Vacuum sealing has become a new trend in the past few years due to its money-saving benefits that enable you to buy food in bulk and divide it into smaller serving sizes. This not only helps you plan your meals easily, but it also helps you make more room in your freezer.

Since this is a relatively new thing, many people don’t quite know how to use a vacuum sealer, and if this is you, our article will help you out. We’ll go into the nitty-gritty of different models, how you can use them, and cover their benefits. After reading this article, you’ll be able to use your vacuum sealer to store meat and other produce, pack food so you can cook it using the sous vide method, and much more. Let’s get started.

What Is Vacuum Sealing and Why Is It Useful?

Vacuum sealing is removing the air from a container or bag to protect what’s stored inside. You can vacuum seal anything, though vacuum sealers are most commonly used in the kitchen. Since oxygen exposure is the main cause of food spoiling and promotes the growth of microorganisms that lead to yeast and mold growth, vacuum-sealing food delays the deterioration of fruits, veggies, meats, and legumes that comes from oxygen exposure. 

Types of Vacuum Sealers

There are a lot of vacuum sealers on the market today, but they all fall into one of these three categories:

• Handheld vacuum sealers – these vacuum sealers have a pistol-like device that extracts the air from the bag, container, or jar that you’re using to store your food or other items.
• Bar sealers – these vacuum sealers are used mostly for vacuuming dry food as liquids can get sucked inside the machine.
• Chamber vacuum sealers – these vacuum sealers are the most sophisticated of the three and they work by sucking out the air around the vacuum bag instead of sucking it in, making them ideal for both dry and liquid food.

How to Use a Vacuum Sealer?

Now that you know more about what type of vacuum sealers there are, you can start using one by following these easy steps.

1. Use the Right Vacuum Bag

Before you do anything else, you need to find the right vacuum seal bags, jars, or containers that you plan to use to vacuum seal your food. This will make a lot of difference since using containers or bags that let air come in defeats the purpose of using a vacuum sealer. 

You can choose between brands such as WeVac, FoodVacBags, and Food Saver, which are some of the most popular manufacturers on the market. Additionally, you can use glass jars and containers with your vacuum sealer, just make sure that the container you’re using is vacuum sealer-friendly and freezer-safe. Finally, choose the right container size for the amount of food you’re sealing to ensure that the seal works optimally.

2. Prep the Food 

The next step is prepping the food before sealing it. If you’re vacuum-sealing meat, make sure that the cut is clean, remove all the fat, and cut the meat into smaller portions. If you’re vacuum-sealing things that have sharp edges, make sure that you wrap them in a paper kitchen towel to prevent the sharp edges poking through the bag. 

3. Fill the Bag 

When filling the bags with food, it’s important to leave some room in the bag to get a good seal. It’s optimal to leave between three to five inches at the top to ensure that the seal will hold efficiently.

4. Use the Vacuum Seal Correctly

This step will vary depending on the machine you use, so if you have an instructions manual, it’s best to read it through. But if you don’t, we’re here to help. 

The first step will be laying the bag flat on the counter. Next, you’ll need to open the lid of the sealer and place the opening on the sealing strip. Then close the lid, press the button for the seal function, and wait for the indicator to tell you that the bag has been vacuum-sealed completely. If there are additional buttons and settings on your sealer, you can do a quick Google search to find the specific model and the online manual to help you figure out what the settings mean.

Handheld vacuum sealers work a bit differently than the bulkier models. The first step is similar, and that’s laying the sealer bag flat. Then, take the vacuum sealer, press it on the surface of the sealer bag, press the button, and wait until all the air has left. Some models will even have an indicator that shows you when the bag is sealed.

5. Store the Food

The best thing about vacuum-sealing your food is that it will be fresher for longer. Generally, vacuum-sealed food tends to last between two to five times longer if stored correctly. So, after it’s been sealed, write the date of sealing and the type of food you’re freezing, and immediately place it in the freezer. This will save you a lot of time when you search through the freezer at a later time.

6. Clean the Vacuum Sealer After Use

Similar to other kitchen equipment, vacuum-seal machines get dirty as well. Food sips out of the bag and gets into the small crevices, so if you want to keep it in the best shape, clean it after every use. This can be done by wiping down the sealing strip, drip tray, and the opening of the vacuum chamber with a damp cloth. You should also wipe down the top and sides of the sealing machine, and wait for the vacuum sealer to completely dry before storing it away.

What to Use a Vacuum Sealer For?

Now that you know how to use a vacuum sealer, here is what you can vacuum seal with this appliance.

Meat

One of the things that people often vacuum seal is meat and fish due to the fact that they last longer in the freezer. Vacuum-sealed meat and fish can keep in the freezer for up to two years without oxidizing or getting a freezer burn. 

Seasonal Ingredients

When you buy food that’s in season, you can stock up on your favorite fruits and veggies and use them throughout the year at a lower price. To prevent fresh fruit from clumping up when you vacuum seal it, it’s best to first freeze it lying flat on a baking tray and then lay it inside a sealed bag. 

Reseal Food Packages

Another good use for the vacuum sealer is resealing food packages from opened spices, potato chips, coffee brands, and other food. This way, you can store them in the pantry without them going bad or losing flavor.

Store Leafy Greens and Salads 

Salads and leafy greens can also be vacuum-sealed to keep them fresher for longer.

Shelf-Stable Foods

Shelf-stable foods, such as lentils, beans, rice, pasta, chickpeas, and other kitchen staples, can also be vacuum-sealed to give them an even longer shelf life.

Pickling and Preserving Canning Jars

Another great use for the vacuum sealer is pickling and canning foods in vacuum-sealable jars, so you can enjoy delicious pickled foods at your convenience.

Sous-Vide Cooking

You can use the vacuum sealer to prepare your meats before you cook them using the sous-vide method. Just cut your meat, place it in the bag with the sauce, vacuum seal it, and it’s ready to go in the sous vide.

Store Away Clothes

Not only is the vacuum sealer great for storing food, but it’s also helpful in storing out-of-season clothes so they take up less room in your closet.

Protect Important Documents 

Vacuum sealing is perfect for storing documents and papers that you don’t want to risk getting wet, such as birth certificates, passports, social security cards, and other important papers. This is also useful in case of emergencies or when you move, as you’ll have all your essentials in one place.

Precious Belongings

Another great idea is to vacuum seal items that are valuable and need to be kept safe from humidity, such as antique books, comic books, etc.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, there are three main types of vacuum sealers, handheld vacuum sealers, bar sealers, and chamber vacuum sealers, and each one works best for a certain type of food. Now that you know more about how they all work and what you can use them for, you can choose the one that suits your needs the most and go out and purchase it. We have a comparison of the best vacuum sealers ready to help you with your purchasing decision.

It’s not a secret that pressure cookers have a decades-old, dubious reputation regarding safety. However, today’s modern appliances with primary and secondary valves and safety lids that open only after the pressure has been released have been game-changers. Plus, they have many automatic shut-down mechanisms that prevent them from overheating.

Overall, modern pressure cookers are loaded with safety features. However, knowing how to open your pressure cooker properly is still important, so we’ll share a quick guide.

When Is It Safe to Open a Pressure Cooker?

To safely open a pressure cooker, you first need to know when it’s safe to remove the lid. The pressure change when you open it may cause the gas inside to expand rapidly. Depending on the discrepancy between the pressure inside and outside, the expansion can be mild or cause an explosion-like release.

The most dangerous aspect of such an aggressive reaction is that the gasses trying to escape can forcefully eject liquids or food, causing a “violent food eruption.” Keep in mind that the temperature inside the pressure cooker is around 40 degrees higher than the boiling point of water. Such an accident can lead to severe burns.

To prevent such a violent reaction, you need to ensure that it’s safe to open the lid. Modern pressure cookers have a visual indicator signaling that the pressure inside the pressure cooker has dropped to a safe level.

When you see the visual indicator turn on, it’s time to open the lid. Here are a few of the most common and secure ways of opening pressure cookers.

Pressure Cooker Opening Methods

There are several different ways to open a pressure cooker because the opening method will affect the food’s quality.

Moreover, some methods are more suited to specific food types for safety. It’s not the same if you’re steaming vegetables and legumes, cooking broth, thick meat, or matched potatoes.

Here’s a quick rundown of the six most common opening methods and their characteristics. After this, we’ll go into detail and explain these methods better, focusing on the most popular (not necessarily the safest): natural-release, quick-release, and water-release.

The food doesn’t immediately stop cooking when you remove the pressure cooker from the stove or turn it off (electric pressure cookers). The food inside will keep cooking until the pressure subsides and the temperature inside cools. So, you need to consider the pressure cooker’s type (model), the kind of food you’re cooking, how filled it is, and the time for each method.

Water-Release and Base Immersion Methods

NOT SAFE

The water-release method and its alternative version, the base immersion method, are two old ways of quickly or almost instantly subsiding pressure inside the pressure cooker.

The technique is relatively simple and consists of carefully removing the pressure cooker from the stove and placing it in the sink under a stream of cold water. In the case of the base immersion method, people submerge the pressure cooker’s base in cold water for a minute before opening the lid.

Both of these methods are used for stovetop pressure cookers only and were invented out of convenience – a quick alternative to the slow (natural) release method when valves were still not a thing.

Nevertheless, we do not recommend opening a pressure cooker with the water-release or base immersion method due to safety concerns.

1. Transporting a hot pressure cooker with contents hotter than boiling water from the stovetop to the water sink is incredibly dangerous. You might burn yourself or cause an explosion if you drop it.
2. If the pressure cooker has safety and pressure valves – they might be damaged or blocked by the stream of cold water.
3. The cold water might damage the metal or aluminum outside the pressure cooker. That compromises the integrity of the whole appliance, making it unsafe for future use.

Important: Do not attempt to cool down electric pressure cookers with cold water as this can damage the appliance and cause explosions.

Conclusion

Although water-release and base immersion methods are frequently used as a quick alternative to the natural release method for stovetop pressure cookers; we do not recommend them as they’re unsafe.

Quick-Release and Delayed Quick-Release Methods

SAFE (with exceptions)

Modern pressure cookers come with safety and pressure valves designed for releasing the pressure inside  safely and quickly. Instead of waiting for the pressure to subside naturally, which might lead to overcooking, you can release the pressure through the pressure valve.

Most pressure cookers come with a valve, but they can also have a lever, push, or slide button. Regardless of the release mechanism, it serves the same function – to quickly release the pressure/steam inside the pressure cooker.

But be prepared. When you use the pressure release valve, the steam coming off will produce a loud sound – that’s normal. What’s not normal is the bits of the food or liquid that start coming out. If you notice something like this, close the valve. Such scenarios can happen when the pressure cooker is too full or when you’re cooking with a lot of liquid  (for example, meat stew).

In this case, the slightly slower delayed quick-release method is a great alternative. You’ll still use the pressure valve, but you’ll open it halfway through or open it for short intervals to release bursts of steam.

This method is best for fast and light meals, such as cooking vegetables or liquid-covered foods. Thick and dry foods, such as rice, are unsuitable for the quick-release method. We recommend the natural release method for those dishes.

Combined and Natural-Release Method

SAFEST!

The natural-release method, i.e., waiting for the pressure to subside naturally, is the slowest opening method but also the safest. It’s the recommended method when you use a pressure cooker without a pressure valve or when cooking complex, slow-cooked meals. Also, it’s the easiest method to open a pressure cooker, which is excellent for first-time users.

Turn off the pressure cooker or remove it from the stove and let it cool down (and the pressure to subside) before opening it. Depending on the type of pressure cooker and the food, this method takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Stovetop pressure cookers are faster, and you can safely open them in around 15 to 20 minutes.

On the other hand, electric pressure cookers take around 20 to 30 minutes to be ready for opening. The exact time also depends on the food – the more food you have, the longer the waiting period will be.

It is the best method for slow-cooking and works well with rice, legumes, grains, and other foods that can dry out with quick evaporation.

Conclusion

Opening modern pressure cookers is a much easier and safer process than it was a decade ago, thanks to many safety features such as steam and pressure valves.

Nevertheless, you still need to understand how each opening mechanism works to prevent completely avoidable accidents and ensure the food’s quality.

Hopefully, our brief guide achieved that and made you feel at ease about using your pressure cooker.

There are three considerations readers need to pay attention to before opening the pressure cooker – the time, type of food type cooked, and pressure cooker model.

That being said, the two safest opening methods are natural and quick-release. Another popular release method for stovetop pressure cookers is the water-release method, but we do not recommend it due to safety concerns.

Finally, always read the instructions provided by the manufacturer because different pressure cookers might be more or less suitable for different opening methods. Don’t hesitate to call customer support if you’re still having doubts.

Follow these four basic steps to steam in an instant pot.

Step 1: Add Water

Adding water to the Instant Pot is rule number one when steaming. Use a cup or a jug to measure at least 240 mL of water and pour it into the bottom of your pressure cooker.

However, note that larger quantities of food, such as a whole basket of veggies, require at least 470 mL of water.

Step 2: Make Sure Not to Overfill Your Instant Pot With Water

Overfilling your pressure cooker with too much liquid might ruin your food. Too much water produces too much steam that clings to the surface of the food. As the pressure cooker temperature increases, these water molecules move rapidly and increase the inner pressure — and eventually cause your food to become mushy and tasteless.

Step 3: Set the Trivet & a Steam Basket

At the risk of stating the obvious, an Instant Pot trivet  is a stainless steel rack that allows you to heighten foods above the liquid in the inner pot. Set this tool at the bottom of your pot and just above the water level to hold the food properly.

If you think your food might start falling off when set directly on the trivet, you can place a steam basket above it for more security. When placing the basket, make sure its top is below the top edge of the pot to ensure the lid fits.

Note: Steam baskets don’t come with Instant Pots, so you might want to purchase one. You can also use a small colander instead.

Step 3: Adjust the Timing & Layer the Food Accordingly

All food has a different steaming time to cook well. Veggies such as broccoli require two minutes of steaming time to preserve their nutrients and retain their crisp-tender form, whereas thicker foods like potatoes, carrots, or turnips need much longer. Therefore, ensure you know how much time each vegetable requires to be cooked perfectly.

If you are cooking multiple veggies, layer the thicker foods at the bottom and those that take a shorter time to cook on top, away from the water.

Step 4: Ensure the Lid Is Sealed

It is crucial to seal the lid of an Instant Pot to cook with pressure. Place the lid on top of your pressure cooker and make sure its arrow mark lines up with the open lock icon on the control panel. Last but not least, turn the lid clockwise until you hear a snap to ensure it’s securely closed.

If there is one thing we truly appreciate in kitchen tools and appliances, it’s simplicity. The easier to assemble, use, clean, and store, the more valuable the tool.

A steamer basket is a collapsible semi-deep dish you place over a pot of boiling water to steam-cook your vegetables. It checks all of the above criteria, and most importantly, it is the king of healthy food preparation.

In this article, we’re going to introduce you to the steamer basket, explain how to use it, and discuss which type is the best for your eating habits.

What Is a Steamer Basket Used For?

What can you cook with a steamer basket? They are commonly used for steaming vegetables but can also cook meat and other types of foods. Here is a non-exhaustive list of meals to prepare with a steamer basket.

Hardboiled Eggs

A steamer basket can be used to prepare hard-boiled eggs. Steamed eggs are easier to peel compared to boiled eggs. Eggs should be placed in the steamer from the beginning, not when the water is already boiling so that the shell doesn’t break during cooking.

Steamed Vegetables

Broccoli, carrot, paprika, and celery can be delicious when cooked in the steamer basket. You can also easily take out the pieces that are cooked earlier, like broccoli, while continuing to steam others that take longer to cook, like carrots.

Poached Meat

A steamer basket can help you cook meat. Poached chicken breasts are much better when cooked with a steamer, but you can also try different types of meat. For example, did you know that you can actually steam a beefsteak? The opinions about this delicacy vary, so we recommend you to try it for yourself or make a beefsteak tasting party and ask your guests to tell the difference. Maybe the healthier, steamed, oil-free option will win.

How to Choose the Best Steamer Basket for Me?

Steamer baskets come in different shapes, materials, and sizes. We prefer large steamers, as they give you more space. Handle size also matters. Shorter handles make it difficult to hold the steamer, especially when it’s full of food. Longer handles are easier to use. Some steamer baskets even have telescopic handles that will extend when pulled.

Steamer baskets can be made of plastic, rubber, or metal. They can be a single piece or collapsable, depending on the model. These configurations change the way you handle them.

Silicone baskets are the easiest to clean since removing food leftovers from the plastic, and metal models can be tedious. On the other hand, the silicone ones are floppy and small, and food spills out easily, while the metal ones are usually larger and firmer.

Of course, there are also some unconventional models like the deep steamer basket or this one with large side grips.

Steamer baskets come in different sizes, so you should buy one that matches the size of the pot you intend to use.

How to Use a Steamer Basket?

A steamer basket is fairly easy to use. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Fill the pot with water and put it on the stove;
2. Take the steamer and insert it on top of the pot;
3. Place the food in the steamer.
4. Cover the pot with a lid.

When the food is ready, wait for the steamer to cool down or use the mittens to remove it from the pot. Take out your food and rinse the basket with cold water. You can hand wash it or place it in the dishwasher for cleaning.

What Can I Use Instead of the Steamer Basket?

If you don’t steam your food frequently, you can use a metal strainer or a colander instead of a steamer basket. Make sure that the pot is deep enough and that the water can boil without touching the strainer.

Alternatively, fill a pot with ½ inch of water. Then, place three aluminum foil balls of roughly equal size in the pot. Cover it with a heat-proof plate, put your food on the plate, and heat the water to steam your food.

Do I Need a Steamer Basket?

The steamer basket is not a must if you steam your food every now and then and/or only steam vegetables. You can achieve good enough results with alternatives like a stainer.

However, if you want to steam different types of foods such as meat, eggs, various veggies, and so on, and if you plan to do it more often, buying a steamer will save you time and effort.

Steamer prices range between $2 and $20. We would say that they are worth the investment.

Conclusion

Steamer baskets are an excellent choice for people who want to improve their diet, eat more homemade meals, and consume less fat.

Fairly simple to use, clean, and store, steamer baskets are one of the most efficient ways to prepare healthy and delicious dishes.

We recommend larger, metal, collapsable models thanks to their durability and practicality.

Are you searching for a way to make the perfect french fries, as tasty and crunchy as those you get in your favorite restaurant?

If someone in the local fast-food chain can make delicious french fries that somehow crunch and melt in your mouth simultaneously, how hard could it possibly be?

The thing is, there are several ways to make french fries, but there is only one way to make them perfect. Ready? Here we go.

The trick to making the best french fries is to first soak them in ice-cold water for a very long time. Several hours long time. And then? Then, you need to deep fry them twice.

The first fry should take 5 to 7 minutes. Then the fries need to chill and soak for 3 to 5 minutes before you fry them again for 5 minutes.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to perfectly deep-fry french fries. But first, let’s see what you need for deep frying french fries.

Tools and Ingredients

For the perfect french fries, make sure you have all the right ingredients. Don’t settle with the sunflower oil, but go to the next shop to search for peanut oil. It may seem like an unimportant detail, but for perfect fries, you need all the best ingredients.

1. Russet potatoes
2. Peanut oil
3. Salt
4. French fry cutter (you can still make good french fries without this tool, but if you want them to look like those from McDonald’s, go for it)
5. Vegetable scrub brush
6. Deep fryer or a deep pot
7. Stove

Making the Fries

The making of the perfect french fries begins with washing the potatoes and scrubbing them with a scrub brush to remove any potential dirt from the soil, if you plan to prepare them with the peel. Otherwise, you can lightly wash and peel them.

Then, cut the potatoes in the standard french fries shape. If you don’t have a french fry cutter, here’s a nice trick: remove the ends first so that you’re left with two short flat sides. Then slice and strip cut.

Now, the first crucial step: soak the potatoes in ice water. Sounds strange? Well, this little trick removes the excess starch from the potatoes and will make your potatoes soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

You can soak your fries for between two and twelve hours. So, if you have some errands to run, a party to attend, or simply need a nap, there is no need to rush. The potatoes should be fine on their own. If you are in a hurry, let them soak for at least 30 minutes.

So much for the preparation. The next step is to fry the potatoes.

How Long to Deep Fry French Fries?

You need to deep-fry French fries twice to achieve the magical combination of perfect color, outer crunchiness, and inner softness.

Drain before frying your potatoes for the first time. You should preheat the deep fryer or oil in a pan to some 300 degrees, and then put the potatoes in for the first 5-7 minute fry. If you’re using a plain pan and oil, you can fry them for up to 10 minutes, as oil takes more time to heat up in a pan. We recommend using a timer because frying too long can deprive the fries of that fluffy interior, resulting in a batch of french fries that are just greasy. On the other hand, a too-short first fry makes it harder to achieve that perfect texture, and the result can be soggy or raw fries.

After the first fry, leave the potatoes to soak on a piece of kitchen paper towel. Two or three minutes are enough to collect excess oil.

After the soaking session, your fries are ready to be fried again! This time, you can divide your potatoes into sub-batches before putting them in the deep-fryer. This way, fries have enough room to swim in oil and will be crunchier. Fry each batch for precisely five minutes, and place them on paper towels to soak again.

Salt right away.

Why Fry Twice?

There are at least two theories on why frying twice is necessary for the best results. According to the first one, the first fry establishes a watertight barrier around the potato so that it remains moist even after the second fry. According to the second theory, the first fry is necessary to cook the center. Otherwise, the fries would gain color and crispiness outside but remain raw inside.

Soggy or Raw Fries

If your fries are soggy or raw on the inside, don’t worry, they can be rescued. Oil a baking sheet lightly and heat the fries on it for 5 minutes. They might become satisfyingly crispy right away, but if not, you can just keep on heating them up in five-minute sessions until they reach the desired crispiness.

Are Over-Fried Fries Bad?

Heavy frying in oil makes food extremely stuffed with saturated fats. This can raise the bad cholesterol, which is linked to strokes, heart diseases, and other cardiovascular issues. Also, over-fried fries taste bad.

Frying Temperature

The optimal frying temperature for french fries is 325 degrees. If you want shoestring or basket-weave fries, then 375 degrees should work. Heat up the oil first, and add the potatoes carefully piece by piece to prevent cold fries from lowering the oil temperature and slowing down the frying process.

Deep-Fryer vs Oil in a Pot

In our experience, french fries are tastier and easier to prepare in a deep fryer. The main benefit of using a deep fryer is the speed of preparation. One of the fryers we’ve had the best experience with is the T-fal Deep Fryer that comes with a basket. However, this good experience comes with a price tag. If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly check out Chefman XL deep fryer.

The deal with the deep fryer is that the oil is heated at 325 degrees, and there is no air inside. This makes the frying process faster, and the food turns out super crunchy, just like in a restaurant.

Another benefit of deep-frying is safety. Working with hot oil can be dangerous, as boiling oil may spray and burn your skin. Unlike the pan, which is usually shallow and easy to tip over, the deep fryer is generally deeper. It has a lid to protect you from getting sprayed by oil and the base is sturdier, making it harder to tip over.

On the other hand, pans are cheaper, and almost every household already has a set of frying pans.

Frying in a pan also requires less oil, so pan-fried food can be considered healthier, although neither is exactly healthy since we’re dealing with frying oil. That being said, the food that floats in oil in a deep fryer isn’t really penetrated by oil; it is cooked in oil on the outside, while the steam cooks it on the inside. This is the secret behind deep-fried french fries’ outer crispiness and inner juiciness.

How Do I Know When French Fries are Done Frying?

If you’re using the deep fryer, strictly follow the recommended frying time. However, as you may know already, potatoes are often different, and some take longer to cook than others, so we may need additional signs that our fries are done.

The most important clue is the color. If fries have changed their color from golden yellow to brownish, this usually means that they are done. If there are too dark or burned pieces, remove them from the pan.

Another clue is the structure of the fries. By pinching a single french fry with a fork or knife, you can find out whether they are done. If the fork is not passing through the fry with ease, they need additional cooking, but if the fry feels soft on the inside, you know they’re ready to be served.

Conclusion

Making french fries is not exactly rocket science, but your homemade fried potatoes can compete (and win!) against those in your local fast-food chain with a little effort. And we promise you it will cost much less.

All you need in order to bring your french fries to another level is some patience and paying attention.

French fries go with everything. You can eat them with fish, red or white meat, grilled vegetables, or cheese, or snack on them alone with some good sauce. You can’t go wrong when it comes to french fries. Maybe you remember mixing your fries with ice cream in McDonald’s and how tasty that was. Now you can make the perfect fries for yourself, grab some vanilla ice cream to go with it, and enjoy the treat at home!

Freezing foods is an excellent way to preserve them without losing nutrients. The same goes for buying frozen foods. Having something in the freezer at all times is a smart move and can be a lifesaver in many different situations.

Let’s say you got home late from work and are without a dinner plan, or your friends decided to drop by, and you have nothing to serve. The easiest solution is to grab something from the freezer and let it cook while you take care of yourself or tend to other household duties. But can you do that without thawing the meat first?

Pressure cookers are a game-changer because they save energy and time, cook without monitoring, and don’t make the kitchen a total mess. Better yet, being able to cook frozen foods safely is a major selling point of many pressure cookers.

So, yes, you can pressure cook frozen meat, but there’s a caveat.

Pressure cooking frozen meat can be tricky. And while you can safely pressure cook some frozen meats, there are a lot of factors and risks you need to consider first. Read on to find out everything you need to know before you put a frozen piece of meat in the pressure cooker.

What Is Pressure Cooking?

Let’s start from the beginning – what is pressure cooking?

As the name suggests, pressure cooking is a food preparation method such as baking and frying, where the food is cooked under high-pressure steam. You need to trap water or another cooking liquid in a sealed container to produce steam, i.e., the pressure cooker.

Since the pressure cooker is a sealed vessel, meaning no air can get in or out, it allows the steam to build up, creating a high-pressure environment. The high pressure created inside the vessel raises the boiling point and temperature well above 100 °C (212°F). But what does this have to do with cooking the food faster?

The amount of heat that transfers to the food depends on the maximum temperature at which the liquid boils because liquid water cannot be at a higher temperature than its boiling point. In other words, higher pressure equals a higher boiling point of water, which allows a higher temperature to be reached and results in much more heat transferring to the meat. And, more heat inside the food means it will be done much quicker.

Food Temperature and Pressure Cooking

Okay, so now that we got science out of the way, what conclusions can we make about how the initial temperature of the food might affect the cooking process?

It’s not just the temperature of the food that affects the cooking process; it’s the water as well. If you add cold water to the pressure cooker, the cooking time will be longer. This is because the pressure cooker will need more time to bring the water to boil and start cooking. The pressure cooker will get up to pressure sooner if you add hot water.

We can apply the same logic to food as well. The colder our food is when we put it in the pressure cooker, the longer it will take for the pressure cooker to reach the temperature needed to cook the meat thoroughly.

Because of this, pressure cooking frozen meat can take up to one-third more than the normal pressure cooking time. The exact time depends on the size of the meat as well.

If you cut the meat into small pieces, then the pressure cooker will be able to heat up the food faster. The larger the piece of meat is, the more time it takes for the heat to reach the needed temperature to process meat safely. On top of that, larger pieces of meat increase the chances of uneven cooking where the surface is almost burnt, while the core is undercooked.

As a rule of thumb, a single block of frozen steak that’s at least 1-inch (2.5cm) thick will need double the amount of cooking time compared to frozen ground meat.

Verdict: Is It Safe to Pressure Cook Frozen Meat?

Yes, it’s perfectly safe to pressure cook some frozen meat without thawing first. In a way, the pressure cooker will do that for you. However, because of how pressure cookers work, putting frozen meat inside the vessel will delay the time needed for the pressure cooker to get up to pressure and reach high temperatures.

Size also matters in this case. Pressure cooking larger pieces of meat, or even a whole chicken or turkey, will significantly prolong the cooking time. To give you an example, if you were to pressure cook frozen ground meat, it might take 5 minutes, but pressure cooking frozen steak that’s 1-inch (2.5cm) thick will take at least 10 minutes.

Cooking large pieces of meat or a whole chicken or turkey is not recommended. First, large pieces of meat take more time to be cooked thoroughly from the inside. During this time, the outside is exposed to high heat and can easily burn, while the inside is still thawing. Second, uneven cooking affects the flavor and can be a health risk. Still, you can do it with some practice.

Drawbacks of Pressure Cooking Frozen Meat

While you can pressure cook frozen meat, the real question is whether that’s a really good idea. With everything that we said, is it worth it to cook frozen meat in a pressure cooker without thawing it first?

The answer depends on what type of meat you plan to pressure cook. If we’re talking about ground meat or very small chunks of meat, then pressure cooking them while frozen will only add a few more minutes to the whole cooking process. Plus, changes to the taste will be relatively the same for small chunks – unless you’re a real foodie that enjoys fresh food.

That being said, freezing can damage the texture of the food due to ice crystals forming inside the cells. Meat is especially susceptible to texture degradation, and the effect will be more noticeable in large pieces of meat.

On top of that, pressure cooking large pieces of meat takes more time, so the convenience of having a meal in 5 to 10 minutes is not really an option in this case. And rushing can lead to undercooking, which can be a health risk.

Finally, pressure cooking means you can’t check the food or add seasoning while the food is cooking. Large pieces of meat retain a lot of water that will be released during cooking. And not being able to adjust the seasoning can result in very watery and soft meat that lacks flavor.

Consider these limitations when deciding your next meal and plan accordingly.

How to Pressure Cook Frozen Meat

Since pressure cooking frozen meat is not the same as pressure cooking fresh meat, here are a few pieces of advice that will help you make a delicious meal.

First, adjust cooking times! According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), cooking frozen meat will take around 50% longer than the time needed to fully cook thawed or fresh meat and poultry. The same rules apply when pressure cooking, but the size and amount of food affect the time significantly. The Instant Pot official web page has a cooking timetable with detailed information about time per size of meat. These times are a good guide, but you’ll probably need to experiment and see what works best for frozen vs. fresh meat.

Second, cut the meat into small chunks whenever possible. Even if you’re working with larger pieces, always think about how you can cut each piece within the limits of your recipe.

Third, fully submerge the meat in water. While it’s best to follow the recommended amount of water for frozen meat, if you do not have official recommendations from the manufacturer, a safe bet is to fully submerge the meat in water or other liquid to prevent uneven cooking. Steaming or braising frozen food without water can lead to undercooked areas, which is a health risk.

Fourth, always use a meat thermometer that you can insert into the center of the meat to check whether it is fully cooked on the inside.

And last but not least, experiment with seasoning as it probably won’t be the same as seasoning fresh chunks of meat. It’s best to follow recipes that detail how to pressure cook frozen meats.

Conclusion

Pressure cooking frozen meat is safe and doable, although a little bit tricky. We tried to explain the science behind pressure cooking because this will give you a better idea of why some limitations or recommendations exist. Plus, you’re more likely to resist the temptation of trying to pressure cook frozen meat the same way you would fresh or thawed meat.

The most important thing you need to remember is that the size and amount of frozen meat you want to pressure cook may prolong cooking times. If you adjust the cooking time depending on these two factors, you can pressure cook safely and without much fuss.

Remember that freezing affects the texture and taste, so adjust your recipes accordingly.

Follow our recommendations and advice to make sure the outcome is a delicious meal that you can enjoy when you need it. Plus, with a bit of practice, we promise that your friends and family won’t be able to tell whether you used fresh, thawed, or frozen meat.