Pressure Cooker Instructions

Method of pressure cooking, that completes cooking by not letting the air out of the cooking vessel, is not so new. This method fastens up the process of cooking, as the boiling point of water inside the vessel gets increased as per the increase in the pressure of the lid. The built pressure makes the water inside the vessel to boil to the highest temperature even before it starts to boil. There are many names by which the pressure cooker is recognized, like steam digester, pressure canners (larger ones) and autoclaves (cookers that are used for the laboratory purposes).

Tips to Operate a Pressure Cookers
The lesser the amount of cooking time, the larger is the saving of the minerals and vitamins in the food. Hence, pressure cooking and pressure frying are the best ways of cooking. By the usage of a pressure cookers, the kitchen also stays clean with not much disturbance caused. There are a few tips that will always be very useful for users and those who are intending to buy themselves a new one.

• Inspect the rubber ring of the cooker regularly and make sure that it is flexible enough as the seal of the pressure cooker depends on this ring. Before using the cooker, check the valves if they are clean and dirt free.
• Don't ever use the cooker for deep frying and always use water, vegetable or meat stock, wine or milk to bring the mixture to boil. Oil will not bring the mixture in the cooker to boil.
• Most of the modern cookers have three valves that release the pressure automatically, in case the pressure inside the vessel gets too high. But, for safety reasons, if in case you find loud hissing sounds coming out of your cooker, make sure you reduce the respective heat source and check for the pressure.
• Always follow the manufacturers instructions and never fill the cooker beyond the mark that is indicated on the inner side of it. Also, use enough amount of liquid so that the food gets cooked properly, without getting burned.
• Once the pressure from the cooker reaches to its upper limit, lower the amount of heat so that the cooker will release gentle and steady steams and then only remove the cooker from the heat.

Pressure Cooker Usage
Here are several general pressure cooker instructions for use and moreover, proper use of the cooker.

• As said earlier, never fill the cooker beyond the maximum fill mark. Always remember that the cooker must never be filled with more than 2/3 with solid and full with liquid and cereals and 1/3 full of pulses.
• Food items like onions and meats must be added first as they enhance the taste of the food. Foods like stews require less liquid and less cooking time too. Minimum required levels for cooking foods in any pressure cooker are 300ml/10fl.oz
• Each additional 15 minutes will require another 150ml/5fl.oz. As the vessel is sealed during cooking, decrease the amount of seasoning (including salt) because it gets concentrated in the cooker.
• Add food recipe ingredients as per the cooking order, meaning, first add meat and then vegetables, so that the recipes doesn't turn out to be a mush!

Instructions for Pressure Cooker Steam Release
Here are several basic and important instructions for releasing the steam.

• The natural and slow pressure release method is always suited for stews, cereals, soups that contain beans and pasta, pulses and tougher meats that take extra time to get cooked. You will simply have to remove the cooker from the heat and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes for the food to get cooked thoroughly.
• The second steam release method is the quick steam release, that is suited best for fish, soups, vegetables and poultry. There are several modern cookers that are well equipped with an automatic pressure release method. These pressure cookers take less than a minute to release the steam.

Cooker timings change as per the type of food that you are preparing, I mean the thickness of the food and not the weight. Almost everything can be cooked in the pressure cooker, if you know all the pressure cooker cooking instructions, by heart.