# Home use pressure cooker



## rami_m (May 2, 2016)

We are making some chicken stock. In the past we used to borrow my parents pressure cooker. But maybe it's time to get our own. Any recommendations for home use? We will use it mainly for stock.


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## DamageInc (May 2, 2016)

I have a WMF Perfect Plus pressure cooker and I really like it a lot.


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## Mucho Bocho (May 2, 2016)

Rami, I've had four or five PC over the years. I love the build and quality of the Kuhn Rikon (hotel/professional) level stuff but the Duromatic I have always leaks, either water or steam as there are so many safety contraptions to the lid. I've replaced gaskets, springs, valves, safety valves... PIA. When she's running its a dream but I can't say It hasn't failed me before. I also have the entry level Fagor. Its ok, even though its larger than my KR, the Fagor was 1/3 of the price. I've heard good things about WMF but have never used one.


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## strumke (May 2, 2016)

DamageInc said:


> I have a WMF Perfect Plus pressure cooker and I really like it a lot.



Same here. I bought a set of 2 bases, 8.5 & 4.5 qt and a single lid so I have some options for sizing. (I then went and bought a third, 6.5 qt, off of ebay with another lid, so now I can cook two things at once and have a choice of 3 sizes)

The only complaint I have is the diameter isn't that big so it's not easy to brown things before cooking. I usually use a larger diameter pan or dutch oven first.


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## apicius9 (May 2, 2016)

I have used an affordable Fagor without issues for a few years now. Got an Instant Pot for Christmas and haven't used the Fagor since, but for dark searing the Fagor n the stove top is certainly the better option. My Mom has used WMF and Krups in Germany all her life, both lasting a very long time. 

Stefan


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## schanop (May 2, 2016)

I was on this road before last year. Options are more limited here in Australia. On higher end, there are some Khun Rikon on eBay from Australia based seller. This guy http://stores.ebay.com.au/leoncrazyclassic/ seems to have the best price so far. Fissler is widely available, prices at http://www.pressurecooker.com.au is normal market price. Sometimes, there are special price which bring 6l & 8l vitavit comfort model down to about 300s from 400s. WMF Perfect Plus looks pretty good, but it seems stock has run out. Last clearance sale, I saw them down to low 200s.

For home use I considered 8l model so that I could do quite a few thing with it and ended up with Fissler vitavit comfort 8l. It has a wider based compared with most other pressure cooker of the same size from other brand, with exception perhaps, some Kuhn Rikon models. Wider based means browning food is a bit more comfortable compared with narrower models.

Around 300s mark at the moment, I would look at http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Kuhn-Rik...cm-8-Litre-Swiss-Made-Brand-New-/322089584354

If you want to go a bit cheaper, I think Silit 6l around low 200s is a good choice.


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## rami_m (May 2, 2016)

Thanks Schanop. 



What do everyone think of 

WMF - Perfect 18/10 Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 6.5Ltr (Made in Germany)

http://www.victoriasbasement.com.au/Product/Details/94253?category=

Vs the SILIT?


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## cheflivengood (May 2, 2016)

Just Curious what people think of using a PC to cook stock. I think a stock benefits from slight reduction, and most PC destined ingredients need the pressure to penetrate with moisture, while ?stock ingredients are meant to release moisture


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## Mucho Bocho (May 2, 2016)

IMO PC&#9785;&#65039;STOCK


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## jacko9 (May 2, 2016)

Our pressure cooker is over 50 years old and still works perfectly - it's the old stainless steel cone with a weighted pressure seal that allows the steam to escape at four different pressure levels (the old jiggle kind). It's simple and pretty fool proof and it even has a blow out valve as a secondary precaution.


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## rami_m (May 2, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> IMO PC&#9785;&#65039;STOCK



I have do idea what you mean.


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## rami_m (May 2, 2016)

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I am thinking the wmf at the moment. Any idea how the perfect compares to the perfect plus?


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## WingKKF (May 2, 2016)

I think the Kuhn Rikon is probably easier to maintain as it does not have a trick handle. The one thing that might be an issue with a Kuhn Rikon is the plastic grip under the valve cover(that steel hat thing on top) can loosen and crack over time. Nothing some epoxy putty can't fix however.


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## Aleque (May 2, 2016)

I have an Instant Pot and I really enjoy it. The one I own has a high/ low setting for the pressure if you need to create stock more quickly. I don't use mine in a professional setting, just home use, but with so many other uses, the instant pot is a great device. I picked mine up for under $70 and I'm very pleased with how quickly I can turn frozen meat scraps into tasty stocks. 

In terms of longevity, I wouldn't be the best judge since I've had mine less than a year. I can't think of their warranty off the top of my head, but it's got glowing reviews on Amazon and the like.


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## krx927 (May 3, 2016)

cheflivengood said:


> Just Curious what people think of using a PC to cook stock. I think a stock benefits from slight reduction, and most PC destined ingredients need the pressure to penetrate with moisture, while ?stock ingredients are meant to release moisture





Mucho Bocho said:


> IMO PC&#9785;&#65039;STOCK



Exactly my thoughts...

Nothing better that having a stock on your stove for hours and all you flat smelling so nice!


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## schanop (May 3, 2016)

For chicken stock there are a few articles/recipes out there claiming that PC chicken stock is good. I am a convert myself.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/01/...e-stock-in-a-pressure-cooker-slow-cooker.html
http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/heston-blumenthals-brown-chicken-stock
http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe/pressure-cooker-chicken-stock


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## rami_m (May 3, 2016)

I am using a Heston stock recipe. Essentially the idea is that the pressure cooker traps all the flavour in the stock. Without any escaping as gas/smell.


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## Mucho Bocho (May 3, 2016)

I'm having this same discussion on another forum. I thought when Dave Arnold introduced PC stock it was going to be a game changer. Now what I do is slightly "outside the box" for stock making. I'll roast the bones or if raw, blanch and rinse. Then cover with water (distilled), bring up the temp slowly, low simmer, skim as needed for about four hours. Then i'll chill the pot in a sink of ice water. Then refrigerate leaving the bones in the stock. Next day i'll bring to temp, add mirx/parsley, then strain/press and cool completely. These days I do not remove off of the fat cap on the chilled stock. That fat is BIG flavor in its intended dish. I digress...


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## cheflivengood (May 3, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I'm having this same discussion on another forum. I thought when Dave Arnold introduced PC stock it was going to be a game changer. Now what I do is slightly "outside the box" for stock making. I'll roast the bones or if raw, blanch and rinse. Then cover with water (distilled), bring up the temp slowly, low simmer, skim as needed for about four hours. Then i'll chill the pot in a sink of ice water. Then refrigerate leaving the bones in the stock. Next day i'll bring to temp, add mirx/parsley, then strain/press and cool completely. These days I do not remove off of the fat cap on the chilled stock. That fat is BIG flavor in its intended dish. I digress...



This is good technique for home use.


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## DDPslice (May 3, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I'm having this same discussion on another forum. I thought when Dave Arnold introduced PC stock it was going to be a game changer. Now what I do is slightly "outside the box" for stock making. I'll roast the bones or if raw, blanch and rinse. Then cover with water (distilled), bring up the temp slowly, low simmer, skim as needed for about four hours. Then i'll chill the pot in a sink of ice water. Then refrigerate leaving the bones in the stock. Next day i'll bring to temp, add mirx/parsley, then strain/press and cool completely. These days I do not remove off of the fat cap on the chilled stock. That fat is BIG flavor in its intended dish. I digress...



I agree with doing the bones in the PC seperate, Ive found that greens/veggies/flavor are best done with stock after in a regular stock pot. But what is the point of roasting the bones and then blanching and rinsing? Aren't you loosing flavor by doing that?

I use Hawkin's pressure cooker, recommended #1 pressure cooker by and for indians, quality product but I will say the lip of the pot makes for great pressure seal but poor removal when done. Mine is induction compatible but it doesn't come with bells and whistles like a pressure gauge. They also make a silent pressure cooker which I say is convenient because mine does get loud. 


Also I would recommend getting a 3qt., big enough to do a couple sweet potatoes and enough to fit 2 chicken skeletons.


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## DamageInc (May 3, 2016)

rami_m said:


> Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I am thinking the wmf at the moment. Any idea how the perfect compares to the perfect plus?



The handle it a bit better. It feels more sturdy.


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## cheflivengood (May 3, 2016)

DDPslice said:


> I agree with doing the bones in the PC seperate, Ive found that greens/veggies/flavor are best done with stock after in a regular stock pot. But what is the point of roasting the bones and then blanching and rinsing? Aren't you loosing flavor by doing that?
> 
> I use Hawkin's pressure cooker, recommended #1 pressure cooker by and for indians, quality product but I will say the lip of the pot makes for great pressure seal but poor removal when done. Mine is induction compatible but it doesn't come with bells and whistles like a pressure gauge. They also make a silent pressure cooker which I say is convenient because mine does get loud.
> 
> ...



If you are roasting the bones you don't blanch them, but if you are making a classy white french stock you blanch to get rid of impurities/cloudiness. TBA you can not blanch and get good taste but it will be darker.


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## rami_m (May 3, 2016)

Update: got the wmf perfect last night. Made stock, happy with the results, better than store bought .


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## strumke (May 3, 2016)

I'm a big fan of the caramelized carrot soup from Modernist cuisine (I do cut the butter down by about 30% though). Modernist stocks and jus recipes are pretty awesome as well.

PCs are also great for cooking beans from dried to useable in a reasonable time (hippressurecooking.com has some "bean charts" for time suggestions)


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## spoiledbroth (May 5, 2016)

rami_m said:


> Update: got the wmf perfect last night. Made stock, happy with the results, better than store bought .


Store bought stock is a weird standard to compare your homemade stuff against??


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## rami_m (May 5, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> Store bought stock is a weird standard to compare your homemade stuff against??



Well it the first time I make stock. And I don't know anyone that makes it. What would I compare mine to?


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## MontezumaBoy (May 5, 2016)

Too funny ... go get 'em Rami! A reference is a reference after all ... remember the name - 'spoiledbroth' not 'clean_yummy_stock' ... but I certainly see his point having made stock with my mother as a kid 40+ years ago / definitely a dying art (but at least it is 1.5 to 2 hours with the pressure cooker although I really, really love making the F Laundry veal stock ...)

What "stock" did you make? What pot size did you end up with? 



rami_m said:


> Well it the first time I make stock. And I don't know anyone that makes it. What would I compare mine to?


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## rami_m (May 6, 2016)

MontezumaBoy said:


> Too funny ... go get 'em Rami! A reference is a reference after all ... remember the name - 'spoiledbroth' not 'clean_yummy_stock' ... but I certainly see his point having made stock with my mother as a kid 40+ years ago / definitely a dying art (but at least it is 1.5 to 2 hours with the pressure cooker although I really, really love making the F Laundry veal stock ...)
> 
> What "stock" did you make? What pot size did you end up with?



I didn't intend to be be mean about it. Sorry if it came out that way. I made chicken stock using wings and 1 carcass. Left in the the fridge last couple of days. And now I have what seems like chicken jelly. Not sure what to do next. Just start using I guess. 

What's good to do with chicken stock?


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## MontezumaBoy (May 6, 2016)

Nothing 'mean' about it ... I was just taking the piss ... as it were ...

Stock use - any / all from 'cook something in it' to 'add a little' etc. etc. 

Gelatin is a good sign for a rich stock ... excellent tongue feel ... it can be frozen easily / just re-heat slightly if you haven't strained it, strain and then into Ziploc, ice cubes are convenient (need trays), or all into one container if not too much. I have probably a couple of gallons in a chest freezer of chicken alone at the moment but use it mostly for any Asian style dishes and soups (I will typically flavor the stock with various things - ginger, garlic, bay ... depending on what I want to use it for later and label accordingly). In the future if you don't pre-roast the bones and/or cook as long a light stock has many uses ... IMO

FWIW add an ice cube to finish veggies / provide steam (covered) which is really nice and doesn't add any of the salt BS that you would get from store bought plus a little fat and gelatin for mouth feel ... always season of course 

Obvious - chicken soup ... consomme is always very nice just needs to start with a deep rich broth/stock, for my taste, but this adds a couple of steps to achieve ...

Finally you can just reduce, reduce, reduce until you are left with chicken demi ... yum, yum, yum .... time consuming (again) but worth it ... 

Now onto beef, pork, turkey, duck, etc. etc. stock ... all yummy ...


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## rami_m (May 6, 2016)

MontezumaBoy said:


> Nothing 'mean' about it ... I was just taking the piss ... as it were ...
> 
> .



Mate, taking the piss is the national sport here . I get the impression that I only need very little. If a recipe asks for 1 litre stock should I use 1 litre frozen cubes or dilute with water?


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## daveb (May 6, 2016)

Gotta taste it.

I usually make stock one day then defat and reduce the next for 2x strength. The 2x I'll use in recipes.. if too strong (?) can dilute at that point.


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## MontezumaBoy (May 6, 2016)

+1 very similar for me ... I will use the fat for other things occasionally ...



daveb said:


> Gotta taste it.
> 
> I usually make stock one day then defat and reduce the next for 2x strength. The 2x I'll use in recipes.. if too strong (?) can dilute at that point.


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## DDPslice (May 6, 2016)

MontezumaBoy said:


> Too funny ... go get 'em Rami! A reference is a reference after all ... remember the name - 'spoiledbroth' not 'clean_yummy_stock' ... but I certainly see his point having made stock with my mother as a kid 40+ years ago / definitely a dying art (but at least it is 1.5 to 2 hours with the pressure cooker although I really, really love making the F Laundry veal stock ...)
> 
> What "stock" did you make? What pot size did you end up with?



you don't need to cook that long, if I can remember correctly, last time it took somewhere from 30 to and hour to break down the bones, to the point where they literally break down. pressure and temp go hand in hand.


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## Mucho Bocho (May 6, 2016)

I'm not recommending PC stock but you'll need at least an hour to denature that collagen to gelatin. DDP is correct that you can incinerate the bones, especially with chicken. The secret to clear PC stock is to let the pot cool naturally so even though you were under 15psi for 1 hr, carry over pressure can keep that liquid well above 212 for another hour.


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## DDPslice (May 7, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I'm not recommending PC stock but you'll need at least an hour to denature that collagen to gelatin. DDP is correct that you can incinerate the bones, especially with chicken. The secret to clear PC stock is to let the pot cool naturally so even though you were under 15psi for 1 hr, carry over pressure can keep that liquid well above 212 for another hour.




+1, good thing I read that because I'm making some stock tomorrow


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## MontezumaBoy (May 7, 2016)

Hi Mucho - thanks for the point on the time (don't know what I was thinking ... was making more of a point about my preference of a slow cooking method). Question though - what is your apparent hesitancy on the PC for stock? To be perfectly honest I typically / historically have always made stocks over weekends normally multiple types going simultaneously because I love that ... just curious about the PC comment but thanks for the clarity tip and time error correction (DDPslice as well of course!).


Mucho Bocho said:


> I'm not recommending PC stock but you'll need at least an hour to denature that collagen to gelatin. DDP is correct that you can incinerate the bones, especially with chicken. The secret to clear PC stock is to let the pot cool naturally so even though you were under 15psi for 1 hr, carry over pressure can keep that liquid well above 212 for another hour.


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## Mucho Bocho (May 7, 2016)

I'm my experimentation, making stock faster doesn't necessarily make it better. The water temperature in the PC can reach over 250. I think this energy in the system pushes (denatures) the gelatin too quickly. They will unravel it to the point that the loses that desirable thickening and flavor qualities good stock brings. 

There's a reason why time tested recipes endure. Hey you know me, I'm a modern cook for sure but some things like stock, fermentation and curing, just take time. 

I like my method of simmering for a few hours, chill with bones in broth. Then rewarm add mirx cook for an hour or so then strain, chill. This method cooks the stock well below a simmer for as long as it was simmering. And it breaks up the process into two steps instead of one long one. 

Hope that makes sense.
MB


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## MontezumaBoy (May 7, 2016)

Figured something along those lines ... still a nice option when time crunch is at had and you need a quick sauce IMO (duck, pork, etc.) and there is probably a nice crossover with pressure (low, med and high) that could help with getting things right albeit with ultimately increasing time though ... tough to control the pressure obviously without better controls so high it the norm ... FWIW I have a cabin/house at 5200 feet and the PC has been very helpful there for many things but stock wasn't a concern since I just bring it with me.

Thx MB - always nice to chat


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