Top Loading Autoclaves

'Autoclave' is a term used mainly in laboratories whilst 'Sterilizer' is used more commonly for medical and pharmaceutical applications. An effective Autoclave or Sterilizer must contain dry saturated steam

Autoclaves work in a similar way, but they're typically used in a more extreme form of cooking: to blast the bugs and germs on things with steam long enough to sterilize them. The extra pressure in an autoclave means that water boils at a temperature higher than its normal boiling point—roughly 20°C hotter—so it holds and carries more heat and kills microbes more effectively. A lengthy blast of high-pressure steam is much more effective at penetrating and sterilizing things than a quick wipe in ordinary hot water!