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pazzaglia

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Everything posted by pazzaglia

  1. I think you just invented something new - even better if it had a small handle on it (think centrifugal salad spinners) to pump out the air. It would be a self-contained unit so you don't need a separate "vacum" to use it. The "lid" could be the base with a plastic cutting board liner to cut the bread, and the "top" would be the box. Snap on and pump to store. Snap off and cut to use. Go for it. I would buy one! Ciao, L
  2. Chippy, I question ATK's methodology because I have used six of the eight pressure cookers America's test kitchen reviewed (earlier in this topic I said 5 but I'm currently testing the WMF). Read back earlier in this topic, or what I wrote yesterday, if you'd like to know more details of what is wrong with their reviews. Ciao, L
  3. Chippy, I did not say they used the wrong TOOLS to measure the temperature. I said they measured the internal temperatures while operating the pressure cooker INCORRECTLY. It's worth noting that the video, article or blog posts do not give details on how they used the remote temperature logger. Was it on a steamer basket? Was it stainless steel or silicone? Did they put it in the cooking liquid? How much liquid? Was the water salty? Did they put the logger in potato? How big was the potato? Where was the potato placed? All of these variables can play a role in reading temperatures inside a pressure cooker. Don't assume just because you see charts and graphs in a video clip that measuring tools were used correctly OR repeatedly OR in the same conditions OR following the procedure recommended in the instruction manual. Ciao, L
  4. 10 minutes is TOTALLY too long for cabbage of any color!!! My guess... they didn't have time to test the other cabbages. Before I knew they had a cookbook on the way, when I saw a preview of their online recipes - I tried to contact the Test Kitchen to warn them about their cooking times. One of their employees (maybe more) follows me on twitter. Though he was not involved in the pressure cooker testing and recipe development I asked him to pass on my comments to the "project manager." I think I even offered to give them advice on cooking times. I didn't get a reply and it looks like their book was probably already at the printer's back then. From the point of view of an expert, it's obvious from the equipment reviews that SOMEBODY didn't know how to properly operate a pressure cooker. Their temperature measurements and appalling results from top-quality cookers are all tell-tale signs of not understanding WHEN a pressure cooker reaches pressure and HOW low to turn down the heat (they were forcing non-venting cookers vent and running them on a commercial range). It looks like a whole team worked on the book - but if basic knowledge is not learned by the project manager and passed on to the team you get REALLY WEIRD results and pressure cooking times. Personally, I think a lot of knowledge comes with experience and observation. You can't wake up one day and say "let's write a cookbook about pressure cookers" following the same process and testing for writing a cookbook about cookies. ATK should have sent a couple of employees home with a cooker and asked them to cook every meal in it for a year. That organization has a vast repository of ingredient knowledge and talented cooks - had this been combined with intimate knowledge of the pressure cooker and its workings they could have produced a real masterpiece of a cookbook (with new techniques and short-cuts). Pressure cooking is absolutely amazing. Harnessing all the little quirks and advantages of this cooking method and applying it to everyday cooking is something that Lorna Sass and Jill Nussinow started and I hope to continue until everyone has a pressure cooker in their kitchen - and microwave in the garage. ; ) Ciao, L
  5. For the super-geeks, and intensely curious. I just published a researched article about pressure cookers and their PSI Lots of neat info about the true pressure of European-manufactured pressure cookers (it goes down to inches vs. centimeters), why US cookers freaked people out for so long (you can't make a cooker in a bomb factory), and how outside pressure affects what is happening in the pressure cooker (read this if you live in Denver or higher ; ) Pressure Cooker PSI FAQ: stuff you didn’t think to ask http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2013/04/pressure-cooker-psi.html
  6. Thanks Syzigies and Miss Priss! I haven't seen the book, so I can't comment on their braising technique. What are they doing to their red cabbage that can't be done to another? I've been able to braise both regular and savoy cabbage with bacon and beer or stock and thick-cut chops as a one pot meal. My cabbage recipes just need a few minutes in the pressure cooker - maybe they're asking for more? I mentioned earlier that sample recipes I've seen from America's Test Kitchen online kinda do overkill with the cooking times (don't stir the rice or it will get gummy?) and a bit repetitive (nine recipes for mashed potatoes according to their index)! I'm all about getting more pressure cookers in everyone's kitchen and teaching cooks how to use them. So, even if America's Test Kitchen rushed out cookbook capitalizing on a growing trend, it makes me giddy with delight to see them spending their publicity dollars to promote pressure cooking. Go ATK! Ciao, L
  7. Linda, do you mean that it's not shiny any longer, or that some of the stainless steel is actually coming off? What are you using to clean it? Ciao, L
  8. The pressure inside the pressure cooker is in addition to the current atmospheric pressure. At sea level it's 1atm (14.7) + 15psi which is an absolute of 29.7 psi operating pressure . At 5,000 feet the atmospheric pressure is 12.1psi add the pressure cooker pressure you're cooking at an absolute pressure of 27.1 psi. As the altitude increases, the atmospheric pressure decreases, and it has a direct effect on the cooker's operating pressure. I'm finishing up a very detailed article which will include tables for adjusted pressure cooker pressure by altitude and more visually explains all of this with charts and tables. I've been getting a lot of questions and see a lot of confusion so I've gathered them all up into the ultimate PSI FAQ. Will post a link when it's ready if anyone is interested. Ciao, L P.S. I do not recommend in-flight pressure cooking.
  9. If the cooker starts to loose pressure, you've gone too low. It depends on the band and model cooker you have - some don't make ANY noise at all while others make a delicate "ssssss" sound and have the VERY lightest wisp of vapor coming out of the valve. Ciao, L
  10. If all the liquid is evaporating, you're running your cooker too hot. Experiment with water, not dinner or expensive spices, as to how low you can go. Your cooker may even be able to maintain pressure on heat setting 2! It'll take a bit, you you'll find the cooker's sweet spot. Ciao, L
  11. Have you used your pressure cooker for anything else, before and did it work properly? Fagors begin to make a bit of noise WHILE they are reaching pressure. It builds into a crescendo until the little yellow pressure signal is solid to the touch. At that point, you should lower the heat to "low" and begin counting the pressure cooking time. Some thin wisps of vapor and a light "sssssss" sound are normal during the cooker's time under pressure. If the heat is not turned down, the cooker will continue to vent forcefully (and loose liquid) making a loud, forceful and continuous "SHHHHHHH!" sound. Ciao, L
  12. I'm not familiar enough with this recipe to give you proper guidance. Can you tell me what your rice cooker recipe is, and I'll try to translate it to the pressure cooker? Also, how big would each portion be to make16 portions? How large is your pressure cooker? With rice, unfortunately, you should not fill the pressure cooker more than halfway with rice and cooking liquid. Ciao, L
  13. Arborio rice is 2:1 ratio in volume broth:rice in the pressure cooker. So weigh out the rice in a 4-cup measuring cup and note the measurement it reaches, and double the quantity of broth. Use only 1/2 cup white wine. My standard pressure cooker risotto for 4 people is 2 cups arborio, 4 cups broth, 7 minutes high pressure with Normal or cold-water quick release. Just walked by a Harry's bar a couple of weeks ago - never ate there, though. They have one in Rome, too. It's right across the street from the U.S. Embassy in Rome! Ciao, L
  14. Bonkboo, Go to Ideas In Food and type "pressure cooker" in the little search box on the right. I like to browse their recipes with Google image search (I'm very visual). So use this google link, too. Prepare to have mind blown. Ciao, L
  15. Good point about the selection! They could have used Kuhn Rikon's "Bubba" (the 8L braiser) if they wanted shallow and wide. http://kuhnrikon.com/products/pressure_cookers/pressure.php3?id=15 Also, their selection of electric pressure cookers to test was curious. They complained about the non-stick interior, puny size, and spinning inner pot but did not include electrics with stainless steel cooking pots, or the oval 8L electric cooker (which I assume would not spin). Ciao, L
  16. You can read the pressure cooker reviews on the ATK website, now - they were previously pay-to-click: http://www.cooksillu...asp?docid=41600 And the accompanying article, which was always free-to-see: http://www.cooksillu...asp?docid=41600 I have used 5 of the 8 cookers listed - 6 if you count the Euro Vitaquick (which appears to be re-disgned for US) and thoroughly reviewed 2 of them. Can't say that I agree with America's Test kitchen's conclusions. One of the dings is due to apparent user error like "yoyo adjustments" for the Kuhn (user did not find the proper heat setting) and "struggling to maintain pressure" for the Magefesa (the photo of that cooker does not appear to have the valve correctly in place). The "extreme" evaporation from the Kuhn, is due to running the cooker on too-high heat (adjusting a Kuhn is tricky at first - but it's not impossible ). The article makes a big deal about some cookers not reaching 250F (15psi) but don't describe how they actually measured the internal temperature - they write the WMF reached 247F which is a bit strange for 13PSI cooker! Unlike the ATK reviewers, I haven't had any issues with "bulging cookers". I absolutely love the "beer belly" on the Fagor Futuro which accommodates larger cuts of meat without having to go to the expense of getting a pressure braiser (though those are REALLY nice, and REALLY wide!) - no scorching, though I haven't made a crepe in it like ATK testers. I had the most trouble with their "highly recommended" model - the Fagor Duo. It works great, but it's tricky to lock the lid shut and to tell when it has really reached pressure - it's prone to false positives which in turn alerts the cook to turn down the heat too soon. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on their highly recommended model Vitaquick - I only have their Euro model and could never get it to work properly. I reviewed the big- sister the Vitavit and it broke during the review process (it was great while it lasted - except for the laser-beam three-directional pressure release). On the bright side, the US Vitaquick appears to have substantial changes from the Euro model - and if it's anything like the US Blue point (their previous US model) then I expect that it performed quite well. Ciao, L P.S. Did you see the WSJ pressure cooker reviews? One got dinged because it was ugly: http://online.wsj.co...=googlenews_wsj
  17. Here is a recipe list for America's Test Kitchen's upcoming "Pressure Cooker Perfection" Cookbook: http://www.americast...ker-perfection/ BTW, there are 9 mashed-potato, 4 potato salads, 3 mashed squash, 4 Mac & Cheese, and 3 Chicken and Rice recipes - and that's about a qurter of the book, right there! Speaking of Chicken and Rice... here is a sample recipe from the book: http://www.cooksillu...asp?docid=41696 In my opinon, this dish is WAAY overcooked - bone-in chicken pieces only need 8-10 minutes at high pressure - even THAT is too long for long-grain rice. Instead, this recipe pressure cooks both for 15 minutes. Which is probably why the instructions say.. "Once you release pressure, be gentle with the rice to ensure it doesn’t turn gummy. Just sprinkle the peas, parsley, and lemon juice over the top of the rice, cover the pot, let the rice steam and the peas cook through off the heat, then gently fluff the flavorings into the cooked rice with a fork." Translation: don't stir the rice or it will turn to mush. I don't plan to buy the book, but will galdy comment on if ATC sends me one for review (I haven't asked and they haven't offered). I'm interested to read what you think when you get it, though. Ciao, L
  18. Read the description on the page below the photo of the cooker, it only reaches 11.6 psi. Ciao, L
  19. The pressure in the pressure cooker is measured above atmospheric pressure. So, if you are at higher altitude - say 2,000 feet and above which is a lower atmospheric pressure than sea level- the pressure cooker's pressure is also affected. For cooking, the pressure differential between altitudes it is just a matter of adding a minute or two, but for canning and sterilization more rigorous tracking of pressure and time are necessary. Ciao, L
  20. You can make a double-strength stock in the pressure cooker by just covering the ingredients with water. Then, you could strain it and reduce it by half by boiling without the lid and have quadruple strength stock! Don't knock pressure cooker ragu unless you've tried it. The flavor is amazing and - personally - I think it's better. Before, I could not have a good ragu for lunch unless I started cooking at 9am. Now, I can saunter in the kitchen around 11 and have a stunning sauce for tagliatelle or lasagna for lunch! There are faster ways to make pressure cooker ragu - but I'm referring to the Bolognese which requires each ingredient is carefully browned and reduced as it's added to the pot. Ciao, L
  21. You can absolutely pressure cook bolognese... there is no need to reduce broth, you just add less. Here's my pressure cooker ragu Bolognese: http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2010/10/traditional-bolognese-sauce-in-half.html As you can see the time form the original Bolognese is only cut in HALF - because the reduction of each ingredient still needs to be made and only the boiling part is done under pressure. Since things don't bubble and rub together in the cooker, and to prevent scorching, I stop pressure cooking it mid-way, stir, and add a little extra liquid. Ciao, L
  22. It seems from the instruction manual (http://www.kuhnrikon...a_GA_en_esp.pdf) that the Kuhn Rikon Alcea has two pressure RELEASES. One is "slow" which is equivalent of pushing the pressure signal down to release pressure in the classic model, and the other is "fast" which is the equivalent of pulling up the pressure signal in the classic model. The nice thing about the Alcea is that, like Top, you can just flip a switch and walk away. No need to stand there and hold the signal during the whole pressure release operation (one of the very few dings I gave Kuhn in my review of the classic Duromatic). The handle also appears to be significantly updated from previous models to include a correct placement signal - but this only detects if the lid is closed properly, it does not actually lock it --the pressure from gasket while the contents are at pressure do that. Ciao, L
  23. Yes, a light hissing sound is completely normal. However, sometimes, the safety valve might be out of place (or need replacement). So run the cooker without the pretty piece of stainless steel that covers the valves, and check to see if you see any bubbling or vapor escaping around the little round the plug that is offset from the primary safet valve. If you do see any bubbling or vapor around the secondary safety plug, it may need to be cleaned. Eventually, this plug will need to be replaced - mine lasted a year but it gets pretty heavy usage (several times a day). Here is the replacement (in the photo it's upside-down from the way it would ordinarily be put in the lid): http://amzn.to/V2tBF4 Ciao, L
  24. Enrique, thanks for the opportunity to clarify. I assumed ozcook intended a stew cooked "until it's done". In pressure cooking, the meat's and cooking liquids do not evaporate, as with oven roasting or non-pressure boiling. When cooked the appropriate amount of time, the juices remain in the meat and the pressure prevents ANY evaporation. In an over-cooked situation, as Enrique pointed out, even though juices may move out of the meat itself the meat's juices still remain -- but in the PRESSURE COOKER! Enrique, you may have noticed, too, that if you open a pressure cooker with the Normal or Cold-water Quick release and leave the meat uncovered ALL of the super-heated juices quickly evaporate in a fast and aromatic plume of vapor - leaving the meat tough and dry BECAUSE its been pressure cooked! Ciao, L
  25. 2) There is almost no evaporation in pressure cooking (2-3.5% vs 30% at no pressure according to my measurements) and the meat preserves ALL of its juices. Ciao, L
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