Pressure cookers?

[Tab]

I had one about 15 years ago. Eventually we lost the control knob and it got relegated to the basement. It took me until 15 years ago to buy them because I always heard horror stories about exploding pressure cookers but I figured we were past that, and bought one. Used it a few times.

I was just thinking about them the other day, and might like to try it again. Anyone here use them? Any good types or features to look for? And what do you think a pressure cooker does really well that's hard to do any other way? I know fried chicken is the answer that first comes to mind, but what else? Anyone use them regularly?

[Warpy]

1. They're the only way to do beans and whole grain at high altitude

Other things they're great at are stewed chicken and pot roast. They accomplish in minutes what usually takes hours, saving on energy. They also seal in a lot more of the flavor. Pressure cooked pot roast is a lot more flavorful than the slow braised variety, ditto stewed chicken.

Modern pressure cookers have safety gear and won't explode. A steam vent will simply let go if they're over pressurized---something that can be disconcerting but not lethal unless you're hanging your face over it to find out why it's bulging up like that.

[eleny]

2. I've never been without one since my mother always used them

I got a stainless Fagor but had problems getting the cover off. The plastic lid lock didn't work right so I took it back. Then I bought a large inexpensive aluminum one from Sears. No fancier lid lock but it works fine.

I use them to flash steam vegetables using a steaming basket in the cooker.
Potatoes for mashed come out very good, too.

I like the p/cooker for larger pieces of meat. They tenderize quickly.

I also make chicken soup in mine. It's like an assembly line.
Pressure cook the chicken (frozen cut up chicken when it's an emergency pot of soup if one of us is sick)
Meantime I'm preparing the veggies
Remove the chicken and take meat off the bones while the veggies are p/cooking
Add back the meat and serve
It all comes together pretty fast.

[hippywife]

3. If you or anyone needs parts for one

I ordered from this place for my thrift store Mirro pressure canner and had very good, fast service:

http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/

They are owned by Red Mill General Store:

http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/about.htm

I haven't had a chance to use my canner yet and I don't have a regular pressure cooker but I do remember a roast my mother's mother made when I was a teenager. I don't know what cut it was but I remember that she cut slits in it and embedded cloves of garlic. She browned it in suet in a cast iron skillet and then put it in the pressure cooker. Best roast I've ever, ever, ever eaten in my entire life. I still distinctly remember it if that tells you anything. :9

[The empressof all]

4. I have an electric one that doubles as a slow cooker

I miss having the big one for about an hour during the summer when I think about how nice it would be to can. I quickly come to my senses though. My favorite recipe for the pressure cooker is three ingredient pulled pork.

Stick a small pork shoulder in the pressure cooker.
Add 6 to 8 cloves of Garlic
Add 1 cup of Pace Picante Sauce (I like the hot)

Cook away for about 40 minutes.

The pork is done when it falls off the bone.

Drain and shred meat
Serve on burger buns with swiss cheese, pickles and a little more picante sauce on top.

[Tab]

5. I wonder what it could do for babyback ribs

Might be the answer

[The empressof all]

9. Yummy for those ribs

Use a good flavorful dry rub.

I do mine standing on edge on a rack. They sort of wrap around the inside of the pot. I use a mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar/Apple cider/brown sugar as the liquid. You need a cup. But I try not to have the liquid touch too much of the rib. You can also use beer or wine...

I also sometimes use sauerkraut with a smidge of horseradish on the bottom but those aren't "barbecue"

[NMDemDist2]

6. I got one for Xmas, it's been a life saver for this new schedule

artichokes in 15 minutes instead of 45-60, chili in 30 minutes, swiss steak in 20 minutes

It's been a lifesaver when I have 30 minutes to get a meal on the table

[Stinky The Clown]

7. I'd be scared shitless to make fried chicken in one

Pressure frying is dangerous stuff.

[Tab]

14. Isn't that how KFC makes their chicken?

It was my understanding that it was.

Likely, they have specialized equipment, but still...

[Stinky The Clown]

15. You're right. They pressure fry their chicken .... as do many, many chains

They use this appliance, the Henny Penny fryer. Stupid name, serious machine.

http://www.hennypenny.com/products/index.html?pc=14 (The site is safe, but hincky)

These have many safety features and, above all, a safe way to release the pressure and not a stream of 450 degree grease.

My fear with a home pressure cooker is the pressure dump. They're designed to release steam, not superheated grease.

[hippywife]

23. They must have loads

of safety features. They would have to. It's not like rocket scientists are operating them, no? ;)

[Stinky The Clown]

8. They might also be a 'neo-green**' appliance.

** Neo-green: A term invented by Stinky The Clown while answering a question from Tab. Neo-green is an older device that finds new life due to its green properties.

A pressure cooker cuts down cooking time. That saves energy. That's a green thing.

[Dover]

10. Just after I graduated college my folks gave me one (many years ago)

and it's been the best and most used pot in my house (outside of the 'wok' or rather the Calphalon
Everyday Pan). I love it. So quick and leaves things so tender. Highly recommended. I'd get a stainless steel type, rather than the aluminum or other type. I've often seen them available cheap at thrift stores and all they usually need is their rubber seals replaced (easy to find replacement parts).


My top three pots are my everyday pan, my pressure cooker and my cast iron skillet.

If you aren't familiar with the 'everyday' pan (and it IS used everyday):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006FX83

[Warpy]

13. Everyday is right

It's exactly the right size for sauteeing, braising, pancakes, frying, and every other every day thing you'd want to do.

I never bother to hang it up on the rack. It just sits on my stove, ready for the next day.

My pressure cooker is a big aluminum pressure canner. I just put a stainless steel bowl inside it with the food in that. It also gives me enough head room that I can do the stuff that can foam and clog a pressure vent, like split peas. I like the canner because it has a compression seal instead of a plastic or rubber seal. The latter can be difficult for a gimp like me to open.

[Dover]

17. Ah, a woman after my own heart.

Yep, my everyday pot never gets put away either. Not much you CAN'T do in it.


Your pressure cooker sounds really big and too unwieldy for someone who professes to be a 'gimp'. How do you handle it? But if you do canning as well as regular cooking with it, I suppose it might be worth it.
With the exception of my beloved cast iron skillet, I really try to keep things pots, tools and chores as light as possible or else my mind sort of rejects wanting to cook or fix anything or fish it out of the cabinet.

No room for hanging my pots up unfortunately.

[Warpy]

18. The canner has a large lip on both sides

On bad days when I have to transport it full (say to cool in a skin of cold water), I just drape towels over both forearms and lift under the flange, resting it on the towels.

It's actually a lot easier than trying to use my hands and wrists.

I transport my big Le Creuset Dutch oven the same way.

Where there's the will, a gimp will find the way.

On edit: I have 3'/4' wire mesh rack mounted on the wall, with S hooks holding the pots. It's painted white. It wouldn't be that difficult to make one, just make sure the mesh is at least 3/4" square and heavy enough to support a pot without bending. Stretch it over a frame, and viola, a rack. I've found a place to jam it onto a wall or the back of a door every place I've lived but a single wide trailer. That one had adequate storage.

It's a little classier than the 1960's pegboard.

[NMDemDist2]

11. I'm glad for this thread, I woke up exhausted and had planned to put

a 3# pork roast in the crock pot this morning, but just wasn't motivated

I'll use the pressure cooker tonight instead. according to the book, 55 minutes in the PC should do it.

:bounce:

[mtnester]

12. I have one, in a box, that I bought a month or two ago

and I need to get it out and use it...I think either KitchenWitch or hippiewife told me to get over my damn fear of them and get started.


I, too am stuck in that explosion situation stereotype that exists for pressure cookers.

[eleny]

19. It will not explode on you

Start by practicing cooking a vegetable like string beans. Veggies call for very little water so there's not even a chance of anything bad happening. And they take so little time. With veggies, they say to lift the pot off the stove and let a cool stream of water run over the pot to stop the cooking process. I put mine in the sink and run the stream. When the pressure goes out (you'll hear no more steam escaping) and the little black rubber thing over on the side of the lid drops down, you're all set to remove the rocking regulator and open the lid.

If you're scared, drop a towel over it before you open the lid. The contents will be hot, so treat opening the lid like any other pot where the contents will be steamy hot.

You will do fine, be totally proud of yourself and can even come back here and be smug about it!

Now go use it and start saving yourself some time and utilities! :hi:

[mtnester]

21. I just picked up some tatties and green beans

at the farmers market...I will start small tomorrow!

[eleny]

22. Good for you!

By autumn you'll be cooking roasts and will be a pro. It really isn't hard to use. Any questions as time goes bye, just post or PM me.

Just read your cookbook and never overfill past the 2/3 level.

[kestrel91316]

16. Another important consideration in using a pressure cooker

(other than the speed of cooking and how tender the meats get) is the vastly reduced ENERGY USE when you pressure cook vs. stove-top or oven or crockpot. The pressure is a benefit of mechanics, not extra energy input.

[eleny]

20. I forgot to mention making green chile with pork

I use the pot to brown the pieces of pork, onions and garlic.
Then I add chicken stock and the chiles and a bay leaf
Put on the lid, bring it to gently rocking pressure and cook it for about 45 minutes.

I cool it under a stream of water instead of waiting. Same for everything else.

[noamnety]

24. If I wanted to get one for canning

what size should I get? Does that automatically put me in the 22 quart kinda size?

If I get a big huge one like that, can I still cook small meals in it too on occasion? Or do you have to cook fairly large amounts then?

[Tab]

25. 22 quarts???

That would be a classic big-assed pressure cooker. I don't think mine was much more than two.

In theory, you could cook small quantities in a 22 qt cooker, but you'd be expending a lot of energy to do so. If you really need that size of a cooker, I'd suggest, if you have the funds, a small "personal" cooker, and a larger industrial cooker.

[noamnety]

26. I don't have a good concept of how big it is. :)

Can you even stand canning jars up in a smaller one? If I could do maybe 4 jars at a time I'd be happy. Would I just need a 6qt cooker for that?

The smallest that does the job is what I want, I would prefer not to have the SUV of pressure cookers taking up space in my house. I have a lot of empty 1 quart jars that were in the basement when I bought the house (maybe a hundred of them) so I want something that is sized right for that. (not all hundred at once, obviously!)

[Dover]

27. You might want to read this. Apparently, it's not recommended

to do canning in a regular pressure cooker. They are two different animals.

http://missvickie.com/canning/cookercanner.html

All about pressure cookers:
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/index.php?option=com_resource&controller=article&category_id=222&article=19975

http://www.kuhnrikon.com/tips/canning/


And here's an outlet store for them:
http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/

[noamnety]

29. Oh, I did not realize they were two seperate things.

I am glad I asked - I thought the terms were interchangeable.

[Dover]

30. Well you CAN use your canner as a pressure cooker. Just not the other way round.

If you read Warpy's post above, she uses her big canner as a pressure cooker.
For me that's just too unwieldy and I'd never be inclined to use it.

But if you have to cut corners, then you might find a smaller canner like the
15qt. one featured in that first link I posted, that might more easily double as
a pressure cooker.

And here's a 10 1/2 qt. size that holds 7 pint or 4 qt. jars:
http://www.amazon.com/All-American-2-Quart-Pressure-Cooker-Canner/dp/B0002803O8/ref=pd_sbs_k_1

[noamnety]

31. That outlet link is pretty helpful

Not just for the price, but it also says how many quart jars fit in each one.

15 or 16 quart size is probably good - I don't see anything smaller for a canner, which makes sense to me.

[Dover]

32. I just added this link to my last post, in case you missed it.

It's a 10 1/2 quart canner that accepts 7 pint or 4 qt. jars:

http://www.amazon.com/All-American-2-Quart-Pressure-Cooker-Canner/dp/B0002803O8/ref=pd_sbs_k_1

[Tab]

33. well, it's 5 and a half gallons

it's not trivial.

i don't know what you're trying to cook, but I suspect you don't need something that big all the time.

[noamnety]

34. I have a stock pot that I think is that big

It just barely fits in my sink - I use that fairly often, for things like turkey soup.

I got the cheapest one I could find that will hold quart jars today, though, which was 16 quarts. But then a person on craiglist who has one barely used emailed me back, and theirs is the huge size and only $17. So I might return this and get that, if I can get in touch with them. If they don't email back again, I'll keep this one.

My daughter's coming into town next week just for a few days, we have a date to try to make cherry or gooseberry jam together, and she can head out with a few jars. I'm kind of excited about that. :)

[Tab]

28. I can't help you

but let me just day that would be one big-assed prdsure cooker.