[Judy]

A few months ago I bought a Pressure Cooker because it seemed to be a great way to cook good food in a short time and use less power. I did consider buying a slow cooker instead but didn't like the thought of leaving an electric appliance on for hours on end.

I have been selling the new Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Suzanne Gibbs, daughter of Australia's grande dame of cooking, Margaret Fulton, since it was published earlier this year. When I actually found the time to sit and read it, every recipe sounded like a winner, so I went out and bought a super-dooper new stainless steel Pressure Cooker with lots of safety features. I'm sure we all have a pressure cooker disaster story from the last time they were in fashion, in the 1960s, or earlier - exploding pots, dented ceilings and walls, that kind of thing.

What a fabulous addition to our kitchen! Every recipe from Suzanne Gibbs' book that we have cooked has turned out well and we have cooked many of them more than once. We can cook a curry in around 30 minutes, Greg makes his beloved Creamed Rice in 10 minutes and Corned Beef takes around an hour. We love it and use it as often as we can.

Does anyone else have a Pressure Cooker and if so, do you use it?
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[dory]

I have always wanted to use a pressure cooker but am afraid of them. I only use a huge, ancient, and probably dangerous one for canning sometimes. I am glad to hear of your experience.

Dory

[Alana]

If you get a steamer insert for the pressure cooker - if you find one that fits your pot - you can, for example, steam vegetables in the last 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the veggie) of cooking your stew or chili or whatever super-quickly and serve it up alongside.

[Griffin]

My father constantly uses his... to the exclusion of any other way of cooking!!! I rarely use it - it worries me slightly.
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[Gwendolyn]

Throw out your mother's old pressure cooker. In the 70's my mother's DID explode with the valve pinging all about the kitchen. I emailed Lorna Sass, a pressure cooker guru and well-respected cookbook author whose expertise spans a few decades (one of her cookbooks on cooking with grains won a James Beard award). I asked her for a recommendation for a pressure cooker. I ended up buying a 7-qt Kuhn-Rikon. I LOVE it. Artichokes in 7 minutes? You bet. A Moroccan Lamb and Lentil stew in 12 minutes? Yum.

I love Lorna's cookbook, "Pressure Perfect: Two hour taste in twenty minutes". Got it from amazon. (I use Clotilde's cookbook a lot, that's why I feel like I can talk about someone else's cookbook

Here is what Lorna said, "I recommend Kuhn-Rikon, WMF, and Fissler 6- or 8-quart, all heavy duty stainless steel. There are positive reviews of a less expensive 6-quart stainless Presto pressure cooker on Amazon. I haven’t tried it but recently met someone who is very pleased with it. I don't have a particular favorite among the electric cookers which, for me, take up too much counter space and do not allow the option of a quick release under cold running water—a limitation for some recipes—such as cooking foaming ingredients like beans and grains.

"You can get help comparing a wide range of cookers and then purchasing on www.pressurecookerworld.com. (866.409.8466 )."

Anyway, hope this helps.
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[sherri]

I had an old one and I loved it but it was made of aluminium and I didn't like to cook with it continuously. I bought a couple of pressure cooking books, but the first recipe I tried from one was awful. I doubt the writer even tested it first.
It's currently retired but I intend to get a new model at some stage and work through the other book as it looks solid and I'm pretty sure all the recipes are legit.

My mother was using one once and it blew up in her face as well. I've heard that they've killed a few people over the years.

[KYHeirloomer]

Pressure cookers used to be dangerous, Sherri. Especially in the years after WWII, when manufactureres were in a rush to take advantage of their popularity. Most of the horror stories you hear originated in that period; say, 1947-1960.

Modern ones have little resemblence to those poorly made, unsafe products. Today's pressure cookers have all sorts of safety valves, and release mechanisms, etc. So they are perfectly safe to use.

[jenyfari]

I remember when I was a kid the pressure cooker used to be the one thing that we all had to keep away from. I remember as I got older that I started using it. I would always keep the thing at arms length when I removed it from the stove in case the top blew off.

These days they are so much better and so much safer.
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[Judy]

I'm still in love with my pressure cooker and use it more than anything else in my kitchen.

It's summer here, and hot, and it's a great, quick way to cook without adding too much extra heat to the kitchen.
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Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

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[nima]

Pressure cookers are endlessly popular in the Indian kitchen. I use mine almost daily. Given their popularity, Indian brands are often cheaper, better made and easier to handle than what I've seen here in the US. But in either case, the new varieties are very safe. No one I know has ever had an accident, and they are used all the time.

Because an Indian meal consists of many different items, the toughest task is getting everything ready at once. Many people have large cookers with stackable stainless steel round trays inside. You can cook rice in one, while you steam vegetables in another, and cook daal in a third. You then have the makings of an entire meal in about 15 minutes.

Pressure cookers are also very popular for tough cuts of meat, like mutton or goat. See for instance Anjum's blog, where she has a super easy Tomato Gosht recipe that requires nothing but a little pressure cooking (you have to scroll down the page). It's one of the nicest and simplest things I make in my pressure cooker. http://anjumsrasoi.blogspot.com/

[danneva]

Mom bought this stainless steel pressure cooker; I don’t know what its name but it awesome. I don’t have talent in terms of cooking but with this cooker, I can now cook. Constructed of 18/10 stainless steel designed with a solid thermal aluminum sandwich, this pressure cooker will provide even browning and rapid heat cooking. The stainless steel of this cooker will not react with foods and the pot is dishwasher safe. Internal fill lines provide convenient measuring guidance. This cooker comes with a 10 year warranty on all non-replaceable parts, materials and workmanship. Really amazing, huh? My mom found this very useful item.

[anabeni]

Although I realize it's not the same thing...I sure love my crockpot! I think I'm too scared of pressure cookers.
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