Pressure cooker - yay or nay?

Should I get one?

I like to exercise after work and I often have to take DS to therapy and taekwondo.

So the idea of throwing ingredients together into a pot, doing my exercise and then eating with rice especially in colder weather has appeal.

The only thing is that I do not particularly like heavy, stewy red meat meals, much I prefer chicken curries and other lighter cooked food. Is it versatile enough for that?

I also remember my mother's pressure cooker meals from the 1970s tasting fatty and overcooked. It's not like that anymore?

And what model do you have?

I have a Fagor. And you can cook anything in it. I've got a chicken recipe with potatoes and capiscum which is lovely.

I’ve got one of these ones and I like it.

https://www.target.com.au/p/russell-hobbs-express-chef-digital-multi-cooker-rhpc1/62265850?utm_term=62265850&utm_content=russell-hobbs-express-chef-digital-multi-cooker-rhpc1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=merchant-site&utm_campaign=merchant-site&gclid=CjwKCAjwjuqDBhAGEiwAdX2cj4pyzyq607tVvHSVA9IP_fru7J7okZSkW4lBMUjjnVK7nZuGSeCzlRoCBFYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My favourite thing to cook in it is risotto. We’ve also cooked curries, roast chickens, stock and soup.

Yes. If you want to be able to leave the house and have it release pressure itself, you need to go electric.

I have an electric philips one. It’s pretty good - makes a great chicken biryani. Very useful in the winter months for exactly what you describe. [mention]Trampoline[/mention] i can’t quite get risotto right in it. Do you have a recipe / measurements?

I have a Tefal cook4me. Haven't looked at other types and mines a few years old but I like that it allows me to sear meats or saute veggies in it first before swapping to pressure cook mode with the lid closed. I mostly do chicken based dishes and it's super easy to put something on then head out for daycare pickup and it's ready when I walk in.

I've just got a kmart one, very happy with it, I've make stock for soup, risotto, butter chicken, as well as the casseroles and pulled meats etc.

[mention]MoukMouk[/mention] I use the recipe that was in the manual, will see if I can attach a photo of it. I do change up the flavours though chicken, bacon, mushroom and pea is the fave, closely followed by pumpkin, thyme and lemon.

@MoukMouk I use the recipe that was in the manual, will see if I can attach a photo of it. I do change up the flavours though chicken, bacon, mushroom and pea is the fave, closely followed by pumpkin, thyme and lemon.

I love risotto, that sounds yummy.

@MoukMouk I use the recipe that was in the manual, will see if I can attach a photo of it. I do change up the flavours though chicken, bacon, mushroom and pea is the fave, closely followed by pumpkin, thyme and lemon.

Thankyou! I’ll give it a go. I usually do risotto in the oven. When I tried in the pressure cooker it turned out really gluggy but I think I put too much stock in. Current favourite is prawn and chorizo

I swear by my crock pot which has the pressure cook. I tried it with chicjen and uncooked pasta the other day and was perfect. Loved it. It makes a really nice green curry as well. It's the one they use of Mastercard.

@MoukMouk I use the recipe that was in the manual, will see if I can attach a photo of it. I do change up the flavours though chicken, bacon, mushroom and pea is the fave, closely followed by pumpkin, thyme and lemon.

Thankyou! I’ll give it a go. I usually do risotto in the oven. When I tried in the pressure cooker it turned out really gluggy but I think I put too much stock in. Current favourite is prawn and chorizo

Yum! I’ll have to give that combo a go.

It does come out a bit gluggy at times, but the hungry beasties here don’t complain. I need to play around with the ratios a bit more, particularly when I do the pumpkin one, as I think the moisture from the vege is a contributing factor. Going to reduce it by half a cup next time and see how it goes.

I've got an InstantPot and use it all the time. A favourite here is Burrito Bowls.

I want one. But I've always been worried it would end up as one of the shoved in the cupboard unused appliances.

I want one. But I've always been worried it would end up as one of the shoved in the cupboard unused appliances.

If you like to cook curries, they work very well. Or tough cuts of meat, dried legumes. I use mine a lot.

If you buy a original stove top one it just becomes another large saucepan. And it produces the standard PSI so all receiptes will work. I don't think electric ones do that.

If you buy a original stove top one it just becomes another large saucepan. And it produces the standard PSI so all receiptes will work. I don't think electric ones do that.

I was looking at stovetop versions because apparently they do cook 25% faster than the electric ones. The only downside from my point of view is not being able to walk away and do something else at the same time. I would feel that I would have to check on it fairly regularly, especially since I have gas.

Thanks everyone for your commentary so far. Pressure cookers look like they are really popular!

If you buy a original stove top one it just becomes another large saucepan. And it produces the standard PSI so all receiptes will work. I don't think electric ones do that.

 

I was looking at stovetop versions because apparently they do cook 25% faster than the electric ones. The only downside from my point of view is not being able to walk away and do something else at the same time. I would feel that I would have to check on it fairly regularly, especially since I have gas.

I just set my alarm and walk away as i would with any other thing on the stove that doesn't need stirring. I've used mine with gas and induction.

I have a breville fast slow pro. It makes some lovely meals, but I wouldn’t say it is a time saver. It can take 20 minutes to get to temperature, and then another 10-20 minutes pressure cooking the meal. I can have a complete meal on the table in less time, (like spag bol or a stir fry or sausages and veg)

It does slow cook as well though, which is handy, cause then you just set and forget and serve it up when you’re ready. Slow cookers are a great time saver if you have time in the morning to turn it on.

Weekend batch cooking, using the pressure cooker or slow cooker function, would be your best bet.

I have a breville fast slow pro. It makes some lovely meals, but I wouldn’t say it is a time saver. It can take 20 minutes to get to temperature, and then another 10-20 minutes pressure cooking the meal. I can have a complete meal on the table in less time, (like spag bol or a stir fry or sausages and veg)

Actually that would be ideal for me.. I am hoping to say at 4 pm before going to speech therapy, the gym or whatever, to be able to put it all on and then an hour later be back and have dinner ready to serve. I find those late afternoons tricky!

How long does it usually take to prep the ingredients before turning it on? Is it just a matter of chopping the meat, vegs and throwing in spices and sauces?

I have a breville fast slow pro. It makes some lovely meals, but I wouldn’t say it is a time saver. It can take 20 minutes to get to temperature, and then another 10-20 minutes pressure cooking the meal. I can have a complete meal on the table in less time, (like spag bol or a stir fry or sausages and veg)

 

Actually that would be ideal for me.. I am hoping to say at 4 pm before going to speech therapy, the gym or whatever, to be able to put it all on and then an hour later be back and have dinner ready to serve. I find those late afternoons tricky!

How long does it usually take to prep the ingredients before turning it on? Is it just a matter of chopping the meat, vegs and throwing in spices and sauces?

I’d never leave mine unattended. Apart from the common problem of it not coming up to pressure cause the lid isn’t on properly. They have been known to explode. I only leave slow cookers alone. Not pressure cookers.

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7235379/amp/Tasmania-Kirsty-Abercromby-reveals-pressure-cooker-exploded.html

What about trying a tray bake? A covered bake can take and hour or so and they are often fine if left longer.

Prep for a pressure cooker meal depends what you’re making. Can be 10 minutes or 45 minutes of browning this and browning that.

I think you'd be better off with the multi-function ones than just the pressure cooker. It's nice having the slow cooking option for when you know you have a hectic day you prep everything the night before and put it on in the morning and go to work. Dinner is ready when you get home. Also, when you have things like the sear and saute functions, you have much less washing up as you can do the whole meal in one pot.

Pressure cooking isn't necessarily quicker. I've had the breville model mentioned above and it takes a ridiculous amount of time to come to pressure, not to mention I've been stung many times by turning it on and walking away only to come back to it and it's shut itself off because the lid wasn't on correctly. At that point I have no idea how long or even what temperature whatever inside has cooked so meals have been ruined. Some things might have a 5 minute cooking time but you'd need to add on to that about 30 minutes at least for it to come to pressure and then release after. I don't really recommend that product.

I accidentally fried the Breville by putting liquid into it without the cooking pot there. Not one of my brightest moments, but I did have two kids under 2 at that time so silly mistakes were a dozen a day. I replaced with the Instant Pot which was about $150 cheaper, is much quicker to come to pressure and so far has never just shut itself off. Oh, some of the other functions are yoghurt maker and sous vide, neither which I have used but sound fun. I think the InstantPot is American model maybe so they might not be as easy to find as Breville. I got mine at Costco and it seems to always be on sale.

If I was to buy a new one today, it would be the instant pot.

My chef BIL uses a slow cooker for lamb shanks. However it still takes 5 to 6 hours. We brought him it as a joint gift, it's a stovetop one that is by one of the two big brands.