The principle of pressure cooking is
really quite simple. Because a pres-
sure cooker is airtight, pressure
builds up inside the pressure cooker as the liq-
uid inside comes to a boil. The resulting trapped
steam causes the internal temperature to rise
beyond what it would be capable of doing under
normal room pressure. Then, simply, food cook-
ing at a higher temperature and under pressure,
cooks faster.
Questions &
Answers
How
exactly
does a
pressure
cooker
work?
How is the
Duromatic
pressure
cooker valve
different
than the old-
style weight
valve?
For example, at sea level (where the pressure is 14.7 pounds per square
inch), the boiling point of water is 212°F, the highest temperature which
can be reached by water at that elevation. That boiling point is raised 38
degrees – to 250°F – under the 15 additional pounds of pressure that can
be obtained in a pressure cooker.
A secondary benefit of the increased pressure is that it softens the fibers
in foods, tenderizing even the toughest of meats and beans.
The increased internal temperature and the assault on the fibrous nature
of foods cooked under pressure combine to decrease by two-thirds or
more of the normal cooking times.
The spring-valve of the DUROMATIC
pressure cooker by KUHN RIKON
allows the user to determine the
exact time at which the interior of the pan comes
to pressure and, thereby, affords much greater
accuracy in the timing of cooking. When the first
red ring appears, the internal pressure has been
raised 8 pounds per square inch above the
external pressure. When the second red ring
appears, the internal pressure has been raised
15 pounds per square inch above the external
pressure.
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