Pressure Cooker

Pressure cooking is a method of coo

king in a sealed vessel that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. Because the boiling poing of water increses, the pressure built up inside the cooker allows the liquid in the pot to rise to a higher temperature before boiling.

Pressure cookers are usually heavy, because they need to be strong. However, some pressure cookers are manufactured for camping, and can be as light as 1.2 kg for a four-litre pot.

The food to be cooked is placed in the pressure cooker, with a small amount of water. The vessel is then sealed and placed on a heat source, e.g., a stove. As the internal temperature rises, the pressure also rises, until the pressure reaches the design gauge pressure. In some designs,relief valve opens, releasing steam and preventing the pressure from rising any further. In others, the pressure regulator weight begins levitating on its nozzle, allowing excess steam to escape.

Foods are cooked much faster by pressure cooking than by other methods, (except perhaps microwaves), and with much less water than boiling, so dishes can be ready sooner. Less energy is required than when boiling, steaming or oven cooking. Since less water is necessary, the foods come to cooking temperature faster.

The higher temperature causes the food to cook faster; cooking times can typically be reduced by about 70 percent. For example, shredded cabbage is cooked in one minute, fresh green beans in three minutes, small to medium-sized potatoes cook in about eight minutes (depending on thickness and type), and a whole chicken takes only twenty minutes. Brown rice and lentils and beans can be cooked in ten minutes instead of 45.

With pressure cooking, heat is very evenly, deeply, and quickly distributed.

Pressure cooking is often used to simulate the effects of long braizing or simmering in shorter periods of time.
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