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Finding optimal pressure cooking temperature?


Smellsworth

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Hello friends - I'm pretty new to pressure cooking and couldn't find this answer anywhere I looked. For equipment, I have a Cristel Alto 9L and a Control Freak for induction.

 

I'm wondering if you're cooking at maximum pressure, does your PC need to be hissing full-on to achieve the highest intensity? The first time I used the PC I cranked it full blast and it was hissing loudly the entire time. Nowadays, I try to set the induction to a temperature where the hissing is less audible on the full pressure setting. What are the implications for this? I'm hoping that any hiss is full pressure, or that it doesn't really matter, because having a quite PC is much nicer when dealing with longer cook times.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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Doesn’t the pressure cooker come with instructions?

 

in any case, when I used to use a stove-top pressure cooker, all that is required is enough heat to maintain a very low hiss, no matter which if the two pressure settings is being used. 

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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It depends greatly on your pressure cooker.  I have a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker and they explicitly say that the cooker makes almost no audible noise whatsoever when at full pressure.  You should use the cooker's pressure gauge to indicate pressure, not necessarily the noise it makes - unless you have a really old school one with the weighted jiggler....

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To echo what has already been said, if you're using a venting pressure cooker all that's required is a low hiss. If you're using a non-venting cooker like a Kuhn Rikon, just check to see what bar/line you're at on the pressure indicator. If you hear hissing on those cookers, you're overpressurized and it's venting through a safety valve.

 

Check the manual on your Alto. But no matter what, it shouldn't be hissing full blast.

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Once the pressure is reached (when there is steam coming out the jigger valve), you have the maximum temperature achievable. It does not matter how hot the fire is.

 

You can vary the temperature a little:

 

1. Instead of pure water, salt water can change the temperature higher.

2. You can lower the temperature if you live in a high altitude area.

 

dcarch

Edited by dcarch (log)
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12 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

To echo what has already been said, if you're using a venting pressure cooker all that's required is a low hiss. If you're using a non-venting cooker like a Kuhn Rikon, just check to see what bar/line you're at on the pressure indicator. If you hear hissing on those cookers, you're overpressurized and it's venting through a safety valve.

 

Check the manual on your Alto. But no matter what, it shouldn't be hissing full blast.

 

 

Thank you! That's the exact answer I'm looking for. Low hiss 4 life.

 

Thanks everyone else for the replies.

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18 hours ago, dcarch said:

Once the pressure is reached (when there is steam coming out the jigger valve), you have the maximum temperature achievable. It does not matter how hot the fire is.

 

Which means, you can turn the heat way down once it reaches pressure. My 10qt cooker holds pressure fine with the fire turned nearly off. Any higher setting just wastes energy and makes noise.

Edited by paulraphael (log)

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