Do I need a pressure cooker.

moments_of_sanity

Hi everyone, I am debating whether to get a pressure cooker at all. I have a slow cooker but am confused reading people's opinions, some say slow cooker some say pressure cooker.

What are your opinions on them and do you think it's worth purchasing?

angeltreats

I have both. I hardly ever use the slow cooker, but use the pressure cooker constantly. If my house was on fire, it would be one of the things I'd grab! It's so useful for all kinds of things, from soups and cooking dried beans without soaking them first in a third of the time, to doing curries and gammon joints. Oh and you can turn a tin of condensed milk into caramel in about ten minutes

Honestly they are one of the most useful items you can possibly have in your kitchen.

dronid

You do not need a pressure cooker or a slow cooker but they are very beneficial.

When unemployed a slow cooker was invaluable for putting food on and leaving it - and of course it's great for using tough cuts of meat/infusing flavours/making stock. I could've done most of the same in the oven but it would be wasteful and long winded.

Well a pressure cooker does pretty much the same - only much faster. I can cook meat in under an hour - stews, casseroles, large pieces and again it's great for infusing flavours and tenderising tough stuff.

So Slow cooker takes 8 hours of not watching - saves energy by not heating up all the oven.
Oven/hob takes 3 - 4 hours of some monitoring
Pressure cooker takes less than an hour of some monitoring - saves energy by not heating up all the oven.

Now I use my pressure cooker more regularly than my slow cooker and now winter is here I may use both!

moments_of_sanity

Thank you angeltreats, I will order one now. My daughter is vegan and we make a lot of homemade soups so this will be perfect.

meg72

I have both and to be honest as I am at home all day anyway I would not really miss the slow cooker but would be lost without the pressure cooker.

moments_of_sanity

dronid wrote: »

You do not need a pressure cooker or a slow cooker but they are very beneficial.

When unemployed a slow cooker was invaluable for putting food on and leaving it - and of course it's great for using tough cuts of meat/infusing flavours/making stock. I could've done most of the same in the oven but it would be wasteful and long winded.

Well a pressure cooker does pretty much the same - only much faster. I can cook meat in under an hour - stews, casseroles, large pieces and again it's great for infusing flavours and tenderising tough stuff.

So Slow cooker takes 8 hours of not watching - saves energy by not heating up all the oven.
Oven/hob takes 3 - 4 hours of some monitoring
Pressure cooker takes less than an hour of some monitoring - saves energy by not heating up all the oven.

Now I use my pressure cooker more regularly than my slow cooker and now winter is here I may use both!

Thank you, do you know the cost difference between the slow cooker and the pressure cooker at all? Debenhams have a prestige 3l one for £20 today and thought I might purchase it to try.

seraphina

I'd be bereft without my pressure cooker. I'd try and get a bigger PC than a 3 litre one - you can't fill them to the brim to allow for the pressure to build up. I'd try and get a 5 litre one at least.

If you're cooking for a vegan/vegetarian they're invaluable- you can cook pulses so quickly and in bulk.

Popperwell

I've been tempted to look at a PC but being single the slow cooker and microwave seem to do me ok. When I need to warm up the extra food I have cooked in the SC, I can do it very quickly in the microwave/combi(still to master all the functions)or on the hob that can be done in maybe 5-10 minutes and is piping hot.

So perhaps it would be a false economy for me...I don't know...I have a halogen oven(still to use)and a George Forman Grill as a stanby, so I think I am covered, I try to avoid using the main oven on the cooker to save energy.

Meadows

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Hi everyone, I am debating whether to get a pressure cooker at all. I have a slow cooker but am confused reading people's opinions, some say slow cooker some say pressure cooker.
What are your opinions on them and do you think it's worth purchasing?

Both have there uses and both a good as each other.

A slow cooker for when you have time and a pressure cooker for thing done quickly (also ideal for dried beans etc).

I would not be without both.

heavenleigh

Will you lot stop it! I've never even considered buying a pressure cooker until i fell on this thread....Now i NEED one! not very money saving lol xx

Meadows

heavenleigh wrote: »

Will you lot stop it! I've never even considered buying a pressure cooker until i fell on this thread....Now i NEED one! not very money saving lol xx