The All American 921 Pressure Cooker

The All American 921 21-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner is, quite simply, the best pressure cooker made. This is a true "Made in America" product manufactured to the highest quality possible. The All American 921 is a metal-to-metal-sealed stainless combination pressure cooker and canner made of high-grade aluminum. It has a 21.5 quart capacity, large interior space, and geared steam gauge. It is specifically designed for home use - but this is one product that virtually screams "industrial strength".

One of the nicest features of this pressure cooker is that it does not use a rubber gasket. The cooker has a metal-to-metal seal so you will never have to worry about finding a replacement for a worn-out rubber gasket. There are six screw-down lid retainers, which in combination with the fail-safe pressure relief valve provides the highest level of safety imaginable.

The pressure gauge allows you to see when the pressure has reached full and adjust the heat accordingly. That's much simpler - and safer - than trying to guess based on past experience. Especially if you're new to canning or cooking with such a device.

The All American 921 is the choice for the great majority of home canners who demand professional quality from of their tools and utensils. It has the capacity to take on those big jobs that pop-up from time to time in the average canner's life. Church events, fund raisers, large family gatherings - The All American 921 21-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner is up to the demands of each of these, and much, much more.

What you're buying when you purchase this pressure cooker is quality, durability, and safety that will last a lifetime. If you're a serious canner and/or cook, you cannot treat yourself to a better product - and this is one purchase you will always feel good about.

The basic principle of a pressure cooker is to put a small amount of water in a sealed cooking vessel so that no air or liquids can escape during cooking. Pressure is created by bringing the liquid inside to a boil, which creates steam, which creates pressure. Hence the name. And because the boiling point of water increases at higher pressure, the food inside reaches a higher temerature than it normally would.Generally speaking, foods will cook at about 1/3 the time required using normal stove-top cooking methods.

The chief advantage to using a pressure cooker is that preparing slow-cooking food takes much less time. Add to that the fact that much less energy is required versus cooking the same thing in a pot or micro-wave, and the pressure cooker also becomes a big-time money saver.

Once the food is in the pressure cooker and the lid sealed, the stove burner is turned to high until the pressure inside reaches the desired level. This is determined using the pressure gauge which comes with all quality devices. Then the heat is reduced to maintain a steady pressure during the cooking. A pressure release valve is present in-case the pressure inside should become too great.

Immersing the food in liquid is not necessary when using a pressure cooker since the steam pressure does the cooking - and nothing escapes due to the locked-down lid. This also produces a very even and efficient cooking process. And due to the reduced amount of time required to cook, more vitamins and nutirents are preserved in the food.

This temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process which results in both faster cooking, and very efficient at killing bacteria and micro-organisms too. In-fact, the auto-clave used in hospitals for sterilization works on the same principle as a pressure cooker.

For those living in high altitudes, pressure cookers are very useful since water boils at a lower temperature under those atmospheric conditions. This makes boiling food less effective - and pressure cookers eliminate this problem.

Pressure cookers are perfect for canning foods, and cooking more than one thing at a time. And since they are made of thick and durable aluminum, they usually last a lifetime. This is one kitchen investment that will keep producing delicious results for many, many years.