HOW A PRESSURE COOKER WORKS

WHY DO WE USE PRESSURE COOKERS AND HOW THEY WORK

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT WHY WE USE A PRESSURE COOKER IN OUR HOUSEHOLDS TO COOK OUR FOOD INSTEAD OF USING COMMONLY USED OPEN VESSELS?

IF NOT...THEN LET'S FIND OUT THE REASON BEHIND...

SO TO START WITH, WE WILL FIRST TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT THAT WHAT IS COOKING OF FOOD ACTUALLY, AND THEN WE WILL TRY TO ANALYZE THE ROLE OF A PRESSURE COOKER...

IN THE PROCESS OF COOKING WE OFTEN USE WATER, THE HEATING OF WATER GIVES RISE TO THE FORMATION OF VAPOURS WHICH EVENTUALLY CONVERT RAW FOOD TO ITS EATABLE FORM.

SO TO GET A DEEP UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF A PRESSURE COOKER WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT BOILING OF WATER IS.

BOILING OF WATER IS A PROCESS OF HEATING WATER ABOVE ITS BOILING POINT WHICH IS 100 DEGREE CENTIGRADE.

OR, TO BE MORE SPECIFICAL 

BOILING IS A CONDITION IN WHICH THE "VAPOUR PRESSURE" CROSSES THE "ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE" LEADING TO  VAPORIZATION  OF WATER TO FOR WATER VAPOURS...

IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, AT A TEMPERATURE OF 100 DEGREES CELSIUS THE WATER BECOMES SO HOT THAT THE VAPOUR PRESSURE BECOMES EQUAL TO THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE...

THIS SIMPLY REFERS THAT AS THE Atmospheric pressure Decreases,The boiling point of liquids Decreases.

*Atmospheric pressure is equal to 10⁵ PASCALS.

PROBLEMS with commonly used vessels

So when we try to cook food at places with Low atmospheric pressure like at higher altitudes, we face a critical problem, that is the Water Boils and gets into steam Rapidly, due to which some food remained UNCOOKED or RAW. 

If we analyze this situation, we will get to know that as the Atmospheric pressure at such places are very low the BOILING POINT of Water at those places become lower than 100°C, and thus the food remains UNCOOKED.

So Let's assume in our case that THE  BOILING TEMPERATURE Decreases to 60°C FROM 100°C THEN, THE WATER WILL EVAPORATE VERY EASILY BELOW 100°C AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED TO COOK THE FOOD, RESULTING  IN RAW FOOD WHICH IS NOT LIKELY TO US.

SOLUTION  TO OUR PROBLEM

SO TO OVERCOME THE ABOVE PROBLEM WE REQUIRE :

• GREATER PRESSURE INSIDE THE VESSEL TO FULFILL THE DECREASED ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT HIGHER ALTITUDES.

THIS PRESSURE IS CREATED BY THE PRESSURE COOKER AT HIGHER ALTITUDES, WHICH MAKE THEM IMMENSELY USEFUL AT SUCH PLACES FOR COOKING.

WE USE THE PRESSURE COOKER TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE AND COOK THE FOOD COMPLETELY AT HIGHER ALTITUDES.

SO YOU MIGHT NOW HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE NEED AND WORKING OF A PRESSURE COOKER.

BUT, YOU MIGHT HAVE OBSERVED THAT WE ALSO USE PRESSURE COOKERS AT LOWER ALTITUDES...

SO THESE ARE THE REASONS BEHIND :

• TO COOK FOOD BETTER ...AS THE PRESSURE COOKER WILL INCREASE THE BOILING POINT OF WATER TO GREATER THAN 100°C.

• COOKING FOOD FASTER (INCREASED TEMPERATURE WILL RESULT IN QUICKER COOKING).

So, I hope you have understood why we use pressure cookers and their working...we will meet in our next post till then,

"KEEP LEARNING AND STAY CURIOUS"

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