Pressure cooker question: should steam be constantly coming out during cooking?!


Question: Pressure cooker question: should steam be constantly coming out during cooking!?
ok, I've gone through the manual several times and I'm trying to figure out if steam should come out of the pressure regulator thing!. I've used it twice to boil water to test it out!. The first time, steam was coming out of one of the vents, then when it popped up, steam still came out a bit!.

the second time, after the vent plug popped up, no steam came out of any orifices, so I was like, is this thing going to explode or what!. The manual isn't very clear!. Am I working it right!? i want to make beans tomorrow!. Thanks for your help!. PS I'm afraid of this thing exploding into my face!.Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Once it reaches pressure, the vents and gasket form a seal so no steam should be coming out at this stage, you continue heating on high until (depending on model) the indicator comes up or steam starts to escape from the weight!. You then turn the heat down very low, just to maintain the pressure but you don't want to overheat as the cooker will release steam to keep the pressure at correct level!. If you leave it on too high then all the steam being released to maintain correct pressure results in loss of fluid in the cooker and so runs the risk of boiling dry and burning the contents!.
It won't explode, in basic terms the pressure cooker has an escape valve with a weight on top of it, when the pressure reaches the same as the weight the weight just floats above the valve, higher pressure the weight is lifted up to release the pressure!. Old pressure cookers were literaly just a weight that sat on top!. They used to be made up of 3parts - 2 rings so you could set the pressure by how many rings were on the weight traditionally 5lb, 10lb,15lb pressure!. This advanced to single set pressure weights and now to pressure cookers where the weights are actually an internal part of the cooker lid (the tefal range is very good)!. The vent plug is a safety device - if you left the cooker on too high but for some reason the vent to the weight was blocked so no pressure escape then the vent plug would completely pop out!. If you allowed it to boil dry (leaving it on too high!?) then when the cooker over heated the metal part of the vent plug melts to release any pressure in side!.
Basically it is very unlikely that the pressure cooker will explode as there are safety features built in!. Problems only occur when people try to over ride these safety features for example trying to open the cooker when still under pressure!.
So high heat to get up to pressure then reduce temp to the minimum required temp to keep it still under pressure for rest of cooking time, at this point there should be very little loss of steam!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Is this an electric pressure cooker or not!? If it is electric !.!.!.no it does not make any noise or let steam escape while cooking!. I have both kinds so !.!.!.if it is the old fashioned kind that has the jigglier on top it should make noise and release steam!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

Yes, it will explode if too much pressure is already inside!. Steam should be coming out!.Www@FoodAQ@Com





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