Pressure Cooker

Hello. I am a Pressure Cooker. I am a very special kind of pot. Do you know what I do. I cook food super, super fast. When I get to work, I make a happy little sound that goes pssshhh. It sounds like a little whisper that says, 'Dinner is almost ready.'. Before I came along, cooking took a long, long, long time. Waiting for food when your tummy is rumbling is no fun at all. Families had to wait and wait for their yummy carrots and chicken to get soft. I wanted to help them.

My story began a very long time ago, on a day in 1679. A very smart friend named Denis Papin had a wonderful idea. He saw how water made puffy steam when it got hot. The steam wiggled and jiggled and wanted to escape. Denis thought, 'What if I keep all that powerful steam inside a pot. Maybe it will cook food faster.'. So, he built me. He made me with strong metal sides and a very tight lid that locked on top. He called me his 'Steam Digester'. That was my very first name. I felt so proud to be his special pot.

With me in the kitchen, everything changed. I could make hard beans soft and chewy meat tender in just a little bit of time. Pssshhh. My steam would get to work, and soon, a wonderful meal was ready for everyone. I helped families so they didn't have to spend all day cooking. Because of me, they had more time to laugh, sing songs, and play games together. I still love helping people make yummy food in a hurry today. It makes me feel so warm inside to know I am filling tummies and helping families be together.