Pressure cookers are scary to a lot of people because of stories of them blowing up in the kitchen. Modern pressure cookers are safer than what our parents or grand parents had in their kitchen but still provide the benefits of cooking dishes more quickly than most other methods.
Manual Pressure Cookers – What We Use
Our first pressure cooker was a basic 6 quart Presto brand pressure cooker. With any pressure cooker it is important to ensure that the seals for the unit are in good shape. The other important consideration with a manual pressure cooker is understanding that you will need to reduce the burner level during the cooking process to keep the pressure cooker pressures at a reasonable level. Finally, it is important to not overfill a pressure cooker. Manual pressure cookers require monitoring and adjustments to heat levels during the cooking process. Treat it with respect and you will be rewarded with chicken stock in under 30 minutes or a fully prepared roast in 40 minutes.
Recommended Manual Pressure Cooker
Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Automatic Pressure Cookers – What We Use
The Instant Pot is probably the most popular choice for an automatic pressure cooker. These units are programmable and require less attention than their manual counterparts. We’re very happy with our 6 quart Instant Pot Duo and use it once or twice a week. It can also be used to make yogurt, steam rice, steam foods, keep foods warm, and as a slow cooker. Like the manual pressure cooker, it is important to keep an eye on the seal that is used. Some people like to keep two seals on hand so that they can use one with savory foods and another with non-savory foods. We just use one seal but occasionally run the unit with a couple of cups of water and a couple of cups of vinegar. After a few minutes on the steam cycle any food smells on the ring go away. We rarely use our manual pressure cooker anymore since the Instant Pot is just easier to use and let’s use focus on preparing other parts of the meal rather than babysitting a manual unit. The only downside to the Instant Pot is that it may take a little more time to cook the same foods as our manual pressure cooker.
Recommended Instant Pot
Recommendations
- We love the automation and safety features of the Instant Pot Duo
- Check your seals on your pressure cooker to ensure safety
- Be prepared to monitor manual pressure cookers