Do you own a pressure cooker? If yes, you already know what a useful cooking device this is. If no, you should really consider the investment, because you can literally cut down the amount of time you spend cooking from 3 hours to 30 minutes and get mouth-watering food that is also healthy and nutritious.
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Pressure cookers can be very cheap, but you’ll want to spend some time researching the best one for you and maybe invest a little extra because the cheapest pressure cookers usually have a shorter lifespan and may be less efficient at cooking certain foods.
Did you know, for example, that a good pressure cooker is able to cook foods like grains and beans? And that it only takes 90 minutes to cook a whole chicken when using a pressure cooker?
These hefty kitchen tools sure make life and food a whole lot easier to digest. Here are some things to consider for purchasing an efficient pressure cooker.
Between stainless steel and aluminum, choose stainless steel.
Usually the cheapest pressure cookers are those made of aluminum, which comes with the advantage of being lighter, but depending on the brand, they may not hold up as well. Other disadvantages include potential corrosion, catching stains, and food developing a metallic taste.
This is not to say that all aluminum pressure cookers are to be avoided, just that you should make sure you’re buying good quality.
Look for stovetop pressure cookers as opposed to electric cookers.
This is of course a personal choice, but stovetop pressure cookers really do make better cooking devices simply because they are easier to use. Even restaurants prefer them.
The only real difference between one and another is the heating mechanism built in the interior of the electric cooker, otherwise both take the same amount of time to cook food, with some electric cookers being able to cook a little faster.
Modern electric cookers have built-in digital control with various functions, such as to monitor & control steam pressure, and set cooking time.
Overall, however, if you’re looking for a cost efficient pressure cooker, you’ll want to look for a stovetop device.
Choose a size that is appropriate to the amount of food you need to cook.
Size is important in two different ways, the number of people you’re cooking for and the amount of space you have available for storage.
There are pressure cookers big enough you can cook a whole turkey, but if there’s only two of you, look for something a little more compact. The size you’ll want to be looking at is 4-quart pressure cooker for two people, or you can choose medium sized devices of 6- to 8-quart.
Most pressure cookers are similar in size to large pots, but note that the lid with handle will require a space tall enough for you to store if you’re storing on a shelf.
Electric pressure cookers are the bulkiest and they are usually stored on the countertop. You may also want to store your pressure cooker with the lid off to allow any residual moisture to dry.
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Between stovetop and electric pressure cookers, the first are definitely easier to store in places.