HealthGoods

Pressure cookers have been in existence for hundreds of years. Unlike pressure cookers of the past, the pressure cookers of today have numerous safety features such as locking handles and pressure release valves that make this type of cookware completely safe and easy to use. Conventional recipes can be used with slight modifications and several foods can be prepared in a pressure cooker at one time.

Pressure cooking has numerous health and energy saving advantages over the traditional method of preparing meals with conventional cookware:

• It saves time by cooking foods three to ten times faster than ordinary cookware, as fast as a microwave oven in many instances. 
• It saves money through reduced energy consumption from faster cooking times.
• Foods are more nutritious because they are cooked quickly in a sealed environment and with little liquids. Water soluble vitamins and minerals are not cooked away.
• Vegetables retain their natural color and flavor.
• There is tremendous versatility in preparing food, from a simple entree to a complete gourmet meal in minutes. 
• Pressure cookers are safe. Multiple safety valves permit any possible excess pressure to escape so the cooking experience is completely secure. 
• Steam pressure breaks down the fibers in the food in a very short time, so foods are moist and succulent and retain their flavor.

A few different options exist when considering the materials used to manufacture pressure cookers. Stainless steel is a very durable, non-porous, easy to clean metal that does not react with foods, however it is a poor heat conductor. Aluminum is a good heat conductor and is relatively lightweight, but it is difficult to clean, dents, stains and scratches easily and oxidizes to a dull gray finish. Most importantly, aluminum reacts with food and can leach aluminum salts into the food we want to be healthy and nutritious. Excessive aluminum in the diet may accumulate in the brain and nervous system tissues, possibly causing a variety of health disorders and has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Quality pressure cookers are multi-layered, combining the benefits of both materials and use stainless steel in areas that contact food.

How It Works

Steam is produced when water or other liquids boil.  A pressure cooker is tightly sealed and traps this steam and causes pressure to increase inside the pressure cooker. A pressure regulator allows a specific pressure level to be maintained inside the pressure cooker. When steam is under pressure the temperature will rise above the boiling point of water. The increased pressure found inside a pressure cooker significantly increases the temperature beyond what is possible with conventional cookware.  The result is a super-heated steam that cooks foods quickly, evenly and nutritiously. Pressure cooking is easy! Simply load ingredients into pot, lock the lid, select the proper pressure setting, heat/cook, release pressure and open lid to enjoy. Make all kinds of foods the fast and nutritious way.