I'll bet that you have often wondered how to use a pressure cooker.
I used to too.
Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Reducing pressure using a pressure cooker? Well, it's true.
We all have images in our minds either of real pressure cooker catastrophes that we have seen or those we have heard of. Someone we know once made spaghetti sauce in a pressure cooker or was pressure canning in the kitchen when the lid blew off of the pressure cooker and food ended up on the ceiling.
I, too, was afraid of pressure cookers. My father had told me of a time when his mother, in her small kitchen in Ireland, had a pressure cooker explode while under her care. I think that I remember seeing the stains of the accident on her kitchen ceiling when I stayed with my grandparents during a college trip to the Emerald Isle.
So I never really thought that I would venture into the world of pressure cookers.
About 8 years ago, I started on the then “next path” on my learning curve in the home. Don't we all have learning curves? It can seem completely overwhelming to think about all of the things that we wish to change about our lives and our health and to simply do nothing. We are either afraid of the unknown, afraid of failure, or think that we will “never get there”.
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Anyway, at that point, the “next step” for me was pressure cooking. I was looking for a way to get things done in the kitchen faster and was intrigued by a cookbook author whom I had not heard about until that time. Her name is Lorna Sass. Lorna has numerous books on pressure cooking and “eco-friendly” cooking on the market and she is a fabulous cook and a great source of information when it comes to culinary issues. One of my favorite books in my cookbook library is Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen: Healthy Meals for You and the Planet.
When I “found” Lorna, our family was almost completely vegetarian, so you will notice this bent in some of her books, but she also has a number of fabulous meat based recipes.
Lorna seemed from the start to be the kind of person who “researches things to death” (kind of like me) and so when I read her recommendations for purchasing a pressure cooker, I just went ahead and purchased a Kuhn-Rikon, the brand that she recommended at the time. I did also look on the internet a bit and saw numerous articles on Kuhn-Rikon that backed up her choice, and I have never really looked back. In fact, now, we have three cookers and one of them holds 8 liters. I sometimes have all three going on our stove at once.
You can purchase these at numerous select kitchen stores, but Amazon carries a nice selection as well including this smaller Kuhn-Rikon Cooker.
Reasons to Buy a Pressure Cooker
1. Save time and energy when cooking. Once the cooker is “up to pressure”, you can cook brown rice in 20 minutes, beans in 10-12 minutes, carrots in 2 minutes and potatoes in 5 minutes. Food cooks in about 1/3 of the time than with conventional cooking methods. Think about the energy costs of that! Though the cookers can be expensive, you will make up the cost in energy savings.
2. Today's cookers are extremely safe with some, like Kuhn-Rikon, having 5 different safety releases of the pressure.
3. Instead of boiling them away, the pressure cooker locks in nutrients and flavor. You have healthier, tastier food.
As for concerns about the health of pressure cooking, I am well aware of the “slow cooking” philosophy of Sally Fallon et al. I very much respect Ms. Fallon and use many of her techniques in the kitchen. However, as in all areas, I am trying to do what I can for the health of my family while being realistic about my limitations. We homeschool, have a special needs child, one child with life-threatening food allergies, and my husband does not make a six-figure income. Like most of you, we have to cut corners in all arenas of life. I can't always slow cook my food, especially at 4:30 pm when I realize that I didn't think about what to have for dinner!
George Mateljan is also a well-respected health foods expert. In his opinion, he thinks that pressure cooking has a role in healthy kitchens and that the main concern is when cooking vegetables, not to overcook them. I agree. I used to cook a lot more vegetables in my cooker than I do now and we suffered from pale green broccoli numerous nights.
In our cookers, I cook a wide variety of dishes, though I stick to a lot old favorites.
Some of the basics I cook all the time in our pressure cooker:
- whole grains
- potatoes
- beans (you can speed-soak in 2 minutes!!)
- bean dishes
- winter squash. Our family loves winter squash and I feel that it is such a hassle to heat up the oven just to cook a butternut or spaghetti squash. This way you can have winter squash any time of year, ready in about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of your squash pieces. Wow. Carrots are also another vegetable that doesn't overcook easily in the cooker.
Other great stand-bys from the pressure cooker that are made easily and quickly in our home that I will post recipes for later include:
- quinoa corn chili
- split pea soup
- 10-minute potato salad and
- Indian Cauliflower with Peas
You can even bake in the pressure cooker. More on that in another post as well as how to choose the right brand. I am sure that you can tell what brand I really like though.
I sure hope that I have gotten you thinking about a new way to cook and speed up your time in the kitchen.
Let me know what you think! I'd be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have about pressure cooking in general, recipes to try, as well as choosing cooker.
Bon et rapide (that's “fast” in French) appetit!
Betty says
Hi Adrienne, is this the pressure cooker you have? http://www.cookwithpressure.com/kuhn-rikon-duromatic-top-pressure-cooker-review/
Can you also comment on the durability? Thanks!
Adrienne says
Yes, that is it. I have 3 from that company, actually. I got 2 of them on super clearance. I have had them for YEARS!!! I have had to have a few parts replaced but the company has done that for free.
Susan says
I have only used a pressure cooker to cook artichokes. It took some time to get the water and timing correct, but I now have it down.
I would love to branch out and cook other things. Thanks for the encouragement!
Adrienne says
You’re welcome!!!
Karen says
Adrienne,
For the Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker, it states it has a solid thermal aluminum sandwich in bottom for even browning and rapid heat absorption. Is this the aluminum we are supposed to stay away from?
Adrienne says
I’m thinking it’s aluminum in b/t the stainless steel so your food doesn’t touch it. You can always call them.
Dena Capley says
If anyone else uses a Magefesa, I would like to hear from you.
Dena Capley says
I have a Magefesa my mom found at a yard sale. I tried once and had a major fail. But, I am encouraged now and will try again.
Adrienne says
Hope it works great!!!
Connie says
I tried cooking rice in my pressure cooker without a steel bowl and I burnt it. (I’m just a newbie at pressure cooking so that might be why, but anyway…) I concluded that the rice burnt during the time it took to come up to pressure, but it wouldn’t have if it had not been in contact with the bottom. Am I wrong?
Adrienne says
Did you put enough water in it? I use 4 cups brown rice to 6.5 cups water. I have a newfangled type of cooker – you?
vikki says
I was never nervous about using a pressure cooker until I started reading blogs about using them. My mom used one, not that often but for some foods were always cooked in her pressure cooker. She aways used it for potatoes whether massing or potato salad. I don’t think I ever saw her boil potatoes. She always pressure cooked her chicken when she made chicken and dumplings. Funny she boiled it for chicken noodle soup. I have her pressure cooker now and would love to use it more, I just don’t really know what to use it for. I like my beans slow cooked and boiling potatoes is easier than washing the pressure cooker. I know it’s supposed to help tenderize tougher cuts of beef, but I don’t know how and never really find anything in my research that’s clear. So if you have any recipes I’d love to see them. Thank you so much, I do so enjoy your blog and have taken away lots of good information from it. Thank your hubby for me, he was right to encourage you.
Adrienne says
Again, you are just too kind. I bought several of Lorna Sass’ pressure cooker cookbooks. Just take one out of the library and play around w/ it. My favorite things are all grains, I do cook beans in them b/c I am pressed for time….and split pea soup, and I have a great split pea garlic dip we love. I’ll try to get around to them but time is short here :-). Tomato dishes are rough b/c they tend to burn :(.
Miranda says
I just found your site yesterday–thank you for all the good info and recipes that you share. The comments are so helpful, too.
I have a question about cooking rice in a pressure cooker. I bought one 2 yrs ago to replace my teflon-coated rice cooker, but everything I’ve read (including instructions with the pressure cooker) say to put the rice in a stainless bowl inside the cooker. I have a Presto 6 qt–nice and deep, but not very wide, and I’ve not been able to find a bowl that is narrow and deep enough to fit it. My Asian husband loves his white “sticky” rice, so that’s what I’d be cooking. Is it possible to cook rice directly in the pot itself without clogging something?
Adrienne says
That depends on your cooker – I never heard of that. Mine are stainless and I just put the rice right in the cooker. Has anyone else here heard of that? I would contact Presto and ask them why -that seems odd to me. Thanks!
Jenn says
I use my pressure cooker to make chicken stock. I buy split chicken breasts because they are cheaper and then cut off the meat for immediate use or to freeze. I then put the bones in with enough water to cook them, and then I add an onion, celery, carrot, and a couple of peppercorns. At the end you have a ton of broth that is nutritious and easily frozen!
Adrienne says
I have done that as well, Jenn! I have two “smaller” cookers and one huge one. Great for even making turkey stock.
Michele says
I just got a pressure cooker for FREE from a garage sale b/c the whistle was missing. I took it on a whim and quickly found the part online for $17. Woohoo! I can’t wait to use it.
Adrienne says
Wow! What a fine! I highly recommend Lorna Sass’ books. What kind did you get? I haven’t made it to any garage sales this summer :-(. I’ll have to plan on rummage sales this year.
Michele says
It’s a Mirro 6 Quart. I found a Mirro 12 Quart for $5 at another garage sale, missing the same part. I gave the smaller one to a friend and ordered the part for both of us. 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check out her book!
Adrienne says
Lorna has multiple books. They all have something good to offer. Hope you like them!
Adrienne says
Thanks, Shelley!
I was really nervous to start using one, but it has truly made things easier and faster for us. — and with the safety features of the “new generation cookers” there really are very few if any risks. I’d be glad to explain more sometime and will post some of my favorite pressure cooker recipes like quinoa corn chili, split pea soup, 10 minute potato salad and Indian cauliflower with peas.
Take care!
shelley says
I have never worked with a pressure cooker. I will have to add that to my list. I enjoy your posts, keep up the good work!