vicinity. Excess steam and condensation can also cause damage to some surfaces in the kitchen so take care that you open the pressure cooker well away from anything that could be damaged. Most pressure cookers will operate at the same rate, but there could be other variables that may alter cooking times(eg. The size and freshness of ingredients, particularly vegetables). It pays to remember that overcooking can sometimes be a problem and for this reason a timer is an invaluable aid as a minute or two can make a real difference. Always set the timer from the point just after the pressure indicator has risen with a resulting gentle hiss of steam. Reduce the heat to maintain this pressure -- and then set the timer. If you are unsure about the cooking time for a particular dish cook it for a shorter time than you think it will need and then check progress by using the quick release method to check. It's easy enough to bring it back to pressure again if whatever you are cooking needs more time. Cooking times in the book are based on the ingredient that takes the longest to cook so it can happen that when everything is put in at the same time some vegetables can get overcooked. To avoid this happening, try cutting the faster-cooking vegetables into larger chunks so they take longer to cook or put them in later in the cooking process. For example, subtract their cooking time (ie take 5