(Part 2) Best pressure cookers according to redditors

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.

Pressure cooker weight. Similar but not the same: Presto 09914 Pressure Cooker Regulator Weight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CSX2V4E

Kuhn Rikon 6 quart. I have the eight quart and use it every other day. The locking mechanism is brilliant and it naturally depressurizes within 8 minutes.

https://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Stainless-Steel-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B00009A9XT/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481593520&sr=8-2&keywords=kuhn%2Brikon%2Bpressure%2Bcooker&th=1

Here's a massive brain dump of ideas. I'm just typing everything I can think of that might inspire some ideas.

If you can post any cooking equipment and food you already have it would be easier to help make a plan. I'll share some of the techniques I used in the past and hope that it gives you some ideas that you can tweak to make it work for yourself.

When I knew I'd be camping on a budget I used to take my little pressure cooker. Here's one on Amazon that's very similar. I know I'm talking about spending money to save money so for this trip it might not be worth it but if you're going to be doing this frequently then I think it will be worth it.

It can cook dried beans in under 20 minutes. Something that usually requires hours of soaking and boiling. You can throw in other ingredients after the beans are done or in the beginning if you're not too picky about softness of veggies. I've used it over open flames, which is not recommended by the manufacturers, but you have to be careful not to let the fire get too big. A small hole in the ground with three nine-inch-nails and a small fire of twigs that you feed in to maintain an even amount of heat isn't too hard but it takes patience and attention. Using gas stoves might be required, depending on where you are, so a pressure cooker is going to still help you save on fuel costs but might not be helpful for beans.

You can also try to borrow a food dehydrator and make your own pre-prepared meals that will only require boiling water. Food can be dehydrated in your oven as well. Just set it at the very lowest temperature and use a thermometer to make sure it's not too hot. A lot of ovens don't keep a consistent temp so it's a bit tedious but can be done. Doing it once is what prompted me to buy the pressure cooker and dehydrator eventually.

Another option is to pack tortillas, peanut butter, raisins, sunflower seeds, and just eat that. I've done it for a few days in a row but didn't really price it out. That stuff is all pretty cheap and easy to carry.

Dumpster diving for food is also something I've done in the past but you really need to know where to look. Panera is a good place to dive because they will frequently throw away large amounts of baked goods at once so it's usually all in one bag and not touching anything really nasty. Find a restaurant at the end of the night and ask a cook who's outside smoking if they will set something out for you instead of throwing it away. There's a lot of waste and a lot of cooks feel guilty about doing that so it's not as hard as you might think.

One last thing to mention is that it's not hard to meet people who are willing to feed you. I've had people offer a place to stay, food, showers, and beer. If you know friends and family along the way then you're not going to have a hard time getting food offered. I'm not trying to say you should just beg for everything you need but a lot of times people are going to be interested enough in your adventure that they'll want to help out in some way. I always help travelers when I meet them because a few less tacos for me to hear about and be apart of their experience is worth it.

Look for the advrider camp/hosting threads and see if you can meet some people to stay with and post back here often to say where you are. I always want to meet people who are on long trips and would be willing to cook a meal or host a person for the night if they're not a weirdo.

Do you have an estimate for your costs per day for this trip? I usually plan on $50 a day and when I come close to $40 I start to think of what can be sacrificed in order to stay under budget. I tend to eat less food when I spend all day on a bike so meals might be the first thing I skip on.


Okay.. actual last thought. Eating on $3.50 is possible but is a lot harder while also considering cooking times, food storage, and cleanup. Trying to save money in other categories and not paying for food whenever possible might be the best idea.

I'm three beers in and binge watching Netflix so I know this isn't my best writing. :D Hope it helps, and I'm jealous for your trip. Hit me up if you're around Portland.


Edit: Dude, post details about the rest of your plans. Where are you starting, where are you ending, how are you getting there, where are you planning to sleep, how many miles per day are you aiming for, etc.

This sub seems to have an everlasting boner for Instant Pot. I prefer just a normal stovetop pressure cooker.

That is the one I use the most. The 6 quart size is just right for feeding my family of 4. If you're cooking for yourself, get a 4 quart, if you have a larger family, get an 8 quart.

It has a tri-clad base, which means the bottom of the pot is a layer of stainless steel between two layers of aluminum. The stainless steel in the middle evenly distributes the heat, and holds on to more heat than just aluminum. It makes it better for searing meat before cooking it.

It actually cooks at 15 PSI. Instead of making a pressure cooker that is safe at 15 PSI, they just lowered it to 11 to make it easier to produce. The extra 4 PSI will cook things quite a bit faster, and it also makes it safe to use for pressure canning.

Once you get it up to pressure, all you need to do is turn the burner down to low, and set your timer. No oversight needed at all.

It's less than half the price of the instant pot. And it has no electronics to potentially fail.

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

Just noticed the Amazon link is for a 7 litre model. The 5 litre is £120 which is about what I paid. Great pressure cookers. I would never go back to the old prestige style with weights like my mum used.

This is the model I have: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00009A9XT The stubby handles are great for saving space in the cupboard and on the hob.

I am not experienced with the Chef line. I own the Duo, and it works well and was a good value seeing as I didn't have any pots to begin with. I would stay away from their Splendid line because of quality issues.

This is the one I have.

Irrespective of what cooker you choose, please read the manual first. A lot of bad reviews on amazon for pressure cookers are from people who had no clue of what they were doing.

Personally, I'm a fan of the Hawkins Pressure Cooker It's an Indian brand - extremely well made and has an audible "whistle" for timing purposes. I would recommend 4 or 5 litres -- plenty big for one person, but just the right size if you decide to cook for a larger crowd. Keep in mind, you're never to fill the pressure cooker up beyond 2/3 of the way.

Presto 01784 23-Quart Induction Compatible Pressure Canner, 23qt, Polished Aluminum https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PYLD742/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_cKEDkjw1O29Ip

Could you cook in the evenings after business hours, or would this be when you're more likely to provide lessons? If you can cook at all, you should think about getting an electric pressure cooker. Cooks Illustrated preferred this electric pressure cooker and this stove-top pressure cooker. (They actually liked a $280 stove-top one the best, but that's a lot of money) Overall, the stove-top cookers were better, but you'd probably need the electric one.

https://www.amazon.com/T-fal-ProGrade-Thermo-Spot-Dishwasher-Induction/dp/B01ER18L1W

Hey man, wanted to let you know I imported my PC from the UK. I'm using the 22L Hawkins Big Boy, ordered it off Amazon a good year ago. It holds I believe 7 quart jars, goes up to 15PSI and works like a charm:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawkins-Litre-Aluminium-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B002MPQH80

I don't really know how large or many bags it would do, as I haven't used those before, but it seems plenty large, just check the specifications and see if it fits your needs.

Best of luck, hope this helps you out!

Despite what a lot of people may say, the american pressure cookers have a single, large and expensive fail point, not to mention many have a safety feature which is irreplaceable (blow out section in the lid, for example.)

Plus most of them are aluminum, if that matters to you.

https://www.amazon.com/Hawkins-Stainless-Steel-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B000GT5FKK/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1481944394&sr=8-13&keywords=indian+pressure+cooker

An extra $10 or so gets you a spare gasket (they don't wear out quickly though) and an extra screw in pressure relief valve in case you blow one.

These are used in India, where replacing things is too expensive, so everything is built to last, and things that can go wrong, are easily and cheaply replaced.

You can usually tell if they're going to be quiet by the absence of a "jiggler" on top - although not a perfect gauge, it works pretty well.

Here's a T-Fal and a Presto that are inexpensive and highly rated.

As always, I have to throw in a recommendation for Hawkins - although their best value is in their hard anodized cookers like this one. The Futura line lets out a fairly constant quiet hiss when the flame is appropriately set. Their more traditional ones (appear like jigglers) don't jiggle, but give a periodic concentrated burst of steam. That's because these are "modified 1st gen" technology. But, I am a fan of the simple lid locking mechanism.

Yes, I'm using one right now to cook chick peas, although I did presoak. I have the stove top kind so I can't speak to the electrical ones. Generally I would recommend the stove top because it can be used as an all purpose pot. It works great for rice, quinoa, beans, steel cut oats. For things that can burn at the bottom, you'll just need to place a smaller pot in the larger pressure cooker. Beans that typically take 45 minutes to cook through boiling only takes 11 minutes with a pressure cooker, 30 minute steel cut oats only takes 5 or 6 minutes, so it's really convenient. The only downside is the loud hissing.

This 23 quart Presto meets both or your needs quite well.

Check this out: Vinod Stainless Steel Cooker with 6 Layer IDLI Stand VINOD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079J73XYC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_tUTNBb481WNQR


Again , I am not sure if the price is right . You can compare it with your local Indian grocery store and see .

https://www.amazon.com/T-fal-Pressure-Control-Settings-Renewed/dp/B07N6KPSR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?adgrpid=61475439092&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo9KTiNTx5QIVCZezCh2JsA7uEAAYASAAEgJ0ovD_BwE&hvadid=274685428926&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9003556&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2172640414142354714&hvtargid=kwd-302639887606&hydadcr=14864_10218905&keywords=tfal+pressure+cooker&qid=1574007831&sr=8-10

I suggest this Presto 01365 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker, Deluxe on sale now for $43.05.

Their Amazon warranty woes are why I went a different direction & bought the PC add-on for my NuWave PIC Ti set last year; with different pricing & additional cookware.

Best of both worlds, IMO.

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

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?

Prestige Deluxe Plus Junior Induction Base Hard Anodized Pressure Handi, 4.8 Litres, Black https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00EICGI4I/

This is what I use, works fine.

You can try making khichdi - boil dal and rice with tadka and a few vegetables, turmeric, salt. It's also recommended in Ayurveda as good for bodies recovering from illness.

If ur in India : prestige handi pressure cooker. It works as both pressure cooker and regular pot .
Prestige Deluxe Plus Junior Induction Base Hard Anodized Pressure Handis, 4.8... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EICGI4I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yL2WBb0H3F6Y7

In USA : any good 4-5qt non stick pan or with full multi clad stainless steel .
Like :
http://www.calphalon.com/en-US/calphalon-cookware/cookware-by-collection/signature-cookware/calphalon-signature-nonstick-5-qt-sauteuse-pan-with-cover-ca-1948285

Or there is instapot :)

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.

From what I've found on the UK Amazon you could actually get a 16 Quart(about 15.2 liters) for what you are saying that one will cost.
Edit: This one is even bigger (22 liters) and shows its £152 with free shipping to UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002MPQH80/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482407134&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pressure+canner&dpPl=1&dpID=51IS6lO4bML&ref=plSrch

I have two Hawkins pressure cookers that is 15psi only, and I've not run into any problems with them regarding recipes. Most seem to be for 15psi.

I've had them a few years and have no problems with reliability, faults, etc.

I would say the Fagor Duo, but the price has gone up almost $40 since I bought mine a couple of years ago. I think you can do better for $150. Get at least an 6qt cooker. The 4qt one I have can't fit much of anything, but my 8qt is perfect for almost everything.

> 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.

Most modern pressure cookers don't have a rocker weight.

EDIT:
Seriously, they don't.

• Fagor
  
• NuWave
  
• T-Fal
  
• Fissler
  
• Presto
  
• Kuhn Rikon
  
  Where you see rocker weights is on cheaper, older style aluminum ones and on larger pressure canners. Modern pressure cookers have moved to the easier to manage spring valves.