What's the best pressure cooker for newbie?

bluenose1

Hi all,
need a new pressure cooker urgently as i managed to set mine on fire (its a long story)
Anyway my local Argos has the following two models in stock.

Tower 7L Aluminium Speed Pressure Cooker. £27.99 860/5782

Tefal 6L Sensor 'Vitaly' Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker. £59.99 861/0849

Now I don't mind paying the extra if it is worth it but don't want to throw good money away. Have tried to do some research myself on internet but none the wiser.

Anyone got any advise.

Thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Anne

Caterina

Hi Bluenose 1,

A lot of sources (natural health practitioners etc) feel that cooking with aluminium is not good for health, as when you cook some particles detach (esp. with things like tomato soup/sauce because of the acidity) and apparently if you get a lot of aluminium in the body there is a risk of illness (I think it is Alzheimer).

I am not sure whether it is a substantiated claim but in any case I stay clear of aluminium pans, and personally would prefer to pay for the stainless steel one! Good luck with your decision.

Caterina

maryb

I have two identical pressure cookers except one is one aluminium and one stainless steel. The stainless steel one sticks and is a b*gger to clean whereas when I cook the Christmas pudding in the aluminium one and put a few lemon slices in the water it comes up like new.
the point about a pressure cooker is that the food doesn't hang about in it for hours on end - so i've taken the risk that a little bit of aluminium might leach out during the 10 minutes it takes to make soup.

moneysavingplumber

Caterina wrote:

Hi Bluenose 1,

A lot of sources (natural health practitioners etc) feel that cooking with aluminium is not good for health, as when you cook some particles detach (esp. with things like tomato soup/sauce because of the acidity) and apparently if you get a lot of aluminium in the body there is a risk of illness (I think it is Alzheimer).

I am not sure whether it is a substantiated claim but in any case I stay clear of aluminium pans, and personally would prefer to pay for the stainless steel one! Good luck with your decision.

Caterina

According to Dr. Michael Colgan, author of the classic book Optimum Sports Nutrition (ok it's not classic in the same league as the Bronte things but for athletes..... ) you are likely to ingest more aluminium from eating fruit than by cooking with aluminium pans.

gravitytolls

Bluenose, I really must know how you managed to set fire to your pressure cooker. You can't tease us with a line like that and no explanation.

PLEEEASE.

bluenose1

gravitytolls wrote:

Bluenose, I really must know how you managed to set fire to your pressure cooker. You can't tease us with a line like that and no explanation.

PLEEEASE.

Nothing exciting I am afraid. Well, I had cooked a romantic meal for two - well I don't suppose shank soup is romantic but my husband loves it (allow me a bit of poetic license.)
I forgot I had put on the back ring on my cooker and put the lid on top of it. When I could smell the burning we ran in and the rubber on the seal and weight were in flames. Quite a big fire considering. I am terribly forgetful and I am getting worse.
Regards
Anne

Ted_Hutchinson

May I suggest you nip round to Lidl's and get one of their Stainless Steel Pressure cookers for £20. The usual replacement gasket for stainless steel pressure cookers fits. (yes your not the only person who leaves the lid on a hot flame and finds that plastic melts)

Apart from that I'm not convinced the Aluminium that is found in Alzhiemers brains comes from the cooking pans. It's far more likely to come from the Water Supply as Aluminium is used in the filtering process to get rid of the pollutants, it's also the case that Aluminium is one of the most common minerals in the soil so just about everything we eat will have some in it and it is reasonable to suppose the body deals with it naturally.

More information here

I think the regular use of indigestion remedies would be a much higher risk factor than your using an aluminium saucepan/pressure cooker. However the Lidl's one is excellent and well worth the money. There were plenty in Lincoln earlier in the week.

I should also have pointed out the Lidl's SS one does have quite a thick base which may be why I haven't found it sticks any more than the ally one. We have a small aluminium one for the caravan as it's brilliant for shortening cooking times when on a less poweful cooker and it saves the caravan getting steamed up so much.

tootles_2

I have had an aluminium pressure cooker for years and as yet have not shown any signs of Alzhiemers.........just the forgetfulness of mature years.

I do not however leave stuff in the pan once it has cooked but pour it straight out into a dish/bowl/jug depending on what I have cooked. It is one of the most efficient uses of fuel you can get eliminating the slow cooking process of tougher meat cuts....I would not be without mine. Had thought of getting a SS one, but too mean, the one I have works perfectly well as long as I replace the rubber ring and pressure valve from time to time.

bigburd

Where can you get replacement pressure valves and rubber ring? Mine is 17yo and still works but is a bit 'leaky'!!

Ted_Hutchinson

I get mine from Boyes but they are readily available from good hardware stores. The gaskets are best replaced reasonably often as if you use them every day as I do they tend to leak steam after a few years.

tootles_2

Try shops like John Lewis, I get mine from Fenwicks, but guess any store with a cookware dept will stock them...........you could also do a serch on the internet although you would have to pay P&P..........When I have washed my rubber sealing ring I put a drop of oil on a kitchen towel and just rub the ring with it, helps to keep it soft, I think some people use a smear of petroleum jelly.