Meat stewed with vegetable in spicy tomato sauce.
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Pressure cookers or instant pots are a great way to cook a slow cooker recipe but much faster. They don't cost a lot of money, and they don't take up a lot of space in your kitchen. You can use the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker to cook a number of different recipes. Get comfortable using it and following the directions accurately before you begin your first recipe – cooking in any kind of pressure cooker can be a bit dangerous if you don't follow the correct procedure.

Gather Ingredients and Place Them in the Pot

The first step in using the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker is to get a pressure cooker recipe. You can find specific recipes for this pressure cooker online, or buy the "Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker Recipes Book," though other pressure cooker recipes should work just fine. Make sure you understand the recipe completely before getting started and look over the Wolfgang Puck Pressure manual too.

Any liquid in your recipe should be poured into the pot before the solids. You can use the cooking rack to help you put the ingredients inside the pot more easily. The ingredients should not go past the line marked "2/3 MAX PC" (unless you're cooking rice). If you're cooking food that might expand while cooking, it should not go past the 3/5 mark.

Examine the Gasket, Secure the Lid and Set to "SEAL"

Next, check to see that the gasket, which is a mechanical seal, is secure within the inner lid. If not, position it into place. If you've been using the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker for a while, always check for tears or damage. If you notice something amiss, replacement gaskets are available. Once you're sure there are no issues, you can move forward.

It's time to secure and seal the lid. Line up the triangle–unlock symbol on the pressure cooker housing with the arch symbol on the lid. Do this by turning the lid clockwise until the arch symbol aligns with the triangle–lock symbol. When you're sure that it's in the locked position, set the Pressure Release Device to "SEAL."

Plug It in and Turn the Dial to the Correct Time

Double-check that everything is secured. Now, plug in the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker into the outlet, which must be 120-volt 60 Hz AC. Next, turn the time dial to the time dictated in your recipe. Most dishes take about an hour, which is much faster than a slow cooker, but it depends on the individual recipe. After turning the dial to the desired time, the red "HEAT" light will come on. You won't see the timer counting down until the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker reaches the necessary pressure.

Wait for the Green "COOK" Light

Once the device reaches the required operating pressure, the timer will start to count down. At the same time, a green "COOK" light will show. You will hear a little sound coming from the device as it counts down. It's a good idea to keep a timer on your phone if you don't plan to wait in the kitchen as your recipe cooks.

Wait for the Yellow "WARM" Light

When the timer finishes counting down to zero, the green "COOK" light will shut off, and the yellow "WARM" light will illuminate. This means that the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker is in "KEEP WARM" mode. During this time, the "KEEP WARM" light and the "HEAT" light will switch back and forth.

Release Pressure; Unplug the Pressure Cooker

Finally, you must release the pressure in the pressure cooker before you can serve the food, depending on the recipe you're using:

  • If the recipe says, "let pressure drop on its own": Unplug the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. If you can pull off the lid without any resistance, it's done, and you can remove the lid. 
  • If the recipe says, "reduce pressure at once" or "reduce pressure manually": Unplug the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker and turn the pressure release device to the "VENT" position. The cooker will emit steam, and the pressure will reduce. 

Removing the Lid and Serving

When the steam release dial is in the "VENT" position, you can no longer hear steam escaping from the cooker and the lid has no resistance, then it's ready. Grasp the handles (use oven mitts if you're worried about it being too hot), and turn the lid counter-clockwise to the "UNLOCK" position. It won't open if it's still under pressure as part of the safety feature, so do not force it.

Tip

If you're making liquids, for instance, a soup or stew, don't release the steam manually. Instead, turn the timer dial counter-clockwise until you hear a click. Then, unplug the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker.

Warning

Don't force the lid off the pressure cooker. When the pressure is released, the lid will come off very easily.