Pressure cookers are incredibly versatile appliances. You can cook quickly, steam and sauté food, and keep your food warm all in one appliance. With this cooker having so many uses, you may have wondered if your pressure cooker can deep fry food, too.
So, can you deep fry with a pressure cooker?
A pressure cooker isn’t equipped for deep frying. It can only operate at a maximum temperature of 250° F, and oil can reach up to 350° F. Deep frying can destroy the pressure cooker parts and result in food that is not properly cooked.
However, this shouldn’t crush your hopes of cooking delicious fried food. There are pressure fryers that are made specifically for frying foods. This article will outline the science behind pressure cooking and reveal why deep frying in a pressure cooker is impossible.
How a Pressure Cooker Works
A pressure cooker can prepare food dramatically faster than many other traditional cooking processes. According to FastCooker.ca, a pressure cooker reduces cooking times by 50%, plus it retains the nutrients and aromas of the food it is cooking. But what’s the science behind it?
Here’s how a pressure cooker works:
- Steam generated by boiling water is forced to the surface of the food by the pressure built up in the cooker. This is why even tough meat can tenderize quickly in a pressure cooker.
- The pressure cooker has a spring-loaded valve that lets air escape, keeping the pressure controlled.
- With the sealing ring, commonly called a rubber gasket, this machine manages to eliminate air and steam escaping that may compromise its efficiency.
- Most pressure cookers use a bayonet-style fastening mechanism for a tight seal.
- The interior environment requires two-thirds of water to be placed into it that forms into steam to increase temperature and subsequently achieve the desired pressure for the cooking.
How a Pressure Fryer Works
Unfortunately, a pressure cooker will not fry foods. This was the problem that created the opportunity for Harland Sanders to find a way to fry foods with pressure.
The New Yorker’s article “Kentucky-Fried,” by William Whitworth, discusses Sanders’ journey as he searched for the perfect pressurized way to cook fried chicken.
Eventually, through the engineering of Winston L. Shelton, the pressure fryer was invented. The pressure fryer works the same way the pressure cooker does, but its features are meant to fit the cooking environment for frying foods.
Therefore, they cook more quickly and evenly than the usual deep-frying.
The Truth About Pressure Frying at Home
Some people will tell you that you can tweak a conventional pressure cooker and make it a pressure fryer. But instead of voiding the warranty and potentially putting yourself in danger with a rigged pressure cooker, why not invest in a pressure fryer?
If you want to achieve the texture and taste of KFC chicken at home, the best option you have is using a reliable pressure fryer like the Ninja Pressure Fryer.
Also, you should note that a pressure fryer is not a pressure frying pan. A pressure frying pan is used to sauté fried dishes and cannot deep fry food.
Why Get A Pressure Fryer?
While many methods of frying foods exist, nothing surpasses the pressure fryer. It’s evident in the way the food from top fried chicken establishments looks and tastes.
Pressure frying has many advantages over other methods of frying foods, such as:
- Fast cooking
- Flavor preservation
- Healthier results
- Long lifespan
- Reduced oil costs
Fast Cooking
Pressure fryers reduce frying time by about 50%. This is because of the raised temperatures and retained steam that fries the food faster and more evenly. If you like fast and excellent fried food, pressure fryers are the way to go.
Flavor Preservation
Open frying causes a loss of flavor in your food. However, with pressure frying, everything is locked inside of a single appliance, and most of the flavors remain intact.
In typical deep fryers, you will notice that the exterior of the fried food may appear greasy and browned, but the interior remains dry. However, in pressure frying, an even distribution of heat and moisture cooks the food, making it juicier and tastier.
Healthier Results
Many people avoid deep-fried food because of the greasy nature that can be unhealthy. But with a pressure fryer, less oil is used, and the fried food achieves a crispy look and great taste without excess oil.
Additionally, a tightly sealed pressure fryer preserves nutrients and minerals more than open frying. Therefore, food fried in a pressure fryer will lock in every healthy aspect of the particular food or spices you put into it.
So, if you’ve been looking for a healthier method of frying food, a pressure fryer is the perfect option.
Long Lifespan
In addition to its efficient cooking benefits, a high-grade pressure fryer has a long lifespan. Household pressure fryers can last up to 10 years, while commercial models can last for more than a decade.
If you factor in health, tastiness, and efficiency of frying food with a pressure fryer, you’ll discover how affordable it is.
You’ll worry less about your health and be able to cook more fried foods, even with a busy schedule.
Reduced Oil Costs
With a pressure fryer, you’ll use less oil, and the oil that you do use can be reused multiple times. With traditional deep frying, you have far less control over your food burning than you do with a pressure fryer.
When pressure frying, the chances of burning your food are immensely reduced. This is why the oil that you do use is reusable.
Other Things You Shouldn’t Do with Your Pressure Cooker
It’s understandable that you feel as if you can make anything with your pressure cooker. After all, there are many things that you can do with the appliance.
The moment you realized it could make yogurt, you may have gotten excited to try several other things. However, some things are not suitable for cooking in your pressure cooker.
Some tried-and-tested foods that cannot be made in a pressure cooker include:
- Excessively foamy foods
- Baked goods
- Stir-fried foods
Excessively Foamy Foods
It can be tempting to make noodles with your pressure cooker. However, noodles are one of a few different foods that make an excessive amount of foam and should not be cooked in a pressure cooker. Foods that form foam can be dangerous in pressure cookers.
When the foam is produced, it can build up and block the valve, creating excess pressure. This could lead to an explosion or other dangerous accidents.
Avoid cooking the following foamy foods in a pressure cooker:
- Noodles
- Rhubarb
- Split Peas
- Cranberries
- Applesauce
- Oatmeal
Baked Goods
The whole point of baking bread, cookies, and other treats is to achieve a chewy outer crust on the outside and a soft interior. That won’t happen in a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker will create a smooth exterior on the baked goods that isn’t desirable.
Stir-Fried Foods
Frying in a pressure cooker results in undesirable, soggy fried foods. To achieve a crispy texture in any food, you’ll have to use machines that are equipped for the task. So, if you want to stir fry your vegetables, you’re better off using a pan on high heat.
Final Thoughts
If you are tempted to try to fry foods with your pressure cooker, resist the temptation. It’s dangerous and does not produce the desired results. Therefore, get the right equipment for your deep frying needs and use your pressure cooker for its recommended uses.