Yes, you can use a pressure cooker to emulate an autoclave, but pressure cookers are not really designed for the precision operation that is required, and their effectiveness cannot be guarantied. (more coming soon)

Yes, arrange the items on the rack with 1 cup of water. When the P/C reaches pressure at the second red ring, or when the top weight starts to jiggle, remove from heat. Let the pressure drop on its own.

The DUROMATIC pressure cookers belong to the new generation of pressure cookers. They are built with safety features that make it impossible for this kind of disaster to occur. First, the automatic lid-locking device of the DUROMATIC pressure cookers insures that no pressure can build up until the lid is put on correctly. The lid cannot be removed or come off until all of the pressure has been released. DUROMATIC pressure cookers provide the ultimate protection against excess pressure.

When ever you boil daal in either pressure cooker or utensil, always add little oil. It will prevent the overflowing. Always store your dough in an airtight container or covered with wet muslin / cheese cloth to avoid the hard layer and keep it fresh for a longer period.

Boiling tools is an accepted time tested technique among field medics, but it's far from acceptable as anything other than a "no other options" type solution. You will get partial sterilization if you boil for an hour, but there are many, many microbes that you will not kill. This might be an acceptable way to clean tools and jewelry that have been used on either no one or only on you, but this is definitely not an acceptable way to clean tools that have come in contact with anyone else.

The odds of new tools being contaminated is probably less than the odds of new jewelry being contaminated, but you should always take into account that even though the odds are slim, it's definitely possible. Low level should be adequate if the tool has never been used on anyone (including you). Certain bacteria can encase themselves in a protein coat, forming a spore. This bacteria is then extremely difficult to kill and may resist autoclaving.

Experience is the best teacher. A good rule of thumb to follow is to decrease the length of cooking time for a conventional recipe by two thirds. The amount of liquid used may also have to be adjusted because there is very little evaporation from the pressure cooker. Generally, decrease the amount of liquid so there is only about 1/2 cup more than desired in the finished product.

First of all there is a major differance between a pressure CANNER and a pressure COOKER. Canners have a valves and a gauge or other indicator to accurately measure and maintain a pressure of 15psi to safely process canned foods. Some pressure COOKER manufactures do make a dual purpose model that will also serve to can small batches. These models have a pressure indicator and this feature will be described in the instruction manual.

We've all heard stories of pressure cookers "blowing up" or the "geyser of split peas soup" that is a permanent ceiling adornment. Luckily, most of us have never experienced these urban legends first hand. On weighted top pressure cookers you should get in the habit of checking the vent pipe BEFORE cooking. Hold the lid to the light and looking through the little hole to make sure it is clear.

Immediately after use, remove the gasket and wash the lid by hand thoroughly inside and out. The exposed inside edge of the lid should be given special attention. The gasket should be cleaned, dried and returned to the lid. If the pressure cooker lid is hard to turn when closing, the gasket has become dried out and should be lightly rubbed with cooking oil. The bottom of the pan is dishwasher safe.

Healthy meals! 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. Because they are not exposed to oxygen, vegetables not only retain their vitamins and minerals, but their vivid color as well. Low fat, high protein beans and legumes, healthy additions to any diet, are frequently avoided because of their long cooking time under normal cooking conditions.

Steam is to cook with steam, if it is under pressure, the temperature is hotter than a water-based liquid can ever be. Water will not get hotter than 212?F (100?C) no matter how hard you boil it. However, steam under pressure of 5 psi (pounds per square inch) reaches 225?F (105?C) or more, and at 15 psi it will be 250?F (120?C). Therefore, steam cooking under pressure is considerably faster than cooking in liquid. The pressure steameris fast, easily controlled and is safer overall.

Immediately after use, remove the gasket and wash the lid by hand thoroughly inside and out. The exposed inside edge of the lid should be given special attention. The gasket should be cleaned, dried and returned to the lid. If the pressure cooker lid is hard to turn when closing, the gasket has become dried out and should be lightly rubbed with cooking oil. The bottom of the pan is dishwasher safe.

Gaskets are engineered to last a very long time. A gasket, when properly cared for, should last between 1 and 6 years under normal use. What are the variables? The number of times per week you use the cooker, what you cook, and how you clean your gasket all are considerations. If you cook everyday with a lot of chilies, or beans (which contain enzymes) and are careless about placing your gasket next to your knives in the sink, you could will replacing it more often! Hand washing is recommended.

The Duromatic pressure cooker can go into the oven at settings below 300° F. Most foods prepared in a pressure cooker do not require placement in an oven for cooking. Sometimes you may want to put the smaller pressure fry pan into the oven to keep it warm, and that may safely be done at temperatures below 300° F.

Yes. Many people have gotten away with making BRF Jars and sterilizing them in boiling water with success. Problem being, a pot of boiling water cannot get the jars to the internal temp that is needed to successfully kill the contaminants that would survive boiling. When working with grains, a pressure cooker is essential and grains contaminate much easier than BRF. You will also find a pressure cooker useful to sterilize your scalpel, syringes, jars, lids, water, etc…

A.Our 5-step sterilization process includes the use of an ultrasonic cleaner, germicidal wipes and an autoclave. Each tool used for piercing or tattooing is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized in individual packages. We do all of our own sterilizing so that we can monitor the sterility of our equipment. Our Pelton & Crane autoclave is Spore Tested monthly by an independent lab, North Shore Bioscience. Needles are single use only.

Yes, but for fruits only! Do not can vegetables or meat in a solar box cooker, since these foods need to be canned under pressure! You'll find information on canning here.