Pressure cookers are amazing kitchen tools, and if you haven't worked with one since your grandmother's old explosion-prone unit, you may not be aware that they're not only safer than they've ever been before, but they turn out some seriously tasty food.


The folks over at CHOW and Modernist Cuisine explain in this video why pressure cookers are great, complete with a recipe for a carmelized carrot soup that'll get anyone in your household excited. The science behind pressure cookers is straight-forward: the boiling point of water depends on the air pressure of the environment, so the higher the pressure, the higher the boiling point. This means that high-pressure environments like pressure cookers can get to really high temperatures without drying out your food. Bonus: they also cook much faster than dry cooking methods because they can get so hot.

We're willing to bet a number of you already have a pressure cooker you love, or have experimented with them. For those of you who are still concerned about safety, the video explains that modern pressure cookers have redundant safety measures and pressure release valves to make sure they don't explode in your kitchen. Just make sure you get a new one and don't stick with grandma's old model.


Why Pressure Cookers Are Awesome | CHOW