You want something quick and easy, yet you need to make sure all the nutrients are still intact.Pressure cookers are all the rage now but… Do pressure cookers destroy nutrients?
Compared to boiling, steaming or roasting, pressure cookers actually retains up to 90 percent of nutrients in food because it uses lower temperature when cooking your food
With all these technologies in cooking, it is important to study what really happens to your food when you cook them in these high-tech appliances.
So, before you go ahead and use a pressure cooker, make sure you read this post to understand what happens to your food each time.
Quick Navigation
How Does A Pressure Cooker Works?
First, let us understand how a pressure cooker works.
Basically, it is a pressurized pot combining steam and heat to cook your food. It is not much of the high heat that does the cooking. Instead, it is the pressure and the steam that do the job.
There is a valve in a pressure cooker, which keeps the pot sealed. This way, the steam has no way of escaping. As a result, the pot becomes an optimal environment for cooking your food.
Moreover, it helps to cook food at a much faster and more efficient rate.
Pressure cooking works the opposite way of how altitude affects water to boil. For instance, pressure cookers speed up the water’s boiling point and minimize cooking time.
With steam remaining in the pot, this prevents the loss of water. The result? Your food cooks while maintaining the desired temperature.
A great benefit that a pressure cooker offers is the speed of cooking. As I mentioned earlier, this is made possible with the high pressure – not high temperature.
The pressure becomes a great component in the speed, efficiency, and quality of food cooked in this type of kitchen appliance.
Do Pressure Cookers Destroy Nutrients?
Now that you know the elements of a pressure cooker, let us proceed to the next question:
Do pressure cookers destroy nutrients?
The answer is quite surprising.
Some people assume that nutrients are lost due to the high pressure. Furthermore, the speed in cooking gets you thinking that there are fewer nutrients in your food once it is on your plate.
However, it is actually the opposite.
Broiling and grilling, for instance, cause a reduction in the nutrients in your food. This is due to the extremely high heat applied to the cooking process.
Yet, with a pressure cooker, it is not heat that does much of the cooking. Instead, it is the high pressure.
In fact, pressure cookers actually use a lower temperature when cooking. This is in comparison to other methods such as roasting and steaming.
This is why it is not surprising if you lose some nutrients in food when you steam or roast them.
For instance, boiling reduces the food’s nutritional value by about 40 to 75 percent.
On the other hand, steaming and roasting cause a nutrient loss of about 50 percent.
As for pressure cooking, you will be amazed to know that it retains up to 90 percent of nutrients in food. That is impressive, indeed!
And the more you think about it, the more it makes sense: The lower heat helps to maintain the nutritional composition of the food. At the same time, the low temperature cooks food faster because of the pressure applied.
With a shorter cooking time and lower heat, you can expect your food to retain the nutrients it contains when still raw.
No wonder pressure cooking is actually much more effective in keeping your food more nutritious!
Check out this video to learn more about how a pressure cooker works. This will also give you a better understanding of the amount of nutrients left in your food after the cooking process.
Important Things You Should Know When Using the Pressure Cooker
While it is true that pressure cooking helps to retain more nutrients in food, there is something you need to know…
For the most part, it actually tends to deactivate the phytic acid in food.
Basically, phytic acid impacts your digestive system. This irritates your gastrointestinal tract, which can be an issue for some people.
Fortunately, pressure cooking helps to eliminate this. As a result, you can enjoy your food without causing a burden on your digestion.
[Related Article: Do Slow Cookers Kill Bacteria? Surprising Facts You Never Knew]
Cooking with Pressure Cooker – The List Is Endless!
You are probably wondering what you can actually cook in the pressure cooker.
Well, there are so many recipes to choose from!
Many people assume that pressure cookers are only designed to tenderize meats and beans.
But did you know that there are other things you can cook in this kitchen appliance? In fact, you can even make desserts in your pressure cooker!
Common dishes you can prepare in your pressure cooker include rice, vegetables, stews, soups, roasts, and broth.
Surprisingly, there are some pressure cookers that also allow you to make cheesecake and pasta. These definitely give you more variety with your meals.
Furthermore, electric pressure cookers with advanced technology make it much more efficient and simpler to cook your favorite meals. In just half an hour or less, you can have your favorite lentil soup, bean dip, and several other recipes that usually take hours to cook.
And the best part of it all – the nutrients remain intact. Or at least, not a huge percentage of these nutrients leave your food!
As a bonus, the flavor is even richer and more flavorful because of the reduced amount of time spent on cooking.
[Related Article: 5 Best Stock Pot And Buying Guide]
Bottom Line
Now that you know the answer to the question, “Do pressure cookers destroy nutrients”, you can ease your worries that your food remains highly nutritious.
Be sure to look for a reliable brand of pressure cooker that does not only make cooking more efficient. But it is also important to have safety features to guarantee your peace of mind and convenience as you prepare your favorite dishes!
