Pressure   Cookers   &   Instant   Pots   are   small   utensils   that   all   work   on   a   simple   principle: steam   pressure.   A   sealed   pot,   with   a   liquid   &   food   inside,   the   unit   builds   up   high pressure,   which   helps   any   food   cook   faster.   Some   Recipes   here   aren’t,   but   may   be easily   converted   to   cook   in   a   pressure   cooker.   The   Pressure   Cooker   was   invented   in the   1600s   by   a   Frenchman   by   Denis   Papin,   who   wanted   to   translate   new   discoveries   in physics   about   pressure   and   steam   into   cooking.   He   called   his   pot   the   “Digester,”   but   it took   quite   a   while   before   better   manufacturing   standards   and   technology   could   make these   high   pressure   pots   safe.   When   cooking   something   wet,   like   a   stew   or   steamed vegetables,   the   heat   of   your   stovetop   cooking   is   limited   to   the   boiling   point   of   water (212°F).   But   with   the   water   under   pressure   now   the   boiling   point   can   get   as   high   as 250°F.   This   higher   heat   helps   the   food   to   cook   faster.   The   high   pressure   also   helps force   liquid   and   moisture   into   the   food   quickly,   which   helps   it   cook   faster   and   also helps   certain   foods,   like   tough   meat,   get   very   tender   very   quickly.   The   extra-high   heat of   the   pressure   cooker   also   promotes   caramelization   and   browning   in   a   surprising   way —   we’re   not   used   to   food   caramelizing   when   it   is   cooking   in   liquid.   The   flavors   created in a pressure cooker can be really deep and complex, unlike regular steamed foods.