Mirro Aluminum

Posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 9:39 pm

Mirro Aluminum

Pressure Cookers, Friend Or Foe by michael russell

In the past pressure cookers were considered to be on the dangerous side. Some would explode and cause fire or some nasty burns. Pressure cookers today are relatively safe when you know how to use them correctly. Food is placed inside the pot with a small amount of liquid. The lid is clamped shut as per the manufacturer instructions and placed over heat. As the heat rises so does the pressure in the pot because the steam and heat have no where to go as it does in conventional pots. If pressure gets dangerously high there is a little valve that will open or a weight that opens to release the steam and stops pressure from getting any higher. This allows for the food to be cooked with a higher temperature and not burn. Food cooks 70% faster in a pressure cooker than in a conventional pot.

Once time is up for cooking the pressure cooker should be removed from the heat but allowed to sit for awhile until the steam inside dissipates. Pressure cookers have a regulator that looks like a little valve or a weight that you can jiggle to let the steam out. Once no more steam comes from it you can safely unclamp the lid and remove it.

You may see some people put the pressure cooker under cold water and let it run for awhile. When you remove the cooker from the heat it still keeps cooking because the steam is still in the pressure cooker. Running it under cold water does the same thing that releasing the steam does. It stops the food from cooking which is something you want to do so it will not be over cooked. Even if you run the cooker under cold water you still have to release the steam before you open the lid.

There are some other benefits from using a pressure cooker. Since high temperatures are used any bacteria or germs that might be on the food do not survive the cooking. Also, vegetables retain their bright and healthy looking color when cooked in a pressure cooker. Tough meats will always be nice and tender after being cooked in a pressure cooker. Once you have released all the steam the lid should release easily. If it does not release then there must be a bit more pressure in the pot. Just wait a minute or two, release steam again and try to open. Always open the lid away from you just in case there is still pressure in the pot. This will ensure that food will not come flying out and burn you.

Several manufacturers make some wonderful new pressure cookers. One such company is T-Fal Wearever Mirro that produces four, six, eight, and twelve quart cookers that range in price from USD $35 to $65. All are polished aluminum on the outside and natural aluminum on the inside and the four, six and eight quart have one long handle that locks the lid shot while the twelve quart has two on either side. The sealing gasket makes for a tight seal and can be replaced if it gets old and the pressure valve provides safety from burns. The larger twelve quart model can also be used to can vegetables and other foods. Just put these cookers in the dishwasher to get them clean because they are rust proof. The lids cannot be opened until it is safe to do so. The gauges can be read easily and included is a 10 year warranty.

Megafesa USA makes another pressure cooker called the 8 Quart Super Fast Pressure cooker for USD $90. This one cooks faster than the others because of the material used in making the base of the cooker. There are three different levels of cooking and heat ' slow that cooks at 6 psi, then the medium that cooks at 9 psi and the super fast at a swift 15 psi. The lid will not be able to be removed unless all steam is released. This cooker has a safety valve, valve to release over pressure and a safety edged lid window. It is also made of aluminum with stainless steel. It must be hand washed.

Do not be afraid of pressure cookers because today they are just as safe as using a microwave. They do not use as much energy because cooking takes so much less time. Do not worry about getting a nasty burn because you cannot open a pressure cooker lid until all the pressure is gone. This is truly a way to produce a healthy meal for the family.

One man who can really help feel a buyer’s kitchen cupboard with excellent cookware sets and stock pots is Michael Russell, the expert on the subject. Currently he is writing for the website that offers a large variety of cookware sets and stock pots.

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Pressure-Cookers--Friend-Or-Foe/696822