If you are looking to buy a pressure cooker, or anything for that matter, it is good to be well informed. What better way to learn about a potential purchase than by reading questions frequently asked by other people just like you?
We’ve combined the most common questions consumers have regarding pressure cookers and cooking with a pressure cooker to help people like you buy the right cooker.
Q: Aren’t pressure cookers becoming outdated?
A: While most people may consider pressure cookers as outdated, they are in fact quite the opposite. Pressure cookers are one of the handiest tools to have in your kitchen as they reduce the amount of time food takes to cook quite drastically and they also don’t need to be checked on so frequently. This can be really handy if you’re in a hurry or just prefer low maintenance meals.
Q: How do pressure cookers work exactly?
A: Pressure cookers are airtight pots that use steam to cook food. The vapors from the food that have no way to escape lead to the pressure levels increasing as well as the temperature at which the food boils. These two factors speed up the cooking time of the food in the cooker.
Q: How can you tell if your pressure cooker is working the right way?
A: There are several ways to tell if your cooker is working properly. The cooker’s lid should remain closed and the pressure control should be moving very softly. If you have concerns refer to your user’s manual to ensure everything is in proper working order.
Q: Will my pressure cooker be likely to explode?
A: If used properly there is no reason that your pressure cooker should explode. In reference to the internet videos of pressure cooker’s exploding, it is slightly suspicious that a person feels the need to randomly record their pressure cooker making food so they are most likely planned explosions. It would be very dangerous if a pressure cooker were to blow up though because steam burns can be very serious.
Q: Do I need a pressure cooker or a pressure cooker canner?
A: While a pressure cooker can be used for canning, they are much different from canners. Most people use pressure cookers as canners when they need to can foods with low acidity, meaning a pH value of 4.6 or higher. Foods with low acidity levels usually contain harmful bacteria that prove to be hard to remove without a temperature higher than 100 degrees Celsius.
A pressure cooker comes in handy for this because they can increase the boiling point temperature of liquids higher than normal to kill any bad bacteria.
Raising the boiling point also increases cooking speed.
Q: Is there a formula to determine how much liquid to use when pressure cooking?
A: Many professional chefs will recommend that the amount of liquid in a recipe be lessened by about 15 to 20 percent. There isn’t a cut and dry recipe to determine an exact amount though.
Q: What kind of food can you cook in a pressure cooker?
A: Pressure cookers should be used for foods with rich flavors that are meant to cook a long while rather than foods such as veggies or fish because they preserve their flavors better through alternative cooking methods.
Electric Pressure Cooker Reviews
If you’re ready to learn more about your options regarding the best pressure cooker to buy check out our pressure cooker reviews here. You’ll gain more insight into the different pros and cons other consumers have regarding some of the top cookers available today.