Tonight, for the first time in about 10 years, I dug up a relic from our past, and cooked a marvellous stew in a pressure cooker (circa 1950). It cooked on our gas stove in about 12 minutes, after the weighted top started jiggling. (The lid actually had cooking times printed on it.)
I had to coat the somewhat dried seal with olive oil, and push it back into the slot with a screwdriver.
It occured to me that the biggest innovation in cookery since this pot was designed is probably the microwave oven.
So why not use today's material science to create a microwave-compatible pressure cooker pot? And reduce the cooking time from 12 minutes to 3 or 4?
Modern ceramics, with suitable pressure regulation, should work well.
Damn! I just googled, and discovered this is baked [link]. Or actually boiled. Think I'll get one.
But maybe this could be considered less than well known, hope it helps.-- csea, Feb 03 2007 Microwave Pressure Cooker http://www.microwav...Pressure_Cooker.htmprior art [csea, Feb 03 2007] Prior art http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_art [xaviergisz, Feb 04 2007] how about a pressure cooker with a microwave transmitter *inside*.-- xaviergisz, Feb 03 2007 Hmm, A pressure cooker with a microwave transmitter inside... Now there's a halfbaking idea!
As I understand it, microwave transmitters are something like a fluorescent light bulb, so it shouldn't be impossible. You might be able to hook this thing up so it resembles a crock pot... Or at least a crackpot...
I reccomend an electronic lid-body interface so that the device operates only when the lid is firmly attached. Such an interface mght make cleaning it a little difficlut though.-- ye_river_xiv, Feb 03 2007 i'd like one made from a lexan-pyrex composite, so that it could remain relatively light, transparent to both the microwave and visible spectrum, and be incredibly strong (wouldn't want to pop it like an egg!).
i could put my nose up against the oven and watch my casserole bubble away under pressure.
another innovation would be a temperature/pressure strip made from colour-changing liquid crystal. not sure if those are microwave safe?? it would read 0-150C since the water will be boiling at above 100C. pressure could also be printed on the scale above 100C, as it is directly proportional to the temperature at which the water is boiling.-- TIB, Feb 04 2007 [csea],this is twice in a week I have seen the word "art" used in this context. Theother was from an intellectual property guru. I have never seen "art" like that before. What exactly does "art" mean when used as you did?-- bungston, Feb 04 2007 [bungston], "Prior art" is a term used in the patent legal field to describe something invented or existing publicly before the invention under consideration. See [xaviergisz]' [link.]
Disclaimer: I am not a patent attorney. I have never even played one on TV.-- csea, Feb 04 2007 Although, this might cause things to explode (explosive decompression) if you open up the door before it's done beeping. Other than that, it's a good idea.-- quantum_flux, Nov 18 2007 Oh, wait, it would implode (implosive compression) if you opened it before it's done beeping. Pressure cookers depressurize to boil stuff. Either way, still very cool!-- quantum_flux, Nov 18 2007 A hyperbaric microwave oven could be used to cook eggs in their shell without them exploding.
OK, so it's a lot less fun than watching them explode, but you do actually get something to eat at the end of the process ...-- 8th of 7, Nov 22 2014 random, halfbakery