Nowadays, we lead busy lives and very often we have  just few minutes to prepare a meal. We buy ready-made dishes heated up in the microwave or we eat some unhealthy snacks because we do not have enough time to prepare a nutritious dinner. What if you bought a pressure cooker, put some vegetables and enjoyed a delicious dish in just a few minutes? Is it really possible? Yes, it is!

What is a pressure cooker?

A pressure cooker is an excellent help in the kitchen for people who do not have too much time to cook but they value healthy and nutritious meals. The greatest advantage of a pressure cooker is how fast we can prepare our meals. Due to the hermetic closing, the water vapor does not escape outside, and the stable level of pressure and the cooking temperature remains in a vessel. In a pressure cooker, we can prepare practically everything: vegetables, meat, fish and soups. Potatoes can be ready in about 7 minutes, broth in 10 minutes or roast beef in 30 minutes. The reduced cooking time also means the smaller power consumption, so finally you can pay lower bills.

Why should you buy a pressure cooker ?

There are much more advantages of having a pressure cooker besides shortening the cooking time and reducing electricity and gas consumption. The dishes prepared in a pressure cooker are tastier, they have more vitamins, minerals and their aromas are much more intense than in meals prepared with traditional methods. Hermetic closing, limited oxygen access and specific conditions in a pressure cooker cause that more nutrients remain in ingredients than when we cook them in a regular pot.

Cooking in a pressure cooker

Not only is cooking in a pressure cooker quicker but also it is simpler even for newbies in the kitchen. You just put ingredients in a pressure cooker (vegetables, meat or fish), pour water (minimum 0.5l, maximum 2/3 of the vessel's volume), close and put a pressure cooker on the oven. Each pot is equipped with a special safety system, usually placed in a lid which protects the vessel against bursting. If the pressure exceeds the allowed value of about 1 atmosphere in which the pot is normally operating, the excess steam is released outside and we hear a characteristic whistle. When a dish is ready, open the lid of a pressure cooker after a few minutes and enjoy the meal.

What food shouldn’t you put inside a pressure cooker?

There are several ingredients that are not recommended for cooking in a pressure cooker. For safety reasons, do not prepare and heat buckwheat, semolina or barley, oatmeal and puree as small and thick ingredients can clog the valve and cause the bursting of a pressure cooker. Remember that after every use, you should thoroughly clean a vessel and check that a valve is clear.