The electric pressure cooker is a practical cooking partner in your kitchen. It has the advantages that other cooking appliances don’t have. It can meet the cooking needs of many aspects. It can quickly, safely, and automatically cook with a variety of cooking functions. Its energy-saving and ease to use are the reasons that many people use it nowadays.

What Is Pressure Cooker?

It can be divided into a stovetop pressure cooker and an electric pressure cooker. What I am going to talk about is the electric one.

It can heat the food to above 212 degrees F. It was invented by the French physicist Papin in 1679. With its unique high temperature and high-pressure function, it greatly shortens the cooking time and saves energy.

It’s an upgraded product of a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. It is easy to operate and has many preset cooking functions, saves time, saves energy and is environmentally friendly. It belongs to smart kitchen appliances.

It’s composed of a steam release, anti-block shield, safety lid lock, lid position detection, automatic temperature control, overheat (burn) protection, automatic pressure control, electrical fuse, thermal fuse, leaky lid detection, etc. It’s cooked by a built-in computer program, and various cooking functions can be set according to your needs.

Multifunction

Normally, the pressure cooker must be multi-use. Some models provide up to 9 functions such as pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker, cake baker, sterilizer and warmer.

It also features different cooking functions such as soup/broth, meat/stew, bean/chili, sautés, rice, porridge, steam, slow cook, yogurt, keep warm, sterilizer, egg maker, and pressure cook.

Working Principle

boiling point of water

The principle is quite simple because the boiling point of water is affected by the pressure, the higher the pressure, the higher the boiling point.

In the mountains and plateaus, the air pressure is less than 1 atmosphere. When the water is under 212 degrees F, the water will boil. The eggs can’t be fully cooked in the normal pots. When the air pressure is greater than 1 atmosphere, the water will boil at temperatures above 212 degrees F.

The pressure cooker is designed using this principle. It locks the water and the water vapor generated by the evaporation of water that cannot diffuse into the air. It can only remain inside the pressure cooker so that the pressure inside the pressure cooker is higher than 1 atmosphere and the water boiling point is also high that’s over 212 degrees F.

Therefore, the pressure cooker forms a high temperature and high-pressure environment inside, and the rice or other food can be cooked quickly. Of course, the pressure inside the pressure cooker is not unlimited, otherwise, it becomes a bomb.

To put it simply, the principle of the pressure cooker is a physical phenomenon that raises the boiling point of a liquid at a higher pressure, applying pressure to the water so that the water can reach a higher temperature without boiling, thereby accelerating the efficiency of cooking the food, and its thermal efficiency.

Saving more than 80% time and power. At high altitudes, the use of pressure cookers avoids the problem of low water boiling point and not easy to cook.

Is It Safe?

It’s a household appliance that attracts consumers with the characteristics of fast cooking, energy-saving and power saving. However, since the occasion of the explosion incident has caused consumers to question its safety and ask is it safe?

At present, the pressure cooker on the market is manufactured according to strict product standards. The manufacturer’s production technology is mature, and the product functions are constantly improving.

Most of the products are an elastic structure that uses elastic pressure control technology to greatly eliminate safety hazards. However, due to the non-standard competition in the market, there are also some manufacturers that produce low-quality pressure cookers which attract people and deceive consumers, thus causing the danger of explosion.

In order to eliminate the worries of consumers as soon as possible, in addition to providing consumers with product reference, it’s also necessary to remind consumers that the product will have many safety protection mechanisms.

Because this device can control the pressure inside the pot within a safe range, when the pressure is out of range, the safety design will be triggered and release the pressure.

For example, the pressure inside the pot is large, and the exhaust valve automatically releases pressure. After the pressure is restored to normal, the exhaust valve is automatically reset.

As a result, there is no danger of the explosion and allowing the pressure cooker to operate in a safe state. Therefore, if you want to buy it, you must buy quality products from trustable manufacturers.

Safety Protection Mechanisms

Lid Position Detection: Ensure that the lid cannot be pressed when the lid is not in place with the outer pot, and the lid cannot be opened when there is pressure in the pot.

Automatic Pressure Control: Through the pressure switch can control the pressure inside the pot within a certain pressure range to ensure that the pressure inside the pot will not be too high.

Pressure Limiting Safety Device: When the pressure switch control fails and exceeds the working pressure, the automatic exhaust valve begins to vent.

Anti-Block Shield: There is an anti-blocking design on the lid to prevent the exhaust port from being blocked and ensure the exhaust is smooth.

Automatic Temperature Control: When improper use occurs in the pot or when it’s not placed properly, the electric hot plate power is automatically disconnected, and the heating can be resumed after the temperature drops.

Overheat (Burn) Protection: Equipped with a temperature fuse, when the temperature inside the pot reaches the limit, the power is automatically cut off, and can not be automatically reset.

The Advantages Of Pressure Cooker

Energy saving

Because the pressure cooker is using the time to control pressure, its energy consumption is less than other pots and its efficiency is higher. It is a veritable energy-saving product.

Moreover, the pressure cooker is in a sealed state during work, with a certain pressure, things are basically isolated from the outside air, and the slow temperature loss greatly reduces the cooking time.

Safety

The cooking process does not vent, it can make many women with pressure cooker fears to accept it. Using electronic pressure control, no need to manually adjust, it is safer and more convenient

This is very important because many people feel that it’s not safe and dangerous. Actually, the safety of the pressure cooker is quite high. Since most of the pressure cookers will automatically release pressure when it’s overpressure.

Moreover, in the control aspect, various control technologies such as pressure control and temperature control are adopted, which can automatically control the range of pressure, so that safety is guaranteed, and it has many preset functions that can cook automatically and quickly.

Because the pressure cooker can implement the cooking program according to different foods and different times, it does not need to be extra careful. It will do all the rest for you.

Easy To Operate

After turning on the power, just select the function you need, and all the work will be done automatically by the pressure cooker.

Reliable

When the temperature, pressure or time are reached in the program setting, the power will cut off automatically. Normally, it will come with many safety protection mechanisms.

Saving Energy And Saving Money

Cooking food with a pressure cooker saves energy. It boils the water in the pot and enters the pressure-holding state. It requires very little electricity to maintain the pressure (the heating plate does not work during the pressure holding process, that is, it requires almost no electricity.) Save you a lot of electricity and gas bills.

The Disadvantage Of Pressure Cooker

Sealing Ring

Aging sealing ring tends to leak the pressure, and for this reason, it needs to be updated in time.

Price

The price is obviously higher than other kitchen appliances.

Size

Compared to other cooking pots, it will be quite big.

Differences Between Stovetop Pressure Cooker And Electric Pressure Cooker

Differences Between Stovetop Pressure Cooker And Electric Pressure Cooker

Safety

Stovetop: explosive

Electric: non-explosive

Timer

Stovetop: no timer

Electric: has a timer and delay timer

Working Noise

Stovetop: noisy

Electric: no noise

User Dependence

Stovetop: because you need to watch the fire

Electric: everything controlled by the preset program

Cooking Control

Stovetop: heavily rely on the user

Electric: just use the preset function

Keep Warm

Stovetop: no insulation, the food will cool down very fast

Electric: it will switch to keep warm function until ready to serve

Maintenance

Use the pressure cooker for the first time. Wipe inside and outside of the pot with a clean cloth to ensure cleanliness. Also, check that the parts are complete and avoid losing parts during the disassembly process.

Before turning on the power, it is best to check whether the parts are damaged or not. The safety valve is blocked or not. If something wrong is found, it should be repaired first.

The stain on the surface of the electric heating plate will affect the heat distribution. Remove the stain with a damp cloth, it can improve the contact between the inner pot and the hot plate.

When the pressure cooker is not in use, it should be placed in a dry and ventilated place. If it is a long time, cover it with a cloth or put it in a box. Remember not to put corrosive objects next to the pressure cooker.

When the electric heating plate is damaged, you can ask the electrician to open the bottom plate and replace a new one with the same specifications.

How To Choose Pressure Cooker?

It’s a kind of household electrical appliances. When purchasing, you should master some skills. Otherwise, it is easy to choose the wrong one. How to choose it? What are the precautions for the purchase?

Appearance Inspection

First consider the appearance of the shape, the outer layer, the paint layer, button, the handles on both sides, the inner pot body, the inner pot, and the electric heating plate surface, etc., and there must be no deformation.

Safety Performance Check

Electrical safety, power cord, and plug connection also need to be checked. After the power is turned on, the machine has no leakage and the noise is too large. If it can’t meet the standards and have quality problems, don’t buy them.

How To Safely Use Pressure Cooker?

There is also something that should not do regarding the use of a pressure cooker that needs attention. If you do not pay attention during use, it may cause adverse effects. Therefore, if you want to avoid accidents, take a serious look before using it. How can it be used to ensure its security?

1. Before you plugin, make sure the lid is tightly locked. If the lid is not well-fitted, the handles are not aligned, it may not function properly. At this time, as soon as the pressure in the pot rises, it may cause an accident.

2. Make sure the venting hole is unblocked. If it’s clogged, the air pressure will rise rapidly to a dangerous point. Therefore, every time you cook, you must check it is clear or not.

3. Confirm that there is no pressure in the pot and then open the cover. Sometimes the vent hole does not jet, it seems that there is no air pressure in the pot, but the lid is still very tight, then it must not be forcibly open it. Because the lid is still tight, indicating that there is air pressure in the pot, wait for the pressure in the pot to drop slightly and then open the lid.

4. Do not use this product in a humid environment. The internal components are susceptible to moisture oxidation, so do not do this. It should be placed in a ventilated and dry place for maintenance.

5. The inner pot cannot be placed on or near other heat sources for cooking.

6. Before putting back the inner pot, wipe the inner pot and the hot plate, and then rotate the inner pot left and right to keep the inner pot in full contact with the heating plate.

7. It cannot damage the gasket and can not be replaced by other rubber rings. If it is damaged, it should be replaced at once to avoid malfunction. Regular inspections are also required to avoid similar situations.

8. When the pressure cooker starts working, the pressure limiting valve must be moved to the sealing position.

9. The anti-blocking cover and gasket should be cleaned frequently, kept clean, and also ensure the tightness of the pot.

10. When the pressure cooker is undercooking,  the lid cannot be forced open.

11. If you cook porridge or sticky food, you can’t immediately release the pressure. Let them cool naturally. Otherwise, the soup will be ejected. Do not open the exhaust valve to prevent liquid food from spilling with pressure.

12. When releasing the pressure, please do not put your hands and face close to the valve to avoid being burnt by the steam.

13. When transporting the unit, please put the handle on the outer pot, do not hold the handle on the lid.

14. Do not use a steel ball or other abrasive material to clean the inner pot to avoid damaging the surface.

15. Do not plug or unplug when your hand is wet.

16. When cleaning and maintaining the pressure cooker, the pressure cooker must be unplugged first and don’t immerse it in the water.

17. Do not cover the float valve and the exhaust valve with other things during cooking.

18. You must read the instructions for the first time, and be sure to follow the instructions.

19. Check the gasket for aging because it will age after a period of use. The aging gasket is easy to leak the pressure, and it needs to be replaced in time.

20. The lid must be closed tightly to cook the food, otherwise, the lid will fly.

21. When using, some people add weight to the pressure valve in order to increase the pressure inside the pot and forcibly shorten the production time. As everyone knows, the size of the pressure in the pot is strictly technical. If you ignore this scientific design which will cause serious consequences of the explosion of the pot. You must not take this risk.

22. The inner pot should not be filled with the food that exceeds 4/5. If it is a swellable food such as beans, it should not exceed 2/3.

23. During the heating process, the steam will be discharged from the valve. It should be noted that if the steam cannot be discharged in time, it is necessary to cut off the power to prevent the pressure inside the pot from being too large and the danger of the explosion.

24. In order to achieve the desired temperature as soon as possible, some people will preheat the inner pot first, but if you do not pay attention, the preheating time is too long and it is empty. It’s easy to burn the bottom of the pot.

25. Pay special attention to this when cleaning the pressure cooker, so that water cannot flow into the components. Otherwise, the components are wetted and will be short-circuited when plugin.

26. Do not touch the inner pot or lid with wet hands to avoid hot spots burn your hands after cooking. Also, don’t let your child get close.

How To Use?

For the first time using the pressure cooker, you must read the instruction manual of the pressure cooker. Be sure to do as required by the instructions, or ask a person who knows how to use it.

First of all, carefully check whether the vent hole is unblocked, whether the hole under the safety valve seat is blocked by residual rice grains or other food debris. If it is blocked by food during use, the pot should be removed.

Also, check the gasket for aging. Rubber seals will age after a period of use. The aging gasket is easy to leak the pressure cooker, and it needs to be replaced in time.

Open the cover and hold the handle of the lid by hand. Rotate the lid clockwise to the limit side and then upward.

Remove the inner pot and put the food and water into the inner pot. The food and water should not exceed 4/5 of the inner pot height.

Put back the inner pot. Before putting it in, first, clean the inner pot and the heating plate. Do not put any sundries on the surface of the outer pot and the hot plate.

After putting it in, gently rotate the inner pot left and right to ensure the inner pot is in good contact with the heating plate.

Close the lid and check if the seal ring has been placed properly. rotate the seal ring left and right by hand to make it freely and evenly placed.

Cover the lid and then rotate the lid to the buckle counterclockwise.

Turn on the power.

How To Cook Rice?

If you have a pressure cooker at home, you can use it to cook rice to meet your own needs. So how do you do it with a pressure cooker? Here are the basic steps:

  1. Pour the rice into the dish, clean it, then pour it into the inner pot, add water.
  2. Cover the lid, plug in the power and press the “Rice” button.
  3. However, it should be noted that the pressure must be discharged before opening the lid. After the pressure in the pot is completely discharged, you can then open it.

Why Does The Pressure Cooker Explode?

The pressure cooker has a pressure control device that controls the pressure inside the pot to a certain extent to ensure safety. If the pressure in the pot is too large, the automatic pressure control will be triggered and automatically release pressure. When the pressure returns to normal, the exhaust valve will be reset again. The reason why the explosion of the pot occurs is that the pressure cooker’s re-control device fails, causing the pressure in the pot to rise continuously, uncontrolled, and abnormal conditions.

How To Clean The Pressure Cooker?

It’s a commonly used kitchen appliance, and regular cleaning and maintenance will help to extend its service life.

Before cleaning, cut off the power, cool to room temperature, then open the lid, wipe the lid and seal with a damp cloth.

Wipe the pot with a clean cloth. If there is dirt, wash it with detergent, but be careful not to soak it directly in water, and do not rinse with water.

The water storage box is also cleaned because the pressure cooker is used for a long time. If the water storage box is full, there will be bacteria breeding and even odors. Therefore, the water storage box should be drained regularly, and then wipe it with the damp cloth.

The outer casing should also be cleaned also because it’s most likely to accumulate dust and dirt. When cleaning, wipe it with a damp cloth. If the dirt is difficult to remove, wipe it with detergent.

Wipe the inside of the lid with a damp cloth, including anti-blocking cover, exhaust pipe, etc., and then let it dry naturally.

Wipe the non-metallic parts with a sponge or soft brush, then dry with a cloth.

Gasket Cleaning

Hold the handle on the lid, take away the gasket, wipe it with a dry cloth, and then put it back. You can also wash it with detergent in the sink if you found it too greasy.

It should be noted that after installation, check the gap between the gasket and the lid to ensure that it’s installed properly.

How To Clean The Inner Pot?

Every time you use the pressure cooker, it must be cleaned, especially the inner pot because it’s an important tool for food.

Before cleaning, all the food in the inner pot should be cleaned up, then soaked in warm water. If there is food sticking to the bottom of the pot, use hot water to soak.

After soaking for a period of time, wipe with a soft sponge. If it comes with the nonstick layer, do not use the steel ball directly, because the steel ball will damage the layer.

After washing, rinse with water several times. Remember to clean the dirt on the edges to prevent the dirt from contaminating the food. Otherwise, you may be stomach ache.

Dry the pot in a dry and ventilated place, or dry it directly with a dry cloth and put it back into the pressure cooker.

If you have time, you can check any damage to the inner pot. If it is seriously damaged, you should replace it asap.

If the dirt on the liner is difficult to clean, it should use a strong decontamination solvent, but it can not be harmful to the human body, otherwise, it will cause adverse effects.

How To Do If The Inner Pot Deform?

Once this happens, another phenomenon occurs, that is, the inner tank and the heating plate are in poor contact and need to be repaired in time.

First, find a piece of wood with a similar curvature to the deformation. The surface of the wood should be smooth. Then, the wood is placed at the deformation place. Use the wooden hammer to tap gently and regularly rotate to gradually restore the deformed portion.

After that, the inner pot and the heating plate should be in good contact. You can put a piece of absorbent paper on the heating plate, apply a thin layer of oil to the bottom of the inner pot, and put it in place. If the bottom of the pot is in good contact with the hot plate, the contact area will be covered with oil. Otherwise, it will still be dry.

Next, take out the pot, check the situation, and remember to fix the uneven position. After many times, the deformed pot can be restored to its original state. However, in the process of fixing, it is necessary to pay attention to the use of wooden equipment and distinguish the location of the deformation.

How To Do If The Inner Pot Leaking?

After using it for a period of time, it is found that the inner pot leaks water. It should be handled at once. Otherwise, the heating plate will be affected and damaged by moisture.

First look for the leak point, carefully check the bottom of the pot, you can also try to touch. For some leak points that are difficult to observe.

Fill the pot with water, then apply it with absorbent paper or paper towel. After a period of time, a leaky watermark will appear. Then, mark it with a pencil and repair it.

Actually, for any leakage, it’s not easy to fix for normal people unless you some professional to do it. Otherwise, it’s not recommended to continue repairing, because even if it is repaired, it will not contact well with the heating plate.

Therefore, repair or not totally depends on the situation and the repair cost.

How To Do If The Lid Can’t Be Opened?

What if the pressure cooker can’t open the lid? The following are the reasons and solutions.

The reason why you can not open the lid may be caused by the pressure is not completely relieved after the completion of the heating. As long as the wait the pressure relief is completed, the problem can be solved. However, it should be noted that in this case, do not open the lid forcibly, otherwise, the steam will hurt your hand.

The increased resistance also causes the lid can’t be opened because the pressure cooker is used for a long time so the possibility of failure is large. If the pressure drops to a normal value during use, the resistance should decrease. Then you should be able to open it.

How To Do If The Steam Leaking?

Pressure cooker leakage is one of the common faults. The main reason may be the aging of the gasket. If the reason is determined, it should be fixed at once. How to repair the pressure cooker leak? Let’s take a look!

If the gasket is aging, don’t fix it. Just replace a new one.

In addition, pay more attention to daily maintenance, reduce the aging of the gasket, extend the life of the pressure cooker.

How To Do If Water Go Inside?

When the pressure cooker is cleaned, be careful not to let the water go inside so as to avoid the components being rusted. If you accidentally rinse the pressure cooker with water that goes inside. What should you do?

Wipe With A Dry Cloth

The pressure cooker has water on the outside and can be dried with a dry cloth. If the water is inside, unscrew the screw and dry it. Remember do not plugin.

Find someone familiar with the electronics if you want to unscrew it. Otherwise, it may cause damage.

Sun

Place under the sun to let the water evaporate naturally. However, it should be noted that the drying time should not be too long, otherwise the plastic will fade.

Check Carefully

The internal parts may be damaged. Before use, check carefully and replace the parts according to the situation.

Extra Care

When the electric pressure cooker enters the water, the number of failures may increase. Regular maintenance should be taken every day to avoid the problem becoming more and more serious, resulting in failure to use normally.

Conclusion

I think the pressure cooker is essential for most of the family because of undoubtedly convenience and multi-use nowaday. With this machine, I think most of the busy mummy can become a master chef in your home easily. Your family will love your food more.

If you are new to this, don’t worry, just follow my post or manual and learn it step by step. I believe you can master it in a short time.

If you want to choose one for your family, please read 19 Best Electronic Pressure Cooker. I think it should be able to help you to make the right decision.

Do you have a pressure cooker at home? Do you like to cook food? Please share your experiences and thoughts with us. We will love to hear that.

If you have any questions, please leave them below.


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