Easy, speedy and made in a single pot: That’s what we call a dinner triple threat. One way to achieve the mealtime trifecta is to use a pressure cooker, which utilizes steam and a tightly sealed lid to create a high-pressure environment that accelerates the cooking process.

It’s like pressing fast-forward on your favorite dishes: Most can cook in a third of the time they would need in the oven or on the stovetop. That means slow-cooked dishes, such as pulled pork, are possible even on a weeknight.

Unlike their vintage predecessors, modern pressure cookers are very safe, thanks to mechanisms that prevent the lid from opening until all of the pressure has been released. Lighter, quick-cooking foods, such as fish or delicate vegetables, can easily overcook, so save pressure cooking for heartier fare like large cuts of meat, sturdy root vegetables and dried beans.

Quick tips

When heated, some of the liquid turns into steam in the tightly sealed pressure cooker. With no place to escape, the steam increases pressure and raises the temperature in the pot so it’s hotter than ordinary boiling water.

Do your homework. Every pressure cooker operates a bit differently, so be sure to read the manual before using yours for the first time.

Don’t fill your pressure cooker more than two-thirds full. That remaining space is needed to build up pressure.

Just add water, broth or wine. No matter what type of liquid you choose, pressure cookers require some, to create steam.

The cooking time begins once the pressure has been reached.

Always err on the side of undercooking. Check for doneness once the pressure is released; you can always clamp the lid back on and cook longer.