Pressure cooker
Sealed vessel that cooks food faster using high-pressure steam.
Last updated
By using steam pressure within a sealed container, the temperature at which water boils is elevated, which shortens cooking durations relative to traditional techniques.[1][2] Steam or water-based liquids are the cooking medium for nearly all foods that can be prepared using a pressure cooker.[3] Reputable manufacturers equip contemporary pressure cookers with enough safety mechanisms to stop the device from exploding.[3][4] A 1950 New York Times Magazine article, referenced by Rob Mifsud, reported that 37% of U.S. households owned a pressure cooker at midcentury; by 2011 that figure had fallen to 20%.[5][6]
Quick Facts
- Inventor
- Denis Papin
- Year of invention
- 1679
- Field
- Cooking technology
- Known for
- Steam digester, pressure cooking
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
In 1679, French physicist Denis Papin invented the steam digester, an airtight cooker that used steam pressure to reduce cooking time.[1] The first pressure cooking recipe book, "360 fórmulas de cocina Para guisar con la 'olla expres'", was published in 1924 by José Alix.[7] Electric pressure cookers, called the "third generation," were introduced in 1991 and integrate a timer.[8] Denis Papin demonstrated his steam digester to the Royal Society of London in 1681, and subsequently became a fellow of that society.[1]
Zeno E. Crook established "The Pressure Cooker Company" in Denver, Colorado, in 1910, and his aluminum cookers were marketed to high-altitude communities.[9] The Automa pressure cooker debuted in 1935 and was subsequently carried by mountaineers on Everest expeditions.[10]
What the cited sources add
Rob Mifsud's 2012 Slate article notes that pressure cookers extract more flavors from ingredients and keep them in the pot, producing a rich, full-bodied liquid.[5] The same article reports that pressure cookers can make superior risotto in just five-and-a-half minutes at pressure.[5] A 2020 article from The Better India explains that the Icmic cooker, invented by an Indian inventor born in 1869, used steam from boiling water to create a slow-cooking effect and was particularly suited for cooking dals, curries, and meat.[11] The Better India article also describes how, around 1978, TT Jagannathan developed the Gasket Release System to prevent Prestige cookers from bursting even when spurious spare parts were used.[11]
A 2024 OmiChef guide states that the sealing ring creates a tight seal between the lid and pot, and if damaged, the pressure cooker will not build enough pressure.[12] The same guide advises never to force open the lid before pressure is fully released, as hot steam under high pressure can cause serious burns.[12]
References
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Robinson, H. (1947). Denis Papin (1647-1712). Notes and records of the Royal Society of London, 5(1), 47–50. Retrieved June 25, 2021, from (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGee, "On Food and Cooking The Science and Lore", Scribner, p. 286 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Breville the Fast Slow Pro™ Instruction Booklet", shopify.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pressure Cooker Dos and Don'ts: Avoid These Common Mistakes", OmiChef, 2024-09-13 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- ROB MIFSUD, "A Pot with Benefits—How the pressure cooker fell out of favor, and why it's time to bring it back", Slate, February 29, 2012. facts only, no text reused. slate.com
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ROB MIFSUD, "A Pot with Benefits—How the pressure cooker fell out of favor, and why it's time to bring it back", Slate, February 29, 2012; "The Instant Pot Will Not Solve All of Life's Problems", The Atlantic, 8 January 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "olla exprés", Boletín Oficial de la Propiedad Industrial, 16 November 1919, p. 1480; Bellvis, ""360 fórmulas de cocina Para guisar con la "olla exprés"", Sucesores de Rivadeneyra, 1924 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Three Generations of Electric Pressure Cookers", Instant Pot (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Thirty-Eighth Annual Denver City Directory for 1910", Ballenger & Richards, 1910; "Denver Enterprise Prosperous", The Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO), 5 Feb 1911, p. 4 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pressure cooker" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Icmic, Santosh & Rukmani: The Forgotten Story of India's Original Cookers", The Better India, 11 July 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Icmic, Santosh & Rukmani: The Forgotten Story of India's Original Cookers", The Better India, 11 July 2020. facts only, no text reused. thebetterindia.com
- "Pressure Cooker Dos and Don'ts: Avoid These Common Mistakes", OmiChef, 2024-09-13. facts only, no text reused. omichef.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pressure cooker (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Also in the Codexery
More in Cooking Techniques
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Pressure cooker (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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