We all know that pressure cookers are a great relief when we have to cook anything faster. There are multiple opinions about these pressure cookers given their taste and many people believe that you will be compromising the taste if you are using a pressure cooker to cook your meals, but the same cannot be said for efficiency. You need to cook something fast; pressure cookers are your go-to choice. Pressure cookers increase the pressure under the lid, and that increased pressure inside the container raises the temperature to a certain level that allows you to get the cooking done faster.
Steam in a pressure cooker
Due to the extreme pressure and heat that is built up inside the cooker, you will notice a significant amount of steam inside the cooker. This is built from the evaporation of water from your food and since there is no way for it to escape, the steam adds to the pressure. While you may want to take off the lid, as soon as you are done with cooking the food and start enjoying it, but this steam prevents you to do so. There are certain methods used on a pressure cooker that allow you to take the steam out, and some of those methods are:
Quick Release
This feature releases the pressure instantly after you press the pressure valve on the cooker once you are done cooking. But it still might take a minute or two to release all the pressure that was built inside the container to cook your food. You might also hear a loud burst if you quickly release the steam that is a result of this steam being released to less pressurized air at a high speed.
Natural Release
Most of the latest and electric pressure cookers also allow you to choose the way you want to release the steam from your cooker. They also have a natural release option in addition to the quick release option on the pressure valve. Natural release slowly releases the air out once you are done cooking and can take around 10-15 minutes. This will be a silent process but you must avoid staying close to the pressure release valve in any scenario. An electric pressure cooker will automatically release the steam naturally and will open the lock on its own once the steam is released in the due time.
Why Does Steam Take So Long To Open?
Most people wonder, why they have to wait for that long to eat the food they have cooked. Well, the steam that is accumulated inside the container cannot just be released out in the air. You must have heard those pressure cooker blasting incidents in the past, that were caused due to taking the lid off instantly or some leakage in the pressure cooker.
Since the food inside is pressurized to extreme temperatures, that steam inside can cause an effect similar to a blast that is none of us want. So, the best and safest method to cook in the pressure cooker and stay safe to enjoy that meal is letting the steam release out slowly out of the pressure valve on the top so you can ensure it is not getting out abruptly and causing any damage.