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.   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.   But   the   flavors   created   in   a   pressure   cooker   can   be   really   deep   and   complex,   unlike regular steamed foods.