What are the benefits of pressure cooking?

Pressure cooking can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2 ways, by providing healthy, better tasting meals, and giving you more time to exercise and enjoy life. In addition, pressure cooking uses 1/3 the energy of normal cooking methods, making it healthier for the Earth as well.

Healthy: Because very little water is used in pressure cooking and because the pressure cooker is a "closed system," few vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water or dissipated into the air. Vegetables are not exposed to oxygen and retain their vitamins, minerals and their vivid color. Low fat, high protein beans and legumes, are frequently avoided because of their long cooking time under normal cooking conditions. In a pressure cooker, however, most beans and legumes can be cooked in less than 15 minutes.

Better tasting: Better taste is the direct result of the health benefits explained above. Moreover, for dishes such as stews and pasta sauces, the pressure actually causes the ingredients to quickly mingle and their flavors to intensify. Pressure cookers keep the natural flavor in the food.

More time for YOU: The cooking times for most foods in the pressure cooker are approximately 1/3 the times for those same foods cooked in traditional manners and, in many instances, faster even than in a microwave. This means more time to exercise or relax and enjoy your home. Some sample times include:

Food	Pressure Cooking Time	Traditional Time
artichokes	8-12 minutes	40-45 minutes
black beans	10-12 minutes	2-1/2 hours
whole chicken	5 minutes/lb	15 minutes/lb
white rice	5 minutes	15-25 minutes
brown rice	20-22 minutes	45 minutes
whole new potatoes	5-6 minutes	25-30 minutes
beef stew	15-20 minutes	2 hours
pasta sauce	20 minutes	1-1/2 hours