Do not be fooled easily because what may seem as an ordinary pot to you is actually one of the kitchen’s must-have secret weapon. This cooking appliance comes with a specially designed lid that seals the cooker, completely trapping steam and allowing pressure to build up inside. However, because of its previous versions decades ago, genuine concerns are raised regarding its safeness. The public distrust stems from the mishaps of the older models where too much pressure has build up inside causing the food to burst all over the kitchen ceiling.But the pressure cookers being made today are extremely safe. They are easy to use and have better gauges and valves for monitoring the pressure before problems arise. If that does not convince you enough, then here are five reasons to keep a pressure cooker in your kitchen:

1. HEALTHIER AND TASTIER DISHES

It is a rule of thumb that the longer you cook the food and the more liquid you use, the more nutrients you lose. Well that ain’t a problem with pressure cooking since it helps retain those vitamins and minerals by preparing them quickly and with very little water consumption. You need not worry about the vegetables remaining crisp and colorful nor the meats staying juicy and moist because the pressure cooker makes sure of that. It preserves not just the texture but also the natural flavors of the ingredients. In addition to that, because of the exposure to very high temperatures it eliminates harmful microorganisms and destroys harmful bacteria which saves your household from diseases related to poor or unhygienic cooking.

2. TIME SAVING

Pressure cooking has a remarkable impact on cook time. This is no exaggeration, dishes are cooked up to 70% faster. It is the perfect gizmo to whip up a delicious one-pot meal in a matter of minutes for days where you’re too exhausted or busy to cook. You may just simply throw in the ingredients and let it do its magic. Imagine the amount of time you save, it is indeed a luxury like no other. You can use it to attend to other tasks or even for leisure like catching up on your favorite show or keeping up with the trending topics on social media, your options are limitless.

3. ENERGY-EFFICIENT

It is more economical to just use one pressure cooker rather than utilizing multiple pots on separate burners, because it basically serves the same purpose. And since two-thirds of the usual cooking time is saved by using the pressure cooker then less energy is needed in preparing meals and ultimately, a substantial less money is spent on electricity.

4. LESS MESS, LESS CLEANING NEEDED

The pressure cooker is designed with an airtight lid, so you would not encounter the problem of having to clean-up splatters of food, oil and moist off the walls and counters. It also prevents spillage because it is tightly contained, unlike cooking with regular pots where there’s unavoidable residue to be found on top of the stove and its control panel. Ultimately when everything’s done, there’s only one pot to wash which makes cleaning easy-breezy as ever.

5. REDUCE KITCHEN HEAT

With global warming at its peak and our weather is getting unpredictably warmer, its best to just help yourself and keep a cool kitchen.Boiling things on stove tops release a lot of steam heat into the air, as well as the thermal energy from the stove tops. Even if some of this heat is directed out of the house via an exhaust fan, heat still builds in the kitchen. Yet with one pot locking in the heat and steam, not of it escapes and your kitchen will stay totally cool while your meal is cooking.

Now that you are (hopefully) sold on the advantages offered by pressure cooking, and we bet you’re already planning on purchasing one. It wouldn’t hurt to tip you off that pressure cookers may be made of stainless steel or aluminum material. Yet, stainless steel would still be the preferred option because of its better cooking results and good quality. We can go on listing other benefits and use of pressure cookers but the best way to understand them is really to just start experimenting on your own.