How to use Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers were created to speed up the process of making food. They work, because at higher pressures, it takes a higher temperature to boil. This means that higher heats can be reached faster, because of the build up of pressure. Pressure cooking was fairly dangerous in the past, but now there are many safety features built in. This makes pressure cooking as safe as a microwave. Pressure cooking pots are one of the most useful cooking utensils to have in your home.

There are many things that can be cooked in a pressure cooker and there are many a cooking book devoted to pressure cooking. In days gone by, pressure cookers were more common and necessary kitchen tools than they are today. This is because of the popularity of take away foods and microwave meals. In older days when it was always up to the lady of the house to make all the meals, having the speed of a pressure cooker really cut down on her time in the kitchen. Even so, there are still many great recipes out there that are designed with a pressure cooker in mind. There are recipes for vegetables, rice, other meats, canning, deserts, fish, beans and many more. Most new pressure cooker models will come will a cheap recipes book, but to really explore the whole realm of pressure cooking, there are Internet sites devoted to them, or you could buy a recipe book from the store that is specifically designed for a pressure cooker.

The original design of a pressure cooker was very inventive. The first appearance of one was in 1679. These baking tools were actually called steam digesters, but they worked basically the same. These older models were used more for canning than they are today. Pressure cookers are made of steel or aluminum, and sometimes will have a copper bottom. When the food is placed inside, a small bit of water is added as well to conduct the heat. A sealed lid covers the pot. When the heat rises, so does the pressure, which makes the food cook faster. The lids have a steam valve to keep the pressure from becoming so high that the pot explodes. Today's cookers have more safety features, so this is not likely to happen much any more. However, older versions would get clogged all the time, and explode on a regular basis if not watched constantly.

Pressure cookers are really a great tool to add to any kitchen. It is easy to see their functionality among kitchen tools. If you have the room, a pressure cooker can be a great addition to your cooking collection. It is pretty amazing how fast it can actually cooks foods.