure releases). Some cooks even like letting the pressure cooker sit for a little while longer past the countdown, just to make sure every last bit of pressure is gone.

Most pressure cookers cook all foods in the same way, but there are different cooking times for different foods. For example, the preset button for white rice on your pressure cooker may cook for just 5 minutes, while brown rice will cook for longer. Even if you don’t have a convenient preset button on your pressure cooker, you can find out how long a type of food needs to cook and set the timer manually. We like the details given in the cooking time chart from Hip Pressure Cooking.

The world is your oysterwhen it comes to cooking with an electric pressure cooker, whether you want to try making porridge, risotto, chicken, or soup. Since you’re not constantly stirring the pan, you’ll probably find that, in addition to the whole process being easier to manage, your food will also taste creamier than using the stovetop.

If you have a springform pan, you can even try making desserts like cakes and cheesecakes. If you have oven-safe dishes that can fit inside your pressure cooker, you can use them to separate ingredients like meats and vegetables to prevent flavors from mixing and even make yummy dishes like fajitas.

The biggest difference between a pressure cooker and a slow cooker is speed. As the name suggests, a slow cooker relies on longer cooking times and lower temperatures. Slow cooking is great for stews, ribs, pulled pork, and chili — basically anything with meat that you want to get nice and tender. Pressure cookers form an airtight seal and use the internal pressure to cook food much more quickly than by just using heat alone. This makes short work out of denser foods, like rice, beans, and potatoes. The beauty of many modern pressure cookers is that they’ll often have a slow cooker setting, so there’s no need to get separate appliances.

Pressure cooking remains a popular choice for high-altitude adventurers. In general, you’ll want to pressure cook food for 5% longer for every 1,000 feet above sea level beyond the first 2,000 feet. Lightweight pressure cookers built specifically for use at high elevations are available.

The boiling point of water drops due to lower atmospheric pressure. Since there’s less air above your pot, gasses have an easier time forming and escaping. As a result, traditional cooking times go up with altitude since boiling isn’t hitting the same level of heat needed for safe food. Increased cooking times and a higher rate of evaporation means dryer food. Pressure cookers can help maintain this moisture and offset the challenges of low air pressure in cooking.

Pressure cooking is a great way to make healthy meals. Since cooking times are reduced, fewer vital nutrients are lost from the process compared to boiling or steaming. Of course, the healthiness of the meal will depend on the recipe.

Safety is the major issue with pressure cookers. Though there are many safeguards in place with modern pressure cookers, damage or incorrect handling can cause the high-pressure steam to release suddenly, damaging anything in the vicinity.  That said, since pressure cookers require a firm seal to function, having a sealing ring that’s degraded can slow your cooking time or halt it altogether as steam is gradually and continually released. Luckily pressure cookers allow for degraded sealing rings to be swapped out when the time comes.

Over the last decade the Instant Pot has elbowed its way onto many a kitchen counter. The multifunctional appliance earns its place with slow cooker, pressure cooker, and saute capabilities (just to name a few). So you can either set-it-and-forget-it before leaving for work or pressure cook a whole chicken in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven.

That’s all great, but when the Instant Pot’s many buttons and menacing-looking steam valve are staring you in the face, the appliance ($99.95, Amazon) can be intimidating. I promise it’s easy to use once you get started.

They’re not quite as user-friendly as a simple Crock-Pot, but it’s worth learning how to use the multicooker just for the time you’ll save in the kitchen. There are a few basic steps for most easy Instant Pot recipes, but you’ll get the hang of it. Here’s what you need to know about using an Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker that works by using steam to build pressure. As the pressure builds forcefully inside the pot, it produces temperatures high enough to quickly heat and cook the food inside.

Place the lid on top of the pot and push down as you turn it clockwise (in the direction of the arrows printed on the lid). This will seal the lid to the pot so that the Instant Pot can pressure cook the food inside. Turn the valve (the little knob on top of the lid) to the sealing position.

Once you’re ready to cook, set the time and pressure controls according to your recipe instructions. Select “pressure cook” and use the + and – buttons on the control panel to set the time. Almost every Instant Pot recipe involves the pressure cook option, but note that other modes may differ. The “saute” mode should always be used with the lid off, and if you’re using the “slow cook” setting, make sure the valve is set to venting rather than sealing.

When your food is cooked, move the pressure release valve from the “sealing” position to the “venting” position. When you do this, all the hot steam from inside the pot will come out of the valve, so be careful not to burn yourself. It’s easiest to do this while wearing an oven mitt or by using a long-handled spatula to turn the knob so your arm is never directly over the steam. When all the steam has been released, you can open the lid.

When you hit “pressure cook,” your Instant Pot will default to the amount of time last used. Simply use the + and – buttons to adjust the time according to the recipe you’re making.

The Instant Pot takes a few minutes to reach the proper pressure to cook. If you set it at 10 minutes, it won’t actually be done in 10 minutes. Allow 3 – 4 extra minutes per recipe for the appliance to heat. The machine is smart enough to know how long you set it for, so even with the added minutes, after exactly 10 minutes of cook time, it’ll turn off and your food is done.

To start the Instant Pot Duo, plug it in and add the food you want to cook. Then use the control panel to set the pressure (high or low), and set it to the appropriate time. The confusing thing about the Instant Pot Duo is that it doesn’t actually have a start button — as soon as you set a time, it’ll start heating.

Since your Instant Pot works by using steam to create pressure, you’ll need to add at least one cup of liquid to your Instant Pot for any meal you cook.

The steam valve sits on top of your Instant Pot lid and has two settings:sealingandventing.The steam release handle allows you to move from one setting to the other.

Make sure the steam release handle is in thesealingposition before using any of the pressure cooking programs. This will prevent steam from escaping the Instant Pot and allow pressure to build inside.

To vent the steam valve,you’ll need to have the steam release handle in theventingposition — either by pushing it back yourself (also known as a manual or “quick release”) or on its own via a “natural release.”

Natural Release:Your Instant Pot releases pressure on its own until the float valve (next to the steam valve on top of your lid) drops down. A natural release takes a bit longer, but it’s best for recipes with meats, soups, broths, beans, starchy foods, and foods with lots of liquid.

Quick Release:You manually release pressure from your Instant Pot by pushing the steam release handle back to the venting position until the float valve drops down. A quick release is much faster and is best for recipes with vegetables, fish, and fragile or fast-cooking foods.

The sealing ringis an Instant Pot accessory and safeguard that keeps your lid locked tight during pressure cooking. It helps your machine withstand the high forces of pressure needed to cook the food inside.

Depending on the recipe and the amount of food you’re cooking, it can take up to 40 minutes for your Instant Pot to fully build pressure. But remember, releasing that pressure from your Instant Pot takes time, too.

Before starting your Instant Pot recipe, don’t forget to factor in the time it takes to build and release pressure. A 15-minute recipe can quickly turn into a 35-minute recipe when you account for the whole process.

Instant Pots are best known for their pressure cooking abilities, but that doesn’t mean its other programs (like slow cooking andsauteeing) aren’t as good.