Anonymous Modernist 10142

P.S. to Mike, you probably already noticed that pressure cooking on induction comes with a new set of "problems" - the cookers reach pressure so quickly on induction that almost none of that "cooking while coming up to pressure" is taking place. So, following a "traditional" cooking time (written for a pressure cooker on gas or electric) will result in under-cooked food. I don't want to turn this into a link-to-me-fest. But I wrote an article about the timing adjustments that need to be made according to cook top. In brief: 2-3 minutes extra need to be added to the pressure cooking time to compensate.

Altorg, have you seen InstantPot? It's an electric pressure cooker with a stainless steel interior - I'm testing one now and like it overall but having mixed results with some of my more advanced pressure cooker recipes (pasta cooked with sauce and risotto) and am working with the manufacturer to figure out what is going on. Mike, I agree! Both electric and induction and electric cook-tops help in the heat regulation of a pressure cooker. All you need to figure out the right heat setting once, remember the number or wattage of the lowest-heat-possible-to-maintain-pressure and it's easily repeatable time, and time again. To answer your question, yes an extra-large pressure cooker can affect a pressure cooker recipe two ways: The first difference of using a larger versus a smaller cooker is the higher the minimum liquid requirement. For example, a 2.5L Kuhn Rikon may only need half a cup of liquid (125ml) to reach pressure, while a 6L needs a little less than a cup (200ml) and an 8L a little more (300ml). European manufacturers don't make pressure cookers any bigger than 10L for the home use but for comparative purposes an AllAmrican Pressure Cooker Canner with the equivalent capacity of 20L states in it's instructions that it needs at least 6 cups (or 2,500ml) of liquid to build pressure. The minimum liquid requirement is a non-issue if you only plan to boil and steam food in the pressure cooker. But it can make a notable difference if the goal is to braise and roast. The second difference of using a larger versus smaller cooker is the extra stainless steel that needs to be heated. More stainless steel equals more time to pressure. I measured the time to pressure between the 2.5L and 5L Kuhn Rikon on a gas burner - each with their minimum amount of liquid. On average, the larger pressure cooker took 1 1/2 minutes longer to reach pressure. As the cooker size grows, so will the time needed to reach pressure. This is "growing" difference between pressure cooker sizes is a non-issue for long-cooking foods, roasts, legumes, ect. But remember, the food is already cooking WHILE the pressure cooker is reaching pressure. So for vegetables or any short-cooking food the extra time to pressure could throw off the timing. I hope this answers your question about the technical differences between cooking with a smaller vs. larger pressure cooker. Ciao, L

A pressure cooker would only burn and not ferment the garlic. It would "look" black, but it wouldn't "taste" black. I've read that you can do black garlic in the oven, too. So you could just SousVide it, and when you need to use the machine just move the garlic to the oven to keep the fermentation process going. Ciao, L

Generally, once you find the "sweet spot" (and it is very narrow spot with the Kuhn Rikon) you'll have a feel how big the flame or what heat setting the pressure cooker needs to maintain pressure and not loose it or over-pressurize. This usually takes a few recipes to figure out - only thing I don't like about stove tops there is a steep learning curve right at the beginning and many people give up and send back the pressure cooker. In other words, make a few easy recipes with cheap ingredients (ie. potatoes, carrots) until you figure it out. No sense in pressure cooking $50 worth of pine nuts and risk turning them into porrige because you forgot to to turn down the heat once the cooker has reached pressure. Ciao, L

I forgot to mention the best part about induction burners (at least the portable ones) is the timer feature. It allows you to "automate" your stove top pressure cooker. When the cooker reaches pressure, just type in the "pressure cooking time" in the induction unit. When the cooking time is finished, it will beep, turn off the heat and begin the "natural release" all by itself. LOVE IT. Lharris, do the induction ranges also have a timer for each burner? Ciao, L

Altorg, Ideas In Food actually support the use of electrics - they PREFER them to stove tops. Aki and Alex were even able to get some decent caramelized Roux from one: http://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2010/02/roux-in-a-jar.html Ideas in Food have tons of pressure cooker recipes and techniques. Just type "pressure cooker" in their search box to start the fun. I personally have an 11.6psi electric and am really enjoying it - but it is far from my primary cooker. Here is an article describing the benefits and drawbacks of stove top vs. electrics - psi isn't the only thing that differs: http://bit.ly/RnbKHb Richard, I have not personally used TOP, but I can confirm that the valve in that model is the same as the other - it's a spring non-venting valve. The advantage of the "Top" over the "Duromatic" is that the normal release is a bit simpler to do. You can twist the top and release pressure automatically, instead of standing there and pushing a button in the middle of the lid for two minutes. Ciao, L

Prego! Can't wait to read what you're going to do with your new pressure cooker! Ciao, L

Did you buy one yet? Why not get the R set 5 and 2L that share the same pressure cooking top. For stocks you can make them really concentrated (easier for storing, too). I fill the pressure cooker to almost the max fill line (that's 2/3 of the capacity) with bones, veggies and spices and then only add just enough water to cover. This makes a 2x concentrated stock. Just freeze in disposable cups. Then add the same amount of water when using (or not for a super strong flavor). Ciao, L P.S. For pressure cooking legumes, grain and any other foods that expand, the pressure cooker should not be filled more than HALF capacity.

Me, too! I love my induction burner. Too bad my 36" range is only two years old. Would chuck it in a minute and replace everything with induction if I had the chance! Ciao, L

Have you tried pressure cooking pasta in tomato sauce? It's fantastic because the pasta absorbs all of the sauce - maybe a little more rustic than centrifuged tomato water soaked pasta but definitely faster and with amazing flavor. Ciao, L

I wrote a detailed technical review of the Kuhn Rikon Pressure cooker (http://bit.ly/SYf5PB). They make the same model for US and Europe. You are correct, the second red ring is not 15psi. However, the rod continues to rise until the cooker's overpressure safety mechanism kicks-in at 17.4 psi. You can lower the heat and maintain pressure at any point on that bar. In the "performance and durability" section of the review there is an illustration of what the bar should look like at 15psi - a little more than the distance between the first and second bar. Although I do not have any WMF's in-house I have examined them on display at the Milan Housewares show. I can share my experience with Fissler - a similarly fancy featured German pressure cooker. I have used over 20 different pressure cooker models and have found that the more complex the mechanisms the more likely there is to be a defect in manufacturing or opportunity for something to go wrong. The fancier they are, the more moving parts there are to break. I loved the Kuhn Rikon for its simplicity before reviewing it but was absolutely *enthralled* to carefully study each mechanism and discover little touches that make it truly special. For example, using the gasket's own pressure to lock the cooker closed instead of a fancy spring button mechanism. Another advantage that is not talked about much is that the Kuhn Rikon pressure regulator is COMPLETELY metal. All the parts that regulate pressure are metal - except for a piece at the end of the rod that is plastic so as not to burn the cook. For me, this all-mental valve is important because I use the cookers really hard and have been known to accidentally set one on fire (and yes, the bake-a-lite and silicone pressure regulator on THAT one melted) - BTW don't pressure cook food with liquor on a gas burner. Another consideration, should be replacement parts. You won't need to replace the gasket and safety valves often, but you WILL need to eventually. If you purchase the WMF pressure cooker designed for Europe get ready to order replacement parts from Germany. Kuhn Rikon has replacement parts on amazon and you can get them next-day delivery. Finally, cooking time in the pressure cooker is really based on the DENSITY and not heat applied to the food. No matter how others have tried to make it "formulaic" they really can't. It depends on each food and cooking method used (boiling, braising or steaming). For example, I have pressure cooked the same risotto recipe for 7 minutes at 9, 11, 13 and 15 psi and it comes out nearly the same - rice is not very dense. But, instead if I pressure cook soaked chickpeas they can take 20 @ 9psi, 15 minutes @ 13psi and just 13 minutes @ 15psi. Once you get pressure cooking you'll come to rely on the cooking times listed in YOUR pressure cooker's manual, or I recommend referring to a comprehensive pressure cooking time chart (http://bit.ly/QpPLji). I hope to have demystified this for you enough for you to feel confident in your final pressure cooker choice. Ciao, L