Pressure cookers.

[simple_gifts]

Anybody use one on a regular basis? My mother used to use one in the 60's for a lot of stuff and I'm waiting for boiled potato to finish and I figure it would be faster if I had a P.C. Pretty sure new ones must be safer than the old ones. My grandmother "decided" to paint her kitchen ceiling pea green one time; lucky she didn't get killed.

Looking for comments on practicality, not really into things that take longer to make, than to eat.

-T

 

[moribundman]

In my family everyone likes the Silit Sicomat brand. That's what they've been using for decades. They are safe.

A pressure cooker is useful for quickly steaming veggies that require the same amount of time. They are not ideal for cooking, for example, potatoes and broccoli at the same time. Frankly, I myself prefer a simple steamer insert that fits a large pot. There I can start out with the slower cooking veggies and add the faster cooking ones later.

I was looking for a pressure cooker in the US a few years ago but found none that I liked. They were either made poorly, or they were too small or too large. I'm sure you can find nice ones at Bloomingdale's and other decent department stores.

I'm not sure you'll safe time with a pressure cooker, because the cleaning is a bit laborious. You have to remove the gasket and disassemble and clean the pressure valve.

 

[Shannow]

Personally never used a pressure cooker, only seen one used twice.

Not sure of the effect of faster cooking versus higher coking temperatures on the nutrition, but it's prolly better than traditional boiling.

Like mori...I like steaming.

 

[moribundman]

When steam forms inside the pressure cooker, the air is expelled through the pressure valve. Once the air is out, the valve closes and steam pressure builds up. Less oxygen means less vitamins are destroyed. At least that's the explanation I heard.

 

[Pablo]

I have a story of one blowing up in our kitchen as a kid. Carrot somehow blocked pressure relief....ceiling dented, mom slightly scalded, but no one killed by FOD.

 

[Diesel_Clatter]

I use one frequently.

Grilled out today. Took some marinated chicken and threw it in the pressure cooker for twelve minutes with a little water. It was thoroughly cooked and ready to grill.

Sometimes I make Hummus and can cook the garbanzo beans in twenty minutes after a few hours of soaking. Don't need to use canned beans.

The pressure cooker really shines for cooking beans which normally need to boil for an eternity. Sometimes I make curried garbanzo beans. Lately I have been making a mixed bean and lentil soup. 25 minutes in the pressure cooker and it is ready.

I have a Fagor Splendid model 6l pressure cooker.

 

[benjamming]

Why are you grilling cooked chicken?

Anyway, from cooksillustrated.com "Pressure cookers work by forming a closed system in which the temperature of boiling water can be raised. Instead of boiling at 212 degrees, the water in a pressure cooker, usually under about 15 pounds of pressure, doesn't boil until it reaches 250 degrees. This above-average temperature causes foods to cook at above-average speeds. Cooking times can be cut by one-third or even by half. Because little moisture escapes, less liquid is required, and this results in more intense flavors."

They don't recommend an electronic one b/c they don't allow the cook to modify or change a recipe procedure once the pot is sealed.

We narrowed our testing to six models: the Innova Stainless 8 Quart ($89.99), the Stainless Presto 8 Quart ($68.43), the WMF Perfect Plus 8.5 Quart ($197.99), the Magefesa Classic 8 Quart ($85.00), the Fagor Duo 8 Quart ($79.99), and the Kuhn-Rikon Duromatic 7.35 quart ($169.00).

RECOMMENDED

Fagor Duo 8 Quart (#85M7):
-- $79.99
-- Spanish manufacture
The Duo's attractive features include an excellent handle that locks solidly, easy-to-read markings indicating pressure and quick-release positions, a valve that indicates when the pot is under pressure, and a wide bottom with ample sautéing space. It also comes with clear instructions and a well-written recipe book. We missed having a clear indicator that would tell us when strong pressure has been achieved; the existing "signal" relies on the cook's ability to perceive a "gentle steady stream of steam."

 

[alreadygone]

Wife's used a Presto for years for mashed potatoes and dried pinto beans, and occasionally great northerns. excellent results no blow outs.

Bob

 

[Shannow]

Quote:

---

When steam forms inside the pressure cooker, the air is expelled through the pressure valve. Once the air is out, the valve closes and steam pressure builds up. Less oxygen means less vitamins are destroyed. At least that's the explanation I heard.

---

If that was the case, then boiling would be the safest of all. The water is degassed quickly, then the food sits there in water...nutrients leaching out into the water.

Steaming should be about the same as pressure cooking, except the deaeration isn't as well directionally controlled as a pressure cooker.

Looking at it, I can see why they are quicker. Water boils at 100C at STP. That means that even if you apply a blowtorch to the outside of a food that's mostly water, the outside can char, and the inside can only heat as layers progressively reach 100C. With a pressure cooker, the liquid inside the food can reach whatever the boiling point is locally, and speed the process.

I read (once again "somewehere") that absolute temperature destroyed quite a few nutrients, so pressure cooked should (I reckon) destroy more than other techniques. ('cept deep frying).

Pressure cooked meat has always intrigued me, as I know from experience that they can be tender. I rely on slow, cool cooking for very tender meats.

 

[rshaw125]

We have been using a Presto since the 50's. Every 10 years or so you have to replace the gasket. Always worked very well.

 

[benjamming]

cooksillustrated.com ratings were from Jan-2005. Here is the rest of their ratings:

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Magefesa Classic 8 Quart (PG 04008):
-- $85.00
-- Spanish manufacture
We liked the Magefesa for its quick steam time (time it takes to reach a steam), good locking handle, and consistent performance under high pressure. As with the Fagor, the indication of high pressure is a "gentle steady flow steam," However, we found the quick-release switch to be too flat and jerky to turn--it also gets very hot. The instruction manual is also wholly inadequate: unclear and with translation errors, it also contains only a handful of recipes.

WMF Perfect Plus 8.5 Quart (#0793149300):
-- $197.99
-- German manufacture
Given its high price, the WMF should be perfect, and it comes close. Its detachable, easy-to-clean handle locks easily, it has a well-marked valve that indicates low and high pressure, and it has an easy-to-handle quick-release valve, which directs the steam well away from the cook. Still, many of the cooks in the test kitchen so disliked the low hum the cooker emits at high pressure that they said they would never want it in their kitchen.

Kuhn-Rikon Duromatic 7.4 Quart (7 Liter) (INOX):
-- $169.00
-- Swiss manufacture
We found two problems with this cooker, neither of which we'd expect given its high price. While we liked the valve that clearly indicates both high and low pressure, we were uncomfortable with the fact that the handle had no audible or manual locking mechanism -- although it is locked when the handles are correctly positioned over each other. Second, while several of the cookers suggest running a pot under water as an alternative method for quick release (as opposed to slow and normal release), in the Duromatic this is the only option the instruction manual gives, (although some models do have automatic pressure reduction functions). Further, the maker says that only the rim should be rinsed, and manipulating the hot, heavy pot in the sink is very awkward.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Presto 8 Quart Stainless (#01370):
-- $87.49
-- U.S. manufacture
The best feature of the Presto is a valve that indicates when all the pressure has been released. Otherwise, its handles are too short and, although advertised as "stay cool," we found they got hot, unlike the long handles on the other models tested. The bottom also has a slight tendency to scorch. Finally, more than any other model, this one spat water in different directions.

Innova Stainless Steel 8 Quart (#42008)
-- $89.99
-- Chinese Manufacture
We can't recommend the Innova for a variety of reasons. The instruction manual is so unclear that no one in the kitchen could figure out how to remove the detachable rings that control the pressure. The pot has a number of small, removable parts that must be detached with every use, including the pressure regulator, which got very hot. Under high pressure, this cooker spat steam straight up. It was also difficult to determine how much pressure was in the pot -- a "slight rocking motion" of the regulator is supposed to indicate maximum steam. Further, the only way to test whether the pressure was gone was to tilt the pressure regulator; if the pressure wasn't gone, the cooker would spew steam, which could easily burn your hand.