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{Sticky} I know a lot of people got awesome pressure cookers over the holidays as Christmas gifts. (And by the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!) So I wanted to take a little time to write a post on different tips, tricks and special know-hows for all the First Timers of the Elite series of electric pressure cookers. At least the way I know them. Most of the information will probably also work with other brands such as Cuisinart or Wolfgang Puck machines, but I’ve never used those before so I can’t really say if the information will be accurate.
Trust me, I’m no expert, but I can actually say that I am confident about using an electric pressure cooker now and I am not scared of using one either. At least I’m not anymore.
But let’s just say about 3 years ago, I was terrified!!! I had no idea what a pressure cooker was or how it cooked or what I could possibly cook inside it. I heard horrible stories about them and I never had any interest in them at all whatsoever.
A lot of the cooking and recipes that I do on this blog now are a lot of new stuff that I’ve never even cooked in a pressure cooker before or cooked at all period. So this blog almost serves as my own special journey with trial and error while using my electric pressure cooker. Basically, a lot of the stuff I share is also really new to me. Unlike many other pressure cooker bloggers, the writers are pros and have been at it for years and years. But people with that much experience with pressure cooking is hard to come by. While people with no experience is a dime a dozen. And among the people with no experience, a percentage of them have little interest. In fact, quite a few probably have a pressure cooker sitting in their kitchen completely unused or still in its packaging!
So no matter if you’re an electric pressure cooker beginner or a lifetime pro, my blog serves as an adventure for all the people who like to cook and isn’t afraid to cook and try new things.
When I did my contest a few weeks ago, asking readers what they wanted to see cooked on my blog in the future, there were quite a lot of answers of food that actually cannot be cooked in an electric pressure cooker. It made me realize that many people just don’t really know what a pressure cooker can and cannot do.
So I’ve decided to compile a list of tips and other information that I hope will help everyone know, and understand the wonderful world of pressure cooking. And please feel free to add any that you may have experienced yourself and that I didn’t cover.
I will try to continuously add to it as well.
- FEAR OF BLOWING UP:
The biggest fear of using a pressure cooker is blowing up. I’ve heard stories where food blew up out of some old-fashioned machines covering people’s kitchens and ceilings with sauce and food particles that took days to clean. Yup, that doesn’t sound like something people want to risk using. No siree! That was my biggest fear as well. When I first started using the machine at the very beginning, I use to stand about 6 feet away from it when I was just testing it out. Not that 6 feet would have made any difference if the machine decided to blow its gasket and decorate my kitchen with food. But now the pressure cooker is my best friend. I put a leash on it and take it out for walks!
The new style of Electric Pressure Cookers are constructed with so many safety precautions that the risk of any blow up is very minimal, and if it does happen, it’s usually caused by user error or damage to the machine itself, which pretty much means you shouldn’t have been using it in the first place if it was damaged.. For instance, if the lid was not secure and in position correctly; if there are cracks or breakage in the lid or hinge areas; or if the rubber seal gasket is not in position correctly. But usually, if this was the case, the machine would not even allow itself to build up enough pressure. It will just constantly leak pressure.
- NO BAKING:
You cannot BAKE in a pressure cooker. Baking requires dry heat. Things like casseroles or apple pies cannot be pressure cooked because they require an oven to heat it up and remove the moisture. In a pressure cooker, these items would become mush. Dough would never bake brown or crusty. It would just be soggy steamed dough.
Pressure cookers require moisture to heat it hot enough that the moisture becomes steam. With the lid and rubber seal in position properly, that steam will begin to build up and start creating a heated compartment of hot steam pressure. Then the heating element will shut off, and the pressure cooker will use the hot steam pressure trapped inside to cook the rest of the way.
You might be able to get away with pressure cooking a casserole of some kind to start it off. And then finish it off in an oven briefly to get a brown baked crust on the top of it.
- BROWNING:
The browning feature in the Elite Pressure Cooker functions by turning on the heating element and using the heat from that to brown or saute foods before pressure cooking it. The only problem I’ve encountered with this feature is that the Pressure Cooker has an automatic shut-off system when it detects not enough liquid is present, so it thinks it’s going to over-heat. So when you’re browning without any moisture or liquid in the pot, the browning setting will only last about 5-minutes. Bummer if you’re trying to brown a large piece of roast, etc. There’s really no way to extend this time-frame unless you add a little bit of liquid, but that would defeat the purpose of browning.
I only use this feature for sauteing or browning smaller cuts of meats really quickly. I haven’t found the need to really brown a large portion of meat yet.
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- MEATS THAT TURN OUT TOO HARD OR TOUGH:
A lot of people think that the pressure cooker is over-cooking their meat when their end result is super hard, rubbery and tough. But actually, they’ve under-cooked it. Large roasts such as roast beef, tenderloins, etc. require more than 60-minutes of cook time. Sometimes 90-minutes if the meat is really large and dense. The purpose of the pressure cooker is allowing the meat to be cooked inside long enough so the intense pressure completely disintegrates all the “fibers” that hold the meat together. Large cuts of meat should be falling apart as you try and remove it from the cooking pot. It should be tender, juicy and moist. If you remove the meat and it’s tough, rubbery and you can barely insert a fork into it, that means it didn’t have enough time to thoroughly render out all the “fibers”.
- COOKING WHOLE CHICKENS COMPARED TO PIECES OF CHICKEN:
Cooking chicken pieces such as legs, thighs, wings and breasts are easy. If you’re cooking 4pcs, 10-minutes will do the trick. If you’re doing a bigger portion such as 6pcs or more, 20-30 minutes will do fine. Same with a whole chicken. 30-minutes at the most will get everything cooked thoroughly and falling apart. I love cooking chicken in the pressure cooker. It always comes out moist and tender and flavorful.There are so many different ways to cook chicken too. If you never liked chicken before, you will like it once you’ve cooked it in the pressure cooker.
- SIMMERING:
I had a reader who recently got a new model of the Elite pressure cooker and he asked me a question regarding simmering or slow cooking in it.
This is what I told him:
- FROZEN FOODS:
If you put smaller portions of frozen meats or vegetables inside, then it should build up the pressure fairly quickly. About the same as normal thawed foods I would say. Just be patient.
- THICKENING SAUCES & SOUPS:
Many times when you’re pressure cooking vegetables or meats, the pressure within the machine will cause the food to release a lot of its own natural liquids. This can a put a damper on the dish if you are looking to make something with a thick sauce. I’ve recently discovered that if you make a really basic Roux at the beginning of the recipe, it will help to thicken the liquids as it cooks. For a simple and basic Roux, follow the instructions in my recipe for the Fisherman’s Seafood Chowder.
- PRE-PROGRAMMED MENU BUTTONS:
The Elite series of Pressure Cookers have many pre-programmed menu buttons for a variety of different foods. I found that most of these work best for making dishes that are at least half of the inner pot capacity (or 3lbs or less). If you are cooking anything more than half a pot, then I recommend using your own programmed cook times.
I occasionally get messages from readers that tell me that the threw in a pot roast into the pressure cooker and then pressed the MEAT button on the machine. Well, the meat button only cooks for about 10-20 minutes. That is definitely not enough time at all for a large dense roast. It would be perfect for Ribs, Chicken or small pieces of meat though.
- STEAM/PRESSURE LEAKING:
Sometimes if the lid or the valves are not set up correctly, there may be some leakage of the steam pressure as the machine heats up. There are three places it can leak from. 1) The Airtight/Exhaust Pressure Valve Knob; 2) The Float Valve Hole; 3) And around the rim of the lid.
If it’s leaking from the Airtight/Exhaust Pressure Valve, then make sure that knob is set to Airtight. There is no food or debris clogging that area. Always check the underside of the lid as well.
If it’s leaking from the Float Valve Hole, make sure that little valve is loose and not stuck. From the underside of the lid, you should be able to use your finger to push up and down on that little valve. It should move very easily. If it is stuck or tight in any way, then something is wrong with it.
If it’s leaking from around the rim of the lid, then the lid may not be in position correctly. Always make sure the lid is hinged on in the back area properly, and that is no crooked. Also, check that the large rubber seal ring is in position correctly on the underside of the lid as well.
CANNING: I need help with this one since I’ve never done canning before at all. If anyone has any input, just shoot me a message and I would love to add your tips to the page.
(UPDATE: Someone named Peggy emailed me with this awesome tip and info! hehehehe Thanks Peggy!)
“I started canning apple sauce and found it to be so easy that I started a garden and plan to can as much as possible. Just fill the canning jars leaving 1 inch from the top, don’t tighten the jars completely and use any size that fits. I put 3 jars in at a time. They cannot touch each other. Add 6 cups of water and set the timer for 15 minutes. That’s it. So damn simple I was amazed.”
DIFFERENT ALTITUDES: I need help with this one as well since I’ve never cooked at different altitudes before. If anyone has any input, just shoot me a message and I would love to add your tips to the page.
**As a side note and completely optional, if you like my blog, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me out by clicking on the few ads I have now on the site. It’s completely safe and no spam or malware, and totally free as well. But every click a reader makes, will earn me some extra $ to fund this blog. All you have to do is click on an ad you find interesting, and that’s it. Thanks!!!
I was very glad to find this blog. i am using my 8qt electric pressure cooker for the 1st time tonight-pretty sure i screwed something up since the pressure kept exhausting thru the entire cook time-but i started with chili. pretty hard to screw that up too much. it may be a while before i try any of your emails but it helps to read things over!
I live in Denver – and have found out that you are supposed to increase cooking time 5% for every 1000 ft higher than 2000 ft in altitude.. So – Denver is the Mile High City (5280 ft) – I need to increase cooking time by 15%. Unfortunately – that means I cannot use the presets!
So glad I found your blog! I used my Cuisineart PC for the first time today. Prosecco Risotto. Turned out great! Wanted to find more recipes and suggestions for cooking times. And here you have done such a wide variety of dishes. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to more cooking with my PC. (Yes, I was a little afraid when I locked on that lid and pressed start!).
I love you blog. I too just received a new electric pressure cooker – Margaret- and an scared to use it, but I am going to try 2 of your recipes this weekend. Thank you and I will let you know how they turn out.
I have a question, actually, I am new to pressure cooking and I am confused by the get warm setting and releasing the steam. In your chicken recipe, you say to cook for 30 min. and then add another bag of vegetables, and cook for 5 more min. I know this is going to sound really stupid, but do you force release the steam, or do you naturally release the steam, and if so for how long? If your cooker goes to “keep warm” is it releasing the steam?
You may want to test your machine with just water in the pot to get used to using it and know how it functions.
But to answer your question, yes, you’re “force” releasing the pressure until all the pressure is out (otherwise, you can’t open the lid.)
If the machine goes to keep warm on its own, it will be in the natural release of pressure and will take longer to drop in pressure on its own.
Force release the steam, open the pressure cooker, add your veggies or whatever and reset the timer for however many minutes you need.
I tried the apple and pork dish as my first PC meal. It was wonderful. I made some mistakes, so my advice to all be patient. My 2nd dish was the chicken parmesan. sauteed the onion and mushrooms in pot using that feature,but temp must had gotten too high as after adding chicken to pot, pressure built ok, but cook time switched to warm immediately. not sure what I did, but will continue trying. I have 6q Cuisinart PC
I was so glad to find this site now if i can get some easy recipes cause I have no patience when it comes to cooking any longer. I used to love to cook, but after 30 yrs. of my husband telling me “I don’t care whatever we have is fine.” I have just lost interest. I’m hoping with the need to change our diets to heart healthy do to his dbl bypass last year, this may just be the way to regain my patience.I have my fingers crossed that you can help me with the recipes. I have never used a pressure cooker of any kind ever before. Thank You so much for being here on the web.
Your Loyal Subject! I hope for a longtime to come.
deelang
Looking forward to using my new PC. Your blog is great and has been helpful and I look forward to using some of your recipes.
I just wanted to know if you have a hot sausage recipe for my PC !!
Please Email it to !!!
I just found your blog, and I’m so happy I did! This is an absolutely fantastic resource for electric pressure cooker recipes. I’m new to pressure cooking, and I’m having a hard time finding new recipes. I will definitely be checking back regularly!
I just got a Wolfgang Puck PC. It doesn’t have low or high settings but I’ve figured out the “veggie” setting is low and all others high. Can I just take all your recipes and apply them to my new PC? I assume the answer is yes but I am very timid to use the appliance for fear of failure! It’s surprising to find that there are limited recipes out there for these new appliances. Thanks!!
Hi Melissa,
I am trying to use our Wolfgang Puck Bistro Collection PC for the first time today, so I am wondering if your question was answered? I watched a YouTube video, and found that one can slow cook on this PC, however, there was no mention of which settings to use. I think per your comment that I can set the PC to “veggie” and add time (the recipe states 6-8 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high), and use the glass lid rather than the PC lid. Scary, no? So any advice you could offer is most welcomed! Thanks much.
If this is your first time using it, I suggest you use it for something basic. I’m not familiar w/ the slow cooking feature in the Wolfgang Puck unit, so you may want to contact their customer support for assistance.
My hubby got me an electric pressure cooker for Christmas. I made clam chowder in it for New Year’s Eve and it turned out really good. I saute’d the bacon, ham and onion, then added the ground up clams and cubed potatoes and cooked on low pressure for 5 minutes. Then I turned it to simmer and added the 1/2 & 1/2 and salt and pepper. It was really good. I’m excited about trying other things!
Some great advice. I have yet to try canning. I live at about 4,000 feet and haven’t had to make any changes for altitude yet.
I got the 13 fun elite. I did a couple of things that came out great. I then tried the browning function…noticed that it shut off. I waited about 5 min and the unit would not come back on. I unplugged it…….left it over night…nothing? What happened? Did the brain get fried?
I had/have the same problem. Did a fuse blow? How do I change it?
If a fuse is blown, you can get a replacement from the manufacturer and they provide instructions on changing it. It’s pretty simple. Just use a screwdriver and unscrew the little circle panel on the bottom of the machine and you’ll see all the electric wires there.
I purchased an Elite 10 quart. Loved it even though I went through 3 fuses. MaxiMatic would gladly send me more during the first year. My mother and uncle also bought the same pc. Both had to have fuses replaced soon. My uncle returned his and is still waiting on his refund. My husband finally got tired of replacing the undersized fuses. He straight wired it and have not had a problem since. I use it at least 3 times a week. I do have a question: I have seen that the new guidelines are to not can low acid foods in the pc, but can I pressure fruit jelly or jams safely?
Hi Kayla,
I keep having my fuse blow too. You wouldn’t happen to have instructions on how to hard wire the unit? I think I want to do that and can probably do it. I ordered another new fuse but I am sure it will happen again.
My email is eric@ellistonconsulting.com.
Thanks!
Eric
Kayla,
I just bought on and used it twice and the fuse is blown. Can you send me the instruction on hard wiring the machine? My email is ras30@psu.edu.
Thank you!
I’m sorry, you will need to contact the manufacturer of the model of pressure cooker you purchased.
I recently purchased the elite 13 function pressure cooker and am very dissapointed with it..the pressure does not release on its own,the warm light does not blink the the manual says and when finished cooking there are 6 beeps not 3 like the book says.called the manufacturer and they sent me another valve…no luck!!! going back!!!!!
I eat a lot of chicken and thought a pressure cooker would be a good way to cook it. However, after several attempts my chicken breasts always come out hard and rubbery. I’ve experimented with the timing, moisture and such but can’t seem to get it right. Any hints?
I think you may be cooking the breasts for too long. How many are you cooking at the same time? Breasts usually will be good to go in about 10-12 minutes depending on how big they are. And just 1/2 to 1 inch of liquid on the bottom of the pot should be fine as well. I cook chicken almost every other week to shred for my dogs and I’ve never had it come out rubbery and hard.
Would you mind sharing what the amount of water would be ounces? I’m knew and haven’t the slightest as to half an inch, etc…
Thanks!
Meats tend to be tough when they are fully cooked, but they are actually under cooked (to pressure cooker standards). A pressure cooker is kinda like a slow cooker. If the meat doesn’t cook long enough it releases it’s own juices but doesn’t get to reabsorb the cooker’s juices. Add a few minutes to it (make sure there is enough liquid as pressure cookers need liquid).
I need the oruginal manuel that goes with my elite pressure cooker cuz I. Dont see that you have a simple beef stew recipe whats up with that ?
If you need the manual, then call up customer service or go to their website and download it. And as far as why don’t I have a simple beef stew recipe? Well, how about because I just don’t feel like it? That’s what’s up.
Since you are so knowledgeable, kalli probably thinks you work for the manufacturer. Thanks so much for all the help and great recipes.
I love your reply about how come the PC didn’t come with a specific receipt! I am having problems with a bully upstairs neighbor. Do you make house calls? 🙂
Thanks for YOUR sarcasm. There!
I lost the BookFlix for my pressure cooker 4 qt
Thank you very much for the helpful information! I’m excited to try out my new electric pressure cooker!
Finally some great information on this machine. It’s so hard to come by. Please keep sharing with us. My first try a roast came out tough, my second try a pork roast, all the liquid and onion soup mix burnt to the bottom. I used 3 cups of broth and cooked for 50 min. Will try yet again until I get it right!
Hi,
Sometimes if you’re cooking a large piece of roast and it’s dense and sits pretty flat on the bottom surface of the inner pot. The heating element is getting too hot and doesn’t detect the actual liquid inside and just keeps heating and heating instead of heating to a point and shutting off and letting the pressure do the rest. So, what I will do is place a few pieces of carrots or potatoes under the slab of meat to lift it off just a bit so the liquid can flow below it. Give that a try and see if it helps.
For me a fairly large roast had a bit of a learning curve. First try it was tough and dry. I cooked potatoes in a cup of water with onion soup mix, but goofed up by setting the roast on the rack. That was my mistake.
Sometimes I just want to make potatoes in the PC and have them taste exactly like they were prepared with a roast. I prepare the potatoes as usual, add about a cup of water, à little Coarse Kosher salt, and powdered beef bullion. I freeze it in small containers, because I live alone. I also love to make meat loaf in my PC and freeze it in small containers, too. I believe because of my Elete PC I’m able to cook quickly, easily, and healthy. I am nearly 60 and this is my first PC of any kind. I love it! (…and I am so glad HSN offered it in Purple! …and on easy pay!)
Does ANYONE experience with a Cuisinart pressure cooker? When it is up to pressure a great deal (or at least it seems that way to me) of steam comes out of the release valve. I know I have it on correctly. some people say this is normal while others say no seam should come out. Does it depend on how much liquid is in what you are cooking? Any help would be appreciated.
Sometimes during the pressure building process, a bit of wispy steam may escape but as soon as the valve rises and seals completely, the steam should stop.
I have just started using the Elite pressure cooker and when a little steam escaped I just pressed the lid down lightly and it sealed right up. 😀
hi, thank you so much for all this info! i’m thinking of buying an elite 8qt after a friend pointed me in this direction. one of the main reasons i want it is b/c (according to HSN anyway) it has multiple functions and can take the place of both a rice cooker and a crock pot. but you say the crock pot function doesn’t work so now i’m concerned… the sales ladies on the HSN site say it’s “as easy as” just not setting the knob to airtight, but if you’ve been using yours for years and it doesn’t work like this, i sort of don’t want to waste my money.
(to summarize, i don’t have a ton of storage space in my kitchen and looked to get the elite instead of a rice cooker and hopefully to replace my crock pot… one appliance that does the job of 3 is what i really need to save space. so if it doesn’t fully replace these other appliances, it’s not a good buy for me.)
I have an Instant Pot (elecytic pressure cooker) and it has a searing and a slow cooker setting. It doesn’t shut off while searing but before you slow cook or pressure cook, you have to turn it off and set if for the actual cooking process you want to use.
My first try at a vegetable gardening last year produced ALOT of tomatoes. Ate them, gave them away, and they still kept coming. Learned the boiling methods of canning years ago, but not thrilled at the idea I doing that when it is hot outside. The USFDA doesn’t recommend using a pressure cooker (vs canner) in canning foods so I immediately decided to try it. Made salsa and a tomato based condiment like Heinz 57 and 9 months later, no food borne illness and the jars that are left are still sealed. I use a metal trivet to keep the jars off the bottom and towels between jars to prevent them from touching. Used the cooker out on the deck so all steam was vented out there instead of heating up the house. Looking forward to more canning this summer!
Thank You! I was looking for better directions for this and I was certain that the jars just not touching wasn’t enough. I’m looking forward to canning some fruits this summer.
My husband got me the 6 qt one just last week and I would like to get the canning instructions. Can you tell where I can get it.
Caught Amazon running a promo on pressure cookers, got lucky. Has anyone tried – Zon Deal Locator (google it, forgot the url) There is a yellow box that gives discount promo codes for any product on Amazon. Couldn’t believe that I got to choose my own discount. Once I saw the price, I jumped right on it. Just thought I’d share.
Any special hints on cooking pasta? I made mac and cheese and it was very good although I would have liked the noodles cooked a little bit more but either the noodles or the cheese burnt on the bottom of the pot so cooking more doesn’t appear to be an option.
Pasta you should NOT pressure cook – Not all pasta types are suitable for pressure cooking. Use the conventional pot of boiling water to cook these, following the package directions:
~Any pasta that requires 7 minutes or less cannot be cooked to al dente in the PC, it will be over cooked.
~Fresh pasta needs less than 5 minutes, so no.
~ Orecchiette. These have a tendency to fall into little stacks and will turn into a solid mass in the PC.
~ Very small pasta, intended for soups. They could clog the safety mechanisms of your PC. However, they can be added after pressure cooking to the sauce or soup in the open PC.
~Potato gnocchi need to stop cooking when they float. You can’t see it. However, there is a pasta ‘shape’ called gnocchetti that is made of semolina flour and it is okay to PC.
Has anyone had any problem with sticking? I just got my 8qt wolfgang puck and it is starting to stick. Help its brand new.
I just became a proud owner of an electric pressure pan. A problem came up with using the MEAT/CHICKEN function switch. Well, there is NO MEAT/CHICKEN switch on my pan! I do not find a web site to contact the company to ask what they mean. Can you help? My pressure pan is ‘Cook’s Essentials’ 6qt, model K40419/EPC-60F. Help a frustrated lady!
I have been scared to death to use the Elite 8qt 13function pressure cooker that my son bought for me six months ago (yes six). After reading your blog and guest comments, I will try it today. Wish me luck!
You will be fine. Pick an easy recipe and give it a try. Good luck!
Neighbor bought me large bag of apples. Besides making couple pies, I was wondering if I could make applesauce in cooking pot. Not in jars, but just use cooking pot of pressure cooker?
You sure can!
I need more of a variety of recipes that are normal, everyday recipes that I can use with my elite pressure cooker. Is there a cookbook that I can buy that has a variety of normal everyday recipes in it for the elite pressure cooker? If not, can you send me some recipes for chicken and more specifically for chicken breast and some recipes for italian food? I thank you in advance for your help.
I just bought a book on Amazon “The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book’. It has 500 recipes, and I have already made several, and they are all pretty simple, but very delicious. I haven’t made anything I haven’t loved yet.
I would like to see a recipe for pork chops. My family likes pork chops but if I forget to set them out in the a.m. to defrost then I have to make something else. I don’t like defrosting in the microwave.
Elite pressure cooker has Err 4 in the LED panel when I select menu and cook option. Please tell me what I did wrong. The manual states that it’s an error, yea I know that already.
Thanks for this Blog.
It means the control panel has decided to go bonkers. Unfortunately this is not something I know how to fix. You may need to contact customer service.
The Err 4 means you should unplug the unit and wait 15 minutes. Plug it back into the wall, press the “Cancel” button . Choose what you’re cooking and set the timer. If you keep getting the problem, then it means you probably need a replacement thermofuse. You’ll need to call customer service at 800-365-6133 for help.
When it comes to pressure cookers, for generations me and my family have relied only on one name Prestige. A regular orthodox pressure cooker with cutting edge safety valves, Prestige Pressure cookers have been the best buy for us.
I just got my pressure cooker for Christmas and we’ve done 2 different pasta dishes and both times we had noodles burnt to the bottom. What can I do to stop this?? I even did the Mac n cheese recipe from the cookbook that came with it and it still did it. Is this normal
can I fry chicken in my electric Elite pressure cooker? Thanks
That I have not tried. I don’t think the heating element can hear the oil up hot enough.
Debra Murray HSN cookbook has a good recipe for frying chicken in an electric pressure cooker.
Don’t you have a recipe for beef stew? I just got my pressure cooker and have never used one. Totally in the dark as to what to do.
http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/pressure-cooker-red-wine-beef-stew/
I just bout the Elite eight quart pressure cooker.
I read the instructions on how to clean it. I am totally confused.Removing the Condensation Cup. How ? I will be sending it back soon if I don”t get an answer from somewhere.
Thanks
You may want to contact customer service for help with your questions. Or if you want to return it, feel free to do so.
I have used my Elite Pressure Cooker successfully several times. Tonight I checked valves, added food, placed and closed lid, plugged in, and nothing happened. No beep, no light. I tried other outlets and cord at back. All seemed right. I now have my stew on my stove. What is wrong?
Oh no! Are you sure you checked the plug connection in the back of the machine? If its completely dead, then it may have shorted the power fuse. If its under 1yr warranty, contact customer service.
Good luck with that!
More information on why you shouldn’t can in an electric pressure cooker. http://preservingfoodathome.com/2014/11/25/can-i-can-in-a-multi-cooker/
Please remind me why I am using a pressure cooker when I can get my roast and half the food I cook done faster in my oven or on my stove top? I purchased the Elite pressure cooker after watching tons of pressure cooker shows and thinking it would be quick but it’s gotten so I only use it for rice. The food I cooked turned out sickening to the point of even thinking of using the cooker makes me gag. I’m about to toss it out, and have read other reviews of cooks feeling about like me with this machine. Please, why am I using this pressure cooker, is it supposed to make my food taste better or something? I’m not trying to be a wise guy, just disappointed and frustrated. It takes 15-20 minutes just to stoke the thing up so it will cook.
Not sure why you’re having such a hard time. What are the items you’ve tried making that turned out so horribly? Start small and easy first and build up from there. I’ve never had any trouble cooking in my pressure cooker. And from all the messages I get and the visitors to my site, I’m not the only one.
I also don’t understand what you mean by 15-20 minutes to “stoke” the thing up to cook. Are you talking about building up the pressure?
I don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but it has been deemed unsafe to can in these electric pressure cookers. Even though they advertise it.
MY pressure canner has a sauté function so you can brown and sauté, and it’s default time is 20 minutes. I find that when I use that function, my cooker will come up to pressure within 5 minutes of closing the lid (unlike starting out cold). Also, mine has a ‘slow cooker’ button. Haven’t used that one yet, but it’s capable.
YES, I agree with the times on the meat. Yes, your roast will be ‘done’ in 20 minutes, but I find that if I cut it into chunks, frozen, it takes at least 45 minutes for it to reach that ‘fall apart’ stage. Anything before that will be sort of tough, and hard to pull apart. Longer is better.
I just got mine recently, but am eagerly trying new things. It’s all trial and error. Last night I made meatloaf, and after perusing pinterest, youtube, blogs, etc, I came out with the perfect ending. Even for just meatloaf, there were at least a dozen times and ways to do it. You just have to find which one you like.
It does take a few minutes (up to 20) to get your machine up to pressure, especially if you’re putting frozen or cold things in there. I find that if I use the sauté function (for onions, or browning), my pot will be hot, so after closing the lid, it only takes about 5 minutes for it to come up to pressure and start timing. Maybe if you set the timer as you are preparing to put things in, it will start heating, but won’t start timing until the lid is closed and it reaches pressure. Even an oven has to reach the pre-heated temperature before you can start timing 😀 I just did meatloaf last night, and it was delicious!!
Does anyone know how soon after you cook one batch you can start on something different or continue heating? I make beans regularly with my Elite 8 qt. After cooking a large recipe of pinto beans (3/5 full) for 60 min, they were not quite done. All I want to do is cook at pressure for another 20 min, but it’s like I’ve asked the cooker something impossible — the functions don’t allow me to cancel and set a new time, or anything. The only option I’ve found is to unplug, let everything cool off, cool down the pot of beans over several hours, and restart with half of the half-cooked beans and more water. It’s very frustrating and takes forever. It’s actually faster just to put the beans into casserole dishes and finish them in the oven over two hours. This is a problem I’ve found with every automatic pressure cooker I’ve tried. (my Eite 8 qt. is brand new, one week old. I was using a Cuisinart 6 qt before, until after 6 months the Cuisinart would always shut off when it was about to get to pressure and go straight to warming… despite the valve, lid, rubber ring, and everything being clean and in order… typical I guess).
What model do you have?
I’ve never had a problem cooking something for a while and then once it’s done, release all the pressure and reset it to cook longer. Are you sure you’re canceling out of the Keep Warm mode?
I was using a pressure cooker for many years.
I loved the pressure cooker and pressure cookers what helped me.
I have a blog to share the shopping experience as well as using a pressure cooker.
hope everyone has had for more helpful information.
The first time using my Elite 10 qt Digital pressure cooker,.there was a steady stream of steam coming from the pressure limit valve, which was in the airtight position. It never did stop coming out. Does anyone else have this problem. or is this the way it is supposed to work.
You shouldn’t have steam escaping the entire time. Sometimes there may be little minor wisps.
Did you try adjusting valve to make sure it was seated properly? Or make sure nothing was lodged in the valve as well?
Where is the Mark for the Air Tight Position I Don’t know where to set it. Please Help
Visit my Facebook page. There is a video that shows the correct pressure valve position. There is a small triangle molded into the plastic.
Thanks for telling me that I can’t bake in my electric pressure cooker. I need to stop enjoying my beautiful loaves of bread from it.
Thanks for your sarcasm.
I’d love to make bread. Can you provide a recipe? I’m a total novice… my Elite 8 Pressure Cooker arrived today. Thank You and Merry Christmas 2015.
Yes. It IS STEAM, and not dry, but it is a baking “hack” and yes, you literally can’t bake, but you CAN hack it to use it because that’s what people need to know. If you want to USE the EPC for baking, you CAN use it as an effective tool for baking…and that is the bottom line.
I just wanted some info about cooking I’d the pressure cooker pot without releasing or pressure cooking, I was just trying to brown couple pieces of chicken, I just bought the pressure cooker from wolfgang puck, haven’used it as yet. I want to thank you for your healthy tips and recipes, I will try some one day soon I’ m not used to pressure cooking.thanks, again keep up the good work.
I plugged in my elite 10 quart pressure cooker, it is showing 0000, as it says it should. Then when i click on beans or any other setting to cook it doesnt light up or do anything. The only button that lights up is the cancel button. I have unplugged and pushed other buttons but not working, Can you help me thank you
I cooked your whole chicken and veggie recipe was very good. But what would or how can I brown the skin. You show a picture of a nicely browned whole chicken on one of your sites
I cook various dishes in my PC, but for some reason every time I make lasagna it burns the bottom of my noodles and sauce. I always put 1/4″ of water on the bottom then begin layering, but it still burns. Any advise out there??
Hi, can you tell me what setting to use for steaming vegetables? Thanks!!
I have brand new pressure cooker xl , I have used it once and now it seems not to heat up or build pressure , I don’t know if there is something I can do to fix it without sending it back to company for 29.99, panel lights up and everything, just don’t heat or build pressure.
Hi. I love your website.
I just want to share that I bake cakes in my electric pressure cooker BUT with NO Pressure, no steam. It would get soggy , as you said.
Usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes to bake a cake.
Spray the pot with PAN.
Pour the cake batter
Close the lid but do NOT the set the valve to airtight position.
Program for 30 minutes, then open to see it it is baked,
it not, close the lid again and program for 3 to 6 more minutes.
Good luck 🙂
Merry Christmas to you all !
Thank you for this information. I just bought my first pressure cooker and one of the things I was anxious to try was a cake after seeing it demonstrated on the air. Unfortunately the manual had no instructions for baking and I knew there was not enough liquid to build up pressure so I was stumped as to how to make this happen.
I have a Wolfgang Puck pressure cooker and its my first time using it. I turned it on the 60 minutes to cook a roast and its just hissing is that normal?
Kathy,
Try pushing down on the lid next time you hear hissing, sometimes this helps seal the lid so it can build pressure. This happens with a lot of different brands of pressure cookers, I hope this helps.
Good luck!
I have an elite 8qt pressure cooker. What is the biggest size pork butt I can cook in there for pulled pork. How long to cook?
Can anybody tell me how to simply cook w frozen or unfrozen tenderloin steaks? I feel like I may be over thinking it since there is a meat/chicken button, but I don’t want to mess it up.
Thank you!
Question, I have the Elite. Do the presets make different temperatures or just time?
It is just the cook times that differ.
Thanks
I have the elite also, but even though I am setting it to the right cooking time the bottom is always burned.
What have you been cooking in it? Mine usually burns like that and shuts off the machine when I cook very dense items that stay heavy towards the bottom of the pot. If it’s a large piece of roast, I’ll slip some cut up potatoes or carrots underneath the meat to raise it up so liquid flows under it. Hope that helps.
Maria,
I also have this problem with my Elite pressure cookers, It’s not the pressure cooker, but it’s the inferior cooking pot insert. I got fed up with this happening to my expensive dishes, so I purchased a Ming Tsai pressure cooker on HSN, it has a ceramic inner pot, No more food sticking to the bottom of my pot. I’m so happy with it, unfortunately I purchased 3 Elite pressure cookers, 300.00 down the drain. I know this doesn’t help with your problem, but I just wanted to let you know, so you don’t think your doing something wrong.
My elite 10qt. Pressure cooker won’t work nothing lights up or anything any suggestions on how to fix it would be greatly appreciated Thanks
Where can i get a cook book for my Elite Pressurecooker I purchesed my Elite about 4 years ago and lost my book when i moved and have guessing about my recipe. would appreciate any help
Thanks jd
Hello everyone, I purchased the Elite 10 qrt PC from HSN in 2014. I used it no-more than 5 times since the purchase date but when I did I loved it. I recently have been in a more stable environment and able to use it again on a regular bases with new recipes. Though when I turn it on I received an E1 message. I found on the internet that this means “Open Circuit of the Sensor” needless to say I have no idea what that means. Please help!
You’ll need to contact customer service. They should be able to send you a part to fix the problem hopefully.
I just need to know if the stew function on an Elite 13 function is the same as slow cooking? I want to combine 2 machines into one and I know some machines state they slow cook, but the 13 function says stew. Is that the same?
Found the manual…No it is not a slow cooker. duh.
I want to buy an electric pressure cooker so I can do the cooking instead of my wife who works longer hours than me. I have the following question for you regarding browning. Is it absolutely necessary to brown beef and poultry before actually cooking it in the pressure cooker. I see no point in using a pressure cooker if you have to take about an extra 15 minutes to brown everything before you place it in the cooker. I look forward to hearing from yo at your earliest possible convenience. Thanks so much, Victor
Victor – it’s not necessary, in fact you can throw frozen meat in the pressure cooker. However, browning meat is a good idea, here is some info on it.
http://www.missvickie.com/howto/meat/meatbrowning.html
I sat my pressure cooker to cook chicken, set it for 1 hour, now it shows 66 & still under pressure, what do I do now?
Hi,
I’m sorry. I don’t know which model or brand your pressure cooker is. And I do not understand your question. I am also not customer service, so you may want to contact the tech support for your particular brand and model of your pressure cooker.
I have been trying to find the 10qt Elite cook book. Would you know where I can find one? I am lost without it. I had one but it got misplaced. Thank you.
Hello Mizti,
if you mean the manual that came with the cooker and included recipes, you can find that at this link:
https://secure.img1.wfrcdn.com/docresources/29930/17/179971.pdf
I don’t want the pork boston butt to flake and break into pieces as it does in the PC, instead I’d like to slice it, but in the oven it dries up too much by the time it is cooked, could I half cook it in the PC and finish it in the oven so it could be sliced?
help I just bought a Elite Bistro 12 QT Digital Pressure cooker and the first time I tried to use it I get a E1 Code The manual dose not tell me how to fix it anyone know how to fix this or do I send it back?? very disappointed
Hi Kathy, I have the 10qrt Elite Pressure Cooker. The same error 1 message appeared on my screen when I tried to cook I called and wrote and emailed and did not get an answer. They told me I would have to ship it to the company which would cost me more then the cooker it self to return and receive. It’s been over 5 months and it’s now in my basement.
Hi, I have one of the smaller versions of this pressure cooker. The first time I used the pot I got and E1 error code. In my case, it was the ring under the lid causing the problems. It was not set in the correct position nor was it seated properly. So, it was letting steam escape and not letting pressure build up.
Once I corrected this issue, I’ve never seen the E1 error code again.
Thank you Theresa, I’m going to try adjusting the ring hopefully it’s the same issue I have.
Thanks again
Sharon
You’re welcome, Sharon. Hopefully, this will correct the problem because once it did for me, I couldn’t believe I’d lived so long without this appliance. I use it more than just about any other cooking utensil I own.
Have a great day!
lol I can’t wait to get this working. Everyone seems to swear by it. Thanks have a great day
I bought a pressure cooker recipe book to go along with my new Elite electric pressure cooker, along with searching online for recipes. Most of the recipes in the cookbook say “cook on high” or “cook on low” and some recipes online give a specific psi to cook at. There’s no option on the cooker to set the psi or just cook at a high, medium or low setting, just the preset menu options and I can’t find anywhere in the manual or online that tells me what menu setting would be equivalent to high, med, low, or a certain psi. Can you help?
Can you let me know what the model number is? If I recall, all the Elite units has a set 12PSI and it is not adjustable.
The Model # is EPC-813C If I can’t change the psi to cook on low, high etc for recipes in the cookbook that call for that, how will I know how to cook it? Why does it have different menu setting if it’s not adjusting the Psi…are the menu items just a preset cooking time? Obviously I didn’t have a clue what features to look for when I was shopping for an electric PC, otherwise I would’ve looked for one with the ability to change the Psi or at least have a low, high feature. I tried making soft boiled eggs which are supposed to be cooked on low. I used the vegetable setting because I assumed it was probably a low setting and cooked them for only 6 minutes. They were beautifully hard boiled, but not the soft boiled I wanted. So next time I’ll cook for 3 minutes & see how that works. I just don’t want to have to do a lot of trial and error cooking because I can’t change the PSI.
Nice blog!!
Thanks for the post about “Electric Pressure Cooker Tips & Basic Information”
Your Cooking tips is really helpful
Best of luck.
🙂
Hi, I love my new 10 Quart Elite PC. I did make a pork shoulder in it and it was tough so I cooked it for 20 more minutes and it was a little bit better but still sort of tough so I cooked it for another 20 minutes. It came out amazing. Fell apart. So any kind of meat that comes out tough, you do need to cook it for longer. I would do it in 20 minute increments.
Yes, for any piece of whole meat that’s more than 3 lbs, I would recommend cooking for it more than 45min to get it to the fall apart stages.
where do I find a fuse on cook’s essentials 10QT Digital
pressure cooker.
I’m not sure, but it’s usually located on the underside of the base, once you remove the screws to remove that cover panel.
Used my elite once it stoped cooking lost power has not worked since. Any suggestions.
Please contact customer support.
Dumb newbie question. I just purchased my very first pressure cooker, Elite Bistro, and I have a question about the presets. The manual says that the machine is programmed to detect the weight of the food and how much liquid is in the pot. Does this mean that if I use a preset the cooker may actually cook for a shorter or longer time than the default? So 22 minutes could become 18 or 26?
Browning: for those people having trouble Browning. I use the brown rice setting on my Elite 8 quart pressure cooker. That way when I press start it’s good for 23 minutes. And I can always make the timer go little bit longer if I need too.
Hi, thanks for all the useful tips! I am used to using regular pressure cookers but just bought an Elite 4 quart EPC. I do have one question: what is the purpose of the little trivet included in it? Is it to raise the level of a heavy piece of meat or is it for cooking something else? Could you use it with a smaller, different cooking pot than what is provided?
Thanks for any explanations.
I’m trying to cook white beans not pressure up what to do?
Hello. What model or brand do you have. And you’ll need to provide more details as to why it is not pressuring up. What is it doing instead?
Does anyone know how to do a broad tend chicken in an Elite Bistro machine? Ty
I have the elite bistro 4qt pressure cooker.Tried the slow cook function button.It didnot slowcook. The cooker was on high setting.
Is there somethingI am doing wrong?
I’ve had my Elite Bistro 8 qt. for a little over a year, and the sealing ring has become so loose that it doesn’t stay on the metal frame. I had a difficult time finding replacement part info, but finally located the manufacturer and reordered 2 of them. I’m excited that I’ll be able to start pressure cooking again soon! Here’s the site in case anyone needs it. http://www.maxi-matic.com/parts-accessories/pressure-cookers.html
I have an Elite Platinum 4 qt. What do some of the codes mean on the display. The manual does not cover all of the codes. Mine reads 66 while cooking.
What model number do you have?
Purchased Maxi-matic elite platinum 10 qt pressure cooker, epc-1013 when push buttons for soup etc display says lid, have cleaned lid, gaskets, valves still does it, any ideas what to do to correct?
I suggest you contact the customer service at info@maxi-matic.com.
My bistro elite beep and on the display it looks like it says lid. I am concerned that there might be something wrong with it. Do you know what is wrong with it.
Unfortunately I’m not technical support for the item. But if your lid sensor is having problems, you may want to consider cleaning the sensor areas thoroughly. There may be grease or food particles covering the sensors or stuck somewhere. Use white vinegar to do a thorough cleaning. If it’s still giving you problems, I recommend contacting technical support.
I found your blog very helpful, thank you! I am getting a lid error and I cannot use my pressure cooker so I saw a YouTube on how to replace the sensor but where do I get a new sensor? I have an elite bistro