The Pressure Cooker Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Dinner

Pressure cookers can be great for fast and easy food, but it's actually a delicate art that requires a thoughtful touch. Chef Maricel Gentile, cooking instructor, founder of Maricel's Kitchen, and author of Maricel's Simply Asian Cookbook walked us through some common pressure cooker mistakes that ruin meals.

"One mistake I see often is using a stovetop recipe and just tossing it into the pressure cooker without making any adjustments," she began. The intense heat and pressure inside a pressure cooker makes ingredients behave far differently than a traditional pot on the stove. "Liquid doesn't evaporate the same way. Flavors don't reduce. And ingredients that need layering, like vegetables that cook faster than meat can get lost in the shuffle."

Over time, you'll become accustomed to the necessary recipe adjustments as you get to know your pressure cooker. Each one is different, Gentile explained, so with enough cooking "you'll start to feel the right liquid-to-solid ratio for your specific pot. You'll know when to hold something back and when to stir it in — or to wait until the end."

Your pressure cooker likely has fill lines on the inside marking minimum and maximum food levels. These are not mere suggestions. "The next biggest mistake I see people make with a pressure cooker is overfilling the pot," Maricel Gentile explained. If your pressure cooker does not have a maximum fill line, don't fill it more than two-thirds full.

"Filling past the two-thirds mark can lead to uneven cooking, splatter, or even a dangerous mess," she said. But underfilling the pot with liquid can also be a problem. Without enough liquid — generally at least one-half to one cup — the cooker can't generate enough steam pressure, which can result in burnt food.

Gentile favors a more thoughtful approach to filling the pot. As you mind your fill levels, remember that since flavors can't evaporate in a pressure cooker, less is more. "Start small and with flavor and use broth instead of water, toss in a splash of soy sauce, or drop in a knob of ginger," she said. A simple base like this can go with lots of mouth-watering pressure cooker recipes, like sticky hoisin ginger sesame wings.

Two major pressure cooker mistakes both come down to timing. Maricel Gentile explained that "some dishes need a natural pressure release, especially ones with tender cuts like chicken thighs or bone-in pork." Quick releases are faster (if your pressure cooker has one) but they can sometimes have catastrophic consequences, Gentile warned. "Veggies collapse. Fish breaks apart. Meats turn rubbery. I've even seen soups bubble up and shoot through the valve."

For the best results, let the pressure release naturally after cooking as the pot cools down. "A little patience gives the food time to settle, soak up the flavors, and finish gently," she explained. Though the quick release valve does have its uses, among them detecting and avoiding the dreaded Instant Pot "burn" error.

But beware the flip side of the timing conundrum: Cooking the food for too long. She pointed out that "just one or two minutes too long under pressure can ruin the texture — especially with seafood or vegetables." It sounds like a tricky balance to strike, but it gets easier the more you use your pressure cooker. "Each one has its own quirks, and reading the manual is more than helpful, it's necessary," Gentile said — even if you already know how to use a pressure cooker.