The power pressure cooker is a cooking device that was invented in the 1600’s by a man from France named Denis Papin. He called his invention at the time the “digester,” and it was a little bit different than the modern, safe appliances we can find on the market these days. A lot of burn risks, less convenience and of course, the fact that it wasn’t electric (obviously) were all major differences.
Over time, however, this type of cooker has evolved into what it is today: which is a revolutionary way to cook foods incredibly quickly, without drying them out. Rice, in fact, can be cooked in as little as six minutes.
How Does a Power Pressure Cooker Work?
A power pressure cooker is able to cook your food quicker through two things: high temperatures and a lot of pressure. These cookers raise the boiling point of the water inside the pot, which creates a lot of steam. Since the pot is sealed up tight, it allows steam to build up inside.
This steam, with nowhere to go, creates a lot of pressure, and this pressure forces the liquid into the food you are cooking. This makes the food cook quicker than other cooking methods.
How To Use One
Even the most skilled cooks may not have a thorough understanding of how to use these specialty cookers. Not a lot of people harness its power. Honestly, most choose to use more traditional methods such as broiling, frying, baking, and sautéing instead.
Fear not, however, because these devices are fairly easy to use. Just follow these very simple steps to begin your enhanced cooking journey.
Steps to Follow When Using a Power Pressure Cooker
Step 1: Allow the pot to heat up like you would with anything else you wanted to boil. Once the water has begun to boil, which doesn’t take too awfully long, move on to step two.
Step 2: Add the food you are trying to cook into the pot.
Step 3: Place the lid on top, and make sure you seal it up tight. Double check the seal. If the lid isn’t properly sealed, two things will happen. First, it won’t build up enough pressure to work properly. Second, it can increase the risk of burns because steam will leak out. Steam burns are incredibly painful, and can cause permanent scarring, so be very careful.
Step 4: Let the food cook for the appropriate amount of time. For those who are new to using a power pressure cooker, you can look up the times for different foods online or in a specialty cookbook. It doesn’t take long at all, so stay nearby or set a timer. Some cookers have timers built in, but if yours does not, you can make use of a traditional egg timer. Or you can even your cell phone.
Step 5: Release the pressure. Don’t worry too much about how this, because there is a valve dedicated to this purpose. Read your recipe ahead of time, as some recipes call for a quick release of the steam while other call for a slow release. This will affect the final results of your food. Just make sure to read the operating instructions of your device too!
Step 6: Pull out and serve, and enjoy!
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BONUS: Average Pressure Cooking Times For Common Foods
As a bonus, here are the average cooking times (on high pressure settings) for a few common food items that you can use as a reference when cooking. You can also use this information to gain a more solid understanding of just how quickly your new device can help cook your meals.
Vegetables
Green Beans, Fresh or Frozen: 2-3 minutes
Broccoli, Whole, Fresh: 5-6 minutes
Corn On The Cob: 3 minutes
Potatoes, Large, Whole: 10-12 minutes
Meat and Fish
Beef, Cubed or Dressed (about 2 pounds): 10-15 minutes
Chicken Breasts: 8-10 minutes
Whole Chicken: 18-25 minutes
Cornish Game Hen, Whole: 8-10 minutes
Ham Shank: 20-25 minutes
Ham Hocks: 40-50 minutes
Pork Roast: 40-45 minutes
Turkey Breast: 20-30 minutes
Fish Steak: 3-4 minutes
Fish Soup/Stock: 5-6 minutes
Fruit
Apples, Sliced: 2-3 minutes
Peaches, Halved: 3 minutes
Pears, Halved: 3-4 minutes
Apricots, Whole or Halved: 2-3 minutes
Beans
Black beans, presoaked: 3-6 minutes
Lima beans, presoaked: 1-3 minutes
Pinto beans, presoaked: 1-3 minutes
Split peas, yellow or green varieties: 6-10 minutes
Grains
Steel cut oats: 11 minutes
Brown rice: 12-15 minutes
White Rice: 5-6 minutes
Looking for Some Great Recipes?
Conclusion
An electric power pressure cooker is a must have kitchen appliance and makes a great housewarming, birthday or anytime gift for the best tasting food!
You won’t believe what a difference it will make to your life in the kitchen. Instead of having to make time to cook a dish slowly over the stove, you can now save time and energy by speeding up the process significantly.
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