Whenever
I am asked "What is the best pressure cooker?" or
"Which pressure cooker should I buy?" I always have
to ask a lot of questions. First of all trying to determine
what is the best pressure cooker is like trying to determine
what is the best car. Just as there is a variety in the styles
of cars such as trucks, sports cars and sedans there is a
variety in the style of pressure cookers. In some cars you get
a choice of body materials such as steel or fiber glass. You
also can choose from a variety of interior options such as
cloth or leather seats. If you were shopping for a car you
would also determine your price range.
When choosing a pressure cooker you need to take the
following into consideration: Size; Type (stove top,
microwave, electric); Base composition and bottom
construction; Handle style; Pressure settings; Pressure
release and locking mechanisms and price range.
Stove-Top Cookers
Stove-top
pressure cookers are primarily made of aluminum or stainless
steel. Stainless steel cookers have quickly become the most
popular cookers because of health concerns and durability.
There are some elderly customers that have found the
stainless cookers too heavy and so they opt for the aluminum
cookers. Aluminum cookers are usually less expensive.
Aluminum cookers are popular in the extra large
sizes,
those over 12 quarts, because they cost and weigh less than
the stainless steel cookers. Aluminum cookers are not as
durable as stainless steel cookers and have a tendency to
warp or pit and become unusable if you are not careful.
Most
of the newer spring valve pressure cookers have an 18/10
stainless steel base with a multi metal layer bottom. These
new multi-metal bottoms are usually some combination of
copper, aluminum and steel. These encapsulated bottoms
provide better conductivity and avoid a lot of the notorious
hot spots. It is the bottom base composition that is one of
the main criteria in determining the quality of a stainless
steel cooker.
Handle Styles
With
pressure cookers we have two basic handle styles. There are
the cookers that have a long skillet handle on one side and a
short handle on the other. The best comparison I can make is
to a large saute pan. These are very popular since most
pressure cooker recipes involve some sauteing. I also find it
easier to put the lids on and off using the long
handled
models. You have a little more distance between you and the cooker.
The other option is the stock pot style cookers with two
short handles on either side. On large pans,10 quarts or
bigger, I prefer the
stock pot style. These cookers can
be quite heavy when they are full of liquid. Since these pans
are used for canning or making soup stocks they are usually
heavy when full and the short handles make it easier to get a
grip and lift the heavier pans. Since you are less likely to
saute or braise in the larger pans you will probably not miss
the popular skillet style handles.
On the long skillet handle you can find some cookers with
a split handle. Some people that have smaller hands prefer a
split handle since they feel they can get a better grip on the
cooker. Handles are not covered by the pressure
cooker�s warranty. They are considered a
replaceable part. Handles can break if the pressure cooker
gets dropped. Handles are many times damaged when the burner
flame is
too high.
Interior
Waffle Bottoms
There
are some brands of stainless steel pressure cooker that offer
a waffle style
bottom.
These bottoms allow you to cook meats with less fat and oil
than the smooth
bottom
cookers. In some brands the waffles are more shallow than
others. These
bottoms
offer a durable alternative to non-stick cookers.
Pressure
Cookers, Skillets and Braisers
Basically
there are either pot styled cookers or skillet/braiser
cookers. Most
pressure
cookers are the pot styled pressure cookers. Some brands do
offer a
shorter
version cooker. If they have the long styled handle they are called
skillets.
If they have the short stock pot style handles it is referred
to as a
braiser.
All pressure cookers can be used to braise meat such as pork
or veal
chops,
however the lower skillets and braisers make braising more
convenient. Some
of
the skillets and braisers have a larger diameter than many
pressure cookers
which
allow them to be used as a stainless frying pan when used
without the
pressure
lid. A waffle style bottom is offered on some of the brands.
These low
style
skillets work great on certain bean and rice dishes. I use
these high quality
pans
in place of traditional stainless frying pans when cooking
some dishes. They
are
very dual purpose.
What Size?
Well
I have to confess that I have multiple pressure cookers in my
home. I use
different
cookers for different applications. Before choosing a cooker
size keep in
mind
that for many recipes are designed for cookers 6 quarts and
above. Remember
that
when cooking recipes that are mostly liquid such as soups and
stews your
cooker
shouldn�t be filled more than � full.
Many people look at these cookers and
think
that since they are only cooking for one or two that they
don�t need a very
big
pot. If this cooker is to be used primarily for side dishes
it may be totally
appropriate
but otherwise it limit what recipes can be made in your cooker.
If I
was told that I could only have one cooker I would pick a
cooker that was
around
8 liters or 8.5 quarts in size. This would allow me to cook
the soups and
stocks,
ribs and roasts, and all of the desserts and meals that
require me to stack
pans
such as baking dishes and spring pans in my cooker.
There
are a lot of benefits to having two cookers. This gives you
the flexibility
to
make multi-course quick meals. You can make one cooker work
for some meals or by
the
use stacking baskets or packets, however two cookers are a
lot easier. Many
brands
offer pressure cooker sets. These sets usually offer two
different pressure
cooker
bases (such as a 8qt and a 4 qt pan) with one pressure lid
and one
non-pressure
lid where the lids fit both cookers. It isn�t the
same as have two
complete
pressure cookers but close.
Cooker
Base Style
Pot
styled pressure cookers are usually either straight sided or
a more stylish
belly
shaped. Some people prefer the belly shaped cookers because
they can better
fit
some items like lamb shanks in them. Many of these cookers
are based on Italian
designs
and are known for their stylish good looks. I
don�t care for them since I
have
had problems with burning on the sides. If you choose one of
these cookers you
need
to be vigilant that your heat source is not too large.
Non-Stick
Pressure Cookers
I
have to admit that I own a non-stick pressure skillet.
Non-stick pressure cookers
have
a poor reputation because like all non-stick pans since the
finish doesn't
last
very long. There are also some allegations about non-stick
pans having
potential
health issues.
I
must mention that I have never had a problem cleaning one of
my stainless
pressure
cookers. If some food gets burned on the sides or bottom a
little soaking
and
stainless cleaner does the trick without much effort. Ease of
cleaning is not
the
reason I have a non-stick pressure skillet. The reason I own
a non-stick
pressure
cooker is for its versatility when I travel. I can use it as
a non-stick
non-pressure
pan at one meal and as a pressure cooker at another. I can
use it to
make
omelets or French toast in the morning and Risotto or chili
at night. Like
most
non-stick pans over time the finish may deteriorate over time
and have to be
replaced
but boy is it convenient.
These
non-stick cookers are popular on boats and campers where
kitchen storage
space
is scarce and people need versatility in their pans. I know
people that only
have
three pressure cookers and no other pots or pans. They even
use their pressure
cookers
to make breads and desserts and find that they can get by
with no oven,
saving
space and money.
Various
Pressure Settings
Most
stove-top pressure cookers have pressure level indicators for
PSI levels
between
3 and15 PSI depending on the manufacturer. There are cookers
that offer one
to
three pressure level indicators. There are cookers with a
single low pressure
indicator
or a single high pressure indicator. Most recipes in pressure cooker
cookbooks
require timing from when the cooker reaches a high pressure
setting. Keep
in
mind that there are many meat canning recipes and fish
recipes that call for
cooking
at a low pressure setting.
One
of the most controversial topics among pressure cooker
aficionados is the value
of a
15 PSI pressure cooker. On many brands the high temperature
is less than 15
PSI.
Many of the manufacturers do not even document their high
temperature. To give
you
an idea of the difference, a 15 PSI cooker will reach 257
degrees Fahrenheit vs
253
degrees Fahrenheit for a 13.5 PSI cooker. This does not
necessarily mean your
recipe
will cook faster in the 15 PSI cooker. I have a 13.5 PSI
cooker that heats
up
faster than some 15 PSI cookers because of the high quality
bottom on the 13.5
PSI
cooker and I actually have to decrease the cooking time
stated in many recipe
books.
How
fast a stove top cooker will heat up is also somewhat
dependent on the power of
the
heat source you are using. A cooker being used on a 18,000
BTU burner will heat
up
faster than the same cooker on a 8000 BTU burner. You need to
get to know your
cooker
and your cook-top and adjust the recipes accordingly. One
item that is often
forgotten
is that your food is cooking as your cooker is coming up to
pressure. I
have
one cooker where some items such as green beans are done by
the time the
cooker
reaches high pressure.
I do
have to note that when I have cook with a cooker whose high
temperature is
only
10.6 PSI(243 Fahrenheit), I found I had to adjust my recipes significantly.
With
this cooker I definitely noticed that it took longer to cook
than in one of my
15
PSI or 13.6 PSI cookers. However I would not rule out this
cooker. For the price
conscious
customer, it might make a great cooker since it has a high quality
bottom,
two pressure settings, easy locking and pressure release and
a extra
attractive
price. It also makes a great starter pressure cooker or a
good second
cooker
for vegetables, rice and risottos.
Locking
and Releasing the Pressure
All
of these new spring-valve pressure cookers have many locking
safety features.
They
do not come up to pressure unless they are locked. However I
have to admit
that
I personally like the ones that have a lever or indicator
that indicates that
the
pressure cooker is locked. I feel more comfortable with it
and it is easier to
know
that you still have pressure that needs to be released.
There
are three basic ways to release pressure on all of these
spring valve
pressure
cookers. The first way is natural release. This is where you
remove the
heat
source and eventually the pressure cooker releases pressure.
When enough of
the
pressure is released the cooker unlocks or can be unlocked
and opened. You will
see
that many recipes call for a natural release. The second way
is to run cold
water
over the pressure cooker. The third way is called quick
release. The quick
release
mechanism is different for manufacturers and ease of use is
usually a major
consideration
when making a pressure cooker purchase. Keep in mind that
your food
continues
to cook until all of the pressure is released.
Some
of the cookers have a lever or switch on top that you turn
that causes the
pressure
to be released. Be careful here since some cookers allow you
to turn the
lever
and remove your hand, while the pressure is released while
others do not.
Also
some of these levers on top of the cooker do heat up and it
might require that
you
use a pad or glove which touching this lever. Some of the
cookers have a lever
on
the handle. On the cookers that have levers to release the
pressure, these
levers
are also integrated into t he locking mechanism. The oldest
way to quick
release
pressure is still found on some cookers. It is the least
convenient. You
need
to use a utensil such as a wooden spoon and depress the
pressure indicator
causing
the pressure to release.
Electric
and Microwave Cookers
Most
pressure cookers are designed for use on a cook-top. There
are two exceptions.
There
are electric pressure cookers and microwave pressure cookers. Electric
pressure
cookers are useful when there is no available burner to use.
I have known
people
to take them to the church social as a method to quickly cook
their meatball
dish.
Then
there are plastic pressure cookers designed for use in the
microwave. These
cookers
are very useful when traveling since they are light compared
to the
stainless
steel cookers. The microwave cookers are useful for any place
that has a
microwave
such as studio kitchens, hotel rooms or dorm rooms. I
actually think they
are
great for warming leftovers. Microwaves remove the moisture
from the food and
these
plastic cookers avoid that problem.
These
cookers are not designed to last as long as the traditional
stove top
stainless
steel pressure cookers. You should also keep in mind that
most pressure
cooker
recipes are not designed for either of these cookers. You can
use the
recipes
that come with these cookers to get started and then adapt
other pressure
cooker
recipes once you are familiar with your cooker
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