What's the best pressure cooker for newbie?

HPoirot

Speaking from the Futura angle, if you intend using large bones etc then I would think 5litre ones are best. There is a point in the cooker beyond which you cannot fill with food. I am not sure they exist in larger than 5 litre - mine is 4litre and my mum's is 3 litre. 5 litre for example I think is the model in this advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSZ9M2Gz3nM

If you check the Futura, it does indeed have a twist mechanism but the instructions are clear that pressure should have died down completely before attempting to open so as not to affect the seal. I do not know what the deal is with other more conventional 'whistling' pressure cookers.

KoalaRules

I bought a Tefal one a few years ago with the clamp style lid rather than the conventional twist type which I had before. Love the newer clamp as there's no valve bit to bother about, there's just a hole you can adjust. De-pressurising is a breeze by just running it under cold tap for a minute or so, much safer IMO. Would not go back to the conventional type - they look so old fashioned in comparison and less controlled.

Instructions say only fill contents up to two thirds full to leave enough room for expansion.

cattie

I've had 2 pressure cookers in my life so far. The first was a Tefal with a clamp on style lid that served me well for years & years, probably more than 25yrs in all, until I dropped the lid & the black plastic knob to tighten the lid broke.

I then decided it was time to treat myself to a new one & went for a Prestige Stainless steel, which has the twist type lid & handle affair that many other brands have.

Neither of my pressure cookers have ever needed new seals & have been very simple & easy to operate.

Most pressure cookers should only be filled two thirds as already mentioned & the steam let out before attempting to open.

Slinky_Malinky

I love my Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers, but I have heard that WMF are also a good brand.

For stock or bone broth I would use either my 4 litre or 7 litre depending on quantities.

Nile

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

A.Penny.Saved

HPoirot wrote: »

Speaking from the Futura angle, if you intend using large bones etc then I would think 5litre ones are best. There is a point in the cooker beyond which you cannot fill with food. I am not sure they exist in larger than 5 litre - mine is 4litre and my mum's is 3 litre. 5 litre for example I think is the model in this advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSZ9M2Gz3nM

If you check the Futura, it does indeed have a twist mechanism but the instructions are clear that pressure should have died down completely before attempting to open so as not to affect the seal. I do not know what the deal is with other more conventional 'whistling' pressure cookers.

I've checked the quantities of soup that I require and I now realise that I need something absolutely enormous! 400ml bowl of soup 4 to 5 times every day. A 6 litre PC would only make enough for 2 days at that rate of consumption and therefore is no where near large enough. A 10 litre PC would last about 3 to 4 days which is a bit more like it. I might have to limit it to 4 bowls a day to keep my sanity.

KoalaRules wrote: »

I bought a Tefal one a few years ago with the clamp style lid rather than the conventional twist type which I had before. Love the newer clamp as there's no valve bit to bother about, there's just a hole you can adjust. De-pressurising is a breeze by just running it under cold tap for a minute or so, much safer IMO. Would not go back to the conventional type - they look so old fashioned in comparison and less controlled.

Instructions say only fill contents up to two thirds full to leave enough room for expansion.

There are 2 people who liked the Tefal PC in this thread but a few on Amazon were not so full of praise. The clamp type does appeal to me more for some reason I cannot explain.

cattie wrote: »

I've had 2 pressure cookers in my life so far. The first was a Tefal with a clamp on style lid that served me well for years & years, probably more than 25yrs in all, until I dropped the lid & the black plastic knob to tighten the lid broke.

I then decided it was time to treat myself to a new one & went for a Prestige Stainless steel, which has the twist type lid & handle affair that many other brands have.

Neither of my pressure cookers have ever needed new seals & have been very simple & easy to operate.

Most pressure cookers should only be filled two thirds as already mentioned & the steam let out before attempting to open.

Prestige are at a better price than some of the higher end brands and they do seem to have a decent reputation. Unfortunately I don't think that they make any larger than 6 litre, not in SS anyway. It's a pity because Prestige are selling a 6 litre SS PC for £50 in a plain box ie not retail.

Slinky_Malinky wrote: »

I love my Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers, but I have heard that WMF are also a good brand.

For stock or bone broth I would use either my 4 litre or 7 litre depending on quantities.

I did see the Kuhn Rikon PCs on amazon while browsing. The price is moderately high but some people did seem to have some problems with them, while others claimed that they had some advantages over other makes. I did see a suggestion that there is a known problem with heat dissipation and burning where they recommend using a diffuser to prevent burning. The bases are meant to be fairly thin apparently.

The WMF are extremely expensive, sell an organ to buy one expensive! Maybe if the quality is very high then I might have to bit the bullet and find the cash to buy it. At those kinds of prices they would have to last me for 25+ years.

ATM it's only the size that I am close to, the bigger the better and material, high quality stainless steel. However I do need one that can be used for smaller meals, ie more normal cooking. Can they be used without filling them too much such as cooking a smaller meal in a large PC? Do they work okay under those conditions?

Living_proof

OP I think you need a catering pressure cooker. I had the skeleton of one which I used as an enormous stew cooker. Huge ones do exist but I think you will have to look at trade websites to satisfy your needs.

caroline1973lefty

Can any OS-ers give me advice on buying a I would like to buy a pressure cooker? I want it to cook pulses quickly in, mostly, and it doesn't need to be huge. I'd prefer to spend under £50 if poss, there are various on sale at the moment from brands like Tower, Tefal, and Prestige, some are 'high tops' some are steel some alumnimium... it's confusing!

the main thing is i want one that is going to feel *safe* to use cos i remember being rather scared of my mum's even though she loved it... don't want to be worried it's sounding like it might explode or hiss hot steam all over me....

any recommendations? thanks OS-ers!

want_to_save

I am in the market for a new one too... so will subscribe to this

A.Penny.Saved

I'm going to add a few more things to consider because you say it's been confusing so far and I don't think that you have even considered more things which add to the issue of choosing.

I've been looking for a Pressure Cooker (PC) for a long time and have recently been narrowing them down.

Stainless steel (SS) only! Don't even consider Aluminium if you value your health! Aluminium is cheap for a reason! All SS isn't equal either. The best types are Superaustenitic SS which is far more resistant to degradation by salt because of higher molybdenum content of about 6%. Lower end SS can become pitted badly if high salt is used for lengthy periods or food is left in the pan. I've had such experiences with not cheap Japanese cutlery and cheap SS pans already and don't want to repeat it with an expensive PC. 316 SS is the common cookware type often called 18/10. The molybdenum content of 316 (18/10) is often only 2 - 3 % which although not perfect is better than the cheap 304 SS. Aldi did sell a cheap SS PC which I purchased. When I got it home and opened the box, it said inside 304 SS which is cheap low end rubbish so I took it straight back.

Your probably okay with 18/10 316 SS unless you use massive amounts of salt and leave it in the pan for long periods.

You have to watch out for the pressure that the PC can operate at. Many/Most from Tefal can only manage around 10 psi whereas most recipes are made for 15 psi PC's. If you get one which can only manage 10 or so psi then you would need to adjust cooking times on any recipes. Price might limit the OP on this.

Fagor
Kuhn Rikon
WMF - these are often sold in department stores and they are expensive.
Fissler
are some of the better makes

I've been looking at this German make but so far I'm not 100% convinced due to it's dimensions. the opening method seems very good, the lid goes on in any place and the pressure release seems good and it has 3 pressure settings which is also above average, most have 2 and some only 1.
BEEM Omni Perfect 4,6, 8 & 10 litres. Sets such as 8 & 4 litre bases sharing the same lid and including a glass lid for regular cooking and finishing which is a nice idea. Amazon sell them but they are available for a little less from none UK Amazon sites such as Italy.

Look for safety standards and safety features. Many PC have multiple safety devices, some claiming 4 or 5. Look for pressure release because some have nice easy to use pressure release systems that you can simply select and the pressure is released whereas some such as Kuhn Rikon (KR) need to have a pressure value pushed with a spoon which isn't so convenient IMO. They are also not Dishwasher safe. KR are highly regarded but these little issues put me off them even though the price has dropped ATM. However the KR does seem to require less cooking energy but I have seen people mention burning food on multiple occasions. They are probably outside the OP's price range anyway.

Things to look out for:

The number of safety features. Most, especially the bigger names should be okay on this.
Pressure release system - cooling under a tap, pressing a valve or the best are a selector on the pressure control valve which releases the pressure without any further intervention.
Spares availability and how long spares will be available for. Low end makes don't provide spares for very long so require purchasing a new PC. The better makes usually sell replacement valves, gaskets, handles, bases and lids. Practically everything can be replaced or a smaller base purchased for use with the original lid so that you can use the same lid for two bases and multiple uses.
Handle type - Single longer handles or dual shorter handles for easier storage. Watch out for dishwasher compatibility as some bakerlite handles are not dishwasher safe.
Dimensions particularly the diameter and capacity - will it fit on your cooker? Can you fit what you want to cook into it? Some larger models are 28cm and will fit a whole chicken in. All PC can only be filled to 2/3rds capacity maximum and only half for more expansive or throthing foods.
Smaller ones are less expensive.

Large ones are great for doing large batches of soup and chickens and large meat joints but not so practical for smaller meals.

The latest ones are very quiet, some almost silent.

There is some useful info on the following site and some reviews which help. Also look at Amazon for reviews, although they are not all that reliable but can indicate common problems with some PC's.
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-psi-faq-the-stuff-you-didnt-think-to-ask/?ModPagespeed=noscript

Prestige had a plain boxed version selling for around £50. Approx 6 litres. however that might be a bit too big for the OP. Read the Amazon reviews because there were some issues with the safety valves a few years back.

OP: Check up on throthing because it can be a problem which you might have to solve if cooking beans. Oil might help.