Pressure Cookers: brands, sizes, features

[mexigaf]

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPC-600-10...00279426&sr=8-1

This is a great simple to use electric pressure cooker that we use for infusions and quick vegetable braises.

Its a little on the expensive side but it makes absolutely no noise which is really nice. Not to mention that it can brown and keep things warm after you finish cooking.

Edited January 14, 2008 by mexigaf (log)

[Genny]

I have a Fagor 8qt and use it often.  I now have the opportunity to make things like braised meats and beans during the week after a long day at work and eat in a reasonable time.

←

Aha! That is exactly what I was hoping for! How long does it take to braise something like short ribs, a roast, or veal shanks?

[weinoo]

I own an 8 qt. Fagor as well, and it works well.

Lots of things can be cooked in under an hour.

[scubadoo97]

How long does it take to braise something like short ribs, a roast, or veal shanks?

←

I have done short ribs, chunks of chuck and lamb shoulder. I usually cook it for about an hour. They do come out fork tender but I think there is more depth of flavor when braised in the oven. It came in handy over the summer when it was hard to keep the house below 78 degree. Not a time you want to burn your oven for a few hours.

[Vicious Wadd]

I purchased a Fagor a couple of years ago. I probably use it every few weeks, mostly in the winter.

I've had good success making risotto. But I think where it really pays dividends is with stews. Brown the stew meat in the cooker just like a regular pot and then add your veggies, herbs, stock and a bottle of good stout, and you've got a nice hearty stew in 20-25 minutes. (If I add frozen peas, I just stir those in after the stew is finished and let stand a few minutes.)

I also like to use it to quick-braise meats. A pork loin mixed with some tomatoes, onions, spices, etc. is great out of the pressure cooker and can be shredded for soft tacos or served over some steamed rice.

One more thing: I try to avoid using very fatty cuts of meat, as the inability to skim during cooking, mixed with the fact the pressure cooker is heating above the standard boling point, means the fats are going to emulsify into the cooking liquid. Once the lid is off, there not much you're going to be able to do clarify it.

Edited January 16, 2008 by Vicious Wadd (log)

[thock]

I was recently given a T-Fal Safe 2 pressure cooker by an acquaintance. I think she gave it to me because it had stuff burned on it, and since they were moving, she didn't want to deal with it. I've cleaned it up pretty well, but there were no instructions with it, and no parts list. I've e-mailed a supplier of parts for my pressure cooker in hopes they will have a diagram/parts list to share with me.

Anyhow, does anyone else have a T-Fal pressure cooker? If so, how do you like it?

[DerekW]

I was recently given a T-Fal Safe 2 pressure cooker... there were no instructions with it

Did you find this page with downloadable instructions?

[thock]

No, I hadn't. Thank you! It doesn't look like they have the manual for my model. Hopefully, T-Fal will respond to my online inquiry, though. The parts supplier couldn't help me.

[paulraphael]

This post in the Cooking Issues blog shows how different pressure cookers effect the outcome of stocks. Dramatically, it seems: Arnold found that pressure cooked stocks were better than conventional ones when he made them at home, but worse when he made them in the kitchen at the French Culinary Academy. A bunch of sleuthing turned up differences in the pressure reguators between the Iwatani type, the Fagor, and Kuhn Rikon.

In his tests the Kuhn Rikon was superior, which saddens me ... they're expensive.

Edited December 6, 2009 by paulraphael (log)

[Mallet]

This post in the Cooking Issues blog shows how different pressure cookers effect the outcome of stocks. Dramatically, it seems: Arnold found that pressure cooked stocks were better than conventional ones when he made them at home, but worse when he made them in the kitchen at the French Culinary Academy. A bunch of sleuthing turned up differences in the pressure reguators between the Iwatani type, the Fagor, and Kuhn Rikon.

In his tests the Kuhn Rikon was superior, which saddens me ... they're expensive.

This article clinched the Kuhn Rikon for me, as I am primarily planning to use it for stocks and stews. I went with the 8 Qt Duromatic, should be getting it in a few weeks.

[...tm...]

I'm looking for a pressure cooker to use primarily for beans/stocks but infrequently use for canning. I am single and have a standard apartments sized refrigerator/freezer, so even making 6 qt of anything is a massive quantity to me. Does anyone have a pressure canner they think would be good for this dual purpose? It seems to me from reading reviews and this thread that I want something that is stainless steel, has at least two pressure settings, and is no bigger than 12 qt. Right now this Fagor 10 qt is the leading contender. Does anyone know if it fits standard pint-sized canning jars?

[thock]

It is not safe to use a small pressure cooker to can. It is too quick to heat up and doesn't allow for enough processing time. If you want to pressure can, get a pressure canner. Presto makes a 23 quart canner for about $130-ish, and All American makes another one for a bit more. I found an All American canner on Amazon with a busted box for a significant discount over a "perfect" one, and the ONLY thing wrong with it was that the box had a hole in it. Both are aluminum canners. The Presto takes a rubber gasket, but the All American does not require a gasket, which is why I went with it. It's also a tank. It's significantly thicker than the Presto (I've seen them side-by-side).

You can use the pressure canner to pressure cook, but not the other way around. Take a look at this link for more information, and do some searching on your own to verify.

Edited December 14, 2009 by thock (log)

[paulraphael]

So, the Cooking Issues blog demonstrates that there are significant differences in the quality of results from different pressure cookers. Of the three different types they tested, Kuhn Rikon was the clear winner. The distinction was the type of pressure regulating mechanism. Does anyone know of other (prefferably cheaper) brands that use the same type of mechanism?

[Richard Kilgore]

A 12 qt KR is now on my 2010 wishlist. Unless someone comes up with an equivalent for significantly less.

[Mallet]

I've had my 8Qt KRfor all of 2 days now. I really like it so far (having used it twice ), and definitely would not want to go with anything smaller. It's whisper-quiet, unlike the jiggle-top cooker my friend has.

[qrn]

I will take a shot at the TFal question above...I have one that is probably 20 years old...Only used it 5 or 6 hundred times,,, I am at 5400' altitude, and in order to get 15 psi and 240º it needs 3 quarters on the top of the pressure valve....great unit...still the original gaskets..

Bud

[thock]

Awesome, thanks! I finally got a copy of the manual from T-Fal, and I ordered the missing pressure regulator. It appears that it's a 13-pound regulator, so the addition of the quarters seems about right. I'm glad you have had success with it.

[vice]

Has anyone with a Kuhn Rikon used it for pressure canning? Their own product info is something of a mixed message:

A pressure canner is a specially made heavy pot that has a lid that can be closed steam tight. The lid is fitted with a vent (or petcock), a dial or weighted pressure gauge and a safety fuse. Newer models have an extra coverlock as an added precaution. It may or may not have a gasket. The pressure canner also has a rack to keep jars from bumping into each other causing possible breakage. Because each type of canner is different, be sure to read the directions for operating your canner. Kuhn Rikon does not manufacture a pressure canner.

They do list canning as a suggested use for some of their models, and Amazon sometimes gives pint and quart jar capacities, but I'm not sure I want to take that at face value.