Pressure Cookers: 2011 and beyond

[JoNorvelleWalker]

19 hours ago, Susie Q said:

Hi, I'm a long time member but mostly a reader & only rarely a poster. I am just now reading this thread and am very new to pressure cooking.

 

I bought my first PC, a Fissler Vitaquick 8.5, on Amazon Prime Days last week, July 2024. and haven't used it yet.

 

Are parts still available for it like the lid gaskets or a new valve?  Should I return it?

 

I'm only seeing 2 parts listed, a control valve that looks nothing like mine and also a valve gasket set that is out of stock. I don't want to throw good money away on a pot that can't be repaired or it's gaskets replaced.

 

Also, can you use silicone perforated and unperforated baskets and trivet with the stovetop PC or will it melt?

 

Thanks for any and all help. I sure appreciate it.

 

As you mentioned @Susie Q, I am a fan of Fissler.  I have three of their pressure cookers, one of which is the Vitaquick 8.5.  I use a smaller Fissler regularly for a quick pot of Rancho Gordo beans.  Which reminds me I have leftovers to eat up.

 

My remembrance is that Fissler states spare parts will be kept available till at least ten years after a model has been discontinued.  And Fissler does not update models very often.  All the Vita line use one or the other size of the same two gaskets.  If the US website does not show stock, try Europe.  Or Fissler dealers in the US.

 

For any stove top pressure cooker it is important to have an adjustable, if not controllable, heat source.  I have an induction unit called the Paragon.  When I'm cooking beans I close the valve and set the Paragon to 265F.  When 265 is reached and some steam has vented, I lower the Paragon to 236 for the remainder of the cook.  With the Paragon app I can monitor the Fissler temperature from my desk two rooms away, but that is hardly necessary.

 

I hope you love your Fissler as much as I love mine!

 

[Susie Q]

Hi, Thank you so much! I'm wanting to keep a spare gasket on hand just in case. It may stay in its package for years but I'll have it if I need it. 

 

I use a gas stove and usually stay in the kitchen when cooking. I'll be watching the PC like a hawk while doing other cooking tasks.

 

Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Laurentius]

10 hours ago, Susie Q said:

 

I use a gas stove and usually stay in the kitchen when cooking. I'll be watching the PC like a hawk while doing other cooking tasks.

 

I kinda understand the paranoia about pressure cooker safety, but kinda not.  All but the earliest PCs have had pressure relief valves, and most now have built-in redundancy.

 

Older models with the jiggler are nice, because you know they're already releasing pressure--you just dial in the heat to get the occasional movement or spritz of steam. They don't require laser-like watching or faith in some invisible spring.

 

I also think lower-psi units make sense.  I have a PC that runs at 8 psi (as opposed to 15), and is rated for pressure frying/broasting.  The lower pressure is safer, and doesn't substantially lengthen cooking times.