Pressure Cooker Use/Maintenance Tips

Many crockpot recipes are convertible to the pressure cooker, but a recipe that takes eight to ten hours in the crockpot takes only one in the pressure cooker. Pressure cooker times also take just 1/3 of conventional cooking times. Put a liquid into the cooker, then put in the food, close and lock the lid, and use the steam to cook. In addition, if you boil the liquid before you close the lid, the pressure cooker will work more effectively. While you are cooking on the stovetop, you can adjust the heat for specific foods, and there should be a valve on your pressure cooker that shows pressure levels.

 

Once you have finished cooking, you need to safely release the steam. The simplest and slowest way to release the steam is to let the cooker rest away from the heat for ten to thirty minutes. Some cookers also have an indicator you can press to release the steam, but the quickest method is to run tepid or cold water over the lid of the cooker. Once you have reduced the pressure, shake the pot to even out the internal temperature, and take off the lid.

 

Read your owner’s manual for cooking guidelines, recipes, and cooking timetables. The intensity of the heat in a pressure cooker makes timing especially critical, and you should be very careful to precisely follow ingredient specifications (particularly instructions for liquid amounts). When in doubt, use more liquid rather than less, but use less spices rather than more, as the concentrated heat draws out spice flavors more than traditional cooking methods do. Cut food items into the same size, and if you want to keep flavors from mixing, use a rack to set foods above the liquid in the cooker.     

 

After cooking, immerse the cooker and wash it by hand. You can remove the rubber gasket (the seal on the inside of the cooker lid), and clean out the steam vent with a pipe cleaner if it is clogged. Then, store your pressure cooker without the lid to allow it to air out. To further prevent the development of odors or mold, sprinkle a little baking soda inside the cooker as you store it. Do not store the rubber gasket in the base, and make a habit of visually checking both the gasket and the vent tubes whenever you store and use your cooker. A clogged steam vent tube in particular can cause cooking troubles or even explosions.

 

Finally, remember that pressure cookers are among the more dangerous cookware items because of the intense steam and heat (though they are safer now than they used to be). Keep children away from the cooker, but be cautious about leaving it unattended. Above all, wait to release the pressure and don’t force the lid open, as an eruption of pressurized steam can cause serious burns.