These are my unsociable assistants. In one I place millet, red quinoa water and salt set the time to 6 minutes and voila, she beeps when she’s done. Meanwhile the other is cooking up a pot of potatoes. If you own a pressure cooker, you know the benefits and downfalls. On one hand you have faster food that tastes great (as long as you don’t burn it) the other includes fiddling with the heat to keep the pressure just right, remembering to turn it off so you don’t overcook it, and checking and double checking that everything is put together just right so the thing doesn’t blow up. These ladies are the most user friendly on the market. It comes up to pressure, holds it perfectly for the set time, then goes to a keep warm mode so the pressure releases, but stays warm and ready to eat. I am partial to the Nesco because of the delay timer, slightly easier buttons, price and it cooks steel cut oats (the Cusinart’s safety feature is too sensitive, it turns off part way though the cooking). But fair warning, the insert pan is Teflon coated, ugh! Why do they have to do that to such a great product? I use it anyway, shame. So if we don’t dwell on this horrific feature, it is a great tool in the kitchen. I use mine (at least one) for pretty much every meal.
What is your favorite pressure cooker model?
I am buying new pots and pans and I'm done buying anything Teflon. I've been reading for weeks now and I still am undecided- stainless steel or cast iron or both. What do you use?
ReplyDeleteI really like enameled cast iron because it is super safe to cook in, holds heat well, is mostly non stick and look so pretty. I have seen a nice one that is very reasonable at Costco. The downfalls are that they chip (especially the cheap ones) on the edges from being bumped around. And they are HEAVY, so pouring and scraping is a 2 person job. For this reason I also use scanpan, which is perfectly light, yet retains heat. It is made of pressure cast aluminum and has ceramic-titanium nonstick finish which is very durable and safe. These pans are expensive, but come with a lifetime warranty, which I have used and was pleased with the ease of the exchange (didn't have to box or the receipt or return it from the store I got it from). Look on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteCostco also sells a great set for a great price that has a hard anodized surface. I am not a fan of cooking on stainless steel, but many people do. This is a safe option as well.
Regardless of the cookware you end up buying it should never go in the dishwasher or be sprayed with nonstick spray (like Pam). Stick with hand washing and pure oil.
Hi, I've been reading for a while now and so appreciate all your insights and knowledge. Thank you for sharing it with strangers like me! I am asking for a pressure cooker for my birthday, could you tell me exactly which cuisianart pressure cooker you have? Is it electric? How many ounces is it? Am I right by understanding from your post that it is safe to cook in - no toxic metal coating? Of all the brands out there would you buy this one again? Thanks so much, I'm VERY new to this whole thing and they are PRICEY, so I'd love your help!
ReplyDeleteRachel, the Cuisinart I have is the 6qt 1000-Watt Electric Pressure Cooker. It does have some kind of nonstick coating (not teflon). It is unfortunate, but there is not currently a digital electric on the market that is not coated. It does save a ton of time and makes it so I am more likely to cook up whole grains and things, it's a trade off.
ReplyDeleteThere are good stainless models that will be completely non toxic and last longer. The best brand is Kuhn Rikon. If you only have one you want it to be at least 6 quarts and a good quality. You will become so reliant on it, so without a back up you'll need one that will last forever.
I am loving the Nesco so much Kara, I've made like 6 meals in the last 48 hours! :) (most to give away or freeze, but I just can't stop it's so fun!) The only thing is that I'm frustrated at how much trial and error there is in figuring out how long to cook grains/recipes that have been soaked. Do you know of any P.C. cook book that incorporates soaking? If not will you write one, pretty please? And do you have any other P.C. cook book recommendations if your book deal is more than a couple weeks down the road? Thanks AGAIN, for helping me pick one and use it, you are so generous to share all your hard earned knowledge so freely with virtual strangers like me. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry Rachel, I had to turn on comment moderation because of spam, but forgot to have blogger email me when a comment was awaiting moderation. These really are great pressure cookers, mine are looking a bit rough from all the wear, but what a time saver!
ReplyDeleteI have found for cooking with soaked grains, half the time and half the water has been consistently yielding good results. Just look up what grain you are cooking in my one grain at a time posts. Let me know if you find a good cookbook, even the ones that come with the cookers are awful and completely inaccurate.
Do you know anything about the pressure cooker linked below? It caught my eye because it has a stainless steel inner pot instead of the non-stick. I feel like I need more information before I buy and wondered if you know anything. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Instant-Electric-Generation-Technology-Stainless/dp/B00479OWFO/ref=pd_sbs_k_3
That cooker looks excellent. I am really interested as it is the only digital electric with a stainless pot. I would contact the company and see how many pounds of pressure it cooks with. You want at least 8 for cooking meat quickly to fork tender.
ReplyDeleteHere's their website:
ReplyDeletehttp://instantpot.com/
If you have time to look it over, I would love your opinion. I've never used a pressure cooker and since you have I think you may be able to see more than I can if it's a good one or not.
This is way off the subject of pressure cookers, but the Fry's by my house has recently started carrying Kroger brand natural peanut butter with ingredients of only roasted peanuts and salt. And it is on sale (ending today, I am assuming) for 4 for $5 for the small jars which I think is pretty inexpensive. They have both crunchy and creamy. I was excited to find it and I thought I would pass it on in case you wanted to share it with others. Maybe you have already found it. More than likely it will go on sale again.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that it looks great. I found that it does cook at 10 pounds of pressure on the website. The second generation one is pretty much just like mine except for the stainless steel insert, which I wish I had. Actually mine has been giving me problem's lately, I might need a new one ;)
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to purchase please give me your full review, because seriously, someday I will be getting a new one. Also, this is my affiliate link to the product through amazon; http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00479OWFO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tasistru-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B00479OWFO. If you decide to go that way, you can support my blog simply by entering through that link (or any on my page) The price is the same for you. Thanks.