Pressure cookers...which one?

treitz3

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Hello folks. This past weekend while on vacation, an irreplaceable piece of my tried and true pressure cooker has failed [missing a piece]. That was the pressure release valve that is normally would be replaceable but unfortunately, not on the unit I have [Innova model 42108] due to it's location on the handle. In searching the web today, I have narrowed my search down to two models.

Fissler Vitaquick 10.6qt.
http://www.metrokitchen.com/product...ferralID=d72a7756-082b-11e3-9dea-001b2166becc

or

The Fagor Duo 10qt.
http://www.chefscatalog.com/product...&gdftrk=gdfV23800_a_7c2214_a_7c9325_a_7c37915

Both have been top rated for ease of use, safety, convenience, no hot spots or burning, minimal water loss, quietness while cooking as well as having a consistent internal temperature. While one is a "frugal" type pressure cooker, the other is a professional cooker that in theory should last a lifetime. I was just wondering if any of you and/or your wives have used either model and could offer some real world experience.....or if you have another suggestion I haven't ran across yet. Looking for at least an 8qt. cooker because you can only fill up the pressure cookers to 2/3 capacity and *most* recipes will call for a pressure cooker at least this size. One can always cook in a bigger cooker with the same results but this can not be reversed into a smaller cooker.

I have been spoiled with the Innova over the years and this is something that I most definitely consider a staple for the kitchen in my household. Any comments or suggestions are welcomed and I look forward to any input you may have to offer.

Tom
 

mep

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If you have doing internet searches for PCs, expect a knock at your door.
 

GaryProtein

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If you have doing internet searches for PCs, expect a knock at your door.

VERY POSSIBLY! I guess I'll be checked out soon!

Here's what I found out!

When Cooks Illustrated Magazine / America's Test Kitchen recently did their tests of STOVETOP not electric pressure cookers ONLY ONE pressure cooker reached 15 psi and 250F, and that was the Fissler Vitaquick.

NONE of the others ever reached 15psi and 250 degF temperature or pressure. NONE of them has a psi pressure gauge, so you never know what's going on inside the pot.

The very large canning pressure cookers sometimes have a psi gauge.
The Emirl by TFal was the best electric and they really DON'T like the eletcric models.
 

treitz3

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If you have doing internet searches for PCs, expect a knock at your door.
Oh, I'm not worried. I have nothing to hide. When the see my kitchen and see the related searches I have done today, they will understand. I even subscribed to Cooks Illustrated online today so that I can access the recipes/equipment reviews/taste tests/etc. from all of their test kitchen results. I still like the magazine better but it's nice to have the wealth of knowledge they offer at my fingertips.

Based upon your comment, I take it that pressure cookers are used for something bad or illegal as well as for cooking/steaming/canning?

Thanks for your response, Gary. I saw that as well. An electric PC is not on my list at all. I use the pot for other things just as much as I use the PC. The PSI gauge, I can install myself on the Fagor Duo but I do not think I need one on the Fissler just based upon what you and I have read so far from Cooks Illustrated.

Tom
 

FrantzM

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I second the Fagor, impressive PRessure cooker ...
 

treitz3

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"Miss Vickie" uses the Fagor. For those of you not familiar with Miss Vickie, she has a website and a cookbook specifically for pressure cooking. The book looks like the photo below...



....and she has a website as well. The website currently shows as a untrusted website [didn't used to be that way and I do not know what's going on with that], so I will not link that one. With that said, she has been known as "THE" pressure cooking queen. I have the cookbook and if you do not know a thing about pressure cooking, this is highly recommended by myself to purchase. It goes into just about every aspect one would ever want to know about pressure cooking and also includes techniques and recipes. No affiliation.

Tom
 

amirm

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One key point that was tested in the Cooks Illustrated was the ease of frying things in it. We have a tall unit and frying the onions and such before pressure cooking can be difficult. So the wider ones that they found work better in that regard.
 

treitz3

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Cooks Illustrated actually had some really good points I wouldn't have thought of before today. The base and it's composition played a more important part than I thought it would for maintaining the pressure and temperature within said PC and the shape of the PC plays a role on burning within said PC. I have not ever had burning from within, so I would have never even thought of that before. The Innova I have is 9 and 1/2" wide and 6 and 1/2 tall. Never had any issues with that aspect. I guess I'll have to keep the size in higher consideration than I had originally anticipated.

This is turning out to be just like a 2-channel system. Everything effects everything. Grrr.

Tom
 

GaryProtein

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I have been a subscriber of Cooks Illustrated for about 15 years. I can say that I have never been disappointed by purchases I have made based on their recommendations.

Off topic: their recipes have also never dissapointed. They are fully tested and if you follow their instructions, a novice can successfully make anything they publish.
 

treitz3

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Man, I was thinking that they could be used for meth or something else equally mischievous. At that time [during the Boston Marathon and subsequent weeks] I was extremely busy. Hence, the complete lack of knowledge of what else they could be used for. I had no idea. Eh, like I said....I have nothing to hide and I will welcome any agency into my house with open arms and possibly a well cooked meal, if they have time for one.

I ain't skeered. ;)

Literally just looking to replace a kitchen staple is all.....and the best one at that.

Tom
 

GaryProtein

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. . . . Literally just looking to replace a kitchen staple is all.....and the best one at that.

Tom

You just keep saying that! :p :p :p

My ass is probably grass too for checking, and I don't even want one!
 

treitz3

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I just had a thought....is what happened in Boston the reason Miss Vickie's website is no longer a trusted site? If it is, I feel bad for her as it has GOT to affect her business, which was going fine beforehand. If this is the case, I feel bad for her. She has cooking in the heart, not anything having to do with what happened in Boston.

:(

Tom
 

GaryProtein

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Keith_W

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Since you asked, I think the most important features of pressure cookers are:

- you buy a REPUTABLE brand so that you can buy spares as and when you need it. The rubber gaskets and pressure regulator valves WILL deteriorate over time and require replacement. When that happens, if you happen to have bought a no-name pressure cooker, you may as well throw it away. Do a search for ease of accessibility to spare parts before deciding which to buy.

- the pressure regulator should be the valve-type and not the jiggling weight type. Taste tests have proven that any venting of steam from the pressure cooker results in inferior flavour. The reason is thought to be due to escape of volatiles and vigorous bubbling of liquid.

- the cooker needs to be correctly sized for your application. If you need a very large pressure cooker, consider a pressure canner or a stovetop autoclave.

- the cooker needs to reach the correct pressure.

- PSI gauges are not necessary, they are no more accurate than the spring loaded pressure valves which regulate the pressure on your cookers anyway.

The most common recommendations are either Fagor or Kuhn Rikon. I own neither - I have a Silit. Still a very good cooker :)
 

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