History of pressure cooking

In 1679, the French mathematician and physicist Denis Papin invented the first pressure cooker or steam digester as he called it. The story is whilst he was presenting his new steam digester to the Royal Society it exploded, leading him to invent the safety valve. Three years later he represented it to the Royal society and gained positive reviews.

The pressure cooker title was first seen in print in 1915. In 1927, the first pressure cookers were sold in Germany and in 1939 the world’s first commercial pressure cooker made by National Presto Industries was exhibited at the New York World’s Fair.

In these early days, there are accounts of people thinking pressure cookers were the results of witchcraft because of their continued hissing.

Pressure cookers through time

Cast iron pressure cooker, c1860

Although small domestic pressure cookers were not developed until the 19th century, a large version was invented by Denis Papin in 1679.

Pentecon pressure cooker 1927

by Joseph Sankey and Sons of Bilston 1927

L'auto Thermus Pressure Cooker, c1930

Pressure cookers have to be very strong to cope with high pressure up to 3 bar

Welbank Boilerette, c1935

Boilerettes were widly used until the 1950s. It is a pressurised water jacket, which keeps the temperature inside the container a few degrees above 100°C (212°F) Cooking is only slightly quicker than in an ordinary saucepan, but it prevents food sticking or burning.