– 31 –
OPERATING VHL2 & VHL3 WITH PRE-VENT AUTOMATIC COMPARTMENT CONTROLS
This section covers operation of VHL2 & VHL Steamers built before May, 2003.
1. Prepare vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood and poultry as you would for steam cooking or
cooking in water: clean, separate, cut, remove stems, etc., and place in a pan.
2. Place loaded pans in the compartment and close the compartment door. Turn the door screw
handle clockwise to seal the door gasket. Normal pressure will seal the compartment;
however, a new gasket may require additional pressure after it becomes heated. After the
pressure gauge (located below the lowest compartment controls) reaches a maximum
pressure of 5 to 6 psi, turn the door screw handle clockwise enough to stop the leakage. The
pressure gauge indicates steam pressure in the steam supply pipe, not the compartments.
3. The timer knob must be turned to 10 minutes or beyond to trip the switches. The knob may
then be turned back to a lower setting if a shorter time setting is desired.
4. Pull the steam control handle forward and lock it by pulling the arm down. The door latch
cannot be opened when the steam control handle is pulled forward. This closes the drain and
allows steam to enter the compartment. Air is automatically vented from the compartment as
steam enters. The escaping air causes a hissing sound which is audible during the early part
of the cycle.
5. Set the timer to the desired cooking time (if not done in step 3).
6. Press the top half of the red compartment switch located under the timer. The switch indicator
light will not light and the timer will not start until the interior compartment temperature reaches
180°F (
82°C). During this automatic pre-vent and/or defrost period, the drain is open, freely
venting any air and condensate. At 180°F (
82°C), the drain closes, the timer starts and the red
light comes on. During the cooking cycle, the compartment reaches 5 to 6 psi, and limited
venting takes place through the compartment drain to allow removal of condensate and
residual air.
7. When the timer reaches 1 minute, the arm automatically moves to the rear, shutting off the
steam supply and opening the drain. The compartment will exhaust for about 1 minute.
Never attempt to open the compartment door during the cooking cycle, when the
cooking light is lit or before the buzzer sounds.
8. When the timer reaches 0, the continuous buzzer will sound, indicating the end of the cooking
cycle.
9. Turn the steamer off by pressing the bottom half of the compartment switch. Then loosen the
door screw handle to allow moisture to escape. After a few seconds, move the door latch to
the left, slowly open the door and remove the pans of food.
