Gone are the days when you used to cook rice and other stuff for long hours in open vessels. Today pressure cookers have greatly reduced your cooking time. This has made pressure cookers an important piece of equipment in the kitchen. It cooks your food with steam and pressure. This fastens the cooking process. There are various brands and models of pressure cookers available in the market. Purchase only quality pressure cookers. Pressure cookers are completely safe for cooking. But you may be worried when you hear about accidents in the kitchen when using pressure cookers. It is important to use pressure cookers in the right way to avoid accidents. Here are some of the things to be followed when using a pressure cooker.
Check Your Cooker Before Use
Inspect your cooker before you start cooking. Check if the safety valve and gasket are intact. Make sure that your cooker is clean and free from dirt or leftover food. Check for cracks or holes in the gasket. Your cooker must be in good condition to avoid accidents. Ensure this, and then you can proceed to cook.
Do Not Use It As a Fryer
A pressure cooker is meant for cooking food with water. Never use it for deep frying with lots of oil. This can damage your cooker. A minimal amount of oil is fine. You can only use it for pressure cooking.
Fill Enough Water For Cooking
Your food requires enough amount of water to get cooked in a pressure cooker. This helps to maintain the right pressure. So make sure you fill the cooker with the right quantity of water. This avoids the burning of food. You can also avoid accidents when you maintain the right amount of liquid for cooking food.
Make Sure Your Cooker Is Not Full
Do not overfill your cooker with food. Fill only half of your cooker with food. If the cooker is overfilled, then due to pressure, the food spits back or gets blocked in the vent. Certain food items may expand during cooking, so make sure you fill only half of those types of food in your cooker.
Release Pressure Safely
If you are in a hurry and want to open the lid of your pressure cooker before releasing its pressure, then you must do it in a safe way. Pour cold water over the lid to release the pressure. You can also release the stem by expelling the valve. Make sure your hand and face are away from the cooker when you release pressure through quick-release methods.
Do Not Open the Lid Until the Pressure Subsides
Releasing pressure on your own is dangerous. Force opening the cooker can explode the cooker due to the high pressure. The pressure can sometimes get released on your face or hands resulting in injury. So it is always safe to allow the pressure to subside on its own.
Maintain Your Pressure Cooker
This is quite important when you want to avoid accidents due to the pressure cooker. Proper maintenance can avoid accidents. Wash your cooker regularly with water. Remove the gasket and wash them separately. Make sure to clean the safety valve using a toothpick. Check if the valve is free to move. Check the shape of your gasket. It must be free from food residue. You must replace your gaskets regularly based on the usage of your cooker.
It is always wise to buy the best quality pressure cooker for cooking. This can greatly avoid accidents. Branded cookers come with several safety features and are quality checked. They undergo safety test before it comes to the market. So it is better to invest in a high-quality pressure cooker than buy a cheap non-branded pressure cooker.
