Pressure Cookers - thoughts?

Anyone have a fondness for pressure cookers, or experience using them? Friends gave me a gift cert at a local kitchen supply shop, and I was thinking about a pressure cooker - they have Kuhn Rikon and Fagor, I think. I've never really thought much about them.

Beyond being a time saver, is there anything you feel they do really well?

 

I bought a slow cooker and a pressure cooker within a short time frame. Tried out the slow cooker only once - ok, but not as much a one-pot solution as I had thought - and put it in storage after the last move. But I often use the pressure cooker. Some things like stews are easy and forgiving; others, like vegetables, require some fiddling until you know exactly how long to cook them. Good thing that I happen to like slightly overcooked vegetable soup... More experienced cooks will have to chime in on usefulness. But I did stocks a few times and liked them, soup are easy and quick. Still need to try canning.

I am using a Fagor, the model that is advertized for canning also. I have mixed feelings about it: I don't feel unsafe, but once it comes to temperature, there is more steam leaving the pot than I expected (or remember from my mother's Fissler pots), no difference after replacing the rubber ring. But in general I like the concept very much. Next time I would probably go with a higher quality model, i.e. the KR. If available, I would also opt for a combination of a higher and a flatter pot that can use the same lid.

Stefan

 

I got turned on to these last year...and absolutely love mine...so much I gifted one to a friend! I got the Kuhn-Rikon 8qt hotel duromatic. Big enough to do 6 pint mason jars for canning, but not so big it's a pain to store or move. It turned a lot of dishes like chili, pot roast, stew, and beans (from dry!) into weeknight meals. You can also do some fun modernist stuff with it.

 

I have the WMF one and it works great. Pressure cooker is really handy to make stock as well

 

Thanks for the replies. How do they work for braises - IE a short rib or shank? I'm certain a time savings, but does the flavor still fully develop and meat get tender?

 

I find the flavor to be a little different, probably b/c of the liquid volume...but it def gets tender.

 

My mom used to use one a lot. I think it was to turn cheap cuts of meat into tender product. And as Zwiefel mentions, dried beans transformed quickly.

 

How long do the dried beans take in a pressure cooker? Still trying to justify the space for one.

 

45-60 minutes from pressure to table.

 

Also works great with azuki beans if you want to make red bean paste

 

That's significantly faster, even if you do a quick soak.

 

Yup. and they aren't merely tender, they will actually take on some of the flavor of the cooking liquid...not as good as say a 6 hour simmer, but pretty darn good for an hour-ish.

 

Took the plunge based on very helpful comments here. Based on what we had in the freezer, I'm trying beef stock.

 

On another forum I have some friends from Brazil and it is my understanding that a pressure cooker is very common and spends a lot of time in bean preparation.

 

I am using a Kuhn-Rikon 8qt duromatic as well. It produces great risoto and lovely tender lamb shanks

 

Beef stock went better than expected. Inspired me to make another broth for Pho.

 

Is that the photo in the other thread? Looked great!

 

Yes - charred the onion, ginger and spices in the broiler for 10 minutes, added to pressure cooker with meat bones, fish sauce and sugar, cooked 45 mins on high pressure, then natural release. Strained then clarified and done. Big time savings using the cooker, so I'm happy with the purchase so far.

 

Glad to see it worked for you

 

Awesome! It's a great tool that's making a well-deserved comeback.