8 Tips For Using A Pressure Cooker

To make the slow cook dishes, pressure cooker is designed with short work. However, they are economical both in the amount of power they use and are also ideal for tenderizing cheaper cuts of meat. They can reduce cooking times by up to 50 percent and retain all the nutrients.

If you’ve never used one before, then this is a great place to start. You can easily use the stainless steel pressure cooker. Still confused, then here are some of the tips which will help you to know how to use the cooker.

Stainless steel pressure cooker by Vinod Cookware are best but following this tips can make your cooking more easy and Safe.

Tips to use pressure cooker

The tips are as follows-

Safety First

Before you close the lid, make sure the gasket/silicone ring is installed in your pressure cooker lid. 😉 If steam is leaking around the lid, the first thing to check is the gasket.

Check Before Pour
If you are using an Electric Pressure Cooker, check to make sure your inner pot is inside the pressure cooker before pouring in the ingredients. Cooking in the kitchen can be quite chaotic. This mishap happens more frequently than you think. I have almost done it a few times. 😛 Luckily, I always check before I pour!

When in doubt, undercook.
We’re so used to traditional stovetop cooking times that it’s easy to overcook food with a pressure cooker without knowing it. Remember! Compare to traditional stovetop cooking, you can cut the cooking times down by 1/2 to 2/3 cooking with a pressure cooker.

So, it’s always better to aim for a shorter cooking time when trying something new in a pressure cooker. You can continue to cook undercooked food, but you can never undo overcooked food.

No More Tough Meats
Natural release makes a BIG difference. Trust me, a gigantic difference. If a recipe says quick release for meat, cut short the pressure cooking time and save some time for at least a 10 minutes Natural Release. For tougher cuts such as brisket, you would want to wait until the pressure has fully released naturally before opening the lid.

Say No to Bland Dishes
Say NO to bland dishes! Never Brown your Meat? Let me tell you this. Browning is the easiest way to add TONS of flavors to your meal.

Imagine the taste difference between boiling a piece of prime grade steak in plain water (ewww, please don’t serve this to your friends or family. They will think you secretly hate them) vs searing it on a piping hot cast-iron pan. That’s the difference.

Gonna Scrape Them All
Those brown bits stuck onto the bottom of the pot are very flavorful. Pour some cold liquid such as, chicken stock, vinegar, or wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape them all up! I promise they will add intense flavor to your cooking liquid or sauce.

Less is More
Unless you are cooking soup, pasta, or any dish that requires a lot of liquid. Always use as little liquid as possible to reach and maintain pressure (usually 1 cup, but please refer to your pressure cooker instruction manual to be sure).

Less liquid = Reach/Release pressure faster and more flavorful sauce

More liquid = Reach/Release pressure slower, diluted sauce

Food Tasting
Taste Taste Taste! I can’t emphasize enough – always taste and balance the dish after you have opened the pressure cooker’s lid.

Better yet, be adventurous and taste the ingredients at every step. You will learn about their characteristics and know how to balance a dish quickly.

I taste my food excessively as I cook. If I add 3 drops of water into my soy sauce, I will want to see if I can taste the difference. Pay attention to details and you will be able to recognize the subtle differences.