For our pressure-cooker take on classic chicken and rice, we used bone-in chicken breasts rather than boneless for better flavor and meat that stayed moist. Avoiding heavy, greasy rice was the biggest challenge. Browning the breasts before cooking them under pressure allowed us to keep the flavorful fond but render off and discard most of the fat before cooking. We also decreased the liquid in the standard 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice to account for the moisture released by the chicken and carrots that couldn’t evaporate. Stirring the rice made the dish gluey, so we simply fluffed it with a fork when incorporating the peas, lemon juice, and parsley.

The convenience, ease, and (yes!) safety of the modern pressure cooker will put dinner on the table fast—and make it taste as if you spent the whole day at the stove. The test kitchen’s favorite pressure cooker hit all the high notes, easily beating all competing stovetop and electric models. It was also the only cooker to reach 250 degrees at high pressure, so it cooked food to perfection in the time range suggested by the recipes. While supplies last. Offer ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on June 26, 2017.

The German pancake, sometimes called a Dutch baby, is a study in contrasts: The edge of the skillet-size breakfast specialty puffs dramatically to form a tall, crispy rim with a texture similar to that of a popover while the base remains flat, custardy, and tender, like a thick crêpe. Our German Pancake achieves its dramatic appearance and contrasting textures thanks to a few test kitchen tricks. First, we mixed up a simple batter containing just the right amounts of eggs, flour, and milk to produce a pancake with crispy yet tender edges and a custardy center. To produce a tall, puffy rim and an even, substantial center, we started the pancake in a cold oven and then turned the oven to 375 degrees. This allowed the center of the pancake to begin to set up before the rim got hot enough to puff up substantially. Finally, we put fruit and other ingredients on as a topping rather than baking them into the pancake. Without fruit to weigh things down, the pancake puffed dramatically and its texture remained delicate and uniform.

Pancakes are one of the simplest dishes you can make, whether they’re for breakfast, dinner, or a snack. Mix together a handful of pantry ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, butter, and buttermilk; cook them for a few minutes in a skillet; and violà—you’ve got a fluffy full stack! Well, not so fast. To really make the best pancakes, there are a few things you need to know besides how to dump and mix. Here are 5 things we’ve learned from developing dozens of foolproof pancake recipes in the test kitchen."