Tek Tip 2sD #6 - Pressure Cookers

Instead of running your crockpot (like a crackpot) for 12 hours,

why not try a pressure cooker?


Not so common here, a pressure cooker is commonly used in Paraguay for things like mandioca and chinchulin.  Forget the crockpot to cook a tough cut of meat or a colorful selection of beans.  Just pressure up the pressure cooker and it's done in 20 minutes.  Or less.  Or maybe more.  It depends on the recipe and the pressure in the cooker.

It reminds me of the pressurized cooling system in my motorcycle.  The engine runs efficiently at a certain temperature so

1.  the burning fuel heats up the engine and the circulating and separate oil and water.
2. Once the chosen operating temperature is reached, a valve opens and water circulates to the radiator.
3. The radiator radiates heat to the air passing through it - excess heat is eliminated and the desired operating temperature is maintained.

Since an open system would quickly boil off, the system must be closed.  And since water boils at a lower temperature than common coolant temps, the system must be pressurized to allow coolant to attain higher temperatures and not boil.

NEVER OPEN A RADIATOR CAP WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM.  I did it once.  All the way open.  And ALL the coolant flash boiled from the pressure drop and spewed forth.  The outlet was angled away from me so it just went all over the engine instead of on me.  The splashing coolant that did reach me was cold - interesting.

The pressure cooker uses high pressure steam and the heat capacity of water to cook the food within at a higher temperature.  The radiator uses high pressure water and that same heat capacity of water to remove heat from the engine block and resists boiling to a higher temperature.  Similar.