Hey all,
The other day I went to the thrift shop and while browsing, came across some pressure cookers that were being sold for cheap. I’ve heard of these things before, but this was my first time actually seeing them in person.
I did some research as to how they’re used and what for, and I’m thinking I might as well purchase one. However, I know there is a risk of the thing exploding, especially seeing that they aren’t new models sold from the store and all.
My main question is how I would go about preventing an explosion happening in my apartment if I were to use one. The two are stovetop ones rather than electric ones, and look more or less like this.
Thanks for any help in advance!
Like almost every Brazilian, I cook with this pressure cooker very often. The things you have to be aware is the relief valve and the safety seal.
The relief valve, on top of the pan, should be clean and move freely. That’s where the pressure will gradually escape from the cooker while you’re cooking.
The safety seal is a rubber that melts if the pressure is too high and then relief the pressure very fast. Make sure this seal is alright.
Another thing I do and recommend is to never fill the cooker with water past the middle of the cooker! You must have an empty space to build pressure! If you put too much water, the pressure will increase really fast and blow everything up. So take care about the amount of water you put and never exceed the middle of the cooker
They will have some kind of pressure relief valve, to let steam out and prevent an explosion. They only become dangerous if that valve isn’t working (assuming that whatever keeps the lid on is intact and still strong).
Look for damage around the seal between the pot and the lid, and look for damage to the clamp or latch which holds the lid down against that seal.
Then look at the valve. It’ll probably be a heavy object (such as a lump of metal) which sits on top of a hole of some sort, or it could possibly be something spring loaded. Either way, check that it moves freely.
After that the only additional thing you could do is a pressure test, where you basically deliberately overpressurise it and see if it explodes, but if you had the means to do that safely then you wouldn’t be asking for advice here so I don’t recommend it.
test the valve when you start to cook. if the button doesn’t release air and the valve indicator isn’t moving, turn off the heat and move the pot off the stove right at the start. in that case let it cool down for a long time before opening it, so even if there’s still preasure, no hot contents get ejected.
I’d just buy an Instant Pot.
If you are in the US, check with your local government office and/or university. In Wisconsin, the university has extension offices and you can take your pressure cooker in to get it tested. They will tell you if it is safe, and if not what you need to do to make it safe. They do this as a free public service
Make sure the seals are good and the vent is clean. I’m used to indian pressure cookers where the weight is removable. I’d recommend buying a replacement safety valve. They’re pretty cheap
Replace any gaskets expansion plugs etc. make sure it’s in good working order air flows through the vent at the top.
I rarely have used pressure cookers and when I did it was usually for beans I hadn’t re-saturated over night. So my first thought was well, the beans were going to cause an explosion anyways, why not chance it being in the pot?
Put it inside another pressure cooker
All of these, plus don’t over-fill when cooking, since you want to make sure you keep any food from obstructing the pressure release while it’s going
