Question about vintage "Mirro" pressure cookers.

[foraloysius]

Looking at the pictures on the website, I see now the newer models indeed have some safety feature, but it's not easy noticeable.

Aluminum or stainless steel, no matter what you have, never put the lid in the dishwasher, that might affect the blow out plug or the pressure system.

Anyone have recipes for the pressure cooker? I made some stews in it and boiled potatoes, but more recipes are always welcome ofcourse.

 

[NYCWriter]

Pressure cooking ...

... is actually among the healthiest ways to preserve nutrients and food integrity (as opposed to microwaving, which can create a litany of problems).

 

[askolover]

I learned how to use

a Mirromatic like that from my grandmother when I was little...when she sold her house and moved in with my aunt, she gave me that very same one and I still use it. I'm 43 now, don't know how old it was back then. Great cooker. A lot of people are scared of them...follow directions and you will have NO problems. I actually have a cookbook from the Presto company that's all pressure cooker food. One of my favorite recipes is orange glazed ribs...mmm mmm good!

 

[retro-man]

I have mirromatic also and never found that the bottom bowed out when in use. I prefer electric over gas when using a pressure cooker. It seals better when using electric. The heat from the burner goes directly into the pot and heats fast. When using gas the heat from the flame rides up along the side and dries the gasket and sometimes will not make a seal, or it takes a lot longer for the seal to complete. This is a unit from my mother and I always remember it so it has to be over 50 years old. She replace the gasket once or twice and the safety plug once. Gasket is still pliable after all these years. I use it regularly to make chilly, beef stew, and when I have a good crop of beats its fast to flash cook them before going into the freezer.
Jon

 

[norgeway]

Re Safety plug...

I have never seen any pressure cooker that DIDNT have a safety plug, I have a model 40 Presto from 1947 that has the same rubber plug all Prestos have, I also have a Revere and a couple of Wear Evers from the late 40s that also have safety plugs, some early canners do not have a safety plug though, but im talking 1920s stuff.As to a Mirro Matic bowing out on the bottom, mine certainly dont, nor do any of the Prestos, but the Wear Ever is lighter in weight and it will slightly.

 

[foraloysius]

Most pressure cookers had a safety plug, but not all had a system that made it impossible to open it when still under pressure.

 

[norgeway]

Here is how ..

I make mashed potatos, peel and slice the potatos, cover with water, add salt, pressure at 15 pounds 8 to 10 minutes, reduce pressure by running cold water over cooker, drain potatos well, add hot milk, melted butter, white pepper and salt, whip...this is a 2 1/2 quart mirro Matic.

 

[petek]

Got me wanting a new pc.... I have numerous already including an electronic one but this one looks great.. it has a stainless pot and a searing feature which mine doesn't...

Shop Instant Pot & Instant Appliances | Official Website

Instant® is a well-known brand of kitchen and home appliances. Find pressure cookers, air purifiers, air fryers & cookware. Ships to USA and Canada.

instantpot.com

 

[whirlcool]

We went with a 61' Mirro PC because we found one NIB, and it was the same model my mother used. So it makes the same noise as my mother's did while cooking. We use a 6 qt model.

Someone asked for a PC recipe. Here is our favorite.

EZ Pressure Cooked Pot Roast

3-1/2 - 4 lb Pot Roast
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 can Swanson's Beef Broth
1 cup water
1 Medium Onion, chopped and about 6 slices
Carrots, peeled & sliced as desired
Potatoes, I use white or russets
Olive Oil
Oregeno
Cayanne Pepper
Basil
Fresh Garlic
Worchester Sauce

Open Pot Roast and rinse off under water. Dry. Place on plate.
Stab Pot Roast with fork a bunch of times to tenderize.
On each side rub on some Oregno, Basil, Salt & Pepper, a sprinkle
or two of Cayenne Pepper. Peel and slice garlic cloves (2 or 3)
Using a knife, cut a few slots in the meat and insert a slice or
two of garlic into each slot. Do this maybe in 4 or 5 places on the
Port Roast. Sprinkle on some Worchester Sauce on to the Pot Roast
and rub into the meat.

Take your PC and add a few tablespoons of Olive Oil and bring
up to moderate heat. Then add chopped onion and garlic slices.
Saute until these just start to turn translucent. Then turn the
heat up and when the oil starts to sizzle add the pot roast.
Sear and brown on all sides, including the edges. This can take
up to 15 minutes.

When the meat has browned, open the can of the Swanson's Beef Broth
and pour it over the meat. Then add enough water to cover the Pot Roast.
Place the 6 slices of onion on top of the roast. Put the lid on the PC and pressurize. When the pressure regulator starts to make noise reduce heat until the pressure regulator makes a noise about once every minute or so. This will be medium-low heat,depending on your stove.

Cook for 45 minutes for done, 50-55 minutes for falling apart tender. We
use the cold water method to depressurize the cooker.

We cook our peeled potatoes that have been cut into chunks in a separate
pot. Then in the last 15 minutes we add the sliced carrots to the potato for
cooking.

This is an excellent meal for a cold northern winter's night. The house
will also smell wonderful while this is cooking. If you buy a big enough
pot roast the leftovers also make great sandwiches too.

 

[foraloysius]

Thanks Allen!

 

[supersuds]

I have my mom's 1948 Mirro and the instruction/recipe booklet.

Stuffed beef hearts or braised oxtails -- you make the call!

 

[rp2813]

Given the style of handles on my cooker pictured in reply #11, can anyone advise on its vintage?  I think it would pre-date the 1948 model pictured above.

 

[combo52]

Are Old Pressure Cookers Safe?

I would say YES, there is no way if the body and lid are in good shape that one of these cookers would ever blow up. Anyone that has seen my pantry knows that there are at least 25+ old PCs in there and I have used every one with no hint of any safety issues. In this day in age if older Presto PCs were failing you can bet the Consumer Product Safety Commission would have issued either an advisory or product recall by now.

All that said newer models do have better safety interlocks that make them more foolproof to use, so depending on your mechanical comfort level you might opt for a newer one.

 

[iheartmaytag]

My Mom still has her 60 something year old P/C. We were advised by the man at ACE hardware that Mirro still makes all the parts for all the Pressure Cookers they ever made.
So you can still get the seals, fuses, and gauges.
As for testing the pressure vessel itself. Usually at canning season the extension office will pressure test cookers for free. Some hardware stores, such as ACE will test them as well. You would just need to call around to see if they have someone, and the equipment to do so.

 

[scoots]

Many thanks for the answers in this thread...

I certainly appreciate the time and thought that went into the answers on this thread. Mom rarely did pressure cooking and I have no memories at all of the process or the food ... only the equipment.

 

[whirlcool]

Give pressure cooking a try, you'll love it! My recipe above is good for a first timer. It's variable recipe. You can cut your carrots any shape you want, use any kind of potatoes you want, adjust the seasonings any way you want and it will still turn out great. And of course you can use any brand of beef broth too.

With the way pressure cookers are designed and made, the worst thing that will happen is that the relief valve will melt. When I was about 12, I was outside playing baseball and my mother had a pot roast cooking on the stove in her PC. She said "In a half hour, come in the house and turn the gas off under the PC." Heh, telling a 12 year old involved in a baseball game is not going to give you an accurate time measurement. I completely forgot about the PC cooking away. All that happened was the pressure relief valve melted depressurizing the pressure cooker. No pot roast on the ceiling or anything like that. Just smoke in the house.

So maybe about 2 hours after I was supposed to turn the thing off, I got home.
The house was filled with smoke! It smelled like burnt pot roast. I turned the gas off and let the pot sit. I thought I ruined the thing. When my mother got home she couldn't figure out why I forgot about the PC cooking away. All that was left of the pot roast was the bone that was within. Everything else was gone! So she cleaned the pot out, sent me to the local hardware store and for $1.25 she had me pick up a replacement pressure relief valve and the PC was good to go again!

And as for the stories of people who have heard of pressure cookers exploding and taking the house with it are things that may have happened back in the 1920's or so. Back then hot water tanks used to explode too and fly through the roofs of houses. But people today aren't as afraid of hot water tanks as they are of pressure cookers.

 

[norgeway]

RE Square handled Mirro Matic..

The picture of the Mirro Matic with square handles was Mirros first pressure cooker introduced just after WW2.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Hans!

It was a rare pair of events that had me come across two of those post-war cookers within a week's time, both complete and in perfect working order.

 

This thread has me anxious to find a reason to use one of mine soon.  It's the gadgetry that helps keep cooking interesting for me.  I just used my Crock-a-Dial to make stew last week!

 

[mattl]

I've been using PC for many many years.  Only issue I had was my own fault.  When I used to do ribs, I cook them in the PC and then toss on grill with barbecue sauce.  This time it was a large slab of ribs and during cooking it somehow blocked the center where the regulator sits.  Consequently the pressure built up and the safety plug blew,  it did spray rib juice all over the kitchen.  Now I make sure there is plenty of room in the pot and point the pressure plug toward the back of the stove so if it does blow the mess will be contained.

 

 

[norgeway]

I remember...

My Aunt blew the plug out of her Mirro Matic cooking ...of all things, pork liver and 1/2 of a hog head!!LOL...have mercy what a greasy mess!!!!..for the non Southerners, you cook this combination of stuff to make liver mush....something akin to scrapple....when the meat is cooked, you grind it , put it back in the broth, bring to a boil and add sage, salt and red pepper, and add corn meal until thick, pack into a loaf pan and chill it, slice it and brown it...truly a dish of the South!..