(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best pressure cookers

Depends on the food item and your infrastructure.

Drying is good for a lot of fruits and for herbs and such.

Cold storage. We have multiple freezers. A stand up 23 cu ft, a 19 cu ft chest plus the regular fridge freezer and the freezer on the back/beer fridge in basement. We have been buying half pigs and half or 1/4 cows for the freezers and we freeze a lot of vegetables. Sweet corn does really well frozen, so do a lot of the squashes and green beans.

Canning. Canning does quite a lot of foods. There are two types, pressure canning and water bath canning. The water bath canning is for high acid, high sugar, low risk foods like jellies and most tomato sauces if prepared correctly. Pickling is also usually water bath. All the low acid, higher risk stuff goes in a pressure canning systems.


Root cellar storage. Cool/cold room storage. If you have access to the right conditions, this is a great way to store lots of stuff like potatoes, carrots, beets, etc.

Some sources to get you started:
The starter book that is indispensable for canners: Ball blue book

The more advanced Ball full book
You can find either one at a book store, online, or at most used book stores.

USDA site has a lot of info. You want tried and tested recipes and methods. Botulism sucks. https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html


Purdue University has a really good set of links and add ons to the USDA guides as well. https://www.extension.purdue.edu/usdacanning/

You can also search the (food item, canning, extension) and there is probably a state agricultural extension that has some guide for it.

NDSU has a good guide for freezing stuff. It will get you started. Each food item will have specifics to getting a good freeze. Some things need blanched and some don't. Some need to be pre-frozen spread out on cookie sheets then dumped in a bag and some don't, etc.


Interesting root cellar idea that can be done fairly cheap. https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/root-cellaring/a-precast-septic-tank-root-cellar-zbcz1503

Root cellar list of what to store and what conditions. https://extension2.missouri.edu/mp562

Best way to get started: get a big ass boiler and a couple of dozens of pint mason jars and a couple of dozens of 1/2 pint mason jars. Start with a couple of batches of different pickles/pickled vegetables. Make a batch or two of jams and jellies. If you get a couple dozen wide mouth jars you can practice a little freezing as well. The idea is to build up your equipment.

For a full canning rig you need all kinds of stuff and if you really get into it usually large stuff. Like the ginormous pressure cooker that holds a goodly number of quarts or two full courses of pint jars in it. something like this guy. But you can start with whatever you have available. If you do the water bath stuff and start to get into it and want to get into pressure canning you should get a larger pressure canner that will do at least 6 quarts at a time. We have a medium one that we can do a limited batch of stuff in, or one round of jars and then a huge one like I linked to. Just slowly build up your equipment as you can and get the best quality you can when you buy stuff. If you try and do the I will buy the cheap one, and see if I like it, it costs you more. Usually the cheap one is crappy and wont do a good job. And you will either decide it is not worth the trouble or will eventually realize the quality one is worth the money and buy it anyway.

Get a good set of tools. You can can without them, but shouldn't. Decent set with the basic pieces.

I also find that a pair of the latex coated gloves are helpful. We have one person pull jars form the hiow water bath (keeping them sterile) and the second person will put the funnel in and spoon the food into the jar. You have to wipe the top of the jar and place a heated lid on it and screw the top onto the jar. The jar will be close to 200F. I will be the jar person and wear the heavy latex coated glove on my left hand to hold the jar stable and to screw the lid on so I don't get burned. Never have seen anyone give the tip before, but it works really well and I have less burnt fingers and fewer spills or dropped jars that way. Something like this.

> Wednesday: Yellow curry with potatoes, carrots, and spiced chicken.

> Other common dishes are "one pot" type for weekdays, such as curried lentils and sweet potatoes over coconut rice

You might want to look into a good modern pressure cooker like an Instapot or a stovetop one like a Fagor Futuro or Kuhn Rikon models.

Great for making quick curries and other "one pot" meals. We use ours all the time to make various dishes, from Spanish rice, to Moroccan Chicken, to poached chicken breasts, steamed vegetables. Also good for breaking down vegetables into pasta sauce.

Also great for making chicken stock: throw the bones, skin, and cartilage from 2 rotisserie style chickens in, cover with water, maybe a bay leaf or other herbs (no salt, there is already enough on the chicken). Pressure cook for an hour and you have the BEST gelatinous stock.

I have been steaming veggies in my microwave since I can remember. I use a tortilla warmer but any container with a loose lid will work.

I have had varying degrees of success with chicken breast. The trick with meat is evenly thin. Proceed at your own risk.

Here comes the controversial tip. You can cook scrambled eggs in a microwave. Scramble some peppers and cheese in there and you got an omelette in no time.

I’ll edit this if I think of anything else but a microwave is an oven after all...

Edit: they make aluminum trays you can put in there to crisp up tater tots and stuff like too.

E2: Microwave crisper pan Read all your operators manuals and follow all safety guidelines of course.

E3: If you have a blender you can make all kinds of soup too. Carrot microwaved and blended with milk and a pinch of salt is great. Tomatoes in the blender will cook using just the friction generated by blending. Potato and sweet potatoes microwave pretty well too.

Nearly all my pots are from WMF. But careful: they started to produce pretty mediocre-quality products in china, too. So always look for origin: germany.

This are just awesome:
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-Function-Piece-Casserole-Cookware/dp/B002MPQHUS/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452675245&sr=1-3&keywords=wmf+cookware

I also own this two pressure cookers but only use it for normal cooking which needs some space (for example chili):
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-0793919300-Perfect-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0094KTIFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452675446&sr=1-1&keywords=wmf+pressure+cooker

There are also "new" types of non-stick coated pans. I use one like this one. This are not teflon but "stone-derived":
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-0793919300-Perfect-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0094KTIFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452675446&sr=1-1&keywords=wmf+pressure+cooker

I also would recommend a good old iron pan for things you want really well roasted. This one is also not bad:
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-Function-Frying-Pan-9-Inch/dp/B0052CGHI0/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452675725&sr=1-2&keywords=wmf+pan

Word of warning: I read through the manual when I first got mine & on page 3 it explicitly says:

"11. Never deep fry or pressure fry in the unit with oil. It is dangerous and may cause a fire or serious damage"

http://instantpot.com/wp-content/uploads/IP-DUO/InstantPot-IP-DUO-Manual-English.pdf

Kind of the same deal with pressure canning...you can do water bath canning (hot water canning) in the IP, but you can't pressure-can in it (pressure cook yes, pressure can no). What you might be interested in is a Kickstarter project from GE called the Paragon Induction Cooktop:

http://paragoninduction.com/

Not cheap at $300, but it takes a different approach than the Instant Pot by using a combination of a portable precision induction cooktop base along with a wireless temperature sensor. Rather than pressure-cooking, it competes with stuff like the Anova sous video machine, but can also do stuff like sear a steak (because it's a cooktop), deep fry (because it's a cooktop, and more specifically, because it has a temperature probe that you slap on the side of your pot for accurate readings), temper chocolate, etc. So you can do sous vide, candymaking, deep frying, searing, all kinds of stuff. It's not pressure frying by any means, but it provides more accurate temperature control so that you can get better results. Don't know if it's worth the extra money over just a regular pot & $20 temperature probe tho!

I've looked into pressure fryers before...aside from machines like the $1,000 Henny Penny machine on Amazon, the only reasonable one I've found is the $162 Kuhn Rikon pressure frying pan: (not sure how this would compare to say the KFC models)

https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Duromatic-Efficient-Pressure/dp/B00004R8ZG/

I ended up getting a Philips Air Fryer instead (having an actual deep frying machine in my house is too dangerous to my health lol). It's okay; it tends to dry stuff out pretty easily & not really get things that crispy, I wish I had just gotten a larger toaster oven instead, one with a convection feature. It was really expensive & has a really small cooking area, even on the XL version. There are a variety of alternatives that use halogen bulbs, infrared, and other methods of cooking that seem to be equally as good for a lot less money (like the ones from Vonshef, Big Boss, etc.). Anyway, just some other options to look at. I don't know of any cost-effective electronic pressure fryers tho. Probably too dangerous & too high of a liability to make as a cheap appliance lol.

Fellow ADDer here. This thing rocks, although it is pricey. Great pressure cooker, but the thing I love most about it is the huge capacity.

Capacity = versatility and when you have ADHD/ADD you need all the versatility you can muster. Plus, you'll likely have leftovers, which will expand your future versatility :)

Was looking into this more.

>To be effective, the autoclave must reach and maintain a temperature of 121° C for at least 30 minutes by using saturated steam under at least 15 psi of pressure. Increased cycle time may be necessary depending upon the make-up and volume of the load. (link)

As explained here, it would seem that a high quality standard US pressure cooker should reach such a pressure - but that an EU one could be slightly short of it. I would think a cooker with a pressure gauge on it would be best. This looks like a super high quality model, though this one looks more affordable!

I'm very happy with my tfal.


T-fal P25144 Stainless Steel Dishwasher Safe PTFE PFOA and Cadmium Free 10 / 15-PSI Pressure Cooker Cookware, 8.5-Quart, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TQJWF04/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GE7eAbN2SEX0E

Yes, Indian pressure cookers are some of the best in the world.
We use Hawkins at our house and you can buy them at Amazon as well.

I ended up going with America's Test Kitchen's recommendation and getting a Fagor Duo. Super easy and straightforward to use.

Any Indian store in your city should have it. Hawkins or Prestige brands are pretty good.
or Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hawkins-Contura-Liters-Anodized-Pressure/dp/B002TG3TLK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405471326&sr=8-3&keywords=hawkins+3L

Thanks. I actually went for the WMF Perfect Plus in the end, despite spending most of my time looking at the Kuhn Rokins. This one in fact -- $140, 6 quarts.


Of course, it will arrive when I'm in the US(!), but that's not a problem for me.

The best brand I'm aware of is Kuhn Rikon.

Considering they're made in Switzerland, it's bizarre they're cheaper in the US (£178.39 against $159.96, though it is on offer in the US)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kuhn-Rikon-Duromatic-Stainless-Steel-Saucepan/dp/B00004R8ZF/

https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Duromatic-Stainless-Steel-Saucepan/dp/B00004R8ZF

However, how will you get it back? Airport security might not like a pressure cooker, plus you might end up paying duty.

I've ordered a replacement with an aluminium pot - it should be immune to whatever causes this. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00888X526/

I'll cancel if anyone responds with other solutions.

Cheers.

I bought [this](
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BERGI2W/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472995599&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=large+pressure+cooker&dpPl=1&dpID=41ToZt2XWYL&ref=plSrch)

We waterbath canned it last night. Pickle method, but I'm not sure on the ph, so I'm reprocessing it.

I get the lid part, whats the benefit to combining all the contents, rinsing the jars and redistributing the contents?

I can't speak about the one you are linking to, but I recently bought this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0001GRI76/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1474887745&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Pressure+cooker#immersive-view_1474887780422

It's not quite as big, but we feed 4-6 people frequently with it.

I really like it, can't think of any down sides to it.

http://www.amazon.in/Pigeon-All-Super-Cooker-litres/dp/B00JWMU1RO?tag=googinhydr18418-21

I am using this one. Pressure cooker mode works better than standard Hawkins pressure cookers.

One of my friends got the 5l one too, non stick coating on that model is inferior. Other than, it that works ok.

Non sono un esperto, la mia aveva un buon prezzo perché l'ho presa con i punti del supermercato e ho dovuto aggiungere solo 25 euro. Ho preso la WMF Perfect Plus

E come optional su Amazon ho preso il cestello e il robo per appoggiarlo

C'è scritto che almeno una volta all'anno bisogna cambiare laguarnizione e prima o poi bisogna cambiare anche il coperchio. Però leggo di gente che non cambia niente per anni e funziona lo stesso.

Ora che ce l'ho il mio consiglio è di prendere la pentola di un'azienda che non sparisce dopo breve tempo altrimenti poi sei fregato con i pezzi di ricambio.

Valuta anche le dimensioni, per due persone va bene quella da cm 18 di diametro.

You bought this one ye? That is was above my budget shit haha and 50 bucks seems like a good deal cause thats only 35GBP and not 150 wtf. What about this one it says it goes up to 14,5lb/100kpa which did translate to PSI so only 14,5PSI will that actually matter fuck?

You can buy carbon filters for cooker hoods amazon. roughly 8 usd. Or encased in plastic for easier placement on printer.

Is it this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-Pressure-Cooker-Steamer-Stainless/dp/B00NB2XRVI/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Tower+7.5l&qid=1554314256&s=kitchen&sr=1-1

3 quarts is not a lot but I really want to get started with this stuff

Actually, I bought it locally and gave the local kitchen supply place a little business, but here's a link to the same item.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-3344-7-4-Quart-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00004R8ZF/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1348508693&sr=8-4&keywords=kuhn+pressure+cooker

> bang for your buck. If a knife set, which one?

Bang for your buck is a 10" chef's knife and a 6" utility knife. You can add a paring knife if you cook fancy things. But those first two will get used 95% of the time. There's no reason to buy a knife set. There is a reason to buy a couple poly cutting boards, though. Use one for meat and one for foods you can eat raw.

> I want to say cast iron skillet.

I have a stack of them. I get far more use out of my regular skillet. I know folks here have a thing for cast iron, and I've been cooking on one for around 25 years. But a regular skillet is what I use most often.

I'd also need a saucepan. Add to that a colander, a couple pairs of tongs, and a half dozen wooden spatulas.

Last thing I'd buy is one of these because I use it all the time.