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Michael, What did you use to clean up your pressure cooker. It looks great. Mine is same model like yours. It had been getting used more this past few weeks due to cold weather and I have been doing roast then next day make vegetable soup. Thanks, Dan
 
Quantity of water

The pressure pan manufacturers (electric, electronic, stove-top) all recommend 1/2 cup more water than is desired in the final recipe as a guideline when cooking a new, non-pressure pan recipe for the first time.

If a recipe is moisture sensitive, then it's useful to put a small rack in the pan, pour about a cup of water, place the food to be cooked in a bowl and place that on the rack. Super heated steam doesn't contribute moisture, so you won't need a lid (but may want to use one). Problem solved.

If you want to cook something that tends to foam, be sure to use lots of oil or butter. There's a myth that one mustn't use oil. That's nonsense left over from the bad old pressure-fryer days when people used oil under pressure to cook in pans not designed for it.

Feel free to use three tablespoons or more of oil or butter for bean/ lentils. Two tablespoons for a big bowl of porridge made of any of the usual grains (this is where the bowl on the rack really shines).

In keeping time for new recipes, follow any pressure pan recipe that is similar. That will be close enough. Generally speaking, once you get above two potatoes, it's going to be faster than a microwave oven would be, so when cooking things which don't like overcooking, be sure to check early.

Shock cooling is normal, only meats and canning produce are left to cool 'naturally'. This is one of the worst mistakes (next to the no oil nonsense) on many modern websites.

Never fill the pan higher than the manufacturer says.

I put a teaspoon of white vinegar in the water when using our magnesium-aluminium alloy (Model 40) pressure cookers and they never discolor. Wash with an SOS pad and DAWN. Never, ever, under any circumstances use Scotchbrite green or put in the dishwasher.
 
Hi Dan,

I did exactly what Panthera suggested above. Dawn liquid and SOS (actually Brillo in this case). I oiled the wooden handles with beeswax furniture oil. He had cautioned me against a dishwasher early on. My seal and plug were still in very good shape and I put some vegetable oil on them. I am still amazed at this being 70 years old and heavily used over the years. Then in storage for about 10 or so years..and it looks almost new.

Frig...I would imagine using it as a saucepan would be fairly common, especially years ago when people did not have a jillion pots and pans at their disposal. In my opinion that generation was typically as frugal and resourceful as any generation since. They "made do" with what they had.

As I perused the local William-Sonoma today, I looked at the prices of Instant Pots and stove top Pressure Cookers. As we all have noted in various threads over the years. Back in the day, these things were costly and still are. I think in general many of the older pots, pans, appliances were not only well built...in general, they were well cared for. Planned obsolescence was unheard of in the 1940s. People took pride in "keeping things nice".
 
Model 40 as saucepan

These (together with the 100/400 series pressure fryers) have such heavy bottoms and sides and such wonderfully even heat distribution that I often use one for a temperamental egg sauce. I think many women blew their whole discretionary budget on one of these back then and were overjoyed to discover that they really cooked even the most delicate foods perfectly when used as regular pans/skillets.  
 
Toploader...dude, that PCooker looks fantastic! That took some elbow grease and it was so worth it. Really looks nice!

I have never seen a weight like the one pictured? The original Presto units have a small black button that when at three bars ( fully distended ) showing, indicates 15psi. Is that an aftermarket weight?
 
Eddie,

That looks great!

Mike,
These were rather elaborate bi-metallic indicators. They released pressure the same way, but signaled cooking and canning pressure through that indicator.
The pop up three ring system was much less expensive. Ironic that it's the current standard, just looks a bit different.
So, not aftermarket.
 

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