Pressure cooking locks in flavour while retaining vitamins and minerals. Food is cooked three times faster in a pressure cooker than in a traditional stock pot. Pressure cookers look like other kitchen pots, but the lids completely seal the pot and allow for pressurised cooking. The Russell Hobbs company in Great Britain manufactures numerous, high-quality kitchen items. One of these is a 6 L pressure cooker.

Fill the pressure cooker with the ingredients and the recommended amount of water. Do not fill the cooker over two-thirds full. Do not fill the cooker past the halfway point with foods that expand or foam. These include spaghetti, dehydrated vegetables, rice and rhubarb.

  • Pressure cooking locks in flavour while retaining vitamins and minerals.
  • Do not fill the cooker past the halfway point with foods that expand or foam.

Locate the arrow on the inside of the front-body handle. Hold the lid above the cooker, and align the arrow of the lid with the arrow on the handle. Lower the lid onto the pot; press down slightly to compress the gasket. Turn the lid clockwise until the body handles and lid are aligned.

  • Locate the arrow on the inside of the front-body handle.
  • Hold the lid above the cooker, and align the arrow of the lid with the arrow on the handle.

Select the desired pressure on the pressure selector. The four options are no pressure, steam release, low pressure and high pressure. Most recipes call for high pressure. This is designated by the "2" on the dial.

Place the pressure cooker on the hob burner, and set it at maximum heat. Watch for steam. The pressure indicator rises to fill the hole between the pressure selector and the lid lock shortly after steam exits the centre of the pressure selector.

Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle and steady flow of steam from the pressure selector. Begin timing the cooking process.

  • Place the pressure cooker on the hob burner, and set it at maximum heat.
  • Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle and steady flow of steam from the pressure selector.

Regulate heat throughout the cooking process to make sure the steam is flowing. Adjust the heat settings if the steam stops or increases.

Turn off the heat at the end of the recommended cooking time; remove the pressure cooker from the heat source. Hold the pressure cooker only by the handles; it will be hot.

Cool the pressure cooker so that steam and pressure slowly releases; allow it to sit undisturbed. The pressure indicator retracts into the handle when the pressure is released; the lid remains locked until the indicator is fully retracted.

Pull the lid lock away from the centre of the lid. The cooker is still pressurised if it doesn't move freely; wait a few more minutes. Rotate the pressure selector to the steam symbol when the lid lock moves freely. Stay clear, and wait for the remaining steam to exit.

  • Turn off the heat at the end of the recommended cooking time; remove the pressure cooker from the heat source.
  • The cooker is still pressurised if it doesn't move freely; wait a few more minutes.

Pull the lid lock away from the centre of the lid; turn the lid counterclockwise. Use the handles and lift the lid away from the body when the arrows match.