7 Mistakes to Avoid When Using An Electric Pressure Cooker
THE THREE STAGES OF LEARNING IN LIFE
STEP 1: Mistakes happen.
STEP 2: Mistakes teach you lessons.
STEP 3: You learn the lesson and you forget the mistakes.
That’s how it is. That is how it is supposed to be and that’s life!
And when we say life, it includes anything and everything that you do;
And yes, it does include your cooking attempts too!
Every time you make mistakes while cooking and every time your dish turns out to be a super disaster, do not worry, for mistakes are clearly proofs that you are trying. It is never a problem when you make mistakes, the real problem arises only when you make mistakes and you fail to learn a lesson from it. Well, that is definitely a mistake!
So, to all the first time cooks, to all those perseverant ones who have tried to cook for the nth time and it is not right yet and to all those trying to be the perfect cooks but wondering how, here are some great insights on a very basic cooking requirement – using an electric pressure cooker.
About S.K. (since the blog is written in first person!): I am not a great cook. Every time I plan to cook a dish, I end up with another dish because of my extraordinary cooking skills but I sure have learnt a few basic things from trying to cook in the smart electric pressure cooker.
How to safeguard the product that I cook in (Also includes safeguarding me and the people around me)
How to make a dish as given in the recipe book and not end up with a different end product.
And since the best way to ‘learn is to share knowledge’, I decided to share them with you.
“7 Mistakes To Avoid When Using An Electric Pressure Cooker”
MISTAKE – 1 : Not closing the cooker properly.
LESSON – 1 : Close your cooker tight, to get your food right.
Electric Pressure Cookers need some time, temperature and pressure to do some magic for you. So you place your food inside the pot, add some water, set the timing and temperature and then let the cooker do its work. And before you move away to let the electric pressure cooker do its work, make sure you close the pressure cooker well. Not sealing it properly and having half close lids affects the working of the cooker and the cooking process too.
Geek Robocook comes with a lid that has a ‘lock and unlock’ mechanism.
MISTAKE – 2 : Filling and overfilling the cooker with food or liquid.
LESSON – 2 : Keep an eye on the ‘no’ liquid and ‘too much’ liquid status.
Filling the instant pot with water before you start to cook is important but so is to knowing how much water to add. Overfilling the pot with more quantity of food and liquid or failing to fill it with a liquid not just results in giving you uncooked food but can also lead to risk factors.
What we do and what happens:
Add too much water - Dish becomes overcooked, soggy and flavourless
Not adding water gives you no steam and no pressure - Dish becomes over dry and burnt.
Add large quantity of food and liquid - There is a high chance for uneven cooking and requirement for longer cooking time.
Geek Robocook with 5L and 8L capacity comes with inner pot measurements.
MISTAKE – 3 : Not letting it sit after cooking and not choosing the correct pressure release method
LESSON – 3 : Wait, let sit and choose the release.
For the food to be cooked perfectly in an electric pressure cooker, both pressure and temperature are needed. Some foods need the heat and pressure built inside the cooker for it to be perfect while some foods require the immediate release of pressure. After the cooking time, let it sit for the pressure to go down or choose the right release of pressure release to get dishes with the right consistency.
Geek Robocook has both automatic pressure and manual release options.
MISTAKE – 4 : Cooking different foods at one go
LESSON – 4 : Set different time and temperature for different foods to be cooked perfect.
Rice and meat need more time to be cooked, vegetables and meat when they are cooked whole, they need a longer time compared to when cut into small pieces. That being the case, trying to cook them together at one go will not yield you the desired dish. Start with a partial-cooking of the meat first, release the pressure and then go ahead with adding the vegetables and having it cooked together.
Geek Robocook is a digital pressure cooker that lets you set time and keep track of it for every food that you cook.
MISTAKE – 5 : Using metal or wooden spoons to stir or remove food.
LESSON – 5 : Use what is given to you and not just anything you have
For effective and easier use, safety reasons and proper maintenance of the product, the instant pot does come with its own accessories. Use them!
Geek Robocook has a rice scooper and a measuring cup as included components.
MISTAKE – 6 : Not paying heed to the instructions
LESSON – 6 : Time to forget my kitchen, my rules and follow the inner pot rules
The home electric pressure cookers work fine for a very long time but the problem arises mostly when the inner pot is not used or maintained properly.
Remember to place the inner pot - You need the inner pot to cook your food. Trying to cook straight without the inner pot is a huge danger.
Wipe the inside and outside of the inner pot – It is important that you keep the inner pot dry. Since the pressure cooker works with electricity, keeping it wet might affect the working condition, the cooking temperature and the pot’s heating elements.
Do not wash rice inside inner pot – Use the inner pot only for cooking and not for any other purpose. Use another vessel to wash and drain your rice and then add it to the inner pot.
Geek Robocook comes with a removable stainless steel pot for easy measurement and effective cooking.
MISTAKE – 7 : Going with your instinct at the initial stage.
LESSON – 7 : Go by the book.
Cooking by instincts can wait for a while. Start with reading recipes; follow it and when you succeed with that move on to the cooking by instincts stage. The only way to avoid errors be it in the cooking method or in operating the product, is to follow the recipe and avoid assuming the method.
Geek Robocook also has a recipe book in its included components.
Reflection:
Reflect over your cooking stages and ask this question to yourself, “What did I ever make?” and if you are answer is as below then do as instructed:
One or more than one - Read the “7 Mistakes to avoid when using an Electric Pressure Cooker” to cook more and cook perfect.
Nothing but Mistakes - Learn the “7 Mistakes to avoid when using an Electric Pressure Cooker” to have a dish cooked.
It is not wrong to make mistakes when you cook, but let us make it a point to learn from it and not repeat it.
P.S. I am still bad at cooking but I sure know what to do and what not to do in an automatic pressure cooker.
January 28, 2021
John