Pressure Cooker for a newbie

Larry_Barry_63657

Hi all,

I'm a total newbie and got into this all because of Chef Steps and their sous vide series a couple of years ago. I could use some help. I bought a Raikon 7.4 qt pressure cooker but don't really know how to use it as it -- video tutorials I found always seem to skip certain steps as to avoid what I assume are liabilities, and I'm sort of afraid of using it incorrectly.

Are you supposed to put the ingredients into the pot, seal it, put it on the stove and turn on the heat? Do I turn the heat off once it gets to the correct pressure level or do I keep it on and does the pressure cooker self manage its pressure level? 

Brandon_Byrd_40557

You can add ingredients to the pot over heat. Just don't bring the contents to a boil before you add the lid because the escaping steam may singe you when you try to put the lid on. This is also important for stocks since boiling can make things cloudy. After you're at full pressure, bring the heat down to low. It takes a lot of energy to get to pressure, but it is pretty efficient at maintaining pressure once it's there. Keep an eye on the pressure gauge to make sure it's staying where you want it.