Anonymous Modernist 10280

Hi Judy, Any particular reason for the 210 and not the 215? The 215 is about $100 more in the US, and has a rotary oil pump rather than the dry piston pump of the 210. This should provide for better vacuum as well as overall longevity of the device. The VP210C does seem like a capable device, but with the upgrade being only $100 more (in the US, at the time of this posting), is there a reason to shy away from the upgrade? Or is your recommendation based on the generally more available (and directly from Amazon, which is a plus) 210? EDIT: From the Vacmaster site (http://vacmaster.aryvacmaster.com/cgi/ary.wsc/product.htm?p-item-num=VP215C#tabtop): "While the VP210 and the VP215 look very similar in design and specifications, the primary difference in the two machines is the vacuum pump. The VP210 features a maintenance-free, 2-cylinder piston pump. The VP215 uses a powerful, 1/4 HP rotary oil pump. While the VP215 is more efficient and runs more smoothly and quietly, it requires oil changes approximately 2 times a year depending on use. The VP210 does not require regular maintenance." So for 100 bucks, you get a more powerful and longer lasting pump, but with the burden of a bit of maintenance.

Thanks pazzaglia. And I have seen that link LFMichaud, I'm just hoping not to have to break open the electric and crank it up to an untested value on something that holds 250 degree liquid at pressure. At this point the durability of a normal stove top model has me leaning that way, as the more I read through MC, the more that browning or finishing things on the stove seem important, and the ability to use normal utensils without worrying about a nonstick surface is also appealing. My main remaining concern is that I'll have to fiddle with the heat constantly to figure out what stove settings end up with what pressure given what contents, but nobody has really been voicing concern with that anywhere, so I'm guessing it isn't really a problem.

I funded this as well. They're delayed now into a March 2013 delivery, but do seem to be making progress. At $359 retail (post Kickstarter project), this should open immersion circulation to a larger crowd for sure.

Of course the hard core MC crowd will lean towards Kuhn, but are there any success stories of someone using any of the common electric pressure cookers (Cuisinart in particular)? I'm anticipating use mostly for stocks, meats, and beans/grains, where I _think_ precise times are less important (maybe I'm wrong?). I don't anticipate shorter cook time items like veggies, although of course this may change once I actually start using it. Anyone on this forum able to say anything nice about electric pressure cookers, or are they truly a lost cause in the eyes of the MC crowd? EDIT: I asked on this thread, even though it wasn't about electrics, due to the first objection to most electrics being a ~10psi maximum pressure.