Pressure Cookers: 2011 and beyond

[avaserfi]

I just got my Rikon duromatic and am testing it out. I was under the impression that these units are silent unless brought to too high of a pressure. Mine gives off a constant, slight hissing sound (seems to be from the top valve) which I assume is pressure release. Is this normal? I was under the impression that this is not supposed to happen. This hissing starts to occur as soon after the pressure indicator begins to rise and is present regardless of pressure.

No, it is not normal. Constant hissing means that it is operating over-pressure and it is releasing the excess pressure.

Make sure to turn the heat down ALOT after the pan reaches the ring of the desired pressure (just when the ring appears out of the hole). I have a gas stove-top and even the lowest setting is not low enough, I have to turn the handle it past Max to minimize the flame even more. Another trick (especially if you have an electric range), is to simply move the pan over to a smaller burner with less heat. It will take a few recipes to get the hang of it and hit the "sweet spot" of heat that is as low as it can go without loosing pressure (the signal going down) or kicking-in the over pressure safety (release steam that hisses).

Ciao!

L

I must have a defective unit then. Mine gives off the hiss as soon as the pressure valve starts to rise and never stops. I've had it balanced with just the second barely showing and it still hissed. I will call Kuhn today to work out the problem.

[pazzaglia]

No, it is not normal. Constant hissing means that it is operating over-pressure and it is releasing the excess pressure.

Make sure to turn the heat down ALOT after the pan reaches the ring of the desired pressure (just when the ring appears out of the hole). I have a gas stove-top and even the lowest setting is not low enough, I have to turn the handle it past Max to minimize the flame even more. Another trick (especially if you have an electric range), is to simply move the pan over to a smaller burner with less heat. It will take a few recipes to get the hang of it and hit the "sweet spot" of heat that is as low as it can go without loosing pressure (the signal going down) or kicking-in the over pressure safety (release steam that hisses).

Ciao!

L

I must have a defective unit then. Mine gives off the hiss as soon as the pressure valve starts to rise and never stops. I've had it balanced with just the second barely showing and it still hissed. I will call Kuhn today to work out the problem.

Vapor should exit from the valve right before it begins to build pressure. Then, as the indicator begins to rise, there should not be any more vapor exiting until it has risen too much, and then it begins to exit again. The only other thing I can think it could be would be the pot being filled with liquid beyond the "max" line etched inside the pot.

I hope that Khun Rikon will get you taken care of and pressure cooking, again, soon!

L

[OliverB]

Thanks pazzaglia and others, that's great info! I overlooked the aluminum issue, definitely a no no. I don't can much, well, not at all with pressure so far, but it's something I like to explore. I love making pickles, mostly make the quick ones that need to stay in the fridge, and my fridge is tiny, so something that stores in the pantry makes more sense.

I think I'll put that Fagor on my wishlist, seems to be exactly what I'm looking for, thank you so much!!

Oliver

[Jose Nieves]

I just got my Rikon duromatic and am testing it out. I was under the impression that these units are silent unless brought to too high of a pressure. Mine gives off a constant, slight hissing sound (seems to be from the top valve) which I assume is pressure release. Is this normal? I was under the impression that this is not supposed to happen. This hissing starts to occur as soon after the pressure indicator begins to rise and is present regardless of pressure.

No, it is not normal. Constant hissing means that it is operating over-pressure and it is releasing the excess pressure.

Make sure to turn the heat down ALOT after the pan reaches the ring of the desired pressure (just when the ring appears out of the hole). I have a gas stove-top and even the lowest setting is not low enough, I have to turn the handle it past Max to minimize the flame even more. Another trick (especially if you have an electric range), is to simply move the pan over to a smaller burner with less heat. It will take a few recipes to get the hang of it and hit the "sweet spot" of heat that is as low as it can go without loosing pressure (the signal going down) or kicking-in the over pressure safety (release steam that hisses).

Ciao!

L

I must have a defective unit then. Mine gives off the hiss as soon as the pressure valve starts to rise and never stops. I've had it balanced with just the second barely showing and it still hissed. I will call Kuhn today to work out the problem.

Have you given the valve a looksie? Mine gets stuck ever so often even though I clean it quite regularly. A little twist or pull when it's starting to build pressure and it's back to normal.

[Jose Nieves]

I just did medium boiled eggs using Laura's recommendations and was very impressed on how easy it was to peel my fresh (still warm from Ms. Cluck Cluck) eggs.

[pazzaglia]

I just did medium boiled eggs using Laura's recommendations and was very impressed on how easy it was to peel my fresh (still warm from Ms. Cluck Cluck) eggs.

Where is the "yaay!" button? I enjoy hearing about successes (and failures, too)!

Here is the link again, for anyone who is interested...

Soft, Medium & Hard Boiled Eggs in the Pressure Cooker-my recipe ode to Modernist Cuisine

Ciao,

L

[Todd in Chicago]

I just got my Rikon duromatic and am testing it out. I was under the impression that these units are silent unless brought to too high of a pressure. Mine gives off a constant, slight hissing sound (seems to be from the top valve) which I assume is pressure release. Is this normal? I was under the impression that this is not supposed to happen. This hissing starts to occur as soon after the pressure indicator begins to rise and is present regardless of pressure.

Hi there Avaserfi...

I just picked up a Kuhn Rikon Duromatic today and made the carrot soup as presented in "Modernist Cuisine". I've never used a pressure cooker before so was a bit cautious. I must say mine worked flawlessly. I had the pressure cooker on a burner smaller than the circumfrence of the cooker and on my gas stove around med-high. Once the top "popped up" and went to the second ring, I immediately lowered the heat to almost as low as it would go to see if I would lose pressure - I didn't, so I put it on as low as it would go. The pressure remained steady at the second ring for the entire cooking time (50) minutes. No sound at all - virtually silent.

BTW....the carrot soup was outta this world!

Todd in Chicago

[JBailey]

Todd

Did Northwestern have a second one on the shelf? Like you, I have been cautious and conservative about that particular piece of equipment having heard too many tales from years ago about 'pressure cooker painted' ceilings as I wrote elsehwere. Maybe now is the time to invest in a pressure cooker.

[avaserfi]

I just got my Rikon duromatic and am testing it out. I was under the impression that these units are silent unless brought to too high of a pressure. Mine gives off a constant, slight hissing sound (seems to be from the top valve) which I assume is pressure release. Is this normal? I was under the impression that this is not supposed to happen. This hissing starts to occur as soon after the pressure indicator begins to rise and is present regardless of pressure.

No, it is not normal. Constant hissing means that it is operating over-pressure and it is releasing the excess pressure.

Make sure to turn the heat down ALOT after the pan reaches the ring of the desired pressure (just when the ring appears out of the hole). I have a gas stove-top and even the lowest setting is not low enough, I have to turn the handle it past Max to minimize the flame even more. Another trick (especially if you have an electric range), is to simply move the pan over to a smaller burner with less heat. It will take a few recipes to get the hang of it and hit the "sweet spot" of heat that is as low as it can go without loosing pressure (the signal going down) or kicking-in the over pressure safety (release steam that hisses).

Ciao!

L

I must have a defective unit then. Mine gives off the hiss as soon as the pressure valve starts to rise and never stops. I've had it balanced with just the second barely showing and it still hissed. I will call Kuhn today to work out the problem.

Have you given the valve a looksie? Mine gets stuck ever so often even though I clean it quite regularly. A little twist or pull when it's starting to build pressure and it's back to normal.

I pulled the valve apart and everything looks fine from the little I know about pressure cookers. I did try pushing and pulling the indicator while it was on, but that didn't seem to help in the long term. The hissing would stop temporarily and start up again.

I just got my Rikon duromatic and am testing it out. I was under the impression that these units are silent unless brought to too high of a pressure. Mine gives off a constant, slight hissing sound (seems to be from the top valve) which I assume is pressure release. Is this normal? I was under the impression that this is not supposed to happen. This hissing starts to occur as soon after the pressure indicator begins to rise and is present regardless of pressure.

Hi there Avaserfi...

I just picked up a Kuhn Rikon Duromatic today and made the carrot soup as presented in "Modernist Cuisine". I've never used a pressure cooker before so was a bit cautious. I must say mine worked flawlessly. I had the pressure cooker on a burner smaller than the circumfrence of the cooker and on my gas stove around med-high. Once the top "popped up" and went to the second ring, I immediately lowered the heat to almost as low as it would go to see if I would lose pressure - I didn't, so I put it on as low as it would go. The pressure remained steady at the second ring for the entire cooking time (50) minutes. No sound at all - virtually silent.

BTW....the carrot soup was outta this world!

Todd in Chicago

Thanks for letting me know. It sounds like I got a defective unit. The problem is being taken care of. Soon I should have a fully operational cooker!

[JBailey]

I just happened to look at Carol Blymire's Alinea at Home. She is making a truffle stock that requires the use of a pressure cooker. Carol Blymire has managed to create a very successful 'using a pressure cooker' tutorial. Maybe I now have a bit more confidence to buy one and try using it with the great visuals she has shared.

[Todd in Chicago]

Todd

Did Northwestern have a second one on the shelf? Like you, I have been cautious and conservative about that particular piece of equipment having heard too many tales from years ago about 'pressure cooker painted' ceilings as I wrote elsehwere. Maybe now is the time to invest in a pressure cooker.

JBailey...

Yes they did! They had one more on the shelf, $223 - they also had the 5 quart one which was $189 or $199. I was pretty surprised to find the price on line with Amazon as it usually seems most things on Amazon are able to be had for at least a bit cheaper. A little off topic but I first walked in I saw a Kikuchi 9.5 inch sushi knife on sale for $149 and was almost going to get that before I saw the pressure cooker. I needed to make a decision between the knife and the cooker and of course I realized that I really LIKED the knife but don't really NEED the knife...so the pressure cooker was more or less a no-brainer. ;-)

Todd in Chicago

[Todd in Chicago]

I just happened to look at Carol Blymire's Alinea at Home. She is making a truffle stock that requires the use of a pressure cooker. Carol Blymire has managed to create a very successful 'using a pressure cooker' tutorial. Maybe I now have a bit more confidence to buy one and try using it with the great visuals she has shared.

JBailey...

Thanks for that link. I must say I had visions of exploding pots as well, and let me tell you I was VERY cautious when twisting the handles to "free" the lid from the cooker. After my first attempt at using this, it really helped put those feelings back in check. Obviously one needs to take the proper precautions, but pressure cookers have been used for many years and the advances in the technology now are very good. This does not mean an accident cannot happen, but if you use common sense and follow the directions, I think these can be very safe. I can't wait to try more recipes using this device. Tonight though, pork chops sousvide (pork from "The Butcher and the Larder" on Milwaukee). Big thick inch and half chops, as they said "the hog was walking around on Monday, had a bad day on Tuesday, and was in the shop on Wednesday".

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

[avaserfi]

I just got around to testing my replacement cooker today. It seems better than the first and I'm probably being over vigilante, but at pressure there is a very subtle hiss and occasionally vapor is visible on the steam guard. According to Kuhn, this is normal operation.

Below are two pictures, showing the pressure settings I used when testing for any hiss - it was present in both. Also linked is an out of focus video, but you can hear the hiss in it and see the wisp of vapor I am talking about (around 4-5 seconds on). I am under the impression that the first photo is the proper setting for pressure, but I tried both.

So am I being crazy or is this normal?

[Todd in Chicago]

I just got around to testing my replacement cooker today. It seems better than the first and I'm probably being over vigilante, but at pressure there is a very subtle hiss and occasionally vapor is visible on the steam guard. According to Kuhn, this is normal operation.

Below are two pictures, showing the pressure settings I used when testing for any hiss - it was present in both. Also linked is an out of focus video, but you can hear the hiss in it and see the wisp of vapor I am talking about (around 4-5 seconds on). I am under the impression that the first photo is the proper setting for pressure, but I tried both.

So am I being crazy or is this normal?

Avaserfi.....

I thought we had the same models, but I guess I was mistaken. Yours looks differnt than mine. My top is like this (this is my model actually): http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM1014021201P?sid=IDx20101019x00001b&srccode=cii_18492716&cpncode=21-107544885-2

I could swear that when I made the carrot soup, it was virtually silent. So unfortunately since we have different models I cannot tell you if that is normal, but I would guess if Kuhn says it is....than...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago

[AaronM]

Had to order a new seal ring for the used Fissler set I got.

Apparently someone had cooked Indian in it and the curry scent is pretty powerful.

[Jose Nieves]

Todd,

Yours is their "Top" model and Andrew has a regular one. Any chance you could take some pictures of the knob when pressure has been achieved? Is the quick release as easy to use as they mention?

[Todd in Chicago]

Todd,

Yours is their "Top" model and Andrew has a regular one. Any chance you could take some pictures of the knob when pressure has been achieved? Is the quick release as easy to use as they mention?

I can try to take some pictures later tonight, but I can tell you I used the normal release (not quick), and it seemed like it only took 60 - 90 seconds to be released. It was very - just pull up slightly on the top and twist. Looking back on it, it was very funny how cautious I was with twisting the handles to open the pot.....AFTER the pressure had been released....as if I didn't trust it. Super easy, super simple.

Todd in Chicago

[BarbaraY]

I bought the Wolfgang Puck electric pressure cooker about a year ago. I love corned beef cooked in it as it's our favorite sandwich meat. I also use it for pot roasts, stews, etc. The only vegetables that I find it good for are artichokes. I often see recipes for things like asparagus which I find totally ridiculous as it cooks so fast using normal methods that it would easily overcook under pressure.

As to the cooker itself, I wouldn't buy another as the controls are a pain to program. For instance if you want to cook something for 1 hour it has to be set at 59 minutes. If another minute is added it returns to 0.

Other than that it does the job very well so far. I have retired the ancient Presto that we used for many,many years but don't have the heart to throw it out. I guess if the power were out I could go ahead and cook in it in a pinch.

[Todd in Chicago]

Todd,

Yours is their "Top" model and Andrew has a regular one. Any chance you could take some pictures of the knob when pressure has been achieved? Is the quick release as easy to use as they mention?

Jose...

My Kuhn Rikon Duromatic

Please note that in this video link I am holding my phone (camera) in one hand, so it may look more difficult than it is - but it is really easy. Also, note at the beginning, there really is no sound coming from the pressure cooker once it is up to pressure. The sound in the video is a wonky kitchen exhaust problem. In the middle of the segment I release the valve in "partial", and then to speed the process up I open it in "full". The last segment shows removing top. Sorry for the video, a Martin Scorcese I am not!

Todd in Chicago

[Big Mike]

I just got a used Manttra for $10. I wanted to get a cheap one to play with before going in for a high end model. Nice thing is it has two cooking vessels that both fit the lid; one is 4 quarts and the other is 6.5 quarts.

It is made from aluminum so I'm kind of limited to what I can cook in it. I was going to make ossobuco this weekend but am concerned that the wine and tomatoes will react adversely. What's a good first recipe to test with?

[Food Man Chews]

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this topic thread, but I am surprised that nobody (unless I missed it) has mentioned the mother of all pressure cookers; the Moroccan Tagine.

Clearly you are very limited in what you can cook, but taking the whole thing to the table and removing the lid in front of guests is awesome. Even Le Creusset and Nigella Lawson are selling them these days.

[OliverB]

I still have to get me a Tagine, they are so pretty , but I'm curious why you would call this a pressure cooker? I've never looked at one close up, but isn't there a hole in the top there? And even w/o a hole, I doubt the lid is heavy enough to create pressure? I thought the idea is more to have steam condensate and drip back onto the food, basting it while slowly cooking away?

I've had my eyes on one of the nice cheap and traditional clay ones for a while....

[Food Man Chews]

There is no hole in the top but the traditional plain ones I have from Morocco have a small hole in the side of the cone that you plug with foil or similar (a primitive blow out valve). The lids are very heavy, believe me, and are more than enough to keep the food under pressure. If you have a tagine that is highly decorated then it hasn't been made for the stove top, so don't use it. And of course your steam condensating method is also very true, but the whole process is speeded up because of the pressure, I'm led to believe.

[EnriqueB]

The only vegetables that I find it good for are artichokes. I often see recipes for things like asparagus which I find totally ridiculous as it cooks so fast using normal methods that it would easily overcook under pressure.

I thought it was not the time but the vitamins & minerals: steaming at high pressure with very short times has been found to be the best way of preserving them, isn't it?

[Jose Nieves]

There is no hole in the top but the traditional plain ones I have from Morocco have a small hole in the side of the cone that you plug with foil or similar (a primitive blow out valve). The lids are very heavy, believe me, and are more than enough to keep the food under pressure. If you have a tagine that is highly decorated then it hasn't been made for the stove top, so don't use it. And of course your steam condensating method is also very true, but the whole process is speeded up because of the pressure, I'm led to believe.

I'm not sure if you could label a tagine a "pressure cooker" since it doesn't increase the pressure inside the vessel. It is a slow-cooker which allows you to add everything in one dish, cover it and then add to hot embers the same way that some people use cast-iron dutch ovens.