You may have heard about pressure cookers and what they can do. And you might ask yourself if pressure cookers can cook food seven times faster than the normal cooking methods or if the food still tastes well after being cooked in a pressure cooker? Or you might be wondering, are pressure cookers worth it?
Suppose you’re thinking about buying a pressure cooker, but you don’t know how they work and their benefits. Don’t worry; I am here to help you to learn about these appliances, what type of food you can cook in them and if you can expect great performance and result from pressure cookers.
How do pressure cookers work?
The working mechanism of a pressure cooker is very simple. It creates pressure in a sealed environment. Any food you cook in a pressure cooker cooks above the boiling point, which results in 7 times faster cooking than the simple cooking method. The pressure cookers are more energy sufficient than others. They can maintain the sealed pod’s heat levels and reduce the use of energy to a minimum extent.
Due to minimal use of energy and seven times faster cooking, it makes your meal very tasty because the flavor of the food does not evaporate with the steam. If you want to cook meat and you want it to be tender faster, try to cook it in a pressure cooker because it can break the connective tissues faster, which makes it tender at a higher cooking temperature than the boiling point, which will not be possible to achieve normally.
As I have told you earlier, normally, when you cook your food in any pressure cooker, it takes about a third of the time or less than normal cooking methods, which results in saving time and energy while achieving the same great taste. It’s a win-win situation for all everyone.
A pressure cooker saves money
It’s really obvious because a pressure cooker uses less energy and time to cook food, which will waste less power. You can use cheaper cuts of meat because it wastes less food.
I would recommend you to buy a mechanical pressure cooker rather than an electric one because there are fewer chances for it to get damaged. I have been using one for the last 9 years, and it still works perfectly fine, and it will be less costly than an electric pressure cooker.
Pressure cookers save time
You should have known by now that a pressure cooker can shorten the cooking time by as much as 70 percent. Let’s suppose if you need to have dinner ready in 30 minutes, a pressure cooker can do it for you. Even the beef stew and sauces, which require hours of heat on any stove, can also be done in no time and will be ready to serve on the table seven times faster. Isn’t it amazing?
Pressure cookers are the perfect kitchen appliances for busy families or tired parents. It’s also useful for a person who doesn’t have a lot of energy or time to stay in the kitchen, and the best part of it is that you can still have very flavorful and tasty dishes which take hours to be prepared!
Nutrients are retained
A pressure cooker can lock in the goodness and flavor of any food because fewer food nutritional elements and vitamins are lost during the pressure cooking, which makes any meal healthier than the meal made in any traditional pots and pans. Food cooked in a pressure cooker will be rich in flavor and nutrients.
Easy to clean
As I have mentioned before, pressure cookers are very easy to clean because they can easily come apart for cleaning. You can clean the rubber gasket and the lead separately because it comes away from it easily. It’s very important to clean the pressure valve because it will help the pressure cooker to run safely. You can take off the pressure valve easily for cleaning.
Versatility
If you have low-budget problems or don’t have much counter space pressure cooker comes in handy because it can take the place of different appliances like a crockpot, steamer, and rice cooker in your kitchen. This will not only help you to save big counter space, but it will save you money that you would spend on another alternative appliance
One-pot meals
Everybody would love to cook their meal in one pot because they can throw all the ingredients in it and in just a few minutes you have a ready meal for your family. You can use a pressure cooker for dishes such as beans, soups, curries, mashed potatoes, chicken, or anything which involves tough cuts of meat.
Less mess
If you are cooking regularly, you will need multiple pots and utensils, which are normally used in cooking, but in pressure cooking, you will have to clean and wash only one pan, and the lid of the pressure cooker also helps you because there will be no spillage to clean after you are done cooking.
You can cook cheaper cuts of meat
Have you ever tried any meat which is cooked in a pressure cooker? I can tell you that it comes out very delicious and tender. It will melt in your mouth and give you the feeling that it’s been cooked for hours, but in fact, it took only 10 minutes to cook that meat.
You can cook almost every cut of meat, even the cheap kind like brisket beef, in a pressure cooker, which is a favorite in many households for its sinew and connective tissues. The chewy bit will melt in your mouth, but if you cook this cut normally, it can be less chewy and a bit unpleasant.
Quiet and doesn’t heat the kitchen up
Modern pressure cookers are very quiet, and you will hear only a gentle hiss, but if you hear a loud noise, this indicates that you need to turn its heat low.
Pressure cookers don’t heat the kitchen as much as any oven would during summer days. If you use an induction hob, this will involve less heat because no heat is escaping up the sides of the cooker.
Stovetop cookers are durable
Pressure cookers are very durable, and if you look after a solidly constructed pressure cooker, it can last for many years and would turn into a great investment. You don’t have to replace any parts of your pressure cooker except its rubber gasket. Apart from that rubber sealing ring, it is almost indestructible.
