Pressure Cooker Basics

1. Here is your first fact about pressure cooker basics:

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking where steam is sealed in a special airtight pot. The vapor from the liquid (such as stock, broth, water, wine or brandy) rises and is captured in the pressure cooker when it is sealed. This then raises the pressure in the pressure cooker as well as the temperature of the liquid to its maximum. The increased temperature and pressure significantly speeds up the cooking time by infusing hot steam into the food. Pressure cooking can speed up cooking times over 1/3 or more and is often 10 times faster than traditional cooking. Compared to microwave cooking, foods taste considerably better and compared to a slow cooker, foods cook in a significantly shorter amount of time.

2. Here is your second fact about pressure cooker basics:

Pressure cookers come in a variety of pressures, so be sure to use the right amount of cooking time for the amount of pressure for your cooker. The highest pressure is 15psi, so if your cooker's pressure is lower than that, you may have to increase the cooking time by 12 or 15 percent, depending on the recipe. Most recipes for pressure cookers indicate the amount of cooking time at 15 psi.

When the pressure selector dial on a modern pressure cooker is set to high (15psi) it is safely under a pressure of 15 pounds per square inch. 15 pounds of pressure is less than half of the pressure in a normal car tire, so it's not very much, but it's enough to greatly reduce the cooking time of food. The temperature inside the pressure cooker is increased above what is possible in a normal stove top cooking pot.

The steam pressure inside the pressure cooker cooks food much more rapidly than just boiling or baking. And while microwaves cook fast, often the food is dried out, rubbery or soggy. Using a pressure cooker, while the cooking time is greatly reduced, the quality of the food is preserved. Meats are juicy and tender, vegetables melt in your mouth and desserts come out more delicious than ever. Pressure cooked foods also retain their vitamins and nutrients unlike boiled or baked foods.

So, as you can see, using a pressure cooker is not only safe, but it saves you time and makes your foods taste much better!

Armed with these pressure cooker basics you are now ready to move on to your pressure cooker!