Definition

Noun: 1. A sealed cooking pot with a valve to control internal steam pressure, allowing food to cook at temperatures above the normal boiling point of water: This device cooks food faster than conventional methods by using high-pressure steam.

Usage

• The primary use is for rapid cooking, tenderizing tough cuts of meat, and preserving nutrients in food.
• It functions by trapping steam, which increases the internal pressure and raises the boiling point of water.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She used a pressure cooker to make the beans in under an hour.
  • Modern electric pressure cookers often have multiple safety features and programmable settings.

Advanced Usage

• Metaphorical Use: The term is commonly used metaphorically to describe a situation of intense stress or tension.
  • The final exam week was a real pressure cooker for the students.
  • The trading floor can be a pressure cooker environment.

Variants and Related Words

• Pressure-cook (verb): To cook in a pressure cooker.
  • I will pressure-cook the stew for dinner.
• Pressure cooking (noun): The method or process of cooking with a pressure cooker.
  • Pressure cooking saves both time and energy.

Synonyms

• Autoclave (specifically in the technical/definitional sense for sterilization, though not common for culinary use).
• Fast cooker (informal).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Like a pressure cooker: Describing a situation building towards a release of tension or conflict.
  • The political climate in the city was like a pressure cooker about to explode.

Noun

1. autoclave for cooking at temperatures above the boiling point of water