Pressure Cookers

[wolf63]

I have decided to buy a pressure cooker.

Can somebody answer these questions. I was speaking to my brother earlier and forgot to ask him these questions-

*There is only me, will a 3 litre one be too big or okay size wise?

*The pressure cookers that I have seen have been ones that you put on a hob to cook. For me that wouldn't be a good idea. Do you get plug-in type cookers?

My brain has ground to a halt again.

Thanks for any help.

[Mick-Talbot]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=digital+pressure+cooker&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=9643881891&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=589546337631234531&hvpone=&hvptwo=&;hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_17fjrnvkz7_b

[society]

Wolf, don't invest in a small one. You might want to can you own jam one day, or do a big piece of roast or corned beef or cook a whole chicken. you never know. My pressure cooker is my most important utensil in the kitchen. Would you believe me if I told you I have six of them? One is electric and I use that one the most of the lot.

[wolf63]

Is a 3 litre one too small society?

mick - some of those pressure cookers are actually slow cookers and I have no idea how big a cooker to get. Amazon seem to sell everything you could want to buy (and a few things that are just odd).

:-)

[wolf63]

I better go to bed. The kitties are glaring at me - they want to go up and get comfortable.

[woofgang]

How big is your kitchen? Its okay saying don't buy a small one, you might want to make jam but if counter top and cupboard space is at a premium then think hard about size.
Here's a microwave one and an electric one. You get to try stuff for 30 days from qvc....
http://www.qvcuk.com/CatalogSearch?langId=-2&storeId=10252&catalogId=10152&keyword=pressure+cooker&x=0&y=0

[society]

Also, they are good for making soup, a big pot.

[society]

A 6 quart is about medium size, a good size one.

[woofgang]

Six quart.....that a gallon and a quarter.......how much soup/jam can you eat?????

[wolf63]

My kitchen is open-plan with the lounge and study - maybe 30 foot by 16 foot. Jam is not something that I would ever consider making.

I want to be able to make soups and stews and casseroles etc.

woof - I will have a good sniff around the QVC site. wolf

[janbee]

I remember the first time I saw a pressure cooker being demonstrated. It was in the early 60s at the Ideal Home Exhibition in Edinburgh. The woman doing the demo was showing how easy it was to make soup. She shoved in loads of vegetables, put the lid on and hey presto, the pressure built up and the lid wasn't on properly...soooo, the lid flew off and a ton of carrots etc shot into the air and went everywhere. People had to take cover as they were being bombarded with vegetables. The poor woman probably was sacked after that as she certainly didn't sell any after that demo. Anyway, many years later, I bought one for myself and USED IT CORRECTLY. I now love it. It's fast, it's simple and it's really a must have. Enjoy yours Wolf. You'll never regret buying one.

[murraymints]

Was that in the old Waverley market Jan ? ..I'm a wee bit scared of pressure cookers for that very reason...I use my slow cooker a lot but would agree don't go too small as you may wish to cook bigger and more as you gain confidence..

[society]

...and remember you don't full a pressure cooker all the way to the top. So take that into consideration when choosing size.

[gingejbee]

DO go for a big one because (as above) you sometimes can't more than half-fill them eg soups, particularly containing lentils, etc.
Also, batch-cooking for freezing.

[snags]

My Mum threw a Pressure Cooker full of hot stew at my Dad once during an argument. It missed, took a huge chunk out of the kitchen door and we all went hungry that night.

[rowanwitch]

food doesn't always taste the same when cooked in a pressuire cooker.... I'd rather use a big slow cooker for casseroles etc

[catlily]

A 3 litre is fine, unless you want to bulk cook things like beans and pulses or make stock or preserves in it, it will feel a bit small then. If you have a freezer, I'd recommend doing this, as you will save more time/fuel/money. The other thing to consider is the height - a pressure cooker is very versatile if tall enough; you can pot roast chicken in them, there are lots of dishes you can make on a trivet, including steamed puddings, sweet and savoury custards, cheesecakes, pot roastall kinds of things. If you are likely to want to use it for more than stews and casseroles, I would go for a bigger model - a 4.5 or 6 is good.

You can get electric pressure cookers which plug in, but I don't find them as efficient. There are no issues with those which sit on the hob - today's pressure cookers have several safety features which means you shouldn't worry about using them.

[society]

If you know how to use a pressure cooker, you'd find it to be invaluable. I couldn't do without one.

[Mick-Talbot]

or 6

[society]

Don't laugh Mick :)
Three came in a pot set - 2,4 & 6 qrts.
I needed an induction cooking pot so I got an 11 1/2 qrts pressure cooker - thought I might kill two birds with one stone.
Saw an electric 6 qt on sale so got that bargain - this one I use the most
And the first one I bought was 8 qrts.