- What is an aluminium "swiss-wave™ base" and why is it important to have one?
- What are the benefits of pressure cooking?
- How do I clean my DUROMATIC pressure cooker?
- At which pressure do I cook most foods?
- How exactly does a pressure cooker work?
- Can I use my pressure cooker on an induction cook top?
- Aren't pressure cookers dangerous?
- How do I release the pressure when my food has finished cooking?
- How is the DUROMATIC pressure cooker different from my Grandmother's?
- How can using a pressure cooker help me to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
- Is there a special way to store my DUROMATIC pressure cooker?
1. What is an aluminium "swiss-wave™ base" and why is it important to have one?
Kuhn Rikon combines the excellent qualities of stainless steel with the superior heat conductivity of aluminium to obtain cookware with the benefits of both metals. First, the stainless steel pan is formed, then a 1/4" thick disc of aluminium is then fixed to the bottom of that pan. A disc of stainless steel completes the "sandwich" on the bottom of the pan. This final stainless steel disc is attached because it creates a more aesthetically pleasing piece and because stainless steel, being smoother and less porous than aluminium, is easier to clean and is non-abrasive to ceramic cook tops. The aluminium never touches the food being cooked.
2. What are the benefits of pressure cooking?
Pressure cooking can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2 ways, by providing healthy, better tasting meals, and giving you more time to exercise and enjoy life. In addition, pressure cooking uses 1/3 the energy of normal cooking methods, making it healthier for the Earth as well.
Healthy: Because very little water is used in pressure cooking and because the pressure cooker is a "closed system," few vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water or dissipated into the air. Vegetables are not exposed to oxygen and retain their vitamins, minerals and their vivid colour. Low fat, high protein beans and legumes, are frequently avoided because of their long cooking time under normal cooking conditions. In a pressure cooker, however, most beans and legumes can be cooked in less than 15 minutes.
Better tasting: Better taste is the direct result of the health benefits explained above. Moreover, for dishes such as stews and pasta sauces, the pressure actually causes the ingredients to quickly mingle and their flavors to intensify. Pressure cookers keep the natural flavour in the food.
More time for YOU: The cooking times for most foods in the pressure cooker are approximately 1/3 the times for those same foods cooked in traditional manners and, in many instances, faster even than in a microwave. This means more time to exercise or relax and enjoy your home.
FOOD |
PRESSURE COOKING TIME |
TRADITIONAL TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | 8-12 minutes | 40-45 minutes |
| Black Beans | 10-12 minutes | 2-1/2 hours |
| Whole Chicken | 5 minutes/lb | 15 minutes/lb |
| White Rice | 5 minutes | 15-25 minutes |
| Brown Rice | 20-22 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Whole New Potatoes | 5-6 minutes | 25-30 minutes |
| Beef Stew | 15-20 minutes | 2 hours |
| Pasta Sauce | 20 minutes | 1-1/2 hours |
3. How do I clean my DUROMATIC pressure cooker?
Immediately after use, remove the gasket and wash the lid by hand thoroughly
inside and out. The exposed inside edge of the lid should be given special
attention. The gasket should be cleaned, dried and returned to the lid.
If the pressure cooker lid is hard to turn when closing, the gasket has
become dried out and should be lightly rubbed with cooking oil. The bottom
of the pan is dishwasher safe.
If difficult stains and/or baked-in spots occur, try simply soaking the
pan or adding water to the pan and bringing it to a boil. If white stains
occur, this is a natural result of calcium deposits due to hard water, or
starch deposits from foods like rice or beans. Such deposits are best removed
with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice. For a "showcase shine,"
try a food-safe metal cleaner such as Kuhn Rikon's Swiss Cleaner. Abrasive
cleaners should be avoided.
4. At which pressure do I cook most foods?
Most foods can be cooked at the higher pressure (2nd red ring) or 15 pounds per square inch (psi). Foods that have a tendency to foam such as rice and soups must be cooked on the first red ring. Instruction manuals and recipes will indicate if cooking at lower pressure is desired and cooking times are already adjusted.
5. How exactly does a pressure cooker work?
The principle of pressure cooking is really quite simple. Because a pressure cooker is airtight, pressure builds up inside the pressure cooker as the liquid inside comes to a boil. The resulting trapped steam causes the internal temperature to rise beyond what it would be capable of doing under normal room pressure. Then, simply, food cooking at a higher temperature and under pressure cooks faster.
At sea level (where the normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch), the boiling point of water is 212° F, the highest temperature which can be reached by water at that elevation. That boiling point is raised 38° F to 250° F under the 15 additional pounds of pressure that can be obtained in a pressure cooker. Foods cooked hotter cook faster.
A secondary benefit of the increased pressure is that it softens the fibres in foods, tenderising even the toughest of meats and beans. The increased internal temperature and the assault on the fibrous nature of foods cooked under pressure combine to decrease by two-thirds or more of the normal cooking times.
6. Can I use my pressure cooker on an induction cook top?
All current models of DUROMATIC pressure cookers will work on all cookers, including induction hobs.
7. Aren't pressure cookers dangerous?
The DUROMATIC pressure cookers belong to the new generation of pressure cookers. They are built with safety features that make it impossible for this kind of disaster to occur.
First, the automatic lid-locking device of the DUROMATIC pressure cookers insures that no pressure can build up until the lid is put on correctly. The lid cannot be removed or come off until all of the pressure has been released.
DUROMATIC pressure cookers provide the ultimate protection against excess pressure. The first indication that too much pressure has built up inside the cooker is the audible hiss of the valve as excess pressure is released through the valve. When the user hears this, the heat should be turned down. As long as the valve is not clogged, it will take care of any over pressurisation by allowing steam to escape through the radial escape holes located on the valve stem.
Other safety releases will come into effect only if the central valve is clogged. If that occurs, excess pressure will also escape through the safety holes in the rim of the lid.
Additionally, another spring-loaded safety valve in the lid is set to release steam in case of a clogged main valve due to overfilling or too-high heat. This valve is not a "blow plug" like some old American cookers had, but a highly accurate spring-loaded valve which will open at a pre-set internal pressure and release steam safely and effectively.
Finally, at higher pressure, the gasket is forced out through the six bayonet flanges in the lid, and a jet of excess steam escapes (once again in a downward direction.)
8. How do I release the pressure when my food has finished cooking?
There are three methods for releasing the pressure in your cooker. Recipes will indicate which release method to use at the end of the cooking process.
Touch Release (Quick Release) Method
The valve on the lid of the DUROMATIC pressure cooker releases the pressure quickly by a light finger touch or, if you desire, you may use a long-handled spoon or spatula to depress the insulated, black valve cap. This method is suggested if you wish to interrupt the cooking process in order to add some further ingredients. By releasing the steam this way you can quickly open the pressure cooker without cooling off the pot and stopping the cooking process. Do not use this method for food that foams and is cooked on the first red ring!Cold Water Release Method
If a quicker release of pressure is desired, the pan can be carried to the sink and cold water may be run over the lid (but not the valve). This method is mainly used for food with short cooking times where it is essential to stop the cooking process as fast as possible. For example risotto, polenta, or fresh vegetables. Do not use this method for food that foams (rice, beans, and stocks) or is cooked on the first red ring!Natural Release Method
A third method of releasing the pressure is to remove the pressure cooker from the heat source and to allow the pressure to subside naturally. If you are cooking beans, potatoes, or other foods that have a skin that you wish to remain intact, this is the preferred method. The time it takes to release the pressure in this manner is calculated into all pressure cooker recipes.9. How is the DUROMATIC pressure cooker different from my Grandmother's?
The spring-valve of the DUROMATIC pressure cooker makes pressure cooking much easier and less frightening than Grandma's cooker, because the loud hiss of steam escaping has been completely eliminated. In addition, the DUROMATIC valve allows the user to determine the exact time at which the interior of the pan comes to pressure and, thereby, affords much greater accuracy in the cooking.
How it works: Two red rings are visible on the stem of the valve during cooking. When the first red ring appears, the internal pressure has been raised 8 pounds per square inch above the external pressure (medium pressure). When the second red ring appears, the internal pressure has been raised 15 pounds per square inch above the external pressure (high pressure).
The weight-valve system on Grandma's pressure cooker (and on some contemporary pressure cookers) gives no clear indication of when full pressure is achieved. The cook must guess by the amount of noise and steam escaping how much pressure is building up. Obviously, this leaves a lot of room for over-cooking or undercooking the dish. Pressure cookers have long been associated with bland, tasteless, overcooked food. The precision of the DUROMATIC valve means no more mushy food.
There is also a safety difference between the two systems. A weight-valve system allows a great deal of steam to escape through a very tiny pinhole. When a large amount of steam is escaping, there is a constant hissing noise, and an increased likelihood that food in the steam will clog the valve. The spring-valve system of the DUROMATIC pressure cooker is self-cleaning and very difficult to clog. In addition, because no steam escapes during the cooking, the cook can use less cooking liquid (thereby retaining more of the vitamins, minerals and natural taste of the food).
10. How can using a pressure cooker help me to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Pressure cooking can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2 ways, by providing healthy, better tasting meals, and giving you more time to exercise and enjoy life. In addition, pressure cooking uses 1/3 the energy of normal cooking methods, making it healthier for the Earth as well.
Healthy: Because very little water is used in pressure cooking and because the pressure cooker is a "closed system," few vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water or dissipated into the air. Vegetables are not exposed to oxygen and retain their vitamins, minerals and their vivid colour. Low fat, high protein beans and legumes, are frequently avoided because of their long cooking time under normal cooking conditions. In a pressure cooker, however, most beans and legumes can be cooked in less than 15 minutes.
Better tasting: Better taste is the direct result of the health benefits explained above. Moreover, for dishes such as stews and pasta sauces, the pressure actually causes the ingredients to quickly mingle and their flavours to intensify. Pressure cookers keep the natural flavour in the food.
More time for YOU: The cooking times for most foods in the pressure cooker are approximately 1/3 the times for those same foods cooked in traditional manners and, in many instances, faster even than in a microwave. This means more time to exercise or relax and enjoy your home.
FOOD |
PRESSURE COOKING TIME |
TRADITIONAL TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | 8-12 minutes | 40-45 minutes |
| Black Beans | 10-12 minutes | 2-1/2 hours |
| Whole Chicken | 5 minutes/lb | 15 minutes/lb |
| White Rice | 5 minutes | 15-25 minutes |
| Brown Rice | 20-22 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Whole New Potatoes | 5-6 minutes | 25-30 minutes |
| Beef Stew | 15-20 minutes | 2 hours |
| Pasta Sauce | 20 minutes | 1-1/2 hours |