Let’s Talk: Pressure Cooking {why + what kind + resources}
Whether you are new to pressure cooking or experienced, this post has tons of valuable tips and info- everything you need to know!
I delved into the world of pressure cooking a few years ago after I decided to get over my unearthly fear of exploding pots, put on my big girl apron and make it happen. I mean, if my grandma could do it, so could I. Right? Plus the appeal of making cheesecake in a pressure cooker was just too much to resist.
I’ve had lots and lots (and lots) of emails over the last six months or so about pressure cooking. It seems as though it’s coming out of the gray shadows of old generations and becoming a bit more mainstream and even slightly trendy. Many of you want to know: if I pressure cook, how I pressure cook, what I use to pressure cook and mostly, do I have a flippin’ InstantPot yet.
So let’s talk about pressure cooking for a sec. When I decided I wanted to learn more about it (after reading that the pressure cookers of today most likely were not going to explode like grandma’s old tank), I started reading reviews. Blogs. Forums. Everything I could get my hands on to figure out what kind of pressure cooker I wanted to get. After spending more time on this than should be deemed acceptable (my toilets and exercise routine suffered), I settled on a regular, old stovetop model: this lovely Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker.
The #1 main reason I went for a stovetop vs. electric was capacity. I have a large family (five hungry kids and two always hungry adults) and I am often cooking for others. I wanted to be able to make a lot of food. Many of the electric models maxed out at sizes that didn’t appeal to me (especially when you factor that many pressure cooker recipes like soups and stews can only fill the pressure cooker halfway for safety reasons).
I know the Kuhn-Rikon isn’t the most budget-friendly model out there, but again, after reading all the reviews known to man, I wanted a foolproof stovetop pressure cooker that I was absolutely sure (ok, at least 98.9% sure) wouldn’t explode on me and would last pretty close to forever. And this one has such incredible reviews (durability, safety, size, etc) that I knew it was the one for me (plus, I have several other Kuhn-Rikon items in my kitchen and already new the quality was unsurpassed). There are a lot of other fantastically reviewed stovetop pressure cookers, all of which are largely safer than the pressure cookers of several generations ago, on the market so do your research if you are in the market for one.
In case you are new to the world of pressure cooking and are wondering why one would ever want to pressure cook in the first place, here are a few of the reasons why I love it: It’s faster for many foods. It’s more efficient and uses less energy. The nutrition in food is better preserved thanks to the fast cooking times and high temperature. And in the interest of full disclosure, I just feel like a rock star when I pressure cook anything.
Updated to add: I forgot to mention one of the main reasons I love my pressure cooker(s) is because they can cook a frozen piece of meat in a shockingly short amount of time (compared to conventional methods) and for someone that regularly forgets to thaw meat, this is just wonderful.
I think a pressure cooker is a great idea for anyone who loves flavorful, delicious, versatile food and wants the challenge of making it in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Busy mom or adventurous cook (or both!) – a pressure cooker is something to look into.
Now, I’m not going to lie, the first few times I used my pressure cooker, I was disappointed. It wasn’t everything I hoped it would be. 100% of that was because I was so scared to let it come to high pressure (those double lines below) that it compromised the food I was cooking. Again, my healthy fear complex was coming into play. Also, pressure cooking on an electric stove vs. a gas range is a bit different and I’ve learned to heat the pressure cooker to desired pressure on one burner and once it comes to pressure, immediately move it over to another burner that’s been sitting on low temp (or whatever temp is needed to maintain the pressure).
Now that I’m more comfortable with it, I use my stovetop pressure cooker all the time. At least weekly but there are some weeks where I’ve used it every single night. It’s honestly revolutionary once you wrap your mind around the benefits.
One night I was making this taco soup and forgot I didn’t have any canned black beans. But I did have dry beans (thank you, almighty food storage)! In no time, my pressure cooker magically transitioned those dry beans into tender morsels and dinner was saved. Pretty slick.
But. Stovetop models are clearly not the only solution, especially for newbies.
Over the last few months, I’ve been inundated with emails from many of you asking me about the InstantPot. Sounds like many of you have bought one, received one, or put one on your wishlist. They are quite the popular appliance right now and with more than 4,000 5-star reviews, it’s easy to understand why. I didn’t have one and really had no intentions of getting one since I love my stovetop pressure cooker so much (and let’s be serious, I just don’t need another appliance in my already packed kitchen, Brian’s shaking his head fervently in agreement). However, a few weeks ago, on a very sad day in December, my beloved slow cooker that I’ve had since we got married (13 1/2 years ago) quit. Died. Left us. After a proper mourning period, I hopped onto Amazon and figured out what I should do. New crockpot? Or should I go for the InstantPot to see what all the rage is about (the InstantPot slow cooks as well as pressure cooks). Even better, I emailed the InstantPot company to see if they’d send me one for an honest review (and future giveaway – woot!). They kindly said yes. I did a bad cartwheel. And my InstantPot showed up that week.
So let’s talk about the InstantPot. This thing is a beast. It can do like 436 things (<- slight exaggeration). Yogurt. Slow Cook. Rice. Pressure Cook. It’s definitely a workhorse. The capacity is decent. Six quarts (same size as my old slow cooker but a little smaller than my stovetop pressure cooker). Because there are so many functions, the learning curve takes some time, in my opinion. As in, what the heck button am I supposed to push? But there is a user manual for manual-needers like me.
So far I’ve made yogurt (turned out great but I like my stovetop method for now just based on familiarity, I think) and risotto (delicious) and 5-minute steel cut oatmeal (fantastic although 5-minutes is a bit misleading if you count the time it takes to come to pressure and then cool down). I’ve also made several recipes from my site – just adapted them to the pressure cooker (see bottom of the post). And of course we’ve made pressure cooker potatoes. Possibly one of the best thing to make in a pressure cooker, electric or stovetop (that and pressure cooker green beans, ohmygosh yum).
I mean look at all those options. It’s mind boggling (and a little overwhelming).
I know you want to know. Which would I buy again? What’s the best choice? Has the InstantPot changed my mind about stovetop pressure cookers?
Having used both a stovetop and an electric pressure cooker now, I’m hard pressed to say which one I’d choose over the other (I know, I know). I have a very soft spot for my Kuhn-Rikon stovetop pressure cooker. But I’m not going to lie, I am loving the InstantPot. Last week, there were three nights I had them both going at the same time. And last night, I made this amazing riff off of a favorite baked pork chop and apple recipe in the InstantPot while using my stovetop pressure cooker for a batch of white cheddar garlic mashed potatoes, still having time to dump out the potatoes and whip up a batch of pressure cooker turkey bacon green beans before the pork was done. It was all prepped, cooked, and on the table in less than an hour and was one of the most delicious meals ever. #pressurecookingforlife
The main advantage of the InstantPot (and other electric models) is that it is fix it and forget it. I can set the InstantPot to pressure cook my taters and walk away and help child A, B, C or D with homework (or even run out and get the mail or maybe hide in the pantry and eat chocolate chips for a sec), whereas I always keep a pretty close eye on my stovetop pressure cooker when it’s going just in case it goes over pressure and I need to pull it off the heat. It obviously doesn’t self-regulate like the InstantPot. But. It’s bigger. And I love that. Plus, I’ve used it as a regular stockpot for a large batch of soup and a few other things.
At a glance, here’s the pros and cons of each:
(this is clearly not a comprehensive list, just a few of my personal highs and lows of each)
It’s easy to see there are advantages and disadvantages of both, and like I mentioned above, if you are interested in pressure cooking, start reading up on and it you’ll figure out which pressure cooker is right for you.
A quick note about those pressure readings: the InstantPot, even at high pressure (maxes out at 11.6 psi), doesn’t cook as high as my stovetop (up to 15 psi) which means if you’re using a recipe that says cook at high pressure, you may need to add time on the InstantPot (most electric pressure cookers max out at around 11 or 12 psi).
Either way you look at it, pressure cooking is a fabulous way to cook food. I love it. Like, I’m kind of obsessed. It took me a long time to get over my fear; don’t be like me!
Depending upon your interest, I’ll do more posts (and videos) on pressure cooking in the future but don’t forget that the world wide web is a goldmine of pressure cooking information and recipes.
Here are a few of my favorite online resources.
Hip Pressure Cooking (so many reviews, resources, tips, videos, forums and recipes); here’s her post on the Kuhn-Rikon (it kind of sold me on it) and on the InstantPot (pretty informative!)
Pressure Cooking Today (Barbara is a seasoned food blogger who has some great recipes for pressure cooking + tips on how to use electric models)
Dad Cooks Dinner
Miss Vickie’s (a little old school but some great info and recipes)
How to convert a normal recipe to pressure cooking.
There are hundreds of recipes on my site (and across the web) that aren’t official pressure cooker recipes, per se, but they are very pressure cooker friendly. Honestly, one of the easiest ways to figure out how to convert a recipe over to pressure cooking is to google another similar recipe (for instance “pressure cooker beef stew”), take a glance at the cooking times and adjust it for the recipe you want to use (like this fabulous beef stew which is remarkably delish in the pressure cooker).
There are also handy dandy pressure cooking charts (I have this one bookmarked on my iPad) that make figuring recipes out pretty easy and the little manual that came with my Kuhn-Rikon has been invaluable, too.
So far I’ve made the following recipes from my site in my pressure cooker with phenomenal success + many others from across the web including that amazeballs cheesecake.
Phew! And I think that’s it.
I’m clearly a little longwinded when it comes to pressure cooking.
So tell me.
Love that you are covering the pressure cooker topic. My husband got me one for Christmas last year and it’s hardly gotten any use. I just haven’t had the time to read about how it works, experiment with it, and convert recipes.
Thanks so much! We love all of your recipes!
My mom made our family of 8 “porcupine meatballs” in a pressure cooker and it was one of our favorites. Now that I have a family of my own I bought a pressure cooker just to make this one meal. I will now have to try other things in it. For porcupine meatballs you take a 1lb of ground hamburger/turkey and mix in diced onion, 1/4 cup rice, garlic powder. Roll the hamburger into balls. In the pressure cooker mix 2 cans tomato sauce and 1 can tomato soup and some dried thyme together and then place meatballs in sauce. Put on lid and turn on heat. Once it starts to whistle I usually cook for 12 minutes. Serve over rice. Easy and so yummy! Love your recipes Mel!
Love your blog, Mel! I’m a grandma in her 70’s, and have used a pressure cooker (on & off) for most of my life. When the kids were young and family camping trips were a favourite holiday, my stove top pressure cooker went with us, for many a quick and complete one pot meal.
Thank you! I would love to read more on pressure cooking.
I love my instant pot, but would love Mel approved recipes to use it even more. What do you do with potatoes and green beans in the instant pot? Anything special? My mom got me one for my birthday and I didn’t think I would end up using it, but I use it at least twice a week for something or other. I use it most often to cook dried beans and brown rice, but it’s also come in handy when I’ve run out of time and need to make a soup that usually takes hours to simmer to develop the flavour. I’m surprised how often I use the sautΓ© function (like all crockpot recipes that ask you to saute first, or just recently for Christmas dinner for making stock for the gravy and then the gravy itself when all my burners were being used) and the keep warm function way more than I thought I would, and love that I can just throw the pot in my dishwasher. For the easy to clean-ness, it has replaced my slow cooker unless I’m cooking a ridiculous amount of food. In all, it’s given me a lot of flexibility in cooking time, as it can keep things warm if the best time to cook is earlier in the afternoon, or it can cook things quick if I procrastinated, or it can take all day in the slow cooker mode on days when cooking in the am is best. Help me use it more please!
I received an Instantpot for Christmas and I love it!
It’s a “yay” for me! But before I elaborate I must tell you how much I’ve enjoyed your blog and recipes! I haven’t found a recipe of yours that I don’t like. My family loves me more because of you! Now, regarding pressure cookers. I own seven and now you must think I’m a hoarder! I’ve actually had 3-4 cooking on the stove at the same time. I’ve never used the electric models, only stovetop. They are a wonderful tool and I’m so excited that you have discovered them too!
Seven! I love it! I think that’s a new record. π
I love my instant pot. I love it so much that it now has a permanent place on my counter top! I’ve cooked ribs, potatoes, every kind of soup, chicken, rice, noodles… And my favorite is to plunk frozen chicken, frozen beans, pour in a box of chicken stock and seasonings..put the lid on set for 14 minutes, and walk away. Yes, walk away, and in about half hour, you’ve got tortilla soup! Voila! And the laundry got folded too. I’ve made beans too and froze them for refried beans. Another awesome feature is the saute, that I use for onions, garlic and meat sometimes..And also after it’s done pressure cooking, I might boil the food and add noodles to it, or thicken it. It is kinda small though, and for my ever-growing family of 6, I foresee it but being big enough to hold enough to feed them all dinner. Maybe in a few years they’ll make a bigger one, also made with stainless steel. Love! Highly recommend! Can’t wait to see what Mel posts as good recipes using it!
there’s an 8 qt now! I just bought the 6 qt as an amazon deal of the day, but kind of wish I’d waited for the 8 qt π
I love pressure cooking. It makes delicious meat. And I secretly, although not so secretly anymore, love that it is what saved my grandmother from being in trouble with my grandpa. My mom said she would be playing with her kids having so much fun and then look at the time and freak because she needed to have dinner on the table asap. She would go to the butcher, grab some meat and a coke and have dinner on the table in no time. I haven’t done too much with veggies but would like to learn more.
I looooooove this!! I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas after my friend raved about hers so much and having you post recipes is basically perfection!!!! Love it
I’ve been researching pressure cookers for a good two weeks straight and can’t make up my mind about what one to get. I like the idea of being able to can with the Power Pressure Cooker XL. Have you heard anything about that one? Or used it? Costco has a Cuisinart one on sale for $70 that looks great, but the only one I can find that does canning is the PPC XL. I am not a huge canner, but would like to be able to can things like jam and applesauce….
I haven’t heard anything about that one, but several people mentioned it on my FB page and it seems they like it. I don’t can in my stovetop pressure cooker and InstantPot (the InstantPot doesn’t get high enough psi to can) mostly because they aren’t big enough but I have an enormous pressure canner that I use to do batches of canning. I almost think the pressure canners are too big to be functional for every day dinners but that’s just my opinion.
Usually, jam and applesauce you can use a boiling water bath canner to can. A pressure canner is used for things like vegetables, soups, meats, etc. Hope that helps!
Got my instant pot 4 days ago and have used it twice–once for mashed sweet potatoes and once for your slow cooker beef and sweet potato stew with corn and green chiles. I pressure cooked the beef and wet ingredients spices first for 20 min, quick released pressure then added the rest and pressure cooked again for 15 min. It was awesome!!! I absolutely love it.
Mel you are just the best. seriously I JUST JUST ordered one of these yesterday because I had been wanting one for a while, and then a few hours after the purchase I thought “I wonder if Mel has a pressure cooker, she MUST, I mean she’s MEL, she has every baking tool and cooking gadget under the sun and knows how to use each one like a pro…..but I don’t ever recall her mentioning one on her site”. Then boom, I go to your site later that night and there is your post on the very electric pressure cooker I just ordered. You can imagine my delight as I read every word in detail. I actually originally ordered the cuisinart one since one of my other favorite health food bloggers (A Vibrant Life) raved about hers. But when it came out of the box it was dented so I sent it back, and thus had a little more time to do research and found that the InstantPot had better reviews, although sounds like a bigger learning curve. I can’t wait to try it out when it arrives on my doorstep. I mostly ordered it to aid in improving my healthy eating habits since it can cook brown rice, steel cut oats, sweet potatoes, lentils, dry beans, and lean meats in a fraction of the time. But I’m so excited to learn all the rest of what it can do. I’m all about faster cooking methods as a busy mom of 3 small children. No more waiting 50 minutes for brown rice to cook! Up until a year or two ago I thought pressure cookers were only for canning. So -pretty much I know nothing about them, so I look forward to your tips and tricks and going to the reference webpages you sited. Also, your post has almost convinced me that as I become a more advanced chef I might try investing in a stove top one as well. Sorry for the long winded reply but I am super excited. Loved meeting you in November. Girls night with Mel soon please:)
How many quarts is your pressure cooker?
My stovetop pressure cooker is 7 quarts and the InstantPot I have is six quarts.
Yah over here! Thank you for doing a post on pressure cooking. I would love to see more recipes and ideas. I too get a bit scared to use one but with practice I think I will gain confidence.
So, I think in all your spare time, you need to add a pressure cooker tab in your recipe index!
mel! I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas and would absolutely love more pressure cooker recipes and how to convert old recipes to pressure cooker! Maybe once a week or something? Yay!
YES! More InstantPot recipes please!! I just got one and love it, but I don’t feel like I’m using it to its full potential. Thank you!
100% YAY! I love my electric pressure cooker and my family actually thinks I can cook now. π
I don’t think I could ever use a stovetop pressure cooker since I am still scarred from the time my mom’s exploded when I was a teenager- not too much damage done other than bits of chicken hanging off the ceiling, but still! She gave me an electric pressure cooker a couple of years ago, and I use it a lot. However, I’ve really only used it to make sides like pinto beans and potatoes, and I haven’t really tried any meats or real meals. Youve inspired me to take it to the next level though! Thanks for the tips and resources!
I’m so glad you did a review of the Instant Pot. One of my friends just posted on Facebook how much she loves her and what a time saver it has been. I would love if you posted recipes that would work well in this appliance. I have been impressed by what I have read and think I will add one to my wish list! Thanks for sharing so many great recipes! Many have become some of our favorites!
Ahh my brain hurts. Hopefully in the future you add some specific instructions for pressure cooking on your new recipes. I need you to walk me through this before I invest. I’m so glad you got the instapot. You deserve it. If any other recipe site mentioned it I’d roll my eyes at the advertisement. But if Mel does it that suddenly means that I should also be doing it:)
Growing up my mother was a prolific pressure-cooker…cooker (?). She made so many things in her massive old school pressure cooker. The first semester I was away at college (1996) my roommates and I decided to combine our resources and make Sunday dinner together. I was in charge of the bakes potatoes and asked my roommates where the pressure cooker was. They looked at me like I was crazy and told me to just put them in the oven. My response, “WHAT! You can bake potatoes in the oven!” I had no idea you could put potatoes in an oven! So embarrassing! My mom never baked a potato, she only pressure cooked them. My cluelessness knew no bounds back then. π
That’s hilarious, Emily. You and I went off to college the same year. π The difference is, I didn’t even know how to bake potatoes back then. Now I’m going to have to try “baked” potatoes in the pressure cooker!
I have had a stove top one for years. I was actually given both an electric one and stove top one in the same year at Christmas. I kept the stove top because I had a TINY kitchen and it multi tasked. Two years ago I was given an electric one again. I hadn’t opened it when the giver came to visit (my mother in law). She made something with it I can’t remember what so I decided to start using it. For months it was my rice cooker. Now we throw frozen chicken in. Cook for 20 min on the timer and shred it in my kitchen aide. My single brother uses it all the time. We do soups, roasts etc. I can’t wait to try a cheesecake.
Yay! Would love more pressure cooker recipes from you!! Especially quick and easy ones!!!
I have one of “your grandmother’s pressure cooker” I got as a shower gift in 1970. It is a Presto, with the jiggling and spurting. (I have never used it for canning, and probably never will.) It is wonderful, and I use it to this day with a replacement valve and ring. Love this thing. So delighted that you are bringing this device to a younger generation.
This post made me a little giddy today. I got that exact pressure cooker (Instant Pot) on a black Friday deal last year. I’ve already been using it quite a bit, and loving it, but there have been several times when I thought, I wish Mel had some pressure cooker recipes! So, here’s to hoping you’ll have more in the future, or at least include instructions for how to make recipes with this fabulous tool! I used it to make the Dulce de Leche earlier this week (for your Banoffee pie – oh my, what a treat!) and it worked great! 30 minutes on high pressure was perfect! I’ve made a few of your recipes in there (can’t remember the exact ones at this point.) But sometimes I think I’ve over cooked them. I’d love your conversions!
I’ll definitely try to add notes to recipes as I make them and go back to ones I can update now with first hand experience. I’m so excited about the dulce de leche!!
I too have been afraid of pressure cooking. Now it’s not so scary but I do have a scary story from my childhood I think about when the subject comes up. It would be cool to have but since my idea of dinner is more of a free for all I don’t know if I could justify buying one. I hope to get more inspired by reading your blog. I did make the banana oatmeal chocolate chip recipe but I was the only one who would eat it. I liked the no bake chocolate cookies but again, just me eating them. I wish they wouldn’t melt in my hands, but on the other hand I don’t feel guilty eating 6 of them at one time. I’m trying to be a better cook and love your blog and encouragement. I’ll keep trying. Sorry this turned into a confessional for me.
I squealed out loud when this post showed up in my feedly reader this morning! I got an Instant Pot for Christmas and have used it every day since (I even used it 5 times last Sunday!!). My favorites so far were BBQ ribs (cooked for 25 min), a whole chicken (cooked for 36 minutes), chicken broth (cooked for 2 hours), and frozen chicken breasts & salsa (cooked from frozen to perfect in 12 minutes!!!!!!!!!!)- AMAZING!! It’s seriously life changing! I would love to see more pressure cooker recipes from you! I’ve been posting some of my Instant Pot meals on Instagram (happykidslunch), and it’s fun to see what other instagramers are using it for too- just search #instantpot π Thanks for all you do!
My sister is a diehard pressure cooker cook but I’ve yet to try it. I LOVE this post! So informative and the conversation here is great. Pinned and will definitely be referring to this in the future. Thanks!.
I asked my husband to buy me an instant pot for Christmas and I’m loving it! So far I’ve used it as a pressure cooker (no learning curve there), a slow cooker (the same), made yogurt in it (it rocks! can make a gallon of perfect yogurt at a time with NO stirring or worrying about burnt milk), rice (also a cinch), perfect polenta (also NO stirring!!!) and various soups. It’s fabulous – and I paid for mine – worth every penny. I’ve gotten rid of my pressure cooker, my slow cooker, my yogurt maker, and my rice cooker, so it’s actually given me more room in my cupboards (I’ll try not to fill them up, hehe).
YEA!! I have been waiting for a pressure cooking post. Several peple I know us them all the time, so I have been trying to get up my courage to try it. Just needed someone I trust to get me going!
Hey Mel–I own a pressure cooker, but I only use it to can :(. It might be time that I take the next step! Also, I am in love with that Instant Pot. I had never heard of it before your post, and after reading it and some Amazon reviews, I am smitten. Do you have any idea how many things I have bought in the past year after reading about them on your site??? This item is next on my “wish list”. It’s my 10 year wedding anniversary this month, and I am now switching from dropping hints about getting a diamond anniversary band to an Instant Pot LOL!!
Haha…ok, I don’t know if it’s worth giving up a diamond band for. Well, wait. It might be!!
I was just thinking about this today and wanted to know if you used a pressure cooker. I am so excited to see this post! I am hoping to see some instant pot friendly recipes coming soon. I received one for Christmas and like you said electric cooks at a lower psi then stovetop pressure cookers and I am not sure how to adjust. I got mine for the same reason as you, my slow cooker went out. Thanks for magically knowing what I wanted you to write about!
I’m still scared of the stove top pressure cookers… Those pictures of pressure cooker explosions are hard to get out of my head. I’ve had a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker for 2 years and use it frequently. I mainly use it for hard boiled eggs, brown rice and chicken breasts. Looking forward to making more “meals” and soups with it.
So helpful to read this. Thank you! I’m totally sold on the instapot now. I’ve been eyeing it. Never used a preure cooker befor but it doesn’t sound appealing. I’m really liking the idea of replacing my slow cooker with it. I need something that doesn’t need my eyes like the stove top ones would because, you know, kids and stuff.
Yay! I’m so excited for more bloggers to post pressure cooker recipes. I’ve had a regular pressure cooker for years because my dad has always used one and bought us all one, but I always feel clueless about how long to cook things and there didn’t use to be very much info out there. I just bought an Instant Pot this week and am obsessed with it. There is an Instant Pot Facebook page that is VERY active with tons of info and recipes. Pressure cookers and great for people like me who don’t start thinking about dinner until 5:00 I was going to I get rid of my rice cooker, pressure cooker and crockpot, but you have me thinking maybe I should keep the pressure cooker.
Yeah, hang on to the pressure cooker. I’m telling you, running two at a time racks up some serious rock star points. I’m excited to check out this InstantPot Facebook page!
YES!!! More “pressure cooking” posts please!!!!!! π
I’m so glad you’re loving the Instant Pot. So much great information in this post. Thanks for sharing my site!
I love my pressure cooker (and my pressure canner). When we moved to the farm I realized, after too many dinners at 8:00 or 9:00 o’clock at night, that I needed a quicker way to get a good dinner on the table. I use a Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker for the stove top and I love it.
So glad you converted some of your recipes…..more please π
Thanks for a very informative post- and timely too. I am one of those granny’s who has been using the pressure cooker for 40+ years. It is worn out. It leaks around the seal, spits and loses pressure, sorta like me! My slow cooker just bit the dust too. I am going to get an Instapot to replace them both now that I am living in a smaller residence. My only concern is I have always used 15 psi on the pressure cooker because I live at 5000+ feet. I am concerned if the electric pots don’t get over 11-12 psi, will they be efficient at altitude. Any insight?
Get the instant pot! I live at 7800 ft and have no trouble at all. It takes all the guesswork out of pressure cooking. Overall, it is quieter, safer, reliable. You will love it.
Pearl
Thanks- It is now in the Amazon cart.
Yay! So happy to read this post and I look forward to more pressure cooking recipes and tips in the future! I am just getting into using my new InstantPot and like another poster mentioned, it is AWESOME for making hard boiled eggs. I pour a cup of water in the insert, place half a dozen eggs on the strainer, set it to manual for 8 mins and walk away. After the 8 mins are up, I do a quick release and put the eggs in ice water for a few mins. The shells literally slide right off, even on fresh eggs. Perfect every single time.
Yay! I’ve been experimenting with doing eggs, and I’ve overdone them everytime. i’m going to try your time and method and see if I get the same results! Thanks!
Good luck! Hope they turn out perfect for you!!
Oh, Mel! Why are you always changing my life??? I am terrified of my pressure cooker exploding, but if Mel says its a go then it’s a go! I can’t wait to tell my husband that we have to buy a pressure cooker because Mel said so! He loves your recipes as much as I do. Love you Mel!
Haha – well, don’t make him mad at me! π
MEL!! Can’t tell you how excited I was to see this post! Just this week I was wondering if you ever use a pressure cooker and what your take was on it. You read my mind! Thanks for all the great info and all the great links. Now I can crack my bad boy cooker out more often and be in pressure cooking heaven!
Yes! I got an Instant Pot for Christmas this year and am loving it so far. I’d love to see more pressure cooker recipes on your blog and would also love to hear how you do those potatoes and green beans!
I just got my instant pot, and I too, would love to know how you do your potatoes and green beans!
Mel, Is the post link(s) an affiliate link? I see absolutely NO reason it shouldn’t be π !! – and/or if there is a different method on your blog that sends some $$ back to MKC? Search did not show up anything so I’m unsure if you use or do not use Amazon affiliate. I don’t want to buy if I can buy and some credit to MKC.
You are so cute, Liz. That’s really nice of you to even ask. I have a disclaimer at the bottom of this post that the amazon links in my post are affiliate. Thanks for asking. π
Good grief – thought I’d looked everywhere! Thank you – your research saves a lot of time (my time) and I’m glad you can get something back for your time.
Based on all these comments, I think you should start posting more recipes, make a new recipe section “Pressure Cooking”, and annotate your recipes for conversion to the pressure cooker (:
I make your potato salad recipe in about 15 minutes!
I have a Cuisinart, and it has revolutionized dinner at my house….amazing things for dinner in less than an hour – I have converted my whole family too!
I loved seeing this post! I got an Instantpot a year ago, and have gone in spurts using it. So I’m excited to be reminded to get it out and try some new recipes. One thing that worked really well is when we were doing 4 bushels of apples for applesauce last fall. There are only so many kettles that fit on the stovetop, and waiting for them to cook is what slows us down. So I started filling the Instantpot with apples. Although it didn’t cook as many at a time, it was so fast that it made up for it. And that insert cleans like a dream. Looking forward to pressure cooker recipes!
Unfortunately, I am in the nay camp on this one. My grandmother’s pressure cooker exploded one time, the valve hit the ceiling and came down, my sisters and I were all screaming and pea soup was spraying everywhere. That was enough for me. My slow cooker does everything I need it to do, and the other meals I make are oven meal or do- ahead so I really don’t even need one more appliance. I just don’t see the advantage.For example, the instant Irish oatmeal I make is ready in five minutes as it is. i guess this is one trend I won’t be following.
Having used stove top pressure cookers for years, and getting sick of playing with the flame height to keep the regulator rocking at the right rate, I can honestly say I love love LOVE my Cuisinart electric pressure cooker. Even though the PSI is a little lower than the stove top pressure cookers, I haven’t had to adjust my cooking times in old recipes I use at all. I used to make stuffed cabbage rolls in the oven and they took forever-not any more….the pressure cooker makes cooking them quick and so easy. With the electric one, I set it and forget it for about a half hour and dinner’s ready in no time.
I hope to be using my pressure cooker even more this year. Thanks for your great post! π