Pressure cooker choice

TQA · #1 08-19-2012

Currently I have a 4 qt aluminium Mirro. It is 4 to 5 years old and is starting to show signs of galvanic corrosion. The handle falling off when the bolt corroded through was my first clue.

I have an opportunity to get one from the USA to replace it this month so what is the best buy.

In the past I liked the aluminium ones as the heat distribution is better but people say that the new stainless steel ones with the composite base incorporating some aluminium do just as well.

So should I go for aluminium or composite stainless?

Is there much to choose between the different brands on offer?

Does anyone have a recommendation?

Woodvet · #2 08-19-2012

I had a 4 quart very thin Stainless. I had it long enough to know how valuable an addition it was to the culinary devices in the galley or for that matter in any land lovers kitchen.
But I took it with me to a friends boat down in the Caribbean knowing how great it would be cooking lobsters. So light it went in my luggage but I thought this was a cheap and replaceable item so I gave it away. Sadly it is not and I have searched hard for another one with no luck.
Aluminum is Fluoride, it's in prozac, under arm anti-persperants, city water, pesticides, there's plenty in black tea and it just keeps going. I steer clear of it to reduce poisons in my system so I am no fan of aluminum cooking devices. Google the bizarre history of Fluoride (aluminum). It will let you in on some of the ailments it causes. I am still in a search for the compact/light stainless pressure cooker myself. If there is one, please advise...

MedSailor · #3 08-19-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodvet

Aluminum is Fluoride, it's in prozac, under arm anti-persperants, city water, pesticides, there's plenty in black tea and it just keeps going. I steer clear of it to reduce poisons in my system so I am no fan of aluminum cooking devices. Google the bizarre history of Fluoride (aluminum). It will let you in on some of the ailments it causes. I am still in a search for the compact/light stainless pressure cooker myself. If there is one, please advise...

Ummm.... no it's not. It's in the Boron group. Fluoride is a halogen.
The Aluminum Group of Elements

Also you won't find much in the way of rigerous science that will provide evidence that aluminum causes any diseases especially Altzheimers. That was strongly debunked years ago and has about as much "evidence" to support it as the autism/vaccine stuff out there on the web.

Unfortunately when it comes to things medical Google is NOT your friend. Wikipedia is worse still. For those that don't have access to the peer-reviewed literature "Google Scholar" is a place to start. Or if you're content to only read abstracts, anyone can search the vast NIH database (pubmed) and read the abstracts for free. THIS is where medical professionals get their information from.
Link to NIH searching here:Home - PubMed - NCBI

Sorry for the thread drift, but I felt compelled to put in the point of order.

MedSailor

ParadiseParrot · #4 08-19-2012

I was going to say somthing before but sounded hippy so I didn't bother.
That being said I don't like aluminum pans.
I like this kind Cooker this type in stainless with a strong yoke across the top are the ones I like

Make sure it fits your stove....

If your going to can try and get one that will fit 4 mason jars at a time which will handle a couple of Lobsters as well

wingNwing · #5 08-19-2012

We've been pretty happy with our Fagor 6-L. This website has some tips: hip pressure cooking - pressure cooker recipes & tips!: shopping tips

The author, Laura, is extremely responsive if you have further questions. She recently ran a Facebook group for a group of us sailors learning to use the pressure cooker so she "gets" the special requirements of our liveaboard lifestyle.

SlowButSteady · #6 08-19-2012

Ikea has a nice looking little SS pressure cooker that I've been thinking of buying.

TheVeggieQueen · #7 08-20-2012

I also saw the little pressure cooker listed for Ikea but haven't seen it in person so I am not sure of its quality.

If I were going to get just one small pressure cooker, I would probably get a 4 quart Fagor Duo or Futuro, both of which are stainless steel. Not light but will work well for a long time.

I have been teaching people to pressure cook for more than 16 years. If you ever have any pressure cooking questions, please feel free to ask. It's been my specialty for a long time.

I wish that land lovers were as into pressure cooking as you are.

If you get the Ikea pressure cooker, I'd love to hear more about it. Looks like a jiggle-top to me and I prefer the spring valve type.

zeehag · #8 08-20-2012

i bought a nice lil 6 qt presto about 10 yrs ago and i still have it--is still in new looking condition. is aluminum.
i have been using pressure cookers to cook foods since i was 7 yrs old. momma made sure we all knew how to cook well before age 10. we were landlubbers.

tdw · #9 08-20-2012

Veggie Queen (or anyone else) ,
We are but two so I'm thinking that the average sized PC is simply to big for our needs. Thinking of one of these ....

or

Kuhn Rikon. 4 or 5 litre. 22cm base diameter.

Thoughts ?

aeventyr60 · #10 08-20-2012

I bought a slightly smaller pressure cooker, it gets used a lot more then our huge Fagor.