How to use a pressure cooker

In recent years,pressure cookersfrom the likes of速溶锅和Ninja已经接管与食品相关的标题要有ave appliance for the home kitchen. Whether you’re still a little skeptical about the supposed magic of pressure cooking, or just purchased one of these appliances, here’s a handy guide on how to set yourself up for success.

全面披露：作为作者Mastering the Instant Pot，我必须承认我只是一个littlebiased when it comes to pressure cooking. I think it’s such an incredible multipurpose tool! Pressure cookers allow you to extract flavor from economical cuts of meat, reduce the prep and cook time for weeknight dinners, heat up frozen items in a flash, and even sterilize equipment for the kitchen. Below, you’ll find some tried-and-true tips and tricks to get comfortable with pressure cooking, fast.

为您选择正确的压力锅

There are tons of pressure cookers now on the market, with varying sizes as well as functionalities. And even if you’ve picked a brand, there can be many options to choose from (like the seemingly endless速溶锅models). Here are some important considerations when buying your first pressure cooker:

Size: How many people do you typically cook for?

In situations where the primary cooking is for one person, a 3- to 4-quart model is a great choice for making staples that last for one or two meals. For couples or small families with greater cooking requirements and a little more space, a 6-quart (generally the top-selling size) is perfect for a group meal, or for weeklymeal prep. For larger families, or those who host gatherings often, an 8-quart pressure cooker can be utilized for big batches of food, or even a whole turkey forThanksgiving.

功能：您预计使用压力锅的方法是什么？

One of the main points of differentiation for pressure cookers on the market are the different functions each is equipped with. While basic models will almost always offer settings like Slow Cook, Sauté, Steam, and Keep Warm in addition to the main Pressure Cook function, fancier models offer everything from a special Yogurt cycle toAir Fry和Sous Vide.

If you already own a variety of other appliances and don’t anticipate needing to repurpose your pressure cooker for more than, well, pressure cooking, opt for a simpler model. Alternatively, if you are hoping to utilize your pressure cooker for a wide range of duties in the kitchen, perhaps it’s worth the splurge for one with the most available settings (like theNinja Foodi或者速溶锅二人）。但是，请记住，高压锅首先是压力锅，其他设置排名第二。假设一个带有Sous Vide设置的高压锅的性能与专用的情况相同sous vide machine.

Price: What’s your budget for a pressure cooker?

Pressure cookers generally start around $100 and can increase dramatically from there. After thinking through your desired pressure cooker functions (this will likely influence the model you’ll choose), think about how frequently you anticipate using your pressure cooker. Is this something you believe will be a regular part of your weekly cooking routine, or a useful tool for special occasions? Does it make economic sense to choose the fancier model with more settings, or instead just buy a separate tool to achieve what the extra functions of a pressure cooker could?

Understanding what a pressure cooker does

Given that the Pressure Cook function is the main purpose of a pressure cooker, it's worth diving into some more technical detail here so you feel confident in utilizing the whole spectrum of its abilities. In short, pressure cooking is the process of cooking food using some amount of liquid inside an appliance with an airtight seal. Because of this seal, the pressure inside the chamber containing the ingredients can amount to what is above the regular atmospheric pressure of the Earth.

This is very important, because this first allows the liquid inside to boil at a temperature above the standard boiling point of pure water, 212°F (100°C). When the resulting steam from water boiling is trapped in the pressure cooker and cannot evaporate, it turns back and pushes against the water, causing it to reach a higher boiling temperature.

Pressure cookers have set pressure levels, and when that limit is reached the appliance will automatically let out enough steam and lower its heat source to maintain the proper pressure inside the chamber so the temperature does not continue rising. This additional pressure is measured in units of pounds per square inch (psi) in the U.S. At 15 psi, pure water boils at 250°F (121°C), which is why using pressure cookers can dramatically cut down on the amount of time needed to cook certain ingredients.

Additionally, pressure cookers are very useful for those of us who live in places of high altitude (over 3,000 feet or 915 meters above sea level). Rather confusingly, higher elevations result in lower atmospheric pressure—meaning that at higher elevation, water boils at a lower temperature than the standard 212°F (100°C). This causes many boiled foods, such as rice, to be undercooked without the use of a pressure cooker. The general rule-of-thumb is to add 5% more time for every 1,000 feet your area is above 2,000 feet above sea level.

高压锅成功的技巧和窍门

Timing

对于高压锅的新用户来说，最大的学习曲线是适当地计划烹饪特定食物所需的全长时间。尽管物品本身可能只需煮30分钟，但高压锅仍需要时间来充分积累压力 - 通常至少5到10分钟。

如果您使用的是天然释放功能（由于外部压力，高压锅自然恢复到平衡），则一旦烹饪时间完成后，要在10到15分钟内进行因素。总体而言，一般的经验法则是在计划用高压锅烹饪时增加20到30分钟的时间。

Choosing the right things to cook.

所有高压锅都需要某种液体才能正常工作。煮熟的成分是部分还是完全浸没在液体中，还是不浸没（想：蒸），重要的是要了解压力锅是一种水分前进的设备。

当想到在高压锅中煮什么时，请选择通常会通过煮沸，偷猎，炖或炖的液体烹饪的物品。富含胶原蛋白的肉类，骨头上的大肉，硬颗粒，豆类等都是极好的竞争者。相反，认识到压力锅确实有些积极地工作 - 如此精致，原始成分通常不是不错的选择！

Getting comfortable with recipe conversions.

一般而言，高压锅功能会加快大多数物品从2倍到10倍的烹饪过程，通常降落在4倍左右。例如，一只3磅重的整只鸡通常需要两个或更长时间的时间在400°F中在烤箱中烹饪，但可以在30分钟内用高压锅烹饪！

It’s also important to note that when scaling up recipes during pressure cooking, you may not need to correspondingly increase your cook time. For example, cooking two 3-pound whole chickens would take the same time as just one, but require more liquid and take longer for the pressure cooker to build initial pressure.

Getting started: Step-By-Step

第1步：

Pick a few simple recipes you want to try with your new pressure cooker—we recommend the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi. I recommend starting with recipes like chicken broth, white rice, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, and chili. These basic recipes will allow you to become comfortable with the different cook functions, observe how pressure cooking impacts the food as it cooks, and gauge how much liquid to use and the proper seasoning to add.

第2步：

Do a test run with just water in your pressure cooker to practice working with the pressure release valve. Simply add one cup of water to the chamber, cook on High Pressure for two minutes, then use the Quick Release.

Step 3:

Record your cook time preferences. Everyone has different ideals for a braised chicken thigh, a pot of mac and cheese, or stewed beans. As you test out different pressure cooker recipes, make sure to write down what you liked (and what you didn’t) so you can reference in the future.

Step 4:

Start adapting your favorite staples for the pressure cooker! With a simple Google search, you’ll be able to find ways to make everything from imitation Starbucks egg bites to risotto and corned beef. Formulating ways to incorporate the pressure cooker to make your weekly to-do’s easier will make you happier and ensure you’re getting the most out of your pressure cooker.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.