 COOKING UNDER PRESSURE
Using a Pressure Cooker to Speed Up Food Preparation and Give You More Leisure TimeI have to make a confession that most of the close friends already know--I don't like to cook. I have cooked for 6 children, a house full of boarders and done numerous cooking classes for years so I know how to cook, I just don't like to any more. Over the years I have looked for faster and easier ways to speed up the process of preparing foods so I am out of the kitchen faster. Using a pressure cooker has been a God send to me as now it takes me 1/3 the time to prepare something like Barbeque Ribs, or a Roast Beef, or even a hearty soup. I can make big batches of cooked beans and legumes like Chick Peas or Pinto Beans and freeze them in smaller containers for use at a latter time. Pressure cookers are not new. Many of us have had experience with using a pressure cooker for canning fish or vegetables which take much longer in the regular boiling water baths. These are usually rather large and made out of aluminum. They are usually very noisy, take a long time to heat up and an equally long time to cool down. They also need to watched like a hawk so they don't over pressurize. Europeans have recognized the importance of their energy saving benefit and own about 2.5 pressure cookers per household. It is just in recent years that the North Amercian consumer has realized this energy saving potential that cooking with a pressure cooker could gvie them. It works out to a savings of about 70% on the gas or electric bills. Many of our customers who own boats or RV's like to use them because they take so much less time and energy to cook the foods. We carry two European Companies pressure cooker in our store. The Swiss made Kuhn Rikon we have had for over 22 years and love the way they work and the many differents sizes and shapes that they come in. More recently we have brought in the German B/R/K brand which come in sets and have a more economical price point. Here are some of the reasons why we like these ones.  Stainless Steel- It is my belief that all good cookware should be made from good quality stainless steel. The best is the 18/10 which refers to the ratio of nickel to steel in the cookware. All the pressure cookers we carry are made of this best quality stainless steel. They also have a thick base that has aluminum in between the stainless layers, in order to spread the heat evenly across the bottom of the pressure cooker. This allows us to get the pan hot on high and place a raw 3 to 4 lb. beef roast that has been seasoned on the bottom of the hot pot and sear it on one side to brown it without using any oil. After a minute or so, pick it up and flip it and sear it on the top side as well. Because the natural juices of the roast have come out of it, it won't stick on the bottom of the pot because the heat is even and there are no hot spots. After you have browned it on the top, bottom and maybe a couple of the sides, put the pressure lid on it and let it come to 15 lbs pressure (takes about 3 to 4 min) and turn the stove down and let it cook about 1/2 hour.
Instant Release Safety Valves--Another great feature of our modern pressure cookers like the ones we sell at healthykitchens is they have instant release valves on them all. If you happen to forget you are using the pressure cooker (because it is so quiet) and don't turn the stove down for example, these special valves will automatically release steam for you (this is when they do whistle) so you can come and turn the heat down to keep it at the right temperature for the pressure level selected. In fact the Kuhn Rikon Pressure cookers have 5 different safety valves as backup and the BRK system has a patented dual setting release valve. You virtually cannot remove the lids when they are under pressure. These valves also let us release the steam ourselves by simply pushing down on them or setting them at off, so we don't have to wait for the pot to cool down in order to open them. I seldom let the cookers cool down on their own because remember I want to get out of the kitchen quick. So going back to the roast---after 1/2 an hour of cooking you release the steam pressure, open the lid add 7 or 8 peeled, halved potatoes and put the lid back on. Bring the pressure cooker back up to the 15 lb pressure again (probably about 2 min. since the pot is already hot) and cook for 6 min. more to cook the potatoes. There you go-- Roast Beef Sunday Dinner in about 45 min.! Pressure Cooking Recipe for Pork Tenderloin and Shallots Presserves Vitamins and Minerals--We all know we are suppose to eat more vegetables and grains and foods with lots of fibre. Using a pressure cooker to prepare things that take a long time to cook normally (so sometimes we won't do it) like soups, or stews o brown rice (yes we can do brown rice on the lowest pressure setting in 1/3 the time as well) and beans. Because very little water is needed, and because both theB/R/K and Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are a "closed system" with no oxygen exposure, fewer vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water or dissipated into the air, leaving more nutrients in the food. When I cooked a big 6 liter pot of potatoes I only use about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pot. The interiors of our pressure cookers are virtually non-stick, too, so you need less fat for cooking, and since flavours are retained and enhanced, you don't need fat for flavouring, either--Another healthy benefit to cooking with a with a good stainless pressure cooker! Saves Money--The pressure cooker lets you make cheaper cuts of meat very tender and juicey so you can save money when you are shopping and buy more economical roasts, steaks and chops. We like to make our own soups which not only taste better but are far cheaper than buying the canned variety in the stores.  Saves Time and Energy--I had a friend say to me " it takes just as long to heat the pressure cooker up, cook the food, then let it cool down, as it would to cook it normally" That would be true with shorter cooked items and if the pots couldn't be released instantly. Between the pressure cooker's quick heat up time, and the super fast cooking times, you use up to 70% less energy, saving resources. It's the pressure cooker's unique functionality that helps you save energy--Regular cooking methods reach only 212 degrees, but under pressure, temperatures climbs as high as 250 degrees, cooking dishes three to 10 times faster and thus, using less energy. This shortened cooking time has another benefit, too--with it's much shorter cooking times and closed lid, you don't heat up the kitchen, and so don't have to worry about heating up the house in the summertime.
Imagine The Time Savings: Here are just a few things I like to do with mine- Perfect, fluffy white rice in 5 minutes
- Steamed artichokes in 10 minutes
- Hearty beef stew in 20 minutes
- Your own chicken, beef or vegetable stock in 30-40 minutes
 - Chicken parts for sandwiches, salads, enchiladas, pizzas, etc. in 7 min. (10 min. if frozen)
Our pressure cookers make it easy to put healthy, delicious meals on your table any time--after a long day working or playing, or at a moment's notice when unexpected visitors drop by. Green Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potato and Apple recipe Great pressure cooking cookbook "Beyond Pressure Cooking" |
COOKING UNDER PRESSURE 
vegetables which take much longer in the regular boiling water baths. These are usually rather large and made out of aluminum. They are usually very noisy, take a long time to heat up and an equally long time to cool down. They also need to watched like a hawk so they don't over pressurize. Europeans have recognized the importance of their energy saving benefit and own about 2.5 pressure cookers per household. It is just in recent years that the North Amercian consumer has realized this energy saving potential that cooking with a pressure cooker could gvie them. It works out to a savings of about 70% on the gas or electric bills. Many of our customers who own boats or RV's like to use them because they take so much less time and energy to cook the foods. We carry two European Companies pressure cooker in our store. The 
Stainless Steel- It is my belief that all good cookware should be made from good quality stainless steel. The best is the 18/10 which refers to the ratio of nickel to steel in the cookware. All the pressure cookers we carry are made of this best quality stainless steel. They also have a thick base that has aluminum in between the stainless layers, in order to spread the heat evenly across the bottom of the pressure cooker. This allows us to get the pan hot on high and place a raw 3 to 4 lb. beef roast that has been seasoned on the bottom of the hot pot and sear it on one side to brown it without using any oil. After a minute or so, pick it up and flip it and sear it on the top side as well. Because the natural juices of the roast have come out of it, it won't stick on the bottom of the pot because the heat is even and there are no hot spots. After you have browned it on the top, bottom and maybe a couple of the sides, put the pressure lid on it and let it come to 15 lbs pressure (takes about 3 to 4 min) and turn the stove down and let it cook about 1/2 hour. 
automatically release steam for you (this is when they do whistle) so you can come and turn the heat down to keep it at the right temperature for the pressure level selected. In fact the 
