5 Common but Costly Mistakes Beginners do while using a Pressure Cooker for the First Time!

Yeah, I must admit I got it wrong when I used my pressure cooker for the first time. When you are on your own and are using a pressure cooker for the first time, one thing or the other goes wrong. Few blessed souls do make things right in the nick of time. Just enough to save their dishes from going all wrong.

Then some people often had to swallow half cooked meat in their early days with pressure cookers.

We have all gone through that patch when nothing goes right in the kitchen. But don’t be discouraged as one or two bad days in the kitchen teaches you a lot of things. Below I’ve listed five faults that first timers commit when using a pressure cooker. As bonuses, I’ve also listed ways to fix them.

The Pressure Cooker Simply Explodes

You’ll always find one in every three people who has faced this issue. Thankfully, it doesn’t hamper the quality of your dishes. This happens when you use a low-quality pressure cooker. Also, beginners often forget to check the pressure release system of the cooker. Often you’ll see the pressure cooker is not sealed or locked properly. The steam doesn’t have a way to be released. The result is obvious. Your cooker will explode.

The Fix: Don’t use a below-par pressure cooker. Go for a high-quality brand even if you have to spend some extra bucks. If you prefer stove top, go for WMF Perfect Plus Pressure Cooker. For electric pressure cookers, Instant Pot IP Smart Pressure Cooker is an option. Check the lid and the sealing ring for leaks. If you suspect leakage, contact the customer support of your brand for a fix or a replacement for the existing one.

People Often Mash Up Two or More Items Together in the Cooker Which Have Different Prep Times

Okay, this one is a bit tricky. As beginners, we often had days where our recipes tasted outright bad. They were not cooked properly. The reason for it is that people often mix two or three items together and put them in the pressure cooker for cooking.

But these items need different time periods to be cooked properly. For example, mixing beans and meat for a dish and putting them inside the cooker is a risky idea. Beans take longer to be cooked properly than the meat you are using.

If you are not paying attention to that fact, chances are; you are gambling with food quality. To negate this hitch, modern day electric pressure cookers have various functions to “Prep each item separately” via cooking functions before you actually pressure cook them together.

The Third Mistake: Overfilling or Under-filling Pressure Cooker with Food

This is the crucial mistake that beginners commit when cooking with a pressure cooker on first few occasions. They often fill up the cooker with “More than enough” food. And sometimes, with “Less than the actual amount needed” that causes gasses to build up.

When you stuff your pressure cooker with food beyond its capacity, the cooker can’t keep up with limited pressure to food ratio. As a result, parts of your food items may not be cooked to the desired level, and you’ll have an undercooked dish.

If you fill the cooker with “Less than required” amount of food, the temperature, and the steam will overcook your food and will burn it to the crisp.

The fix for this is filling the pressure cookers with two-thirds of food items compared to its size. Modern pressure cookers have the 2/3rd spot marked inside the pot.

People Often Don’t Have Any Idea about the Recipe They’re Cooking

This is another common mistake that the novice cooks commit. Once you seal the pressure cooker, there is no way to monitor the state of food you are cooking. It is never a good idea to “Guess” a recipe and then go with the flow. Adding too many ingredients or allowing it too much time could ruin your favorite dish. Taking it down too early might cause your meal to be undercook.

It is always a good thing to follow a recipe to the book. Always opt for recipes tried by expert cooks. They know what they are doing. Set your pressure cookers according to what your recipe tells you and you’ll be alright.

Well, there you go. These are 5 most common mistakes that beginners do while cooking with a pressure cooker. These should help you stay the course and be careful. I hope this article somehow helped you guys. If you have anything to add to the article, please let me know in the "Comments" section.