Buying a pressure cooker? Here's your checklist

Md. Nowshah, Chairman of United Pressure Cooker brand, lists pointers that could be referred to before you go shopping for your next pressure cooker: 

* Size: Since the size doesn't actually reflect the amount of food you are going to cook as it is advised that you fill only two-thirds of the pressure cooker, choose the size accordingly plus keep an account of the number of family members to get a fair idea as to how much food you are going to cook on a regular basis.

* Weight: The easiest tool used by most manufacturers is to make the cooker bulkier by using a weighty handle. So the correct way to judge a pressure cooker is by choosing the one with thicker aluminium or steel walls - the thicker the walls, the longer the cookware will last. 

It prevents bulging, accidents and daily wear and tear. The ideal thickness of domestic pressure cooker is 3.25mm.

* Pressure indicator and fast release: While buying a new pressure cooker make sure that it has a pressure indicator - either a marker or a pop-up indicator that will help you judge the pressure. A quick release button is also necessary to lower the pressure while maintaining the heat. 

* Float valve or spring valve: Pressure cooker is correlated to the steam and whistle that fills your kitchen with a distinct smell that may annoy the guests at home. To eliminate this issue, the new breed of pressure cookers have a pressure regulating technology that makes very little noise and consumes less energy. Choose pressure cookers that fulfill this purpose efficiently.

* Two pressure settings: Choose pressure cookers that have two pressure settings - high and low so that food which requires a long time to cook like legumes have a high-pressure setting and those that cook fast should have a low pressure.