Pressure Cooker - Yes or No

[StirBlue]

Hi -
Oh - for what it's worth: a pressure cooker's 15 psi is not particularly impressive - my car's tires are inflated to 30 psi.

Taking that statement into account, you should definitely never get a pressure cooker.

 

[bushy]

Taking that statement into account, you should definitely never get a pressure cooker.

Then I suppose I shouldn't mention the 3000 psi in a SCUBA tank, huh...

The point is that, on a relative scale, a p/c is not worth fearing.

Next up: hydroforming...

 

[StirBlue]

Then I suppose I shouldn't mention the 3000 psi in a SCUBA tank, huh...

The point is that, on a relative scale, a p/c is not worth fearing.

Next up: hydroforming...

You would not go scuba diving unless you learned how to operate the equipment.
You put the proper size tires on your car and inflate them according to the recommended safety factor.
You read the information and instructions for a pressure cooker and follow through.

When a scuba tank runs out of air, it's done. When a tire blows, it done.
When a pressure cooker blows, the lid does not pop off and that's it.
When a pressure cooker blows, the regulator pop's off and boiling hot steam and food is being sprayed toward the ceiling and it does not stop until the heat is turned off.

The only time a pressure cooker can really get you into trouble is when you neglect to read the instructions and procedures for it. "People borrow pressure cookers and start using them based on spunned up advice" or "they buy them used" with no instructions and start using them not knowing how it works.

There are far more fry pan grease fires than pressure cooker mishaps. My actual point in my first post today was the quality of the food cooked in a pressure cooker is not very good.

 

[Candocook]

Then I suppose I shouldn't mention the 3000 psi in a SCUBA tank, huh...

The point is that, on a relative scale, a p/c is not worth fearing.

Next up: hydroforming...

Maybe the pressure isn't but the hot steam and flying parts are. It is comparing apples to oranges and not relative.
That said, the new PCs have a lot of safety features--like two safety valves, in most cases.

I have no idea at this point if I answered earlier, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my PC--have only had it about a year.

Dried bean soup in under an hour.
Beef stew in half an hour.
Artichokes perfectly cooked in 10 minutes.
Perfect risotto in 10 minutes total.
Whole cauliflower just blanched for a perfect salad.

 

[GB]

a p/c is not worth fearing.

This is a recipe for a serious accident and potentially death. Please, if you get a pressure cooker rethink this. Treat is with respect. OK, you don't really need to fear it, but don't think that just because it has low psi compared to other things you know that it can not be dangerous. Neither your scuba tank nor car tires are stilling on a stovetop with liquid and fat that is above the boiling point ready to explode like a grenade.

is there any down side to using a p/c much, much larger than is needed?

Why would you want to get one larger than what you need? why not get the right size tool for the job at hand?

 

[pacanis]

Stirblue, you do not paint a very good picture of PC cooking. And I do appreciate your candor. I think varying opinions makes for good discussion and hopefully an informed decision for someone like myself sitting on the fence. This statement: "There is no savored flavor using a pressure cooker. All the nutrition is simply killed. And the food is always overdone!" has peaked my interest.

I've only ever had one thing that was cooked in a PC. It was good, but I can't even remember what it was as it was several years ago. I see Emeril whipping up some pretty tasty looking stuff in his PC, of course I can only assume it tastes as good as it looks and still has nutritional value. Also, he depressurizes the cooker right there in front of us.... no 30 minute wait (unless I misunderstood you on this).

I don't know where I'm going with this other than I've been thinking of getting one for occassional use, but now have other opinions to weigh in.

My question to the group is, can you cook frozen food in one?
I work at home and usually have plenty of time to get a meal ready. My problem is taking meat out of the freezer in order to thaw it properly. I certainly wouldn't mind something that speeds up the cooking process, whether it will allow me to cook with fozen food, or allow faster preparation if the food isn't thawed until 8:30 that night.
If the meals aren't as tasty as slow cooking methods, the positives of PC cooking may not outweigh the negatives in my case.

 

[Candocook]

I didn't read StirBlue's post but don't agree with what has been quoted above. I have made stews that taste just as good and rich as one that is cooked long. I cannot tell the difference in my 7 minute risotto, nor in my pea soup. I don't use it (the PC) all the time, but enjoy it greatly when I do.
I think you will need to thaw your meat. You can put it in the fridge the night before to thaw--or if you work at home do it in the morning.
Sometimes you de-pressurize quickly (to stop the cooking process) and sometimes you let it come down on its own--or you can allow that. It depends on what you are cooking.
I would not recommend getting a PC under 6qts. You can only fill them a bit over half way. Sometimes I wish mine were 8qts, but usually it is just fine.

 

[subfuscpersona]

If available in your neck of the globe, you might want to look at cookbooks by Lorna Sass. She's published a number of cookbooks that focus on cooking meals using a pressure cooker.

 

[pacanis]

Wow..... the one I was looking at, which is pretty pricey I think, is only 2 qts!
Here's a link: One Pot-shop EMERILS.com It looks roomy enough on TV and I do live by myself, but like to cook enough for leftovers.

I've got a problem with my fridge and thawing. Sometimes overnight is enough, sometimes I need a couple days. The temp can vary by 10 degrees easily and often drops below freezing, but it's better than going the other way. I like my adult beverage cold . Bought it brand new 5 yrs ago, too

You don't know how many times I've almost ordered that little electric convection oven that cooks frozen food in minutes.... but the smarter side of my brain prevailed.

 

[bushy]

...
Why would you want to get one larger than what you need? why not get the right size tool for the job at hand?

Being poor, I'm looking at ebay, and the smallest ones are few and far between - 4 qt and 6 qt models are all over the place.

And, for those concerned that I'm likely to commit suicide by pressure cooker:

Not very likely - I have great respect for tools that can harm me, and have used gear MUCH more lethal, and am still here, with just a couple scars.

If you want scary, try this:

I once started to build an airplane (notice I did NOT say 'model').
One of the chemicals (MEKP, 50% in a stabilizer) which, if it gets into your eye, you have 4 SECONDS to wash it out before it destroys the cornea.

But thank you for your concern and your welcoming sentiments – they are appreciated

 

[GB]

Being poor, I'm looking at ebay, and the smallest ones are few and far between - 4 qt and 6 qt models are all over the place.

Fair enough. Since I do not have any first hand experience with a pc I really can't answer that for you, but I am sure someone else will be able to soon.

 

[Andy M.]

A 6-quart PC will easily handle the majority of cooking chores you would ask of it, depending on the size of your family. 4 and 6 quart sizes are the most popular for that reason.

 

[bushy]

...

My question to the group is, can you cook frozen food in one?
I work at home and usually have plenty of time to get a meal ready. My problem is taking meat out of the freezer in order to thaw it properly. I certainly wouldn't mind something that speeds up the cooking process, whether it will allow me to cook with fozen food, or allow faster preparation if the food isn't thawed until 8:30 that night.
If the meals aren't as tasty as slow cooking methods, the positives of PC cooking may not outweigh the negatives in my case.

As one who is thinking along exactly these lines, but knows almost zero about food prep:

Could either of these schemes work, and if so, are there reasons not to:

A. If the item is relatively thin, could one nuke it into submission? Microwaves cook from the inside out, and I'm concerned that an entire roast might get confused as to what temp. it should be, and I've noticed that most foods intended to be nuked are about 1" thick.

B. Place meat in waterproof plastic bag, place bag in p/c, cover with water and bring the pot up to temp. With the lid OFF! If this could work, you'd end up with the meat ready to cook and the cooker already close to working temp.

 

[Andy M.]

...Microwaves cook from the inside out...

Actually, just the opposite. Microwaves only penetrate about an inch into a piece of meat and heat that part. The heat then transfers deeper into the meat, similar to they way it does in a conventional oven.

The quickest good ways to defrost meats are under cold running water or on a heavy aluminum piece such as a heavy pot or griddle.

 

[suzyQ3]

There is no savored flavor using a pressure cooker. All the nutrition is simply killed. And the food is always overdone!

While I've had the exact opposite experience with both flavor and correct amount of cooking in my pressure cookers, I'm curious as to your statement regarding nutrition. Do you have anything that backs that up? Because I was under the impression that pressure cooking is particularly healthful.

 

[T-roy]

I just picked up this set
http://www.cookwareessentials.com/Fagor-918060778-FGR1009.html
The first time I used it I had the burnt bottom problem so I re-read the instructions & corrected my mistake (waited too long to reduce the heat after pressurization). Since then I've been impressed with the flavors & the technology (old as it may be). Lately I've been playing with a 45-minuet beef burgundy and the flavors are great. It's like many kitchen tools, use it for what it's good at & experiment with it.

 

[Candocook]

Pressure cookers are not expensive. Look here. Most will have free shipping over $25.
Amazon.com: pressure cooker

I have bought the Presto for our Denver children. I have a T-Fal that is unfortunately no longer available ($40 on Amazon). It has a wonderful digital timer mechanism.

 

[missvickie]

Let me correct some of the ongoing false assumptions about pressure cookery before too many people come away with misinformation.

There are significant differences between the old-fashioned 'jiggle-top' models and today's sleek new, modern pressure cookers with all the qualities of the best cookware and advanced engineering technology. Grandma's vintage version is iike a horse and buggy in comparison to a showroom Mercedes.

Many people make the common mistake of over-cooking foods in the pressure cooker. Using the incorrect pressure release method and selecting the wrong cooking method are other errors make by novice users. Pressure cookers have changed considerably over the years, with the greatest improvements occurring in the last decade with the introduction of the modern spring-valve models.

I love to cook, but I'm not a kitchen drudge, so the pressure cooker is my number one cooking tool. I cook everything from breakfast to desserts in a pressure cooker. Perfect risotto in 7 minutes, hard-boiled eggs in 5 minutes, a whole 'roast chicken' in 20 minutes, pulled pork for BBQ sandwiches in 35 minutes, and a bundt mold carrotcake in 25 minutes.

It's a well-known 'secret' that herbs and spices bloom, and flavors are actually enhanced in a pressure cooker, and that means less salt is used in cooking. There is a marked nutritional benefit in using the new, closed-system pressure cookers. Because foods are rapidly steamed in an airless environment where very little liquid is used, more vitamins and essential nutrients are preserved. Think bright, tender-crisp vegetables and delicate seafood… yes, a 3 minute 'stir-fry' in a pressure cooker.

 

[Candocook]

Are you the Miss Vickie of the EXCELLENT pressure cooker site!! It is a wonderful resource. PCs today are NOT your mother's PC. They are a very fine kitchen tool and do not overcook, make tasteless, etc. food.

Even if you aren't, here is an excellent site
Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker Recipes

 

[suzyQ3]

An excellent pressure cooker risotto milanese that never fails:

RISOTTO MILANESE
Pressure-Cooker Method​

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups low-fat chicken stock
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over high heat. Add the onion, cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until the outer edges turn translucent.

Add the stock, wine, and saffron.

Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat.

Reduce heat to stabilize pressure. Cook 7 minutes.

Quick-release pressure and remove cover.

Stir in white pepper, salt, butter, and Parmesan.

Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 Servings