Pressure cookers have come a long way since they were first introduced three centuries ago. Many kitchens now have at least one pressure cooker and some have multiple. There are many sizes of pressure cookers to help you choose the perfect one for your needs. A large pressure cooker will be useful if you make large meals while a smaller one might suit your needs best if you’re just cooking for one or two people.
Benefits of Using Pressure Cookers
There are many benefits to using a pressure cooker including less time needed to cook your favorite meals and the elimination of needing to babysit your food while it cooks. They’re also ideal for beginner cooks who have a hard time getting their food just right; pressure cookers can eliminate this hassle and stress.
Types of Pressure Cookers
You’ll find many types of pressure cookers available on the market today and the kind you choose will depend on your specific needs. Regardless of what kind of cooker you buy you’ll want to make sure to avoid the following mistakes when using your pressure cooker.
Mistakes to Avoid While Cooking With a Pressure Cooker
Know How Your Cooker Works
One common mistake people make while pressure cooking is either overcooking or undercooking their food. The reason for this is simply not using the pressure cooker correctly. Regardless of how your previous cookers worked, you’ll want to make sure you know exactly how your existing pressure cooker works. This will help you ensure your food is cooked correctly every single time.
Don’t Overstuff Your Pressure Cooker
Different ingredients of your pressure cooker recipe will require different cooking times. Therefore, it’s not often that you can put all of the ingredients into a pressure cooker and expect the food to be cooked correctly. You’ll want to know exactly how long each ingredient will take and/or if you can prepare some of the ingredients prior to putting them into the pressure cooker.
For example, certain ingredients may need to be preheated or boiled prior to being placed into your pressure cooker. Never fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3 to allow room for the steam and pressure to build correctly.
Don’t Use Too Much Water
One of the perks to cooking with a pressure cooker is that your recipes will require less water. If you typically made a recipe using an open pan, you’ll need to use less water when pressure cooking. It might take a few tries to determine the right amount of water for certain recipes when pressure cooking versus open-pan cooking.
Use the Correct Sized Pressure Cooker
Another common mistake for people pressure cooking is using the wrong size cooker to make their meals. The most common size is 6 or 8 liters. The size of your cooker will determine how long your food takes to cook as well. Using the wrong size can result in food that goes to waste.
These are only some of the many mistakes to avoid while cooking with a pressure cooker but are among the most common mistakes. Educating yourself on your particular pressure cooker will help you make the best meals, cooked to perfection.
Pressure Cooker Reviews
If you’re still trying to find the best pressure cooker you may benefit from checking out the top pressure cooker reviews. See what others have to say about their experiences and make a more informed decision before making that final purchase.