Electric Pressure Cooker – Ultimate Guide for Beginners

New technological innovations have made life quite easy especially with the invention of electric pressure cooker. With such in your kitchen, you will have your food ready within a blink of an eye.

Types of pressure cooker

There are two types of pressure cooker: Electric pressure cooker and Stove top cooker. Of the two types, this article majorly bases on the former. An Electric pressure cooker is a cooking device whose heat is automatically regulated to maintain its pressure while cooking. It can be used either for single purpose or for multiple purposes. For instance, combined uses include steamer, rice cooker, yogurt maker and slow cooker.

They were invented in three consecutive generations. The first generation has a mechanical timer while the second generation has a digital controller unit. The third generation is the most advanced with a smart programming device.

Materials of electric pressure cooker

Presusre cookers (and electric pressure cookers) can be classified into two main types: Stainless steel and Aluminum. While there are other materials that make them, these 2 are the most available.  Each of these types of materials has its own pros and cons.

Aluminum pressure cookers are usually cheaper as compared to those made of stainless steel. This is due to the fact that the material is readily available. The pressure cookers that are made of aluminum are also easily portable and are light in weight. Their heat conduction is outstanding and can withstand high heating temperature.

Stainless steel  is usually heavier and enables higher cooking pressure and  temperatures. The cookers are usually durable and this makes them more expensive. This means that in the long-term, these types of pressure cookers can be more expensive due to their longer lifespan.

It’s easy to use Electric pressure cooker

It is ideal for first time users since it involves only a few simple steps. After you have prepared your ingredients, open the inner pot of the machine and place them there. Set the timer, finish by pressing the start button, and then wait. Fetch out your food after the set time is over. The major demerit of this machine is that it requires an electric power supply and therefore unreliable in remote localities.

Why Electric pressure cookers are preferred to Conventional cookers

Electric pressure cookers are considered superior to their counterpart conventional cookers for a number of reasons. First, pressure can easily be monitored and adjusted accordingly, a feature, which is not employed in conventional cookers. Secondly, it is possible to set the exact time and the food will be ready unlike the latter. It is also safer and efficient on energy consumption.

Advantages of using Electric pressure cooker

The invention of this machine came along with many pros, which make it the most preferred in the cookware platform. The following are the advantages:

++ Easy cleaning
It is easy to remove the dust particles from the outside surface of this machine as one only has to wipe with a clean piece of clothing material. The inner pot as most of them can easily be removed while in others it is made of stainless steel. These two features make it easy to clean them. Furthermore, no special skills are required in cleaning the machine.

++ Controlled timing
This is a very significant merit of using Electric pressure cookers especially when compared to conventional cookers. For instance, you can set the exact time you want depending on the type of food you want to cook and be sure to find positive outcomes. This is unlike the latter in whose exact time cannot be set and one gets tired while to check every time whether the food is ready.

++ Efficient use of Electric energy
Conventional cookers consume a lot of energy. However, Electric pressure cookers minimize on power usage and this will eventually lead you to incur less electricity bills. Furthermore, they do not emit away much heat to the immediate environment. Much of it is conserved for cooking.

++ Do not employ gas
Life is a precious gift that comes only once in a lifetime. However, it has been reported in the past few years how Gas cookers have caused lot of havoc to homes that employ them. This danger has been eliminated in Electric pressure cookers as their heating devices entirely depend on electric energy. You are therefore assured of safety while using them.

++ Control of pressure
Before cooking commences, one first sets up a low pressure so that he or she slowly adjusts in the course of the process. Pressure can easily be set either to maximum or to minimum and this enables you to have your food ready depending with how first one wants it ready.

++ Food preservation
Large electric cookers have canners that can be employed in preserving food for future use. This saves on the costs of purchasing a fridge.

Cons of using Electric Pressure cooker

Everything good must also have some downsides that are attached to its use. Similarly, Electric pressure cookers have the following demerits:

– Short warranty
All cookware machines ought to have warranty periods within which any incurred damages can be repaired or replaced. However, most Electric pressure cookers normally have a maximum warranty period of one year. On the other hand, modern stove-tops have a warranty period of 10 years.

– Less serving time
The heating devices usually become less durable with time. This means a person has to purchase another cooking machine when this eventually wears out and this might be costly.

– Dependability on electric power
All electric pressure cookers require electric power for their operation. This might be quite disadvantageous in areas that are in devoid of this.

– Low operating pressure
When compared with Modern stove-top cooker, the former tends to operate at slightly low pressure which causes delay.

Consider these merits and demerits before purchasing an electric pressure cooker.

Factors to consider when buying an electric pressure cooker

There are several factors to consider when buying an electric pressure cooker. These include:

Size:
This is without doubt an important factor to consider. You will definitely need to consider whether you will be cooking for two or for a family of ten. Pressure cookers are usually measured in quarts. In order to determine the overall quart capacity, the canner’s total liquidity capacity is used. Pressure cookers are usually available in sizes on 4-quart, 6-quart, 8-quart or 10-quart.

• A pressure cooker of 4-quart is suitable for cooking for one or two people. Its key advantage is that it is portable.
• The 6-quart model is suitable for cooking for small families. It is also good for cooking bigger meats such as the mince meat. These cookers are the most popular models.
• The 8-quart cookers are suitable for cooking for bigger families or for individuals interested in cooking for guests.
• The 10-quart cookers are usually very big and are sufficient enough for a cooking guru. There are also pressure cookers that are as large as 23-quart and are suitable for cooking for big gatherings.

It is advisable to acquire an electric pressure cooker that is big enough to meet your future needs. This is because there are many consumers who buy the 4-quart or 6-quart models only to realize later that it wasn’t big enough to meet their future needs.

Pressure regulation
You need an electric pressure cooker in which you are able to monitor and regulate the cooker’s current pressure. The recent models in the market have 3 different types of regulators. These are the spring valves, modified weight valves and weighted valve regulators. The most important thing is for the regulator to support a temperature of 15psi which is the suitable range of pressure.

Cover interlock system
The cover interlock is another important feature to consider. It plays an important role as it enables you to instantaneously release the built up pressure incase the vetting pipe should become blocked. This is just a security feature and as you may be aware, your security can be quite important.

Cooking rack
Most pressure canners do not have the cooking rack despite the fact that it can be important. This is because they enable you to cook food over liquid or even separate two different types of foods such as Beef and Chicken.

Price
It is common for people to associate price with quality. However, it is always important to ensure that you seek for a real bargain. If you intend to use your electric cooker on a daily basis, you should avoid choosing an electric pressure cooker that costs less than $100.