Television these days is all about focusing on high-pressure kitchens. They create all sorts of unnecessary drama that makes the center of every restaurant, and most homes, into a scary place where everyone is sweaty, yelling, and wearing a headband. Let’s take the first step in undoing that, let’s take the pressure out of pressure cooking.
Granted, pressure cooking can be a little intimidating at first. If you are like me, you have heard Grandma’s story about how the “pressure cooker exploded, and chicken went everywhere, it killed the neighbor’s cow, and we lost power for three days!” Well, just like phones, the internet, and gum keeping its flavor, things have gotten better with time.
Circuit boards are now in everything, and that includes your pressure cooker. Grandma’s was made from Sherman tanks they melted down after the Great War; mine is a combination of stainless steel, plastic, and a LED screen with push buttons. It doesn’t go on the stove, and I can put it in an ordinary cabinet. It has seven different safety features to keep it from spreading atomized dinner all over my house, and it’s attractive to boot.
If you’re looking for a pressure cooker to save time, automate some meals, and only have one pot to clean, this is what you need to know:
- Make sure your pressure cooker is programmable, energy efficient, and has multiple settings for different meals. Make sure the interface allows you to customize the cooking times, pressures, and heating temperature.
- Be sure your pressure cooker is electric (not stove top) so you can start something cooking, walk away, leave the house while it finishes cooking, be perfectly done, and then keep it warm for up to 10 hours.
- Any good pressure cooker should have more than one proven safety mechanism. This is important because no one wants to clean an exploded meal off the ceiling.
- There are lots of different sizes to choose from; we generally go for bigger is usually better, and we are happy we did. Leftovers are a treat, lunch for the week, and so many of these dishes freeze really well.
- Look at the pressure relief lever on the top, make sure it looks big enough to operate without burning yourself. You want to cook lobster, not look like one.
While not a deal breaker, some great bonus features of an excellent pressure cooker are: a separate glass lid, stainless steel pot-in-pot “desert insert” pan, steamer basket, and rack steamer or trivet. This will increase your cooking options.
Now that we have relieved some of that pressure, start experimenting with great combinations of ingredients to make quick, flavorful dinners for your friends and family!
-Janine
P.S. Share your favorite pressure cooker recipes.
