From 1890 Abel

The Papin Soup Digester is the predecessor to the modern pressure cooker. ( Early pressure cookers were also called "digesters".) This example is made of porcelain.

The Digester was named for its inventor, Denys Papin, a fellow of Royal Society in England, who described its abilities as transforming the "oldest & hardest cow beefàmade as tender as choice meat."

The Digester consists of a metal vessel of cast brass into which meat and water were placed. The lid was screwed or fastens tightly on and the vessel was put over a fire where the temperature reaches above boiling point and pressure builds up. This cooking method was said to reduce the meat to pulp in 6 to 8 minutes. Using the Papin Soup Digester was very dangerous as it frequently blew up and caused injuries. (Franklin, p. 65)

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