How to Make Helper Handles for Use in a Pressure Cooker  Return to the Main Menu for More Information     Foil helper handles are used to place and remove dishes that fit inside your pressure cooker.  Using my PIP cooking technique you can greatly enhance the usefulness of your pressure cooker and expand it's capability to cook a wider variety of dishes.  View more information and instruction on using PIP in your pressure cooker. See some examples of the items you can use for PIP cooking, or browse through the accessories available in the PCR Store. Step One Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil about 24 inches long, or whatever length that will fit inside your pressure cooker for this purpose.   Step Two Fold the sheet of foil in half lengthwise. Step Three Fold the sheet of foil in half again and smooth it flat.  Now you have a double folded length of aluminum foil.  Repeat these steps so you have two identical long strips of foil. Step Four Place the strips of foil on the counter crosswise fashion as shown.  Position your bowl in the center of the spoke. Step Five Raise the ends of each of the foil strips up and over the top of the bowl as shown.   Your recipe may call for a dish with a lid, but if you don't have a one you can use a square of aluminum foil  to cover the dish.  Depending on the recipe this piece of foil may be just laid on top of the bowl, or secured snuggly over it. Step Six Using the ends of the foil strips as Helper Handles, lower the bowl into the cooker.  Position the bowl in the center of the pressure cooker, making sure there is sufficient room (about a finger breadth) all around the bowl to allow the free movement of steam.  Be sure your cooker is tall enough to accommodate the bowl leaving several inches of head room on top. When cooking has finished you can easily grasp the ends of the foil strips and lift the bowl out of the cooker.  As a precaution you may want to use potholders or oven mitts while moving the hot bowl.