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Should You Use a Pressure Cooker?

by Sarah Updated: February 20, 2017 ! Green Living Search

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I am frequently asked by email and in the comments section of

recipe posts if a pressure cooker to prepare meals or bone broth is
a safe way to cook food.

I’m really glad to see that people are using their critical thinking
skills and asking these types of questions instead of immediately
jumping on the bandwagon of a more convenient technology
without giving it a second thought.

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The equipment and method chosen to cook food definitely has the
potential to impact not only the nutritional profile but also overall
exposure to toxins.

For example, most health conscious people pass on teflon coated

cookware and bakeware these days and for good reason – they give
off dangerous fumes when heated among other problems. The
nonstick aspect, while more convenient, is just not worth the toxin
exposure.

I’ve written before about the excessive EMF danger from induction
cooking which is why I decided to pass on buying one despite the
beneficial aspects of faster, more even cooking and a cooktop that
doesn’t get too hot.

I also never turn on my microwave oven even though I have a

perfectly good one in my kitchen (they make a great airtight storage
cabinet for baked goods though).

What about pressure cookers? Wouldn’t they be just fine for making
bone broth? Traditional foods guru Sally Fallon Morell, author of
Nourishing Broth, features pressure cooker bone broth recipes in
her book even though she herself does not use one.

Let’s take a look at both sides and see where we end up.

What is a Pressure Cooker?

French physicist Denis Papin invented pressure cooking in 1679

when he discovered how to cook food faster by increasing pressure
inside the pot. He accomplished this by mechanically sealing the lid
which didn’t allow the steam to escape.

The result of increasing pressure is that water boils more slowly – in

other words, it takes a higher temperature for steam to be created.
Why is this important? Because water molecules are an essential
component of all foods, so the higher boiling point of water inside a
pressure cooker means the heat transfer through the food occurs
more rapidly (the liquid water is hotter before it reaches a gaseous
state at boiling point) thereby reducing cooking time.

If this seems unnatural at first, it really isn’t. Water naturally boils at

a lower temperature in the mountains (190 °F/ 88 °C) than at the
beach (212 °F/ 100 °C) due to the reduced air pressure at high
elevations. This is why mountaineers carry oxygen with them on
particularly steep climbing expeditions because the air is sometimes
too thin (i.e, low in pressure) to breathe.

From a cooking perspective, food naturally takes longer to cook in a

mountain lodge versus a beach house simply because the water
molecules in the food don’t get as hot before turning to steam
which slows down the heat transfer through the food.

A modern pressure cooker uses this basic principle of chemistry to a

homemaker’s advantage by increasing the boiling point of water to
around 225 °F/ 107 °C), slightly higher than what naturally occurs at
sea level. This keeps the water in liquid form at a slightly higher
temperature than normal which improves the speed at which the
heat transfer through the food occurs via water molecules.
The Pros of Pressure Cooking

We’ve established that pressure cooking is a natural process given

that pressure on food while cooking varies considerably around the
globe anyway depending on elevation.

But, how does using a pressure cooker affect nutrients since the
water is artificially kept in liquid state at a higher temperature
during cooking? Once again, the news is very positive. Here is a
quick summary:

The 1995 study in the journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
found that the Vitamin C and beta carotene in spinach and
amaranth were preserved best when pressure cooked versus pan
cooking (1).

A more recent study in 2007 in the Journal of Food Science found

that pressure cooked broccoli retained 90% of the Vitamin C.
Steaming only retained 78% and boiling 68% (2).

A 1994 study published in the journal Plant Foods for Human

Nutrition, discovered that the anti-nutrient phytic acid which
blocks mineral absorption in the digestive tract was reduced 54%
in peas soaked and then pressure cooked versus peas that were
soaked and then boiled (29% reduction) (3).

My friend Kristen has written this excellent article that summarizes

the effects of a pressure cooker on food if you’d like to learn more.

The Pressure Cooker Problems that Won’t Go Away

While there are so many positives on the use of a pressure cooker

and the science seems solid that using one is beneficial to the
cooking process as compared with regular stovetop cooking, I still
choose not to use one.
First of all, most pressure cookers that I’ve examined are made of
stainless steel. The heavy metal leaching dangers of cooking acidic
foods in stainless steel cookware is very real. I wanted an appliance
that I could cook any food in – acidic or not. This is why I chose a
Vita-Clay (I actually own two!).

Secondly, I passed on a pressure cooker because I have not found

conclusive research that refutes my concern that pressure cooking
may, in fact, dramatically increase the glutamine in cooked foods,
most particularly the potential for MSG in bone broth.

Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is critical for

gut, brain and immune health. It is found naturally in healthy foods
and should theoretically not be a problem in normal metabolic
situations.

The problem develops when glutamine gets past the blood brain
barrier and is metabolized to glutamate. In healthy individuals this
process is tightly controlled by the body. Glutamine is supposed to
convert as needed to either glutamate, which can excite neurons, or
to GABA, which has a calming effect.

MSG differs from glutamate by a single sodium atom attached to the

molecule. MSG is widely added to processed, packaged and fast
foods in order “wake up” flavors. The truth is that removing the MSG
from processed foods makes them tasteless and unappealing. This
is why food manufacturers hide it on ingredient lists under aliases
such as yeast extract, natural flavorings, hydrolyzed protein, protein
isolates and spices. There are up to 50 MSG aliases used by food
manufacturers, with new ones being constantly created to stay
ahead of the consumer.

Some of the MSG in processed foods is artificially added, but much

of it is actually a residue of hydrolyzing and other modern and
rather violent processing methods which means it won’t appear on
the label. Protein powder is a notorious offender. Don’t be fooled
because products labeled with the words “No MSG” may actually still
contain it (4).

As a result of so much MSG in the food supply, many people

have become overly sensitive to it to the point where even the
natural glutamine in traditional foods like bone broth can
trigger headaches (most common symptom), gastrointestinal
upset, fatigue or other problems.
The solution to the sensitivity some folks have to the glutamines in
properly cooked bone broth is to start out with a lightly cooked
bone broth, progressing over time to the more nutritious, long-
cooked bone broths. The glutamine content of broth increases with
cooking time as do the levels of other amino acids. Thus long-
cooked bone broth is more nutrient rich and preferable for those
who can tolerate it.

The glutamine levels in pressure cooked bone broth are as yet

unknown. In addition, how pressure cooking affects the nutrients in
bone broth is also up in the air. Here’s what Kaayla Daniel PhD, co-
author of Nourishing Broth has to say about the affect of a pressure
cooker on the nutrients in bone broth:

Neither Sally nor I use a pressure cooker, but we know many

people who love them. Pressure cookers seem to help achieve
the gelatin we value so much. In terms of nutritional value,
we have not done comparison testing of pressure cooker
broth vs stockpot vs slow cooker. We’d love to do lab testing
for a long lists of nutrients, but that gets very expensive very
fast. If you know anyone who’d like to give us about $20,000
for a small study, we’d like to move forward with that testing.
In the meantime, I see no reason for you to stop using your
pressure cooker. However, we do question pressure cooking
for 5 hours. I think most recipes say 1 hour though I’ve seen
some recipes that recommend up to 3 hours (5).

Should You Use a Pressure Cooker or Not?

The bottom line is that if you love your pressure cooker and want to
use it to make bone broth and other foods, then do it. Pressure
cooked bone broth is certainly better than no bone broth, and if the
time savings for you is such that it’s pressure cooking or nothing,
then stick with your pressure cooker.

However, if you are like me and prefer a gently gurgling traditional

clay pot with no leaching issues over a pressure cooker, then have at
it! Until a specific study is done to comparatively test the nutrients,
heavy metals, and glutamines in pressure cooked broth, then stay
with the tried and true for the time being.

As more information and research becomes available on pressure

cookers and the effects on bone broth, I will keep you all informed.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

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Sarah
The Healthy Home Economist holds a Master’s degree
from the University of Pennsylvania. Mother to 3
healthy children, blogger, and best-selling author, she
writes about the practical application of Traditional
Diet and evidence-based wellness within the modern
household. Her work has been featured by USA Today, The New York
Times, ABC, NBC, and many others.

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Comments (27)

Cindy R

I use a Presto 6-qt pressure cooker (that I’ve owned

and used for 40 years with two lid gasket
replacements, one over-pressure gasket
replacement, and one pressure regulator
replacement) for bone broth (30 minutes with
natural pressure drop) and artichokes (10 minutes
and cold-tap-water-assisted pressure drop),
probably because that is what I grew up with. What
I have learned to do differently with the bone broth
is (1) use the bones over multiple times (10–12 or
so), (2) add over-strong kombucha (homemade) to
the water (1 Tbsp/cup water) and let sit overnight,
and (3) strain the broth off into an open saucepan
in which I cook it down to about half volume for
richer flavor and more gel. However, having read
this article and the linked article by Kristen (Food
Renegade), I’m looking forward to making more use
of my pressure cooker. I may also try cooking the
bone broth longer in the pressure cooker to see if
it cooks down enough that way.

Question: What is the issue with bone broth

surface “scum”? Does it contain toxins or anti-
nutrients or is it simply an aesthetic issue?
 April 27th, 2016 8:11 pm Reply

Sarah

The scum that comes to the top when the

bone broth is first brought to a boil contains
off flavors and impurities. You see a lot less
scum if the chicken or beef bones are organic,
for example. It makes the broth healthier and
tastier if they are removed before the
temperature is reduced to a simmer.

April 28th, 2016 6:56 am Reply

gwen

such a punch in the stomach.. I am a few years in

to a raw milk/grass fed/fermented/bone broth kind
of lifestyle….doing the best I can to nourish my
children – and your website has helped a lot!

but – it’s so frustrating when those who write and

publish in this community, like yourself, depict
perfection. It can be a turn off and make me feel
like giving up on all the hours I spend in the
kitchen. Bone broth in my instant pot has freed up
many hours and I don’t know if I’d be making it if it
weren’t for 90 minutes in the instant pot. There are
some of using doing the best we can and these
types of posts are infuriating.. you’d seem much
more real and relate-able if you’d write about some
of your downfalls, this blog is turning out to be too
perfect for me.

April 21st, 2016 2:52 pm Reply

Sarah

Did you read the article … ? I said that if the

pressure cooker is what you need to make it
work for your situation, then use it None of
us ever achieve perfection, including me, so if
that is what you are getting from this blog, I
would read more closely as that is not what is
being put out here. What is being put out is
information for you to consider and use as
you see fit … your choice. No pressure.
Whatever you want to do is totally fine.

April 21st, 2016 8:41 pm Reply

gwen

no, I did not read the article word for word. I

succumbed to click bait on fb and only
scanned. I felt this came off as a scare tactic. I
understand my original comment is slightly
out of line considering I didn’t thoroughly read
the article..

I just don’t like posts that highlight the worst

of the best… stuff like this or .. “are green
smoothies really good for you”… click bait.

I can see how some people (perfectionists)

appreciate this type of post though.

April 22nd, 2016 12:05 pm

Reply

Sarah

This article is a pro and con of pressure

cookers … very equally discussed. I give my
opinion and what I choose to do personally at
the end. If you choose to do differently, that is
of course fine! There is no click-bait aspect
whatsoever to this post nor was it intended for
perfectionist personalities of which I most
definitely am not.

April 22nd, 2016 9:43 pm Reply

Sally

Personally I’d rather you give me the facts or

as many as you know and make your best
recommendation than make me feel better
 with justification and imperfection. Perfection
is the goal. I’d rather shoot for the sun and hit
the mountain than shoot for the mountain
and hit the rocks! I only use a pressure canner
for canning meats. Cause other than freezing
it there is no way to preserve it. I subject my
grass fed humanely slaughtered beef to the
pressure canner with all is uncertainty cause I
have to. But not my everyday foods where I
can choose. And I cook fresh almost every day.

June 6th, 2016 2:57 am

Cindy

Great article! I have never used a pressure cooker

for cooking food but a few years ago I did buy a
large one for home canning and never thought
about any negative effects other then I think their
processing times are extreme! The first time I mad
a batch of veggie soup, put in jars then pressure
cooker to seal them, my soup ended up mushy!
Yuck! The flavor was there but who likes over
cooked veggies! From that day on I only cold pack
my veggies. I have been home canning with a
boiling water bath for over 30 years but my books
say if you are going to can meats to use a pressure
cooker. I do love the fact that I can do 20 pints in
about 2 hours (only 50 minutes or so is timed)
verses doing 7 pints in 2 hours with boiling water
baths!!!

I also use the pressure cooker to can my bone

broth! I roast two chickens at a time and save the
bones in the freezer until I have about 8 of them.
Then I get my large stock pot out and proceed to
make my bone broth stock with the addition of egg
shells according to Dr. David Williams for the
hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and condroitin.

So I was wondering if the MSG still increases during

canning as well or is it just during the cooking
process? I’m not sensitive to anything and have not
had any problems with anything I’ve canned so far!

April 21st, 2016 10:13 am Reply

Rebekah

I’m extremely MSG sensitive. If I have any I gain 2.5

lbs overnight and wake up with swollen eyelids and
usually a nice headache. I’ve had zero reaction to
my bone broth made in the Instant Pot. I hope you
get money to test. The results would be fascinating
to read!

April 16th, 2016 7:23 pm Reply

Sarah

Good to know! What do you do about the

scum that comes to the top when you initially
bring bone broth to a boil? I hope you have
found a way to skim it off using a pressure
cooker.

April 17th, 2016 1:53 pm Reply

rebekah

If I have the time, it’s easy enough to turn the

pot off at any point in the first 7 minutes to
remove any scum. With my pastured bones, I
rarely do. Even when bringing to a boil in a
regular pot, very little was produced. So far,
I’ve had nothing but good results, but any
testing would be much appreciated!

April 28th, 2016 5:12 pm Reply

Gail

Hi Sarah, I know you are suppose to skim the

scum, which I do when cooking broth over the
stove. But what happens when you cook broth
in a crockpot? I also use the crockpot when
making broth, but no scum appears. Is that a
 problem?

April 21st, 2016 1:24 am Reply

Sarah

The scum appears when you first bring the

broth to a boil … the scum is then skimmed
off and the heat turned down very low so the
broth gurgles. If the crockpot doesn’t bring the
broth to a boil, I suppose this would never
happen? Not sure as I don’t have a crockpot.

April 21st, 2016 9:35 am Reply

Amanda

Great article, Sarah! I’ve done a little research into

pressure cooking and have thought about getting a
pressure cooker, but in the end, I’m just not
comfortable with it. My mom never cooked with a
pressure cooker either, so I just haven’t had much
exposure to pressure cooking. I really do like
having a stock pot slowly simmering on my stove
(in fact I have one there now, with a third round of
beef broth in it, thanks to your past article on
remouillage!).

April 15th, 2016 11:45 am Reply

Cindy R

I use a Presto 6-qt pressure cooker (that I’ve owned

and used for 40 years with two lid gasket
replacements, one over-pressure gasket
replacement, and one pressure regulator
replacement) for bone broth (30 minutes with
natural pressure drop) and artichokes (10 minutes
and cold-tap-water-assisted pressure drop),
probably because that is what I grew up with. What
I have learned to do differently with the bone broth
is (1) use the bones over multiple times (10–12 or
so), (2) add over-strong kombucha (homemade) to
the water (1 Tbsp/cup water) and let sit overnight,
and (3) strain the broth off into an open saucepan
in which I cook it down to about half volume for
richer flavor and more gel. However, having read
this article and the linked article by Kristen (Food
Renegade), I’m looking forward to making more use
of my pressure cooker. I may also try cooking the
bone broth longer in the pressure cooker to see if
it cooks down enough that way.

Question: What is the issue with bone broth

surface “scum”? Does it contain toxins or anti-
nutrients or is it simply an aesthetic issue?

April 27th, 2016 8:11 pm Reply

Sarah

The scum that comes to the top when the

bone broth is first brought to a boil contains
off flavors and impurities. You see a lot less
scum if the chicken or beef bones are organic,
for example. It makes the broth healthier and
tastier if they are removed before the
temperature is reduced to a simmer.

April 28th, 2016 6:56 am Reply

gwen

such a punch in the stomach.. I am a few years in

to a raw milk/grass fed/fermented/bone broth kind
of lifestyle….doing the best I can to nourish my
children – and your website has helped a lot!

but – it’s so frustrating when those who write and

publish in this community, like yourself, depict
perfection. It can be a turn off and make me feel
like giving up on all the hours I spend in the
kitchen. Bone broth in my instant pot has freed up
many hours and I don’t know if I’d be making it if it
weren’t for 90 minutes in the instant pot. There are
some of using doing the best we can and these
types of posts are infuriating.. you’d seem much
more real and relate-able if you’d write about some
of your downfalls, this blog is turning out to be too
perfect for me.

April 21st, 2016 2:52 pm Reply

Sarah

Did you read the article … ? I said that if the

pressure cooker is what you need to make it
work for your situation, then use it None of
us ever achieve perfection, including me, so if
that is what you are getting from this blog, I
would read more closely as that is not what is
being put out here. What is being put out is
information for you to consider and use as
you see fit … your choice. No pressure.
Whatever you want to do is totally fine.

April 21st, 2016 8:41 pm Reply

gwen

no, I did not read the article word for word. I

succumbed to click bait on fb and only
scanned. I felt this came off as a scare tactic. I
understand my original comment is slightly
out of line considering I didn’t thoroughly read
the article..

I just don’t like posts that highlight the worst

of the best… stuff like this or .. “are green
smoothies really good for you”… click bait.

I can see how some people (perfectionists)

appreciate this type of post though.

April 22nd, 2016 12:05 pm

Reply

Sarah

This article is a pro and con of pressure

cookers … very equally discussed. I give my
 opinion and what I choose to do personally at
the end. If you choose to do differently, that is
of course fine! There is no click-bait aspect
whatsoever to this post nor was it intended for
perfectionist personalities of which I most
definitely am not.

April 22nd, 2016 9:43 pm Reply

Sally

Personally I’d rather you give me the facts or

as many as you know and make your best
recommendation than make me feel better
with justification and imperfection. Perfection
is the goal. I’d rather shoot for the sun and hit
the mountain than shoot for the mountain
and hit the rocks! I only use a pressure canner
for canning meats. Cause other than freezing
it there is no way to preserve it. I subject my
grass fed humanely slaughtered beef to the
pressure canner with all is uncertainty cause I
have to. But not my everyday foods where I
can choose. And I cook fresh almost every day.

June 6th, 2016 2:57 am

Cindy

Great article! I have never used a pressure cooker

for cooking food but a few years ago I did buy a
large one for home canning and never thought
about any negative effects other then I think their
processing times are extreme! The first time I mad
a batch of veggie soup, put in jars then pressure
cooker to seal them, my soup ended up mushy!
Yuck! The flavor was there but who likes over
cooked veggies! From that day on I only cold pack
my veggies. I have been home canning with a
boiling water bath for over 30 years but my books
say if you are going to can meats to use a pressure
cooker. I do love the fact that I can do 20 pints in
about 2 hours (only 50 minutes or so is timed)
verses doing 7 pints in 2 hours with boiling water
baths!!!

I also use the pressure cooker to can my bone

broth! I roast two chickens at a time and save the
bones in the freezer until I have about 8 of them.
Then I get my large stock pot out and proceed to
make my bone broth stock with the addition of egg
shells according to Dr. David Williams for the
hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and condroitin.

So I was wondering if the MSG still increases during

canning as well or is it just during the cooking
process? I’m not sensitive to anything and have not
had any problems with anything I’ve canned so far!

April 21st, 2016 10:13 am Reply

Rebekah

I’m extremely MSG sensitive. If I have any I gain 2.5

lbs overnight and wake up with swollen eyelids and
usually a nice headache. I’ve had zero reaction to
my bone broth made in the Instant Pot. I hope you
get money to test. The results would be fascinating
to read!

April 16th, 2016 7:23 pm Reply

Sarah

Good to know! What do you do about the

scum that comes to the top when you initially
bring bone broth to a boil? I hope you have
found a way to skim it off using a pressure
cooker.

April 17th, 2016 1:53 pm Reply

rebekah

If I have the time, it’s easy enough to turn the

pot off at any point in the first 7 minutes to
remove any scum. With my pastured bones, I
 rarely do. Even when bringing to a boil in a
regular pot, very little was produced. So far,
I’ve had nothing but good results, but any
testing would be much appreciated!

April 28th, 2016 5:12 pm Reply

Gail

Hi Sarah, I know you are suppose to skim the

scum, which I do when cooking broth over the
stove. But what happens when you cook broth
in a crockpot? I also use the crockpot when
making broth, but no scum appears. Is that a
problem?

April 21st, 2016 1:24 am Reply

Sarah

The scum appears when you first bring the

broth to a boil … the scum is then skimmed
off and the heat turned down very low so the
broth gurgles. If the crockpot doesn’t bring the
broth to a boil, I suppose this would never
happen? Not sure as I don’t have a crockpot.

April 21st, 2016 9:35 am Reply

Amanda

Great article, Sarah! I’ve done a little research into

pressure cooking and have thought about getting a
pressure cooker, but in the end, I’m just not
comfortable with it. My mom never cooked with a
pressure cooker either, so I just haven’t had much
exposure to pressure cooking. I really do like
having a stock pot slowly simmering on my stove
(in fact I have one there now, with a third round of
beef broth in it, thanks to your past article on
remouillage!).

April 15th, 2016 11:45 am Reply

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