Life is busy, but the chance to cook a hearty meal quickly and easily is always welcomed by a home cook. That’s where a cooker comes into play. Here’s what you need to know about cookers:
Types of Cookers There are a number of cookers on the market that will help you prepare food more quickly. Among them are:
• Electric Pressure Cooker: This cooker includes settings that control heat and pressure. You can program start times as well.
Electric pressure cookers operate automatically and require little attention throughout the cooking process.
• Stovetop Pressure Cooker: A wide base helps heat evenly distribute from the stovetop. This type of small cooker gets hotter quicker and builds more pressure than electric versions. While food cooks and caramelizes faster, you’ll have to manually adjust the heat.
• Rice Cooker:
Rice cookers rely on a plate that transfers heat to a cooking pan. Once the water inside boils, the temperature stabilizes. The rice absorbs all the water and cooks until ready. A rice cooker automatically switches into a warming cycle as the rice reaches its optimal temperature.
• Slow Cooker: Meant for roasts, stews and casseroles,
slow cookers depend on gentler heating elements and do not create pressurized steam as pressure cookers do. They are great for tossing in ingredients and leaving them to seethe for hours.
How a Cooker Works
Pressure cookers make cooking easy thanks to steam that builds up. They are cylindrical and consist of a lid that locks to trap steam and pressurize contents. When the cooker reaches its full pressure, a small valve opens to allow enough steam to be released. This prevents an excess in pressure. Ingredients then simmer until fully cooked.
Rice cookers heat water quickly. As rice absorbs the boiling water, it becomes tender. Whole grains can also be cooked in a rice cooker.
Slow cookers help tenderize meats slowly on a low temperature. Soups, stews and casseroles can be prepared in a slow cooker.
How Cookers Help You and Your Food
• You’ll get time back in your day or night because of quick cooking times.
• Kill bacteria in foods at a higher rate thanks to a higher temperature.
• Maintain nutrients and flavor as a result of a swift and pressurized cook.
• A secure lid avoids a mess, plus the all-in-one device limits the number of cooking supplies needed to make a meal.
