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It is likely that you have heard all of the horror stories that go along with pressure cookers, but the truth is that they are a great way to get that slow cooked taste out of your food at half the time of more traditional methods.
Pressure cookers have been out for a long time and there was once a time when people were severely injured due to misuse of their mechanisms. However, there has been a new arrival of more stable pots that are easier to use and safer as well.
The key to cooking with steam and pressure is to follow the instructions carefully and understand everything that these amazing cookers entail.
Buying a pressure cooker
There are two different types of materials that make up these pots and each one has its own pros and cons.
The aluminum model is lighter in weight and will allow a more constant and steady heat throughout the cooking process. The problem is that you are likely to have to replace the cooker often with prolonged use.
The heavier stainless steel model is a lot more durable and it can produce a fine quality meal even though it is not as conducive as the aluminum pot.
The pots come in a wide variety of sizes and you should take the size of your family into account before choosing one. Most people pick the versatile eight quart size for a pretty good size of family to cook for.
Using a pressure cooker
Although there have been many dangers that are associated with the use of pressure cookers, they are very easy to work with providing that you follow a few basic steps.
The first thing that you need to do is prep all of your meat and vegetables. For meat you should cut it into pretty good sized chunks as it will cook completely away if you put smaller pieces in. The vegetables can be a bit smaller, but you should make the pieces bigger than you would for standard cooking.
Once you have all of the ingredients in then put the lid on making sure that you latch the lid properly. Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat up to the appropriate temperature allowing the pressure to rise into the level it needs to be. If it happens to go into the unsafe level as seen on the gauge, gently release the pressure valve until the gauge is back into the normal range. This is one of the most important steps and the source of many people's problems when it comes to using this cooking method.
When the food has been allowed to cook the allotted time then take the pot from the heat and let the steam calm down completely. Once you can clearly see that the pressure is gone then carefully remove the lid.
That's it! You now have a delicious and perfectly cooked meal that your whole family will enjoy, and the best thing is that there is only one pot to clean up when dinner is over.
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