Serious Advice Required (please!)

[Jugglering]

OK, I want to buy a pressure cooker.... I have set aside �100 but can increase that if necessary. I cook a lot of pulses and beans and they take simply ages (esp with all the soaking), so I thought a pressure cooker would be the way forward. I know I can buy some legumes already cooked in cans but I have trouble in finding cans of my favourite ones, so I have to cook them at home. I also cook loads of veg but definitely no dead animals....

I reckon I want a stainless steel one, about 4 or 5 L, with 2 or 3 pressures plus a timer (as well as all the gubbins that go inside the cooker, like a steamer, trivet etc etc). It would be handy to have a removable pressure regulator so that I can use the pan as an ordinary saucepan too. I've been borrowing a mate's pressure cooker but he would like it back soon.

Anyone got any recommendations on good makes and models please (and also which ones to avoid !). Thanks.

[Figi]

If you basically want a pressure cooker for pulses the cheapest will do - you will soon get used to the amount of time they take to cook and there's no soaking required. Time also depends on the age of the pulses.As for veg - why would you want to cook any veg in a pressure cooker?

[spock1]

my family have used 'prestige' pressure cookers for decades. look on amazon for selected models

[whiffey]

I've got a huge Prestige one, I only ever use it now as a very large saucepan for cooking bolognaise sauce. It's got all the bits and bobs inside it.

I am a pleb and buy Heinz baked beans and frozen peas.

You are welcome to my Prestige cooker if you would like it.

[Jugglering]

Thanks Figi - as a veggie I know what you mean about cooking veg (I usually steam most of mine anyway) but I was thinking of those dastardly hard veg like turnips, swede and beetroots, which seem to take forever unless I chop them up !

[Jugglering]

Thank you Spock1, useful recommendation there !

Thank you Mr Whiffey too - I may well take you up on that offer !
(PS I can't abide Heinz baked beans - I have to rinse half the sauce off before I can eat them because the sauce is too rich lol.....).

The pulses I find hard to buy are cooked mung beans, cooked lentils or split peas (I can sometimes get green lentils though), aduki beans, black eye susies, etc)

[megan07]

Hi Jugglering, like whiffey, my mam has a prestige, she has had it years and it is stil going strong.
She gets great soup, and broth, from it. love megan. xxxx