Buying a pressure cooker? Here's your checklist

Over the years, the quality and design of pressure cookers have changed drastically from being boringly normal to contemporary and stylish. Choose the size according to the number of family members you have and choose a cooker with thicker aluminium or steel walls, says an expert.

Md. Nowshah, Chairman of United Pressure Cooker brand, lists pointers that could be referred to before you go shopping for your next pressure cooker:

* Size: Since the size doesn't actually reflect the amount of food you are going to cook as it is advised that you fill only two-thirds of the pressure cooker, choose the size accordingly plus keep an account of the number of family members to get a fair idea as to how much food you are going to cook on a regular basis.

* Weight: The easiest tool used by most manufacturers is to make the cooker bulkier by using a weighty handle. So the correct way to judge a pressure cooker is by choosing the one with thicker aluminium or steel walls -- the thicker the walls, the longer the cookware will last.

It prevents bulging, accidents and daily wear and tear. The ideal thickness of domestic pressure cooker is 3.25mm.

* Pressure indicator and fast release: While buying a new pressure cooker make sure that it has a pressure indicator -- either a marker or a pop-up indicator that will help you judge the pressure. A quick release button is also necessary to lower the pressure while maintaining the heat.

* Float valve or spring valve: Pressure cooker is correlated to the steam and whistle that fills your kitchen with a distinct smell that may annoy the guests at home. To eliminate this issue, the new breed of pressure cookers have a pressure regulating technology that makes very little noise and consumes less energy. Choose pressure cookers that fulfill this purpose efficiently.

* Two pressure settings: Choose pressure cookers that have two pressure settings -- high and low so that food which requires a long time to cook like legumes have a high-pressure setting and those that cook fast should have a low pressure.

--IANS

ks/sug/dg