Lets revisit pressure cookers

[knockabout]

we have an unknown brand stainless pressure cooker with a weight on top and a red safety lock button in the handle. leave the burner on full till the red button in the handle pops up then turn the heat down to it's lower setting for duration of cook time. good for roasts , stews/ without the lid on a crab cooker / without the rubber seal in the lid against makers best wishes a cake tin sitting on two egg rings on the bottom it becomes an oven for baking bread and cakes. all works well / and yes heats the galley in the tropics or anywhere else.
perhaps remove all soft furnishings, shut the hatches and have a roast and vege sauna/lol

[JPA Cate]

I must apologize, because I'm just not up to reading all the previous posts.

We have two Mirro PCs. one 6qt., one 4. We use both of them. The antique one is a better product (i.e. thicker aluminum) than the new one (whose safety devices are a pita).

We use them a lot, for various things. We do as mausgras suggested, sometimes, and keep stuff semi-sterile on the stove. Now, I don't know about you, but sterile gives me the idea that the food no longer has much nutrition in it. Nonetheless, we will store (on the stove, brought to the boil, and the weight replaced) items like split pea soup and bean dishes. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A HEALTH PROBLEM FROM THIS PRACTICE.

To me, the absolute best thing about pressure cookers is that they can't spill if the lid is on correctly, and that is a major boon, imho. Also, a boon, cooking bread in them in the tropics--you remove the gasket, and use it as a dutch oven on the burner. Much less heat in the cabin. In cold weather, let it cool down in the cockpit. Keep a port cracked for steam to get out when it's cooking. All very user-friendly.

Please be assured you don't need something with electronics to fail in the handle. The old ones work just fine, you have the pressure you set with the marked weight. You only THINK it's imprecise. Truly. Relax about it, there's way more important things to consider.

G'night from she who has a runny cold.

Ann

[Capt Gill]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

We have a Fagor 10-qt Splendid, which can also be used for pressure canning. It's also induction-capable, if that would be of interest. Thing is brilliant and has never given us any grief. We'll be getting a smaller one as well. It makes the best (and easiest) risotto.

"It's also induction-capable, if that would be of interest."
I'm not familiar with the term "induction-capable" would you explain ?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Capt Gill

"It's also induction-capable, if that would be of interest."
I'm not familiar with the term "induction-capable" would you explain ?

Made of a metal that works with induction cook tops. (cast iron, ferrous steel, aluminium with a steel core in the base etc )

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I must apologize, because I'm just not up to reading all the previous posts.

We have two Mirro PCs. one 6qt., one 4. We use both of them. The antique one is a better product (i.e. thicker aluminum) than the new one (whose safety devices are a pita).

We use them a lot, for various things. We do as mausgras suggested, sometimes, and keep stuff semi-sterile on the stove. Now, I don't know about you, but sterile gives me the idea that the food no longer has much nutrition in it. Nonetheless, we will store (on the stove, brought to the boil, and the weight replaced) items like split pea soup and bean dishes. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A HEALTH PROBLEM FROM THIS PRACTICE.

To me, the absolute best thing about pressure cookers is that they can't spill if the lid is on correctly, and that is a major boon, imho. Also, a boon, cooking bread in them in the tropics--you remove the gasket, and use it as a dutch oven on the burner. Much less heat in the cabin. In cold weather, let it cool down in the cockpit. Keep a port cracked for steam to get out when it's cooking. All very user-friendly.

Please be assured you don't need something with electronics to fail in the handle. The old ones work just fine, you have the pressure you set with the marked weight. You only THINK it's imprecise. Truly. Relax about it, there's way more important things to consider.

G'night from she who has a runny cold.

Ann

I judge not! There are many food rules, rules in general, that I am discovering that simply do not address the issue they intend to. Eggs in the fridge are a good example. Pease porridge 9 days old might be another (just joking!)

Feel better

[hsi88]

Been looking for a used pressure cooker in all the thrift stores. Used to be a common item. They tend to get snatched up pretty quickly these days. But I noticed the Presto brand is still available online and parts are still available. So I guess I will buy new (for anywhere from $20 to $60 depending on material and size).

Questions. First, forget the aluminum vs SS controversy. I'm more interested in what is used and how well they cook.

1) Which cooks better? Alum. or SS.
2) Which size do you use more often? 6qt or 4qt.

I want to buy only one. No room for 2. And never more than 1-4 people for dinner. Thanks in advance!!

[Robin3]

Just 2of us, I bought a 4 quart S/S Prestofor the boat and a 6 quartone for home. THe 4 Qut would have been perfectly adequate for home too. The diameter is the same for both only the height varies, but the 4 quart oddly has a long handle versus 2 ears on the 6 Quart. The extra leverage of the longer handle makes it a little easier to open/close. I also bought separately a steamer basket to sit on top of what is cooking in the base to cook a few veggies out of the liquid. We use the basket too for meat loaf, usually resting it on a few spuds or onions in the liquid in the bottom, but it is not a precise science

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by hsi88

Been looking for a used pressure cooker in all the thrift stores. Used to be a common item. They tend to get snatched up pretty quickly these days. But I noticed the Presto brand is still available online and parts are still available. So I guess I will buy new (for anywhere from $20 to $60 depending on material and size).

Questions. First, forget the aluminum vs SS controversy. I'm more interested in what is used and how well they cook.

1) Which cooks better? Alum. or SS.
2) Which size do you use more often? 6qt or 4qt.

I want to buy only one. No room for 2. And never more than 1-4 people for dinner. Thanks in advance!!

The one I have right now is a Hawkins 5qt. I think it was about 45 bucks. Its heavy cast aluminum. Aluminum cooks just fine. Ive used mine to put up jam in half pint pots, cooking roasts, beans, soup, chili etc. It came with a trivet and smaller interior pot for divided cooking.
The cooker is really well thought out and simple in engineering. Which is why I bought it in the first place. There are two of us and the 5qt seems about right. I can cook enough so that we get two meals each out of whatever Ive made, or just enough for 2 meals.

My only "complaint" is that there is no pressure indicator so its a bit of a learning curve to get temps right. Also, this type of pot is reputed to only acheive 10 psi. Many recipes are written for 15 psi. Its not a huge deal though as the lower pressure just increases cooking time by a few minutes. But that does add more to the learning curve and the tendancy (for me) is to over cook.

All in all the low price point, simple engineering and readily available spare gasket make it a great pot. Very useful for one pan meals. I do recommend the hawkins pots. They have been at it for 150 years so they know what they are doing. For me, I want more features. But I still recommend this pot.

http://www.amazon.com/HAWKIN*Classic...n%3A6899537011

[contrail]

I have had two Kuhn Rikon's and would get another. Great piece of gear, high quality and very simple and bullet proof. A really handy way to cook.

[JPA Cate]

I'd say go with the biggest one you can comfortably handle, because sometimes you want to be able to make a BIG pot of beans for New Years', or when you have guests over. You can cook small amounts in a large pot, but, imho, 4 qts. is a bit limiting.

If you're going to be using them for bread making, the loaves are smaller with the 4 qt. This may actually be an advantage, however, we use a lot of bread, and for us, I was using 9 c. of flour --and the larger cooker. Anyone who is interested in more on this subject, please send me a PM. Tnx.

Ann

SeaDreaming, Try just letting your cooker cool by nature, the food will continue to cook from the residual heat, and you may find the doneness more to your taste if you do not increase the cooking time to compensate for its not seeming to attain the right pressure. I guess I don't understand which part of Boyle's Law is different for your cooker. If the gasket seals, and your'e using the 15 hole of the weight, why do you think it is not 15 psi [or really clcose thereto?]?

[model 10]

Revisiting leaving out the gasket. You have said leave out the gasket when baking but you neglected to remind us why. It seems it might be the pressure of expanding baked goods against the pressure inside the pot?

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

SeaDreaming, Try just letting your cooker cool by nature, the food will continue to cook from the residual heat, and you may find the doneness more to your taste if you do not increase the cooking time to compensate for its not seeming to attain the right pressure. I guess I don't understand which part of Boyle's Law is different for your cooker. If the gasket seals, and your'e using the 15 hole of the weight, why do you think it is not 15 psi [or really clcose thereto?]?

Yes I do naturally cool my pot. But mostly just to cool the pot. I have a lot to learn about low fuel cooking. Ive been reading about insulating the pot off the stove. No worries though Im sure Ill catch up.

I started this thread because I dont like my pot. I am looking for recommendations on something better. Why is this a problem?
Im sure you are right, my pot is fine. But I would simply like to see and know Im doing it right. Thus a pot with pressure indicator. My preference.

Of course some may find a guage unnecessary. Others may prefer it. Thats really good enough isnt it?

[Franst8]

I have the same one with the flexible lid that snaps into place making the seal.
I love it but I wouldn't mind having a larger one like it.
i got it second hand and there is no brand name on it. Do you know who makes these and do come in various sizes?

[Pelagic]

If inverter power was not a problem... any advantages to using an electric PC on board, especially in the tropics where you could put it in the cockpit?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

If inverter power was not a problem... any advantages to using an electric PC on board, especially in the tropics where you could put it in the cockpit?

We've got an electric multi-cooker which we a lot, but mainly in the marina on shorepower. (One of these New Wave 5-in-1 Multi Cooker 6L - Buy Now & Save!)

It's rated at 1000W, but in practice it doesn't draw anywhere near that on average. Quite usable at sea either as a PC or as a slow cooker if you have a good battery and solar setup. And in the galley is fine - it doesn't put out stray heat the way a cooker on a gas stove does - it's well insulated so is efficient as nearly all the energy used goes into heating the contents.