Pressure cooking is a technique that has transformed the way we cook in the kitchen, especially in terms of saving time. This method takes advantage of the increased boiling temperature of water obtained when working at a pressure that is higher than the environmental pressure. This helps speed up the cooking process, proving to be more performing than the traditional cooking method.
What does pressure cooking mean?
In a pressure cooker, water or another liquid is heated until steam is created. The steam cannot escape, thus increasing the pressure inside the cooker. As the pressure increases, the temperature of the cooking liquid also rises, exceeding 100°C. This super-heated environment drastically reduces the cooking time, allowing chefs to prepare dishes that would normally take hours in a shorter time. It also improves the efficiency and helps preserve nutrients and flavours better. What a game changer for professional kitchens.
Pressure cooker: how it works
Pressure cookers use the hermetic closure to speed up the cooing process of food. Here’s how it works:
Hermetic closure:
The lid of a pressure cooker has either a rubber or silicone gasket. When operators close the lid, they create a sealed environment inside the pan. This keeps the steam inside and maintains the pressure level in the tank.
Pressure increase:
After bringing the liquid inside the vessel (usually water or stock) to the boil, steam is generated. Since it cannot escape, the pressure inside the pot increases and this accelerates the cooking process.
Temperature increase:
The temperature is higher than boiling water temperature (100°C). The higher temperature accelerates the cooking process and helps maintain the tenderness and flavours of the food.
Safe pressure release process:
After cooking, it is important to release the pressure safely. There are two options: Natural Release, whereby the pressure cooker is left to cool naturally with a slow pressure decrease, or Quick Release, which involves the use of a pressure release valve to quickly release the steam.
Advantages of pressure cooking
Pressure cooking offers several advantages compared to traditional cooking methods. Here are some key points:
- Shorter cooking times: pressure cookers allow you to reach higher temperatures and this significantly reduces the cooking times;
- Preservation of nutrients: pressure cooking preserves all nutrients of the cooked product;
- Tastier and more nutritious dishes: all the minerals, vitamins, salts and aromas of the ingredients bring out their best flavours and there is no need to add seasoning. Therefore, meals are healthier.
Pressure cooking with industrial pressure cookers
Efficiency, replicability and quality are three pillars both for the food service and food processing sectors. Pressure cooking, a technique widely used in domestic kitchens, is becoming increasingly popular also in industrial kitchens as it offers multiple advantages.
Firex, market leader in the manufacture of cooking equipment, has designed a series of professional pressure cookers available in different capacities, especially developed for professional and industrial kitchens of restaurants, canteens, cooking centres, pastry labs and food industries. Here’s why Firex pressure cookers are worthwhile investment for every business of the sector:
Time optimization and energy saving:
Firex industrial pressure cookers guarantee faster cooking times – and therefore working times – providing significant energy savings.
Advantaged for professional kitchen:
Firex cooking appliances preserve the nutritional properties and flavours in finished products. During the cooking process, the flavours remain sealed in the vessel, they are not dispersed into the environment and therefore remain in the product.
Food safety:
Working with Firex pressure cookers also means working in safety: a series of electronic and mechanical controls guarantee the absolute protection of operators and the surrounding environment.
More comfort in the working environment:
During pressure cooking, there is no evaporation of the product in the kitchen, no heat loss and almost no noise, which contribute to a healthier work environment.
Easy to clean:
After discharging the pressure-cooked product, the tank will be almost perfectly clean and you’ll just need a quick rinse before the next cooking cycle.
Advantages of pressure cooking for the industrial kitchens
In industrial kitchens, pressure cooking is becoming increasingly popular due to its multiple advantages. This technique provides a significant reduction in cooking times, which is crucial when preparing large volumes of food. With pressure cooking, kitchens can increase their productivity and serve more customers in less time, improving the overall efficiency of the workflow.
Another significant benefit concerns the energy savings. Shorter cooking processes also mean less energy consumption, which makes the kitchen more sustainable and reduces the costs.
Pressure cooking guarantees also better quality of the food, as it preserves nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and maintains the natural flavours of the food. This is crucial for all restaurants and food industries that value the quality and taste of their dishes.
Versatility is one of the key points of pressure cookers as they are perfect for a wide range of different applications (from soups to legumes), and this makes them a must in every kitchen. Moreover, pressure guarantees that the product is cooked evenly: in fact, it avoids the risk of having raw or overcooked parts and ensures a high food safety level as it is able to destroy microorganisms and bacteria.
To this extent, pressure cooking proves to be a clever choice for industrial kitchens that aim at achieving efficiency, quality and safety without compromising other aspects.
Professional pressure cookers
Professional pressure cookers are a must in professional and industrial kitchens. In particolar, pressure cookers by Firex, like Cucimix, Baskett, Figaro and Betterpan deliver outstanding performances and guarantee safety and durability. Here are some key features:
- Large capacity: pressure cookers by Firex are available in different dimensions to suit every need;
- Cutting-edge technology: these cookers use state-of-the-art technology that provides precise temperature and pressure control, guaranteeing excellent results
- Safety: all cookers are fitted with safety systems that protect operators and food during the cooking process;
- Energy saving: faster cooking means less energy consumption and less time needed;
- User-friendly and easy to service: Firex cookers are designed to be extremely intuitive and easy to clean.
Cooking times
Cooking times vary depending on the type of food. See below some test examples run on Cucimix or Baskett by Firex:
Meat stew: traditional cooking 4,5 hours – pressure cooking 1,5 hours
Soups: traditional cooking 2 hours – pressure cooking 1 hour
Chickpeas: traditional cooking 2,5 hours – pressure cooking 1 hour
Mashed potatoes: traditional cooking 2 hours – pressure cooking 1 hour
Lentils: traditional cooking 2 hours – pressure cooking 1 hour
Beans: traditional cooking 4 hours – pressure cooking 1,5 hours
Pressure cooking with CUCIMIX
Thanks to pressure cooking (up to a maximum of 0.45 bar) with the industrial bratt pan Cucimix, cooking times are up to 4 times shorter which means the finished product maintains a greater amount of nutrients. Yield is increased by minimizing water loss through evaporation and you will have lower water, energy, plant and maintenance costs. But that’s not all: you will also potentially be able to reduce the number of units installed while maintaining the same production levels. Thanks to the Firex Touch Control and a series of electronic and mechanical controls, it guarantees the absolute protection of operators and the surrounding environment.
Cucimix stands out for its outstanding pressure-cooking performances and it is a game changer for every professional kitchen. The precision and safety of pressure cooking not only improves the quality of the finished product, preserving aromas and nutrients, but it also contributes to having a better working environment because it does not cause heat dispersions.
Cucimix not only provides more efficient and cost-effective cooking processes, but also safer and healthier results. This represents a significant improvement for all professional kitchen that want to optimize their processes without compromising the quality.
Pressure cooking with Cucimix: Advantages and case study
Firex professional pressure cooking equipment guarantees a significant yield increase. For example, one of our customers transformed their kitchen upgrading it from a set of 5 traditional cookers to one of 3 pressure cookers, while maintaining the same productivity level.
- Up to 30% more yield compared to traditional cooking methods. Almost no loss of water by evaporation;
- – 62% annual costs (energy, maintenance) compared to a set of traditional cookers to obtain the same production output;
- – 27% plant costs (cost of the machine + cost of connections, utilities, space, etc.) compared to a set of traditional cookers to obtain the same production output;
- Up to 70% energy saving compared to a set of traditional cookers to obtain the same production output.
Discover how Cucimix can make a difference in your kitchen. Contact us to receive the catalogue or learn all features and advantages of our advanced pressure cookers.
Choosing Firex professional pressure cookers: why?
The Firex pressure cookers offer lots of advantages that make them an excellent choice for every professional and industrial kitchen. Here’s why you should choose Firex pressure cookers:
- Robust structure in stainless steel: Firex cookers are manufactured with high quality material that guarantee durability and resistance to wear and tear. Stainless steel works perfectly in very demanding environments;
- Precise control of temperature and pressure: an advanced probes system ensure even and constant temperature across the cooking surface of all Firex cookers. That’ is how you will achieve precise and perfect cooking of your food;
- Durable and easy to clean: Firex cookers are designed to withstand daily wear and tear and are easy to clean. Their ergonomic design makes them user-friendly and easy to be serviced;
- User-friendly and easy to service: Firex pressure cookers are intuitive and user-friendly. They robust structure make them extremely easy to be serviced;
- Time optimisation and energy saving: Firex industrial pressure cookers can cook the food faster, reducing the work time and providing significant energy savings;
- Higher quality of the finished product: Firex cooking appliances preserve the nutritional properties and flavours in finished products. During the cooking process, the flavours remain sealed in the vessel, they are not dispersed into the environment and therefore remain in the product;
- More comfort in the working environment: during a pressure cooking process, there is no evaporation of the product in the kitchen, no heat loss, and almost no noise, which all leads to a healthier work environment;
- Easy to clean: after discharging the pressure-cooked product, the tank will be almost perfectly clean and you’ll just need a quick rinse before the next cooking cycle.;
- Safety and even cooking: a series of electronic and mechanic controls ensure complete safety for the employees and the environment. An automatic system hermetically seals the cooking vessel only detecting there is no residual air.
Investing in Firex professional pressure cookers means improving the efficiency and quality of your food production. Whether you run a restaurant, a canteen or an industrial kitchen, Firex cooking appliances are an excellent choice. For further information and to test the quality of our pressure cookers, visit our solutions page and get in touch with us.
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