Speaking of pressure cookers

[sudsmaster]

I have the Cuisinart 6 qt automatic electric pressure cooker its first try-out today.

Very interesting.

I have memories of a fairly scary old pressure cooker on top of the old gas range when I was a kid about 50 years ago. My mom used to make a wonderful sort of lamb stew with celery she called "chop suey" but of course wasn't anything like Chinese food. Still, it was delicious. We were all warned to steer clear of the pressure cooker when it was in operation, and I guess at one point it blew its top leaving an interesting pattern on the ceiling.

The reason for firing up the modern version was a bag of four "jumbo" artichokes. The recipe called for four in the cooker, but since these were larger, I could only fit three. So I added a minute to the cooking time (9 minutes instead of 8) to compensate for the thicker bases, and let her rip. Took about 10 minutes for the cooker to get up a head of steam, but then it went through its paces quietly and without any drama. But when it came time to release the pressure quickly: whoa! No problems, just a LOT of steam being ejected at high speed. The owner's manual wasn't kidding when it said to use some tongs or other method, not the hand, to flip the quick release lever.

The result: three jumbo artichokes perfectly steamed. Next time I might try reducing the time to 8 minutes, cause I prefer them a little al dente, but these were fine as they were.

Now I''m thinking this thing will get more use, next time for a batch of mayacoba yellow dry beans. And maybe for some brown rice as well.

 

[rp2813]

Pressure cooker is the only way I do artichokes anymore. I'm going to start trying more things like stews now that I'm doing more of the cooking around the house for at least a little while. Lamb is sounding pretty good to me now. I may have to do that this week.

I have a Presto 8 quart stove-top model and I like how it performs, and it's easy to get parts for at most hardware stores. The Mirro 4 quart doesn't seem to want to always seal even after replacing the gasket. I don't like having to keep an eye on it, even though it's the better cooker for smaller amounts.

 

[xraytech]

I love my Pressure Cooker.
I have a 5 qt Cooks Essentials electric pressure cooker. It is great for cooking a pork or beef roast. I can cook a 4 lb rump roast in 1 hour, its great. Also wonderful for beef stew and chili

 

[panthera]

Life without pressure cookers is unthinkable,

but I prefer the Spanish and German designs which provide for steam release after cooking without burning yourself. The Cuisinart system seems anomalous for an otherwise so well built piece of equipment.

 

[mattl]

I've got the old fashioned kind, stove top with the rocking weight on top. Only onece did I every have a problem and it was my fault. I often do spare ribs in it and once the ribs were a bit large and blocked the center hole and caused the relief valve to blow. Made quite a mess, I wasn't in the room at the time.

I've never had an issue with the steam release, I just pop it in the sink, run cold water over it and remove the weight and let the steam rush out. 10-15 seconds I can open it and check on the progress.

 

[westingman123]

I love my pressure cookers! Raise a fair-sized garden, so "put up" tomatoes and green beans and the like each year. Pressure canners are the bomb! Just don't go harvesting while you have one on the range; you may end up scraping beets off the ceiling. Take it from one who knows...LOL

 

[sudsmaster]

I tried making brown rice (actually a seven grain rice blend) in the pressure cooker this evening. The results are ok, but the excess amount of water the manual calls for, and then needs to be drained, seems like a waste. I wound up tossing it but I suppose in future I could reduce the amount (looked like several cups) or save it for thickening soups etc.

I have a boiling water canner and used that for making jams and preserves several years back when I was out of work and had a pretty good crop of peaches. Since then I've simply frozen excess harvest when it happens (not so much this year, since I planted late). Peaches freeze pretty well, as do tomatoes, green beans, and hot peppers (the hot peppers don't seem to need blanching, either).

I acquired up a big old 16 qt Magic Seal aluminum canner from a second hand shop a while back. I'm still in the process of cleaning it up but I suppose it could be put to use to can things that require autoclave temps.

 

[alr2903]

I have the Fagor won it on ebay. They are VERY fast, but they claim the pressure is a little higher. Mom had a couple of the older presto's over the years, they were larger diameter and squatty, these new creatures are tall and smaller diameter, so it takes longer to braise/brown beef for soup etc, less surface area i guess is what i am trying to say. alr2903

http://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/new_generation_pressure_cookers.htm

 

[maytagbear]

Again---

Lorna Sass's book Pressure Perfect is a treasure. I use the reference charts in it a lot. Recipes are good, too, but the charts are amazing.

I've read other pressure cooker cookbooks, and most of them can't compare. At all.

If you're thinking about Victoria Wise's Pressure Cooker Gourmet, borrow it from the library or from Adam down the hall first.

The recipes in Tom Lacalamita's Pressure Cooking for Dummies just did not appeal to me at all, but the rest of the book is good for beginners.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[toploader55]

Brown Rice...

A few years back, I decided to go through some boxes I had been carrying around for years. I found my Gransmother's Presto. This Baby is from around the 1940's. I wrote to Presto in Wisconsin and sent them some pics as well. They were amazed that I had this model and told me the sealing ring is still available. This has a BiMetal indicator. I always watched my Grandmother intensly when she used it. I bought a new seal, and the woman at Presto suggested that I spray the Indicator with WD 40 daily for about 5 days just to loosten up any rust that may of built up over the years while it was not in use. Well, it Works !!! I use it at least 4-5 times a week.

When I make Brown Rice, I use Short Grain Organic. I saute some chopped onion and garlic in the "Pot" with a little Olive Oil. I add the Rice and then use a ratio of 1 part Rice and 1 1/2 cups of liquid. (usually water( and a little salt and pepper. Bring it up to pressure and turn the heat down just so it remains at the cook temp. I let it cook for about 1 hour, shut off the burner and let the temperature and pressue drop on it's own. 99% of the time it comes out Perfect. I can't find my File of the Clean up of the Presto, I could have deleted it, but she looks great.

 

[mrb627]

Electric Pressure Cooker

I was looking at treating myslef to an electric pressure cooker as an Xmas present. Not sure if I would get enough use out of it to make it worth my while. I haven't ruled it out, though...

Malcolm

 

[sudsmaster]

The Cuisinart took about 15 minutes to warm up to high pressure with 6.5 cups water and 2 cups brown rice mix. Then per the recipe, 10 minutes at timed high pressure, followed by 10 minutes of "natural" pressure release. After that, a quick pressure release. Total time: about 35 minutes.

I think I could reduce the amount of water to 5 cups... or less... for that particular blend. It would seem Cuisinart is deathly afraid of the unit running out of liquid water during a high pressure cycle, but the 6.5 cups of water for 2 cups brown rice was a bit much.

The result was tasty, but I could see a lot of nutrients going down the drain when I drained the result.

Also, 35 minutes isn't all that much better than the time a similar amount of brown rice would take in a more conventional rice cooker - even set at the very slow heating cycle that the brown rice option runs on the Aroma rice cooker. But I haven't exactly timed the Aroma on brown rice, which is something I'll need to do at some point.

 

[petek]

I've numerous pc's and use em quite frequently even for simply boiling potatoes. Drives me crazy waiting for the water to boil and cook potatoes on the stovetop. In the pc they take less than half the time.

My electronic pcs is the best though, no guesswork, just put the food in select the button for what you're cooking and that's it. Simple, it beeps when it's done and you release the pressure with a switch

fwiw there are "electric" pc's which are regular pc's with a built in electric heating element, like an electric frying pan and there are the newer "electronics" which eliminate the guesswork of timing.

 

[rp2813]

Eddie, I have seen some old Presto cookers at thrift stores, but nothing as old as your grandmother's, which btw is beautiful. Good to know some parts are still available. I might take a closer look at the next old Presto I encounter out there.

 

[xraytech]

I am buying myself another Pressure Cooker for Christmas.
I am getting the 6 qt Presto electric pressure cooker.Only $119.00 from the Sears catalog

 

[danemodsandy]

I Have...

...A Presto six-quart stainless model dating from 1987, which has served me faithfully. Prestos have the advantage of being easy to get parts for in America, as do Mirros.

The only drawback with my Presto is that it does not have a tri-ply bottom, meaning that browning needs to be a separate operation in another vessel, but that's minor, since I seldom do things in the pressure cooker that need that step. Newer Prestos are available with a tri-ply bottom.

I know that Prestos and Mirros seem a bit primitive by the standards of Fagor and other European makes, but they get the job done and they're cheap while being safe if used properly.

 

[norgeway]

Wood handle Presto!

That Presto pictured is the second model made by presto, the only difference in it and the first is that the vent tube and regulator are much longer, and the overpressure plug is different, I love these, some people are afraid of aluminum, but the fact remains,NOTHING heats as evenly, the stainless Prestos are tricky to use ,because its easy to burn something,but these old cookers can't be beat!

 

[petek]

I use my aluminum el cheapo Presto a good deal of the time like for boiling those potatoes I mentioned above. I've never had a problem with in all the many years I've owned it. I remember being a bit dismayed at first when it went from shiny to dull after a few uses but then it doesn't really matter. They're a great deal for someone considering one because they're only around $30 ish.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Actually copper heats better than aluminum, but it's posonous too.

 

[norgeway]

Aluminum...

Maybe not the MOST healthful thing---but NOT poisionous,I never leave any food in aluminum, but if it were poisionous,anti perspirant would be outlawed, come on down south Toggles and ill cook you a nice big southern dinner,complete with fatback seasoned vegetables lard infused pie crust and biscuits made with lard also,also lots of salt and sugar, all cooked in aluminum, you will never eat old bland healthy food again...A-MEN..pass the cholesterol!!

 

[sudsmaster]

It occurs to me...

That I never posted a pic of the Cuisinart PC in question...

So here it is...

 

[sudsmaster]

Control Panel

 

[norgeway]

Electric P C

I have a friend who has that Cuisinart and loves it, looks like a fine product.

 

[bendix5]

Here is a picture of my model 40 presto from 1947. The year my parents were married. It has had plenty of use and has always cleaned up well and cooks exceptional even on a flat top stove. I use it every couple of weeks. I actually cook more with it in the summer because it is fast and cool. I do stews, beans, roast and vegies etc. These are a great cooking tool and once you get used to it there is nothing to it. Yes, there are things you can cook faster in a regular pot. Like cream of wheat or rice. When I need replacement parts I order on line from Presto. I did get a new regulator a few years ago as the original one kept popping off the top. Outside of that just the lid seal every few years. I would love to try an electric on some day. Until then I will keep old faithful going. Dano

 

[joeekaitis]

We just had the most velvety smooth split pea soup that ever caressed the tongue, courtesy of 10 minutes in our pressure cooker (plus a few minutes of pressure-drop time).

Another neat trick:

Stock up on Italian sausage when it's on sale and pack it away in the freezer. When you need some for a recipe, drop the rock-hard frozen links into a 4- to 6-quart pressure cooker, throw in a half-cup of water, bring it to pressure and maintain for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop naturally. The casing melts in the mouth without feeling slimy, and if you want a little more snap, just brown 'em under the broiler.

If a recipe calls for sausage squeezed out of its casing and browned, I pressure cook it and pulse-chop it in a food processor. The intensified flavor compensates for the lack of browning.

 

[rp2813]

I'm having a difficult time deciding if I like the idea of rock hard Italian sausage better than melt-in-the-mouth . . .

I'm going to try the pressure cooker method, though. That sounds quick and easy.

 

[maytagbear]

Have both!

Ralph, have both.

Sequentially or simultaneously. It's very possible in the right places.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[panthera]

Cuisinart

does have a flair for design. Their quality is pretty good, too. My stainless steel prestos in the US give an air of solid comfort to rainy and snowy afternoons when the pressure regulators are rocking away on top of them. Only had one safety valve release in my whole life - and that was my fault. Forgot rule number one of cooking beans: Ten times more oil into the water than you think you need, only fill the pressure cooker to 1/4 the capacity...

 

[peteski50]

Pressure cooker!

I have had a pressure cooker for 4 years now. I don't use it often but I do like the way the meats are cooked. I am still trying to master the way I do the stuff. I have made pot roast about 6 times and corned beef 2 times. All good. Most of the time tender but sometimes on the pot roast it came out a little tough. Also I learned to use ample amount of liquid. I am definatly open for suggestions. Last week I made broccli rabe but first I browned a ton of garlic in the bottom of the pot and than steamed the broccoli rabe for 4 minutes - I than added it to some pasta with crushed tomatos - came out real awsome.
Peter

 

[norgeway]

meat suggestion

When cooking a roast,pay no attention to the timetable in the book, for example,beef stew is supposed to cook in 15 minutes....brown it well, add water, cook for 45 min at least,also,never drop the pressure instantly when cooking meat,always set cooker off heat and let pressure drop on its on, when I do say a chuck roast,maybe say 2to3 lb,I brown it well,add 1 bay leaf,enough boiling water to cover,pepper to taste,1 beef boulion cube" Knorr" a sprig of rosemary pinch of thyme,cover pressure at 15 lbs for 45 min, set off heat ,when pressure drops, uncover,salt to taste,make gravy serve, never salt beef or beans while cooking,tends to toughen them, hope this helps.