Recommend me a pressure cooker

sb44

Thanks folks, I have just reserved the taller one.

angeltreats

Hello, this is my first post (although I've been lurking for a while) and I hope I'm putting it in the right place!

I'm toying with the idea of buying a pressure cooker, thinking it would be nice to be able to cook potatoes and veg and casseroles/stews quickly. I've heard they're a lot better nowadays (i.e. less likely to explode) than the one my mum had in the early 80s, and I have the idea that as they're quick, they would save on gas as I'd be cooking for a shorter time.

I did a forum search and while there's lots of people using slow cookers, I couldn't see very much about pressure cookers. Does anyone use one or have any thoughts about whether it'd be a wise purchase? Any recommendations would also be very welcome.

Thanks in advance

ariba10

We have had a Pressure cooker since we got married, many, many, many years ago and have never heard of one exploding.

They are ideal for stews and that sort of thing but not a great advantage in cooking vegetables.

(Great for cooking pulses)

RosyRed

I also have had one throughout my married life,so thats 34 years.I use it to cook potatoes for mash,they only take 5 mins,and some veg.I find it really useful for soups and broths,and stockmaking,and you can use it for making chutney too.Personally,I wouldn't be without it,although I probably could make more use of it than I do.Hope thats of some use-I've never had an explosion with it either!Have read somewhere you can get them now that don't hiss.

eamon

I've been using pressure cookers for 25 years and I've never had any explode on me!. In the UK the brand leaders are Prestige & Tower and they come with good user guides. Tower are cheaper but equally good. Pressure cookers are easier to use today than years ago due to more user friendly weight controls and steam release mechamisms (the days of holding under the cold tap are long gone unless you have an old model). I use a Tefal and can do stews/curries/chillies etc in 20 mins & less, vegetable soups in 7mins (after prep time). It takes a bit of getting used to but I would possibly starve if i didn't have one (i have 2).

Slinky_Malinky

I have had several pressure cookers over the past 20 years, I once killed one by putting it on the hob filled with food but I forgot to add the water and it was on for ages......I wondered why it was taking so long to come to pressure then I noticed an odd smell of burning :eek:. The inside was charred black but it didn`t explode.

I currently have two Khun Rikon pressure cookers - a 7 litre and a 2.5 litre. Great for making stock, soup, stew etc. and makes meat really tender. Haven`t tried pulses yet but expecting it to so a fab job of them. With veg you have to watch the time carefully as it will over cook quickly.

I would highly recommend one.

meg72

I have been using a pressure cooker for more yeras than I care to remember and really would not be without it. Several of my friends have them too and speak highly of them

Primrose

We've had a Prestige Skyline Pressure cooker since we got married 40 years ago and it's still going strong. I don't think this model is made any more but they still turn up regularly at car boot sales where I bought a second one for spares. They're simple to use once you realise you don't have to be terrified by the hissing sound. (When I was first married, because I'd never seen one used before, I thought the hissing sound was a sign it was about to explode, not realising it was just the normal sound of hot air being expelled !). Ours is regularly used cooking pulses and making stock and I wouldn't be without it. However I no longer use it for cooking vegetables because it takes longer to clean all the individual containers and the inside of the pressure cooker. These days I usually cook all my vegetables, apart from potatoes, together in one saucepan to save fuel, simply cutting them the sizes which need the same cooking time.

psso

I too have used a Prestige pressure cooker for 35 years, well this is my second one, and the only time I had a problem was the very first time I made soup in it. I put too much water in and when it came up to pressure, the weight flew off and my kitchen ceiling was splattered liberally with the contents of the pan. Needless to say I never used too much water again and I`ve made thousands of pots of soup with no more problems. So much quicker than simmering peas, barley and lentils for ages to make a warming pot of broth and stews are done much faster too. I`d be lost without my one.

Chipps

Exploding pressure cookers??? What fun!!!!

I'v never had one of those!

I have had one that belonged to my Dad's mum, who died back in the 1950s -before I was born, and only stopped using it a few years ago when I couldn't get parts for it, and that never exploded - and was obviously older than your mum's one. I also had one in the early 1980, as a wedding present (still have it now - unexploded!) They have hardly changed in design & mechanism since the older of those two. Did your mum leave hers on for too long or not put liquid in it, for it to explode?

Pressure cookers are brilliant for stocks, stews, soups, puddings, cooking gammon, pulses etc. Mine have all been Prestige ones (including a newer one my MIL gave me, which had some fancy gizmo on top that was supposed to be easier than the weights - but the gizmo disintegrated, so I went back to my nice simple one) They haven't much changed.

Personally I would have a Prestige, but I think that is just because I know them - don't know if they are better than any other brand. But yes, if you do that sort of cooking they are brilliant, really speed up cooking times. And once you get used to the hissing - which can sound a bit scary at first - they are fantastic to have in the kitchen!

Wouldn't be without one!