How to Use an Electric Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are a marvel of modern cooking. They can turn the toughest cuts of meat into melt-in-your mouth delights. The best part of using an electric pressure cooker is that it's easy to use for even the novice cook.

Things You'll Need

• Meat
• Water
• Spices (optional)

Instructions

1. Place food in the pressure cooker. Place the meat, water and any spices into the pressure cooker. The rule on the amount of water is to bring the water level to the halfway mark on the food.

2. Secure the lid. Unlike most pots, the lid of a pressure cooker locks into place. This is to ensure a tight seal so that the steam can tenderize the meat.

3. Plug in the pressure cooker and place the regulator into place. It's normal for this to rock back and forth during the cooking process.

4. Begin timing your cooking after the regulator begins to rock. This motion lets you know that the pressure cooking has begun. The users manual to your pressure cooker can give you the best cooking times for the individual meats. There are also several recipes written specifically for cooking in pressure cookers.

5. Unplug the pressure cooker when cooking is complete. Allow the pressure cooker to cool down to the point where you can remove the regulator without any steam escaping. Until this point is reached, the lid will not unlock from the pot.

Tips & Warnings

• Never attempt to open the pressure cooker once the regulator is rocking.

References

• Food Network: How to Use a Pressure Cooker

Resources

• Consumer Search: Pressure Cookers Reviews