What is pressure cooking?

Have you heard of the new cooking trend for busy families? Pressure cooking reduces cooking time by at least half, is safe and retains vitamins and nutrients of your food. Oh, let’s not forget, it makes tasty and flavorful results!     What is a pressure cooker, and what does it do?  A pressure cooker simply pressurizes its contents, the liquid inside becomes steam and it forces liquids into the food making it very tender quickly. It has 5 distinct phases of cooking:

• HEATING: During the heating stage the appliance will gradually reach maximum temperature.
• PRESSURIZING: Pressure will start to build inside the appliance. Pressurizing time may vary depending on food and quantity as well as external factors such as ambient temperature (between 8-10 min).
• MAINTAIN PRESSURE: The appliance will switch to maintain pressure once maximum pressure temperature is reached. This is where the cooking is done.
• PRESSURE RELEASE: The pressure release and it may take 10-15 minutes depending on food and quantity. Lid cannot be opened until pressure is completely released for safety purposes.
• WARM: Some pressure cookers have this function that keeps food warm once the pressure cooking is finished.

Should you brown your meat before you cook in the pressure cooker? Some models enable you to brown or sauté directly into the vessel (like the Starfrit model) – this helps keep all the flavors of your food and typically makes tastier results. What can be cooked in a pressure cooker? Almost anything! What’s the difference between a pressure cooker and a slow cooker? Both methods enable you to prepare complete meals without a lot of fuss. The big difference is time – pressure cookers cook quickly and slow cookers, well, cook slowly. Why use pressure cooking?

• Foods retain most of their nutrients and are tastier
• Saves energy because short cooking times are required
• Saves time in preparing meals as your meal cook faster – get a complete meal in 30 to 40 minutes. ...
• The kitchen is cooler as all the heat is retained inside the vessel as it cooks
• Less cleaning is required as your complete meal cooks in one pot

It’s essentially hassle free if you are cooking with an electric pressure cooker. You set it and forget it. No babysitting required. Perfect for those with busy lifestyles. What more can you ask for when you can eat healthy and delicious food that is easy and quick to make? That’s what pressure cooking is all about.