I do NOT know how to use i.e keep at pressure without burning stuff. This is my daughter's Sambonet pressure cooker, it has a strange looking style of lid lock down that is part of the pressurisation...
Pressure cookers rely on pressure and steam,
Do a dry run first...well not dry but with just water, (no food) especially if it's an old cooker.
Inspect for cracks or pinholes before you go ahead, a crack ANYWHERE in a pressure cooker makes it a bomb...or a flower pot.
Ensure all safety devices like the pressure regulator and blow out plug are in good condition and not plugged.
If some previous owner replaced the blow out plug with a bolt or something silly don't use the cooker till it's repaired.
Bring your pressure cooker slowly up to pressure over medium heat with an inch or two of water in the bottom.
When it starts to vent steam turn the heat down so the steam barely escapes, if it has a rocker weight it will wobble a couple times a minute.
Slow gentle heat is the trick. A cooker will run for hours like that without boiling dry.
A couple tips, use salt and spice sparingly, it's trapped in there and permeates the food.
Be careful with foods that expand on cooking like rice and dried things, they can get up and block the vents if they reach the lid.
TickMagnet
Search eBay.com with your model manufacturer and name, and you may find a cheap used or broken pressure cooker with the identical plug.
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