Pressure Cooker: Questions for the home cook

[Anonymous Modernist 7751]

Hi all,

I just purchased MCAH and have some questions about pressure cookers.

1) What size do you recommend. I was looking at a set of a 6qt and 4qt, will these be enough to do a big pork shoulder in or make soup for 8-10 people?

2) Does having 2 pressure settings matter? The Fagor brand I saw only has 1bar, the other Kuhn Rikon seems to have two but neither brand makes a big deal about this.

3) In MCAH Kuhn Rikon and Fagor are recommended, there is a significant price difference between the two, is there a difference in performance and durability?

Thanks for your help!

[Judy Wilson]

Hi Architeuthis,

I personally have this model, which suits me as a home cook:

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-3916-Duromatic-Pressure/dp/B0000Y73UQ?ie=UTF8&tag=modercuisi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0982761007

The two settings are usually for 8 psi and 15 psi respectively. You just want to make sure that you get one that goes to 15 psi.

Kuhn Rikon is our favorite brand of pressure cooker, but we realize that for someone just trying out pressure-cooking, they may not want to spend that much money. So we recommend Fagor as our favorite brand in the lower price range.

[Anonymous Modernist 11674]

Hi Architeuthis,

As someone who owned a Fagor for years and just upgraded to a Kuhn-Rikon, I highly recommend going with the Kuhn-Rikon, especially if the price isn't prohibitive. I haven't had the Kuhn-Rikon very long, but have noticed a significant difference in ease of use and consistency. The Fagor was certainly serviceable, but a bit more fussy. Also, the Kuhn-Rikon releases very little steam, and allows for cooking with less liquid. I've had great results cooking polenta, caramelized carrot soup and garlic confit from MCAH.

My model is the 7.4 quart: http://goo.gl/QwnrJ and the website says this should do soup for 8-10. I can't really judge regarding pork shoulder as I've never cooked one.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Shawn

[Anonymous Modernist 5246]

Architeuthis,

I too have a 7.4 quart Kuhn-Rikon and have to agree with both Judy and shawnpatric that you get what you pay for. The Kuhn-Rikon is quiet and so easy to use. I also have an 8 quart Pressure-Magic and really only use it to pressure-fry chicken and other items.

Good luck.

[Anonymous Modernist 7751]

Hey thanks for the replies.

It seems like the KR is a better deal and worth the price. One last question: Is it possible to can in a 7.4qt or 5.4qt pressure cooker, reading some of the threads on egullet made me it sound like I would need a 10qt to can in, and there are some recipes that use canning in MCAH.

[Judy Wilson]

Check out the chapter on canning in Modernist Cuisine. We don't actually recommend canning in a pressure cooker because it doesn't have a gauge. So it's better to use a pressure canner.

Judy

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

I've got the 6 litres KR and it's a little too small to put a pint mason jar. A single one fit in in the middle with nothing under it.

[Anonymous Modernist 7751]

Some of the recipes call for putting the ingredients and pressure cooking in a canning jar, such as the buffalo sauce. Is this OK to do in a 5qt pressure cooker or would I need a pressure canner?

[Anonymous Modernist 11674]

Hi Architeuthis,

I'm assuming you are concerned about the size of the pressure cooker? I can easily fit 2 (3 fit snugly) of the 16oz wide mouth Ball mason jars in my KR 7.4qt. Should be the same in the 5qt, as the width is identical. However, soup for 8-10 might present difficulties with the 5qt model.

Shawn

[Anonymous Modernist 7751]

Thanks Shawn, that's what I was wondering!

[MikeMac]

LOVE my Pressure cooker... but hate cleaning the burnt mess off the bottom.

So what I started doing is putting a couple cups of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker then adding a stainless steel bowl with the ingredients in them I got this idea from Miss Vicky's website and learned a lot more from the wonderful lady who lives in Italy and posts on pressure cookers.

My problem is when I cook rice in a stainless steel bowel l it can take three times as long as it does in the pressure cooker directly also everything seems to take longer in the stainless steel bowl and I don't know why or how to calculate how much longer it should take.

All I can say is I really recommend cooking with a bowl inside the pressure cooker as it makes a cleanup so easy I just need to combine this easy cleanup with the wonderful time savings normally involved with the pressure cooker.

[MikeMac]

PS the wonderful lady with the great posts on pressure cooking is "pazzaglia" from Rome,

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

You called? Thanks!! ; )

I've found the pan-in-pot method for rice works best with max 2 cups of white rice and 1 1/2 cups of brown rice - any more rice and the ratio of the rice that is steamed on top and boiled on the bottom gets kind of thrown off so you get uneven results. You also want to make sure that your stainless steel bowl is as shallow and wide as possible.

Right now I'm using stainless steel storage containers similar to these (http://amzn.to/15ZD1Hu) but the largest one is 8" wide and I love them.

The key to cooking rice pan-in-pot (or bain marie) is a container with flat bottom and wide to maximize the surface area, lowering it in the cooker (with minimum liquid and trivet/steamer basket) UN-COVERED and the cooking time should be the same as doing it in the base with a slight adjustment to the water/grain ratios (about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup less water depending on the quantity).

Cooking rice this way leaves the base free to pressure cook something else, like a curry! http://bit.ly/15ZDJV1

Ciao,

L

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

Modernist Cuisine has several recipes in jars - that's another way to go for clean cooking.

HOWEVER if the jar seals the contents can become pressurized (no valve to release pressure on a jar lid) so I would only recommend doing that by covering the jar with foil OR not opening it until the jar and its contents have completely cooled.

[Anonymous Modernist 14040]

I wonder. Pressure can rice in a jar. Open it while still hot. You could make home made puffed rice that way. A bit of risk at heat and splatter, but nothing a good towel cannot take care of.

[Anonymous Modernist 17003]

I recently purchased an 8-quart stainless steel Presto pressure cooker ( http://www.amazon.com/Presto-8-Quart-Stainless-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0000Z6JIW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1363975444&sr=8-6 ). I have loved its results on everything I've tried it with: stocks, bone broth (it gels like no other), risotto, beef shanks, pork shoulder... (pressure cooked carnitas are the bomb). I may try the caramelized carrot soup tonight. Haven't tried beans yet either, but I'm sure they'll be awesome.

The reason I went with the Presto was that I wasn't sure whether pressure cooking was going to be a technique I'd use on a regular basis. I wanted something inexpensive, but not cheap - something that was solidly built but not boutique. This Presto fit the bill. Solid construction, heats evenly... easy to use and clean. Nice! Now that I've put it to the test, I'm a believer in the power and convenience offered by pressure cookers. Part of me wishes that I'd splurged on a Kuhn Rikon, but those things are four or five times as expensive. I don't think I could justify that given how well my Presto has been performing. I may pick up a 4 or 6 quart KR one day to use for smaller dishes.

Concerning size, I don't think I'd get anything smaller than a 6-quart cooker, especially if you're going to make stocks or stews based on large cuts of beef.. Throw a chicken carcass or a pot roast in there and it can fill up quickly. If you're concerned that it might be a giant unitasker taking up valuable shelf space, you might try thinking of it as a nice pot that also has a strange lid which transforms it into a vunderkontraption. The LID is where the magic is. And lids store easily. If you have a nice pressure cooker, you won't need a stock pot; you've got it covered. Of course, having both doesn't hurt!

[Anonymous Modernist 23456]

Just got MCAH. Very excited to start cooking. But need to buy a pressure cooker? Should I get the Khun Ricon duo set? Is the 2.5L pan useful for pressure cooking? Or should I just get a single larger cooker?

What about the Fissler duo set? Is the pressure the same as the Khun?

Is there a size of pressure cooker that will work for all the recipes in the book?

Thanks for the help!

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

Hi Solomon,

You can use the 2.5L pressure pan for making a pasta sauce, pressure cooking 2 servings of rice or making 6 cups of soup. A small side dish can also be made in the smaller pot. The best part, is that you can also use it as a small high-quality skillet!

The pressure of the new Fissler Vitaquicks is LESS than the Kuhn Rikon. Kuhn Rikon can reach 15psi at high pressure, while the US Labeled U.S. Vitaquick can only reach 8.7psi (here is the manual http://bit.ly/1c6LHwu). Fissler's previous model for the US the Blue Point reaches 14.5psi at high pressure.

Ciao,

L

[Anonymous Modernist 23456]

Thanks Pazzagila,

I think I will go for a set like that. I don't need another skillet but it sounds like the larger pot in the set will be large enough for the recipes in the book.

I need to find out which model of fissler is actually coming to Canada. The manual here http://www.fissler.com/fileadmin/media/download/service/vitaquick2010/Manual_vitaquick_GB.pdf

says it goes to 80kpa 11.6 psi which is the same to the 0.8 bar that the khun manual says.

I will have to do more research.

Thank you

[Anonymous Modernist 23456]

Here is what I got from fissler. So I think I might go with the fissler as my local kitchen store is getting it in.

Thanks again for the help.

"Dear Solomon,

Thank you for your email.

The Vitaquick operates at 9-11 PSI on the low setting and 13-15 PSI on the high setting. At normal altitude, it would be 11 and 15.

If you let the indicator rod go up to the 2nd white ring, then you are cooking at an average of 13-15 psi.

Most other pressure cookers are at a slightly lower psi from the cooking results we have found.

15 psi should be the max any UL p/c will achieve.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at 800-321-2226 M-F 10am-5pm PST."

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

So, were you able to find out if Fissler is selling the Euro Vitaquick (80kpa at high pressure) or the US Vitaquick (60kpa at high pressure) to Canada?

What Fissler USA is sharing via email differs greatly from what their printed manual says, what Fissler Germany has told me and what my own measurements have been.

Please forgive the cross-post to a different forum but I posted my preliminary measurements there with an impending article about the discrepancy.

It's an awkward situation to counter what their customer service is telling you, but I would have erred not pointing this out. Especially since an article about this discrepancy is to be published shortly as well.

Ciao,

L

[Anonymous Modernist 23456]

Thank you again Pazzagila,

Very interesting. I'm emailing Fissler again to find out if we get the us or euro in Canada.

What do you think I should do? If it's the US one, I won't get it. Should I get the fissler set if it's the euro one? The set will cost $300. Would my money be better spend a differnt way? Should I just pony up and get the Khun duo set? Or just get one larger Khun pot?

Thank you

S

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

Solomon,

Since your plan is to follow Modernist Cuisine recipes, which are timed to 15 psi you can't go wrong with the Kuhn - it's what they use and recommend. Neither the U.S. or Euro Fissler Vitaquick operate (or cook) anywhere near 15 psi.

Don't be alarmed if you read the Kuhn Rikon manual (http://bit.ly/18WGbPR) and see that the second ring is at .8bar (equivalent to 80kpa or 11.6psi). This is just a mark on a progressive bar. The Kuhn Rikon can keep building pressure (and the bar can keep rising) until it reaches 17.4psi - at which point the safety mechanism kicks-in and begins venting the cooker.

The fundamental difference in the Fissler US Vitaquick is that the safety mechanism is set to vent 14.5 psi. I am curious about how America's Test Kitchen, for example, was able to measure 250F (equivalent to 15psi) in a pressure cooker that vents for safety at 14.5 psi. I used the same measuring apparatus and same pressure cooker but I was only able to achieve a temperature equivalent to 10.1psi before the cooker began to vent.

Ciao,

L

[Anonymous Modernist 23456]

Thanks for all the help Pazzagila. I'd the duo set the way to go?

[Anonymous Modernist 10142]

I'm a big fan of pressure cooker sets, so you'll get a big endorsement from me on getting two bases that share a lid!

Ciao,

L