Appliances Review - Pressure Cooker

TopTenReview

Pressure cookers have come a long way from the flimsy cooktop models that were sometimes the butt of jokes in black-and-white sitcoms. The advantage of a pressure cooker is the speed with which it cooks food, making them an ideal choice for a home cook who's interested in flavorful food with minimum cooking time.

Pressure cookers trap steam inside, forcing higher temperatures and driving steam back into the food. The result is moist food made quickly, using the least amount of energy. The only downside is you really do need to keep an eye on cooktop models. Electric or automatic pressure cookers can be turned on and forgotten about, and will signal when they’re done. 

Pressure Cooker: What to Look For

If you’re looking at cooktop models, be sure the pressure cooker has handles that lock, and that there’s a dial or guage that indicates the pressure. It’s also important to select a model with a lid that includes safety devices that will activate if the pot is under too much pressure.

Timing & Accessories
Electric models have safety features built in, and offer “smart” cooking. The best example is rice makers that use pressure cooking to deliver fluffy rice cooked just right every time. Pressure cookers can be used as slow cookers or steamers. Basic pressure cookers offer digital operation and possibly a few settings such as “low” and “high,” as well as options for duration of cooking time. More advanced models will also offer longer cooking time and programmable cooking. These models can also come with accessories such as a steamer basket, which allows you to steam vegetables in a basket that hangs above the rice that’s cooking below.

Multi-Use Steamers
Aficionados might consider advanced pressure cookers that can double as anything from a sushi-grade rice cooker to a canner. These large-capacity machines have more settings and can adjust to know the differences needed for cooking brown rice, sushi rice or even porridge.

If you are a canner, then a pressure cooker that can accommodate cans will be a welcome accessory in your kitchen. Large canning-grade pressure cookers operate on the cooktop and are recommended by the USDA as the only truly safe method for canning. They are also large enough to handle large cuts of meat and will cook inexpensive, tough cuts of meat into tender meals in a surprisingly short period of time.

Safety Features
There is definitely an education that goes along with pressure cookers, so be prepared to read the manual, especially if you’re using a cooktop pressure cooker. It’s important to understand how the pressure cooker works from a safety perspective, and as a matter of taste. Making meals with a cooktop pressure cooker reduces the time spent cooking, while using an electronic pressure cooker can allow you to pre-program start times so that a hot meal is steaming on the countertop as you walk in the door.

When shopping for pressure cookers, consider your settings options instead of just "low" and "high," as well as more advanced cookers that have multiple uses. If you can steam, can or cook large cuts of meat, it's a better value.