Pressure cookers - anyone use them ?

Grant

Grant

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Some time back i bought a fancy AEG pressure cooker. It was on special - but to this day is still living as a virgin in its box.

Thing is, i have no idea when last i even saw one being used - probably back in the day when my mother used one of those stove top jobs that had the family cowering in terror when it started hissing !

So, what are they good for besides frightening children ?
 
I use it about once a month, more in winter. Its excellent for soup. Basically, it makes the food cook quicker without drying it out. You must keep your eye on it and make sure the pressure relief valve stays clean.

If its hissing a lot, then you probably have the heat up too high.
 
We also use ours a lot. Got two, a normal stovetop pressure cooker, and then an AEG electrical one.

It's obviously best for soup, but it's amazing for use on meat - the basic result is it takes 4 hours of cooking time and packs it into 30 minutes.
 
Real good for stews and soups.
I make soup with beef shin and barley in 40 minutes . Turnips,celery,onions.leeks, beef shin and 4 in one mix (lentils split peas and barley) and pepper salt and some basil and 40 minutes later soup is served .
 
grantza said:
Wonder if something like lamb shank would work in one.
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I am sure it will do a great job . I make haricot oxtail in the pressure cooker , same 40 minutes.
Pot roast to comes out great.
 
I use mine often. More often in Winter. Make soups and stews real quick.
 
We have been using ours a few times a week since we got it a while ago. Works like a charm. Made some potjiekos the other day - something that usually took hours was done and super lekker within like 40 minutes. Have tried various stuff in it already, from beef stew to plain chicken. Still need to make some soup in it though.
 
ld13 said:
We have been using ours a few times a week since we got it a while ago. Works like a charm. Made some potjiekos the other day - something that usually took hours was done and super lekker within like 40 minutes. Have tried various stuff in it already, from beef stew to plain chicken. Still need to make some soup in it though.
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My mother raised us on food in the pressure cooker.

The most delicious stews and chicken casseroles and thick pea and bean and lentil soups have come from that pressure cooker.

With 2 growing boys in the house, a salad or things fried in a pan would just not do.

Me and my brother needed real food and we needed it early in the evenings.
 
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What is the benefits of an electrical one? The wife wants one because she is scared of a stove top one exploding
 
Stefanmuller said:
What is the benefits of an electrical one? The wife wants one because she is scared of a stove top one exploding
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And so she should be.

My mother told us of a story that happened on my grandfather's farm (on my father's side). My grandmother was preparing food for my uncles while they were working in the sowing fields. She made the mistake of stuffing the pot with too much food. The pressure built up too high and the seal ruptured and the whole pot where thrusted into mid air with meat and food spraying all over the place.

End result was ... All my aunts spend the next hour scraping and washing meat and fat off the walls while my grandmother put a new batch in the pressure cooker because the men needed food for lunch.

An accident wasn't enough reason for my uncles to be satisfied with just a light meal ...
 
Stefanmuller said:
What is the benefits of an electrical one? The wife wants one because she is scared of a stove top one exploding
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We had various stove top ones and they all worked fine for a few times and then blew the rubber seal. Was always one huge schlep and in the end we ended up only using it when making beef tongue once a year. With the electronic standalone one you pop in the food, seal the unit, set the timer and presto - no blowing seals, no danger, no mile-high steam venting etc etc. It regulates itself and seals in such a manner that it is impossible to open while it is under pressure.
 
ld13 said:
We had various stove top ones and they all worked fine for a few times and then blew the rubber seal. Was always one huge schlep and in the end we ended up only using it when making beef tongue once a year. With the electronic standalone one you pop in the food, seal the unit, set the timer and presto - no blowing seals, no danger, no mile-high steam venting etc etc. It regulates itself and seals in such a manner that it is impossible to open while it is under pressure.
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We have used our normal one tons and have never had any blown seals or mishaps.....
 
Zenbaas said:
We have used our normal one tons and have never had any blown seals or mishaps.....
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I think it was a tad bit bad luck and a whole lot more to do with the fact that we only used the thing once a year... :o
 
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