Pressure Cooker Fundamentals

The fundamentals of a pressure cooker are very simple. Once you learn how easy it is to use and how awesome your food turns out, you will find that having one and using it will make kitchen life a breeze. Cooking foods in a pressure cooker is faster than traditional baking or cooking and those meals come out oh so delicious.

What’s so Special about a Pressure Cooker

Pressure cooking is a technique of cooking that seals steam in an airtight pot. The vapor from the liquid used in the recipe rises and is captured inside the sealed pressure cooker. This method raises the pressure in the cooker along with the temperature of the liquid to its highest level. The higher temperature and pressure drastically speed 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 conventional cooking. Compare pressure cooking to crock pot cooking and you will find the time is much shorter. When compared to microwave cooking the foods taste better.

The High Pressure = A Short Cooking Time

Pressure cookers come in a variety of pressures, so the right cooking times are extremely important. 15 psi is the highest pressure available. If your cooker’s pressure is lower than that, adjust the cooking time by 12 to 15 percent, depending on the recipe. 15 psi is what most recipes will indicate.

When a pressure selector dial on a modern pressure cooker is set to 15 psi or high, it is under a pressure of 15 pounds per square inch which is quite safe. This amount of psi is less than half of the pressure found in a normal car tire. It’s not very much yet it is just the right amount to reduce the cooking time for foods. The actual temperature inside the pressure cooker is increased above what is possible in a normal stove top cooking pot.

The steam pressure inside a pressure cooker cooks food much faster than just boiling or baking. While microwaves do cook fast, the cooked foods can turn out dry, rubbery or soggy. Even though the pressure cooking time is significantly reduced, the quality of the food is conserved. Meats turn out juicy and tender, the flavor of vegetables are sealed in and desserts come out tasting better than ever. Pressure cooked foods also retain their vitamins and nutrients where boiled or baked foods lose these precious nutrients during cooking.

Using a pressure cooker is safe and effective. It’s a basic fundamental that turns foods into a delicious feast.