Pressure Cooker?

[Shmeeeee]

Hey everyone! I have a recipe that calls for a pressure cooker. I don't own one and know nothing about them, except that I've heard they can explode which scares me. I'm thinking about buying one on Ebay but I don't know what kind I should get. I definitely need one w/ a raised rack inside. Do most come with this? Does anyone know of any good informational sites?

Thanks!

[GoodbyeGirl]

i don't have much information about them, i need to get one myself. i do know that they don't explode anymore. that was a design flaw in the 70s that has been eliminated.

[mophoto]

i got a crock pot for christmas, which is pretty much the same thing, minus the explosions, and i found a lot of recipes on vegweb- can't wait to use them!!

[vuycha]

im usin one all the time for long-cooking food like beans and such. Food is tastier because steam is not all escaping like with usual pot, and cooking is shorter. Cooking time for beans is from one hour to 15 minutes. All press. cookers of new generations have safety ventil (valve, vent). If pressure arises over desired, its released thru this - no explosion. Technique for cooking is this: cooker is filled with quarter or third volume with water (safety level is marked inside cooker!). Heat is turned on until water boils, then is tuned down to minimum. Now only keeping of minimal temp. is needed, cooker conserve memperature in it for long time.

Read instructions very carefully before using. They are simple, but no improvisation is allowed! NEVER OPEN COOKER BEFORE COOLING DOWN UNTIL SAFETY VENT CAN BE LIFTED WITH BARE HAND WITHOUT STEAM GOING OUT (TIME OF COOLING SPECIFIED IN INSTRUCTIONS). NEVER PUT HOT COOKER UNDER COLD WATER. DO NOT FILL MORE WATER THAN MARKED INSIDE COOKER. NEVER COOK DRIED PEAS IN COOKER (LIST OF FORBIDEN FOOD LISTED IN INSTRUCTIONS) BECAUSE ITS EXPANDS VOLUME AND IS FOAMING WHEN COOKING. Never press your ear on hot cooker to hear whats cookin'

[tabitha]

Ive always been a bit scared of pressure cooker. I have a slow cooker, which is brilliant if you work unsociable hours and I have just bought a steamer which has three tiers. I havent tried it yet.

[indianvegan]

View image of pressure cooker I use :-

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Manish Jain

[grail]

Make sure you shell out extra $$$ for the stainless one. A lot of pressure cookers are made of aluminum and you don't want to be cooking tomato-saucy stuff in THAT.

[indianvegan]

Exactly !


Manish

[ILoveBunnies]

Hi
I have one and it has not exploded! The brand I have is from Kuhn Rikon and what I mostly use it for is cooking beans and grains. I do have a cookbook from Lorna Sass that is vegan and pressure cooker recipes. It Used to be called "Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen" but now I believe it is called "Vegetarian cooking Under Pressure". I use that sometimes to make soups and risotto type dishes. It saves a lot of time when you are cooking beans. It really does save a lot of time. You can cook a soup in 12 minutes instead of hours.

[DianeVegan]

Bunnies, I think she may have 2 cookbooks. I have the "Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen" and it is what inspired me to get a small pressure cooker. It certainly saves time if you incorporate it into your kitchen routine.

[jamieoneill]

Pressure cookers are really popular in India, and they cook rice amazingly fast. It's worth it.

[Kiva Dancer]

i got a crock pot for christmas, which is pretty much the same thing, minus the explosions, and i found a lot of recipes on vegweb- can't wait to use them!!

They're 2 different things. A pressure cooker cooks by pressurising the contents under high heat, while a slow cooker is a pot with an element under it meant to cook very slowly.

That said, I adore my slow cooker but I have no pressure cooker.

[Ms_Derious]

Just bumping this thread as I bought a pressure cooker a few months back and have yet to really start using it. Has anyone got any good recipes using the pressure cooker?

I bought it to cook my own beans etc, but I'm kind convinced i'll find someway to poison myself if I do!

[DavidT]

I've used a pressure cooker for several years. It is useful for certain things only. Because of the high heat involved (pressurising the container means water boils at a higher temperature) there's no danger of poisoning oneself with vegan food.

Firstly, beans. Most of the common beans (butter beans, kidney beans, that type of size and chick peas), after having been soaked overnight in cold water, cook in less than four minutes from achieving full pressure. The heat can be turned down to maintain that pressure.

The heat must be released slowly, that is, letting the cooker cool down away from the heat on its own.

Secondly, rice, specifically brown rice. The sort we buy takes nine minutes at full pressure. The the pressure can be released quickly under a cold tap. The rice then needs cooling to wash off starch and to prevent further cooking. Similar guidelines apply for other tough grains.

Thirdly and my favourite, mushy peas. Do them the same as beans but for between seven and nine minutes and less the pressure off fast under a cold tap, so the peas split.

I wouldn't use a pressure cooker for much else as it is easy to overcook vegetables etc though a stew can be done in minutes in one.

[DavidT]

Just to add a couple of tips.

It seems to me that cooking a small amount of beans takes just as long as a large amount. I cooked 500 grams (that's a lotta beans!) of butter beans last night and they took 4 minutes from reaching pressure to turning off the heat. They were perfect.

Food that is not covered by liquid doesn't seem to cook. Cook two types of food in the pressure using a separate metal container but make sure all food is covered by liquid.

Always add a teaspoon of oil to the liquid to avoid 'foaming'.

Throw away (onto plants) water that has had beans soaking in it.

Use the water beans are cooked in for stock.

[Daffodil]

Ive always been a bit scared of pressure cooker. I have a slow cooker, which is brilliant if you work unsociable hours and I have just bought a steamer which has three tiers. I havent tried it yet.

I love my steamer.....I use it always.

[Ms_Derious]

Thanks David.

You are always so helpful The oil tip is very good, as I always end up having this problem!

[DavidT]

Thanks David.

You are always so helpful The oil tip is very good, as I always end up having this problem!

The 'always' isn't quite right but thanks!

As I hinted earlier, the pressure cooker is a useful tool for certain things and it has its place; the right tool for the job is one of life's pleasures.

For me, it must have saved considerable amounts of money (and CO2!) over the years, only needing the occasional gasket or safety valve replacement.

Beans! I love 'em, any shape or form. What would we do without 'em?

Another hint: always cook more than you need, seeing as it takes no extra time or effort. You can freeze the excess ready for use or you can try this: spread a few on a grill pan, slather with tamari sauce or soy sauce and toast them for a few minutes, giving them a shake occasionally.

Chick peas especially work well and, done like this, are totally addictive when cold.

[jadeoxon]

Get an electric one instead of traditional type. Much safer easier quicker blabla said my parents. And they loved it so much that they wanted to buy one for me when I visited them. They only gave up the idea after I insist that it was too big for me to carry in suitcase.
Check out Comet website last time I looked they were selling a basic model for 39 pounds.

[Ms_Derious]

Oooohhh, I've never heard of electric ones before. That might be kinda cool Ta!

[DavidT]

I did a full 500g of chick peas in the pressure cooker today. Three-and-a-half minutes from reaching pressure, then take off the gas and let it cool naturally.

Perfect. Absolutely heavenly.

Does anyone else think chick peas are divine? Silly question.

[Ms_Derious]

Does anyone else think chick peas are divine? Silly question.

I *love* chickpeas. They are so tasty! I only in the last 2-3 years started to eat that many of them, and since going vegan I eat them even more. I love the fact that as long as I have some chickpeas in the house, I have the basis of a meal.

[Ms_Derious]

YAY!

Okay, at 31 I should, perhaps, have used a pressure cooker before, but my Mum always was a little suspicious of them so I grew up of the opinion that they would blow up as soon as they entered the kitchen.

Anyway, the pressure cooker I bought at the start of the year has been taughting me from the cupboard under the stairs since I bought it. Today, myself and it had a rather frank conversation about the fact I *was* going to use it, and it wasn't going to explode.

I put my presoaked beans in, and 15 mins later I had a big bowl of cooked chickpeas. Gosh, they taste yummy. I keep going back and grabbing a few out of the bowl.

Why did no one tell me how easy this was?

[DavidT]

YAY!

Okay, at 31 I should, perhaps, have used a pressure cooker before, but my Mum always was a little suspicious of them so I grew up of the opinion that they would blow up as soon as they entered the kitchen.

Anyway, the pressure cooker I bought at the start of the year has been taughting me from the cupboard under the stairs since I bought it. Today, myself and it had a rather frank conversation about the fact I *was* going to use it, and it wasn't going to explode.

I put my presoaked beans in, and 15 mins later I had a big bowl of cooked chickpeas. Gosh, they taste yummy. I keep going back and grabbing a few out of the bowl.

Why did no one tell me how easy this was?

Woo hoo! Well done and happy, ermmm, pressure cooking!

Good on you. There's something addictive about chick peas.