I have a new ‘toy’ in the kitchen. It’s not very common here in Sweden, I think. Here’s a bit of background for my new purchase: I have a friend in the UK who has been using his cooker for years and he convinced me how great it was. After searching for it online, to begin with I was put off by the high prices. They were far too high to fit into my budget. and one of the reasons I wanted it was to save money.

My friend suggested that he buy the cooker in the UK and send it to me. It worked out fine. The price for the cooker, including transport, was a fourth of what I’d have had to pay for it in Sweden. What’s the reason for that price difference?

I was very excited the first time I unpacked my new cooker from the wrappings. It was shiny and nice in stainless steel, and looked very complicated to use. And sure enough, I failed at my first attempt to use it. I recommend you read the manual before getting started on your culinary experiments.

Now what are the good points of using a cooker like this? I mean apart from how much fun it is to cook when you have a new toy to play with.

1. The cooking times are shortened considerably. Shorter cooking times makes it easier to feel up to making good, well-planned meals. Above all you save energy and that’s a must if we want to save our environment.

2. It’s easier. You put all kinds of vegetables into the same pot. By making that easier it helps me use more of the season’s veggies. This too, saves much energy, in that you don’t need to use as many imported veggies or frozen ones.

3. It’s tastier, because the aroma stays in the veggies. This decreases the need for taste enhancers like cream, margarine, extra salt and so on. Taste is very important and the fact that it helps our environment makes it all the better.

4. The food ends up being healthier because nutrients aren’t drained away with the cooking water. Instead it stays in your food.

5. Your food gets prettier. This may sound like an odd argument, but you actually eat with all your senses. The color of the food and the smell is just as important a part of the experience as the actual taste.

To sum things up: Buy a pressure cooker and save the environment, save time and have even tastier and healthier food.