Pressure Cooker

[Clive and Kerri]

I have just bought a pressure cooker from Amazon, mainly because I had a voucher that paid for most of it, for the van. I've been trying it at home and all I can say is wow, like a slow cooker but in minutes rather than hours. Anyone got any fail safe recipes for me to try

 

[Dawn B]

I have just bought a pressure cooker from Amazon, mainly because I had a voucher that paid for most of it, for the van. I've been trying it at home and all I can say is wow, like a slow cooker but in minutes rather than hours. Anyone got any fail safe recipes for me to try

Do you like curry?

 

[Khizzie]

I use mine to cook bacon joints rather than boil ,cooks in half the time and keeps all the juices and flavour ,brilliant tool in the kitchen..

 

[Zains Pops]

We've an old Prestige one,it's in the shed, maybe I can sort spares on interweb and put it back in service. It's about 40 years old so spares could be an issue. Now I've been reminded it could well be put back into service.

 

[Mousy]

I just remember grey meat, soft potatoes and carrots in the 70's and the scary noise.

I'd imagine most slow cooker receipts would work but obviously be quicker.

Google Pinterest pressure cooker, might be something.

 

[denisejoe]

We've an old Prestige one,it's in the shed, maybe I can sort spares on interweb and put it back in service. It's about 40 years old so spares could be an issue. Now I've been reminded it could well be put back into service.

You can pick up spares easily in the French hypermarkets. They seem to have loads of bits.

Denise

 

[sedge]

That reminded me, the gasket on our pressure cooker has started to drip a little and I did think last time I used it before Xmas, Ah - must remember to get a new one.

I have had to do this once since I've been with Pete - ie since 1998 and the cooker WELL pre-dates our relationship.

Have just looked on the Prestige website and they sell the seals quite cheaply but don't show the measurements ! You have to know the model no of your cooker and of course the only number I can find is 1242 on the bottom of the pan - of course, they are all 5 digit ones now and all start with a 5 ! Last time I took the old one into Coventry market to the stall that sold all the cookware, she said Oh that's a whatever, produced one in the Prestige wrapping, I paid her and that was that.

Haven't been into the market (hardly ever go into Cov anyway) since I left work in 2008 and the stall had gone by then anyway.

Anyone got any bright ideas? We don't take the thing in the MoHo as it takes up far too much room - but we do use it from time to time at home.

 

[scousebird]

Broken Link Removed

Lots of recipes there. Almost any stew can be cooked in it and cheap cuts are good. Favourite recipe in this house is scouse! I could give you my recipe but then I'd have to kill you

 

[dryad]

have always been nervous of pressure cookers probably due to my mothers disastrous efforts with one that must have come off the ark, but having looked through some of the recipes in scousebirds link and found one for braised lamb shanks in red wine, cooked in 30 minutes and sitting here drooling, think i may possibly give a modern pressure cooker some thought..
(have been awake since 2am, again!, feels like lunchtime now..)

 

[denisejoe]

That reminded me, the gasket on our pressure cooker has started to drip a little and I did think last time I used it before Xmas, Ah - must remember to get a new one.

I have had to do this once since I've been with Pete - ie since 1998 and the cooker WELL pre-dates our relationship.

Have just looked on the Prestige website and they sell the seals quite cheaply but don't show the measurements ! You have to know the model no of your cooker and of course the only number I can find is 1242 on the bottom of the pan - of course, they are all 5 digit ones now and all start with a 5 ! Last time I took the old one into Coventry market to the stall that sold all the cookware, she said Oh that's a whatever, produced one in the Prestige wrapping, I paid her and that was that.

Haven't been into the market (hardly ever go into Cov anyway) since I left work in 2008 and the stall had gone by then anyway.

Anyone got any bright ideas? We don't take the thing in the MoHo as it takes up far too much room - but we do use it from time to time at home.

If you're going to France this year just take the old gasket with you and try it up against the ones they sell! My pressure cooker is a Tefal one but I don't think the gasket I bought was but it still fitted.

Denise

 

[The Wino]

Wonder why they are so popular in France and not over here?

David

 

[Clive and Kerri]

Must admit my memories of my mothers one was like something out of Dante's Inferno, the one I just bought is nothing like that. Has a dial on the top to set the pressure to medium or high. When finished you just set it to zero to release the steam quickly. Came with a separate lid so you can also use it in the oven.

 

[Styx]

There was one in Aldi yesterday (left over from last weeks specials, I think, so may not be available everywhere now) Russell Hobbs 4 litre £22.99
I did give it a second glance because I'm cooking for the sofa surfers at the moment, then decided against because they will be moving on shortly...

 

[Tootles]

We got one, but they ruin a donner kebab.

 

[Minxy]

When I was a kid my Mum used one nearly every day and I soon learned how to 'tame' it too and have had one ever since we got married (I've actually got at least 3 at home, one in the static and one in the camper!) - wouldn't be without them! They are great for saving time and gas but more importantly space - if you only have a 2 ring hob as you just put all the veg in the one pan it leaves the other ring for you to do the meat on.

My pressure cooker doubles up as a chip pan too (nice and deep) and my other pans stack nicely inside it (they are Tefal Ingenio ones with removable handles).

If you need spares and have a Boyes store near you try there for a new seal as the stock all sorts of stuff.

We always use the pressure cooker for doing gammon/ham joints - put a good glug of orange cordial in the water and it makes it even yummier! Something else which is lovely when cooked in a pressure cooker is chicken - I had a whole one once that needed cooking up but it was raining outside so hubby couldn't stick it on the bbq so I thought I'd try it in the pressure cooker instead - wow, fantastic flavour and so succulent and as a bonus the cooking water made a lovely soup base.

 

[Wickolad]

We too have used one for years, they make fantastic stews in minimal time. Shin beef and neck of lamb cuts are wonderful and tender after just 25 minutes.
Veg keeps its flavour and goodness, 15 minutes and it can be blended to make great soup.
I managed to pick up a small prestige cooker at Morrisons which I use in the MH which takes up very little room but is plenty big enough to cook for 2 people. Wouldn't be without it.
I am sure i have seen spare pressure cooker seals in large Asda supermarkets.

 

[DP+JAY]

We've an old Prestige one,it's in the shed, maybe I can sort spares on interweb and put it back in service. It's about 40 years old so spares could be an issue. Now I've been reminded it could well be put back into service.

Our Prestige is 35+ years old & we still use it in the van(yes you can still get parts too).

 

[DP+JAY]

Wonder why they are so popular in France and not over here?

David

A lot of the rural french properties still have "limited" kitchen equiptment.
Like one or two rings running off bottled gas or even "Petrole"(paraffin).

 

[Wickolad]

[QUOTE="sedge, post: 1266966, member: 7396

Anyone got any bright ideas? We don't take the thing in the MoHo as it takes up far too much room - but we do use it from time to time at home.[/QUOTE]
Tescos sell Prestige spare seals.

 

[mariner]

I have one of these which is an electric pressure cooker.

Cooks most meals in 30 minutes or less.

I use it a lot.

At 1kw it's not too power hungry.

 

[Fenman]

Wonder why they are so popular in France and not over here?

David

Because French beef is, for the most part, as tough as old boots. A huge amount of beef in supermarkets is from old, and I mean old, dairy cows.

So while our celebrity chefs use them for the likes of pork or beef cheeks and brisket for the best flavour, the French use pressure cookers so they can eat the ordinary stuff at all.

 

[Sundowners]

We use ours a lot - have one in the camper and one in the house. A tip for using in the camper - to stop all the steam that you release getting into the van, either take it outside and release or put in the sink and pour cold water over it, it will create a lot less steam.

 

[sedge]

Cook the veg in another saucepan? don't they come with a matching steamer basket these days?

 

[Minxy]

Cook the veg in another saucepan? don't they come with a matching steamer basket these days?

If you're referring to my post, I do put the veg in the pressure cooker and usually do the meat in a frying pan although you can do the whole lot in the pressure cooker if you want, assuming you have a large enough one - my mum does this all the time.

 

[Minxy]

We use ours a lot - have one in the camper and one in the house. A tip for using in the camper - to stop all the steam that you release getting into the van, either take it outside and release or put in the sink and pour cold water over it, it will create a lot less steam.

True, putting it outside the van to let the steam off is much better and you can then finish off other things whilst it's doing so. As for running water over it, that's how we used to cool them down years ago before they invented the quick release ones but the trouble is in a MH you have a limited amount of water so the 'stick it outside' method is the best. Another thing, as the food continues to cook for a while after you've removed it from the heat, you can actually take it off a couple of minutes earlier than you would and let it finish on it's own, just double the number of minutes left for it to cook to be sure.

 

[Chris]

I will keep my wife away from this thread.

Our kitchen is already overflowing full with gadgets

 

[Abacist]

Had one for 40 years! Brilliant for Xmas Pud and Snake & Pygmy Pudding. Fantastic for getting a meal on the table in double quick time! Other half still makes me use it as she thinks it's going to explode!

 

[Clive and Kerri]

Well I did pot roast beef yesterday in 30 minutes. Very good

 

[MHVirgins]

Ahh! Happy memories flooding back as I'm reading this thread in Brighton......we had a Prestige one when we got married in the late 70's
To whoever said it brought back memories of "grey" meat, then the secret is to brown the meat in the base of the cooker first, then add your stock/liquid. Nothing worse than grey meat
I haven't used a pressure cooker since 1988.....but now use a Slow Cooker as I find it more convenient to just add everything into it and let it cook away whilst we're out or doing something else. We didn't bring it with us for our current trip, but bought a great saute pan with a glass lid....have got a chicken balti dish simmering away in it just now
Also a pot of potato and leek soup made earlier.......Bill's just come back from the shower block and said the smell of curry is wafting across the site
Might bring the Slow Cooker next time but this new saute pan is the dog's doo dah's as I'm a great one for "one-pot meals

Margaret