Are you a fan of beef soups? Do you love a good stew? Or maybe you just want to prepare time-consuming dishes faster? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then find out which pressure cooker to buy to improve your cooking experience.
Are you a fan of beef soups? Do you love a good stew? Or maybe you just want to prepare time-consuming dishes faster? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then find out which pressure cooker to buy to improve your cooking experience.
What is a pressure cooker?
Is a pressure cooker worth buying? What is it? The name itself more or less gives the game away – it is a pressure pot that allows you to quickly prepare dishes that usually need more time to obtain the right softness or aroma. How does it work?
The pot is equipped with a lid with a seal, letting you tightly close the ingredients inside. This way, the water vapour generated during cooking cannot escape and the temperature inside the pot rises to approx. 20°C more than in standard cooking. What are the benefits of using a pressure cooker on a daily basis?
Advantages of a pressure cooker
The biggest advantage of pressure cookers is that you can prepare food two or even three times faster than in traditional cooking. Pressure cooking is therefore eagerly used by people who simply lack time for cooking using traditional methods. This method is also popular with people who don’t like the smell of food from the kitchen.
The flavours accumulate in the pressure cooker and do not escape during cooking, so if you like cabbage dishes but the intense smell of cabbage during cooking puts you off, then this could be the ideal solution for you. It also means that all the flavour won’t escape together with steam, and your food will be full of vitamins, minerals and all the most vital nutrients.
What can you prepare with a pressure cooker?
- soup,
- stews,
- cabbage stews and rolls,
- Hungarian letcho,
- homemade cold cuts,
- jam.
Are there any disadvantages of pressure cookers ? For those with more experience in the kitchen, the inability to try the food during preparation could be a drawback. You will need to carefully decide how you want to season your dishes before cooking, or do so with ready dishes. Also bear in mind that improper use of the pressure cooker could result in it exploding, so make sure you use it in accordance with its intended use and general food safety rules.
Types of pressure cookers
There are many important decisions to make when equipping your kitchen. A gas or electric oven? A halogen oven or a steam cooker? Choosing the right pressure cooker is also an important decision. Before you do so, find out about the types of pressure cookers available for home use, and consider which model will be best according to your needs.
Classic pressure cookers
A classic pressure cooker is a pot with a tight lid designed for use on heating plates – depending on the model, it can be used on gas, induction and electric hobs. It does not have its own power source, is easy to use, and relatively cheap This type of pressure cooker will not take up much space in the cupboard and can be used as a regular pot if necessary. Nevertheless, it requires manual assistance during cooking, which is not the case with an electric pressure cooker.
Electric pressure cookers
With this type of pressure cooker you do not need access to a hob – just plug it in and prepare delicious food. The process itself is also as simple as can be, thanks to pre-set programmes making its use fully automatic. All you need to do is add the ingredients, select the appropriate mode and wait for the device to do its magic. You will not need to supervise the process – a number of safety devices constantly monitor the pressure in the pot and ensure its smooth operation.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a pressure cooker?
Which pressure cooker should you choose? If you choose a classic model, be sure to pay attention to a few basic aspects:
- Capacity – how big should a pressure cooker be? It depends on your needs and the size of your kitchen. Do you cook for a large family? If so, then you will need a very big pot. Do you live alone and have a small kitchen? A smaller pressure cooker will be ideal in this case.
- Material used – pressure cookers are available in various versions. Light and quick-heating models made of aluminium or stainless steel are appreciated for their durability, but silagran pots, i.e. a combination of ceramics and steel, are slowly becoming more popular. They are recommended for allergy sufferers, and also durable and conduct heat well.
- Dishwasher safe – if you enjoy cooking, you will certainly appreciate the possibility to wash the dishes used to prepare your meals in a dishwasher. After all, washing up is often the least pleasant moment in the whole cooking process. This is where dishwashers come to the rescue. So choose a pressure cooker that is suitable for such cleaning.
When it comes to electric pressure cookers, in addition to the above-mentioned aspects, the power of the device (the higher the better) or additional functions that make cooking even easier are also worth paying attention to!
Additional functions of a pressure cooker
Although using a pressure cooker is not complicated in principle, some electric models have additional, very useful features.
One of them is a timer, letting you get on with your other duties while the food is being cooked, without risking that you forget to switch it off on time and destroy the meal.
Another option worth considering is the keep-warm function, letting you prepare dinner when you want and keep it warm until it’s ready to be served.
Which pressure cooker should you choose – summary
Is it worth buying a pressure cooker? The numerous advantages should answer this question. Everyday cooking will be much faster, and electric models let you conveniently prepare meals not only at home, but also on holiday. A pressure cooker can also be used in a commercial kitchen – although due to its size it will work better in a small bistro than in a large restaurant. Regardless of how you intend to use it, you will surely appreciate the new possibilities a pressure cooker has to offer.
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