what causes the water to run out on pressure cooker
1515908
What causes the water to run out is not having enough water to begin with. There will always be SOME water vaporizing and escaping the pot... it is not an entirely closed system. As the water heats to steam the steam escapes - there is no water coming into the pot so eventually the water runs out. You may have a bad seal on your canner or you may not be starting the cycle with enough water to finish the time needed to process. I always err on too much water rather than too little. Even with quarts I cover the jars with about an inch of water and I have never had a lid fail and have only lost 1 jar in 8 years. What causes the water to run out is not having enough water to begin with. There will always be SOME water vaporizing and escaping the pot... it is not an entirely closed system. As the water heats to steam the steam escapes - there is no water coming into the pot so eventually the water runs out. You may have a bad seal on your canner or you may not be starting the cycle with enough water to finish the time needed to process. I always err on too much water rather than too little. Even with quarts I cover the jars with about an inch of water and I have never had a lid fail and have only... » Read More What causes the water to run out is not having enough water to begin with. There will always be SOME water vaporizing and escaping the pot... it is not an entirely closed system. As the water heats to steam the steam escapes - there is no water coming into the pot so eventually the water runs out. You may have a bad seal on your canner or you may not be starting the cycle with enough water to finish the time needed to process. I always err on too much water rather than too little. Even with quarts I cover the jars with about an inch of water and I have never had a lid fail and have only lost 1 jar in 8 years. « Show Less
1515909
Pressure cooking allows food to be cooked with greater humidity and higher temperatures than possible with conventional boiling or steaming methods. In an ordinary non-pressurised cooking vessel, the boiling point of water is 100 C (212 F) at standard pressure; the temperature of food is limited by the boiling point of water because excess heat causes boiling water to vaporize into steam. In a sealed pressure cooker, the boiling point of water increases as the pressure rises, resulting in superheated water. At a pressure of 1 bar or ~15 psi (pounds per square inch) above the existing atmospheric pressure, water in a pressure cooker can reach a temperature of up to 121 C (250 F), depending on altitude.
1515910
I bought the cooker as a gift, so have never used it myself. I am sorry I can't help you.
957515
Hi Jillofalltrades, just make sure that the rubber ring inside the lid is on correctly and that the lid does lock right. Don't fill the pot to the guide line put less water. When the cooker starts hissing and the steam starts lower the heat so that the hissing is still going on but not as strong. The lid will always have a little mess because of the releasing steam. Trust me your food will still cook.
1677591
There may be too much water in the base, empty it out and let it refill, hope this helps!
1139858
i have no idea. it could be a restrictor, you use less water, its economical, but i think you loose some pressure.
1864557
I never had that problem. I would contact the customer service dept, or try to send back for a replacement. Once you do start to use this pressure cooker you will absolutely love it!
746859
Hi there, if you don't want to steam up your room, let the cooker sit for at least 30 minutes to totally depressurize or release the pressure outside. Your food is cooked at a high pressure so that's what happens. The drip cup collects condensation from the lid, if you immediately open the lid and release all the steam into your room, that's where your moisture went. You can try using your oven vent to collect all that steam you release if you are pressed for time. Hope that helps.
428605
Janet, with pressure steam you leave the pressure stopper open and with pressure. Cooker the stopper is closed and pressure builds rapidly. Also in pressure cook mode the food is immersed in liquid, not necessarily so with pressure steam. Pressure cook is full pressure, pressure steam is less pressure. Hope this helps! We love ours and use it to make wonderful meals.
2137291
It sounds like a defective cooker. Apparently the temperature sensor inside the unit does not know what is going on.I would try contacting the manufacturer.
746861
It sounds as if the top valve isn't functioning properly, but I don't think it would cook at all if this was the case. You'd get an error message. Make sure the seal is seated properly and the valve is venting. I sometimes have to manually lift it. Also, try and not overfill the cooker. If there was a great deal of pressure and steam left in the cooker, it would be difficult to open. Try giving it more time to naturally release or turn the valve to exhaust to quick release. I contacted West Bend with a question and found them very helpful. That may be a question only they can answer. I certainly enjoy my cooker and hope you solve your problem. It's a real time saver. It sounds as if the top valve isn't functioning properly, but I don't think it would cook at all if this was the case. You'd get an error message. Make sure the seal is seated properly and the valve is venting. I sometimes have to manually lift it. Also, try and not overfill the cooker. If there was a great deal of pressure and steam left in the cooker, it would be difficult to open. Try giving it more time to naturally release or turn the valve to exhaust to quick release. I contacted West Bend with a question and found them very helpful. That may be a question only they can answer. I... » Read More It sounds as if the top valve isn't functioning properly, but I don't think it would cook at all if this was the case. You'd get an error message. Make sure the seal is seated properly and the valve is venting. I sometimes have to manually lift it. Also, try and not overfill the cooker. If there was a great deal of pressure and steam left in the cooker, it would be difficult to open. Try giving it more time to naturally release or turn the valve to exhaust to quick release. I contacted West Bend with a question and found them very helpful. That may be a question only they can answer. I certainly enjoy my cooker and hope you solve your problem. It's a real time saver. « Show Less
356572
Either the cooker is defective or the lid is not sealing properly. As you are placing the lid on and turning to lock it, press down in the center of the lid lightly to seal it more firmly. Also, make sure the jiggler is not stopped up. I always run water thru mine to make sure it is not clogged, especially if you cook rice, potatoes or starchy foods. After each use of your cooker, wash it well, including the rubber seal, oil the rubber seal with olive or canola oil and place it in the pot, not back into the lid, for storage. Hope this helps.
583288
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Pressure-Cookerhttp://www.indusladies.com/forums/spotless-kitchen/152640-trouble-with-prestige-cooker.html (better to ask in this forum)
767270
This water heater needs a minimum of 8psi to keep the gas on. So if your running a washer or someone is flushing the water pressure drops. If thats the case you need to install a pressure increase valve. You can get from the hardware store or have a plumber install its not expensive. One other issue it could be if water pressure is not a factor. Your machine is overheating. Contact a plumber.
1145619
You have to cool it down. I put it in the sink and run cold water over the lid for about 60 seconds before removing the pressure gauge. I have been doing this with other pressure cookers for 50 years. It is what my mother and grandmother did. It works perfectly.
1274637
Sorry Barbara, I gave my copy of the recipe book (came with my new pressure cooker) to my daughter-in-law, along with my old 20 yr old Nordic pressure cooker. I'm sure if you contact the Nordic people they will send you one.You can get a new sealing ring through them so I hope you are lucky on the book.Sheila.
418717
Yes, the same as Bruno answer. You also could just unplug the pressure cooker. If pressure is built up, you must wait until the pressure has released (by either moving the release value or just naturally letting the pressure go down).
355269
Steam usually comes out at that spot until the cooker actually starts pressuring, are you putting enough water in the cooker? Are you giving it enough heat to start pressuring? If not it will simply steam and all your water will evaporate.
1443980
Look up the model # of your pressure cooker, you might try Presto directly, and they will list the parts available. I have several older pots, and have good luck except for the large gasket. Love my pressure cookers!!