Simple thermal dynamics.
Increase pressure, and you can increase heat.
en.wikipedia.org
They're especially handy if you live in the mountains. <g>
Advantages
Foods are cooked much faster by pressure cooking than by other methods, (except for small quantities in microwaves) and with much less water used than boiling, so dishes can be ready sooner. Less energy is required than when boiling, steaming or oven cooking. Since less water is necessary, the foods come to cooking temperature faster.
The food is cooked at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water, killing bacteria and viruses. The pressure cooker can also be used as an effective sterilizer, for jam pots and glass baby bottles for example, or for water while camping.
With pressure cooking, heat is very evenly, deeply, and quickly distributed.
It is not necessary to immerse food in water: Enough water to keep the pressure cooker filled with steam is sufficient. Because of this, vitamins and minerals are not leached (dissolved) away by water, and thus is healthier than other cooking methods.
The pressure cooker speeds cooking considerably at high altitudes, where the low atmospheric pressure otherwise reduces the boiling point of water and hence reduces water's effectiveness for cooking or preparing hot drinks. |
