Pressure Cookers: 2011 and beyond

[IEATRIO]

Haven't posted anything in a good long while, so figured I would say how much I like my Fissler Vitaquick.  I still see lots of well known cooking personalities reflexively recommend the Kuhn Rikon, which I think is based upon its extensive use and endorsement in the Modernist Cuisine books -- which are now decade old information.  I think though that if you compare the construction and functionality of the current KR to the current Fissler, it's not a hard choice between the two, and the Fissler is very obviously superior.  I certainly enjoy using Fissler more than the KR, which seems flimsy and clunky in comparison, for about the same price.

[jaw]

i got my fissler stuff. haven't used it yet, but it looks very nice!

 

 

^ btw, the handle swap was a success.

 

[jaw]

going back to the topic of fissler valve pressure from years ago...

 

despite being told that US models aren't being sold anymore (see a few posts back), i received a 10L vitavit premium directly from fissler usa's online shop with US stamped on the lid (handle is removed in this pic):

 

 

i'm guessing 2919 is a date code, but i don't know how to interpret it. perhaps day 291 of 2019?

 

the GB/EU manual says:

 

Quote

 

 

Setting 1: 45 kPa, 110°C (6.67 psi, 230°F)

Setting 2: 75 kPa, 116°C (10.9 psi, 241°F)

Overpressure limit not stated

 

 

on a european parts shop, i found a picture of the underside of the main "traffic light" control valve:

 

 

if you look very carefully, you can see it's stamped 75 kPa which references "Setting 2".

 

the printed USA manual that came with my cooker says:

 

Quote

 

 

Setting 1: 35 kPa, 108°C (6.67 psi, 226°F)

Setting 2: 50 kPa, 111°C (7.25 psi, 233°F)

Overpressure limit: 100 kPa (14.5 psi)

 

 

curiously, the underside of my control valve is stamped 60 kPa:

 

 

this suggests that my valve's high setting is probably:

 

Setting 2: 60 kPa, 113°C (8.70 psi, 236°F)

which disagrees with the manual provided.

 

maybe someone will find this interesting.

 

ok, and now for the million dollar question: should i actually care that my shiny new pressure cooker only goes to 60 kPa / 8.7 psi (or if the manual is correct, 50 kPa / 7.25 psi)? does food really take that much longer to cook? conversely, could the lower temperature actually be a good thing (degrades delicate volatiles less)?

 

i guess i could always order a spare 75 kPa valve from europe if i really want.

Edited November 11, 2020 by jaw (log)

[tcdo]

Huh. My control valve says it’s 115kPa - see attached photo. Slightly different SKU, too. This is from an 8.5qt Vitavit (2019 model) ordered from fisslerusa.com in Jan. 2022. The control valve seems slightly askew - the front edge of the red just barely shows when I hit overpressure.

 

I tried contacting Fissler US customer support via email about pressure back when I bought the PC but never got a reply. I figured worst case scenario the Cooks’ Illustrated intern (or staffer) who had tested the Vitaquick hadn’t read its manual carefully and ran it like I used to run my 8qt Fagor (which I had to get rid of when I couldn’t get a new gasket for it): heated to a gentle vent at 15kPa. In a year of light use it’s done a fine job.

 

I think this week I’ll try half a pound of soaked garbanzos as recommended above in this thread. My prediction is they’ll be fully cooked in 13 minutes. (Among other things, a larger cooker takes longer to come up to pressure, so beans cooked 13 minutes at pressure in an 8.5L will cook more than in a 6L or smaller.)

 

Fissler now sell both my control valve and a slightly different one for the 2020- models for $10 less. The SKU on the website matches my instruction booklet but not the SKU in these photos - maybe the latter is part of the control valve?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, tcdo said:

Huh. My control valve says it’s 115kPa - see attached photo. Slightly different SKU, too. This is from an 8.5qt Vitavit (2019 model) ordered from fisslerusa.com in Jan. 2022. The control valve seems slightly askew - the front edge of the red just barely shows when I hit overpressure.

 

I tried contacting Fissler US customer support via email about pressure back when I bought the PC but never got a reply. I figured worst case scenario the Cooks’ Illustrated intern (or staffer) who had tested the Vitaquick hadn’t read its manual carefully and ran it like I used to run my 8qt Fagor (which I had to get rid of when I couldn’t get a new gasket for it): heated to a gentle vent at 15kPa. In a year of light use it’s done a fine job.

 

I think this week I’ll try half a pound of soaked garbanzos as recommended above in this thread. My prediction is they’ll be fully cooked in 13 minutes. (Among other things, a larger cooker takes longer to come up to pressure, so beans cooked 13 minutes at pressure in an 8.5L will cook more than in a 6L or smaller.)

 

Fissler now sell both my control valve and a slightly different one for the 2020- models for $10 less. The SKU on the website matches my instruction booklet but not the SKU in these photos - maybe the latter is part of the control valve?

 

Mine says 60, which would be 8.7 PSI.  Not sure what to believe.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last night I cooked up a mess of Rancho Gordo Mayocoba beans.  My poor Fissler was audibly venting more steam than I expected, which is why I took the valve apart to clean it, and to run the lid through the dishwasher.  When I visited the Fissler USA site just now I saw only one applicable valve.  I would love to get a higher pressure replacement.