What s the most important trend in cooking in the last 50 years? No, it s not organic farming or the globalization of American cooking. The biggest change in how we cook is speed. Americans want to spend less time cooking. Enter the modern pressure cooker, which can cook foods in one-third to one-half of their normal cooking time. In addition to being easy to use and fast, pressure cookers ensure maximum flavor, and they use a fraction of the electricity or gas required for conventional stovetop cooking. Today s pressure cookers are safer, quieter, and easier to use than the old-fashioned models your grandmother used to use. But still, many home cooks are hesitant to give this unfamiliar appliance a chance. With Pressure Cooker Perfection, the first in the America s Test Kitchen new line of essential single-topic handbooks, our editors and test cooks prove through in-depth research and testing that there s nothing to fear and much to gain with today s pressure cookers. Pressure Cooker Perfection is more than a cookbook, it s a guide. The in-depth Pressure Cooker 101 informs home cooks about everything they need to know regarding buying, using, and caring for a pressure cooker. Beyond outlining each step of cooking under pressure, this section also demonstrates key test kitchen techniques discovered over the course of our recipe development. Our detailed testing of 12 models, both stovetop and electric, ensures home cooks know what to look for when they go to purchase a pressure cooker, while the safety and care section ensures users know how to keep their appliance working in top form, and working safely, for years to come. Thorough charts give instructions for cooking rice, grains, beans, and vegetables, while 61 essential recipes cover stews and chilis, roasts, fancy dinners, barbecue classics, one-pot pastas, and side dishes. Every recipe is accompanied by troubleshooting tips, and most are also accompanied by full-color step photography that walks cooks through the test kitchen process. With the test kitchen as their partner in the kitchen, home cooks can feel confident using a pressure cooker every step of the way.