Pressure Cooker Info Needed
Posted by residentofq13 on Feb 13, 2010 · Member since Jul 2006 · 17 posts
I have seriously been considering buying a pressure cooker to help speed up the process of making dried beans. I was wondering if anyone here has made beans in a pressure cooker before? Is it even safe to prepare beans in one? If so what size would be appropriate for making 1lb of dried beans a 4 qt, 6qt, larger? Are there certain makers you prefer? Any direction, help, or advice will be greatly appreciated.
I use mine constantly! It's a great investment, perfectly safe, & a healthy way to cook.
I'd get a stainless steel (vs. aluminum) one, and I like the 6 quart size personally but it's up to how much you like to cook.
I've had requests to do a cooking video on this too (on my YouTube channel), as I've done lots of classes on it. People are always so funny - they're often really scared of them at first! But they always love them in the end. Once you get used to it, it's SO easy & fab. I use mine several times a week!
:)
Please check the VW Cooking FAQ at the top of the board re: soaking and cooking beans.
I have cooked all kinds of pulses in my pressure cooker for the last, oh nearly 30 years. It's perfectly safe. Personally I use a Magefesa.
It's a good idea, whatever you cook in it, to read the instruction book that comes with it regarding amounts and cooking times. Make sure there's about 3 in of "head room" between the top of the water and the top of the pan. And remember to clean the steam vent (where the weight sits) occasionally. I run a round toothpick through it and wiggle it around and then rinse. Modern pressure pans come with safety valves to avoid those explosions everyone's afraid of, but cleaning the vent is always a good idea because over time it can get mucky due to residue in the steam.
I teach people how to use the pressure cooker and one food that you can truly save both time and money on is dried beans, peas and lentils. You can watch this video to see how easy it is to cook beans in the pressure cooker. http://www.youtube.com/TheVQ#p/u/12/Dtf-2j5bdJY
You'll drastically cut the cooking time for beans. Black, pinto and kidney beans take about 5-7 minutes at pressure while garbanzo beans take 12 to 14 minutes at pressure. Timing starts once the pot reaches pressure.
I hope that this helps you decide to get a pressure cooker. Owning one will change your cooking life.
I forgot to mention the size cooker that you might want to get. You can cook very small amounts of food in a large pressure cooker but you cannot fill a pressure cooker more than half full with beans. You want to get at least a 6 quart cooker as a pound of most beans is about 2 1/2 cups before soaking or at least double that after soaking.
If you cook for a family of 4 or more an 8 quart cooker will probably be best. If you don't have a lot of storage room and want or need a shorter cooker, than a 6 quart is fine.
The type of cooker that I recommend most often is Fagor because it's the most affordable, is highly rated and is most accessible as they sell it many places such as Macy's, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, etc. (disclosure) I actually sell them. I have tried other cookers but keep coming back to Fagor. If that changes, I'll let people know.
A huge thanks for all the advice. I'm so excited to go out and pick up a pressure cooker later this week. Thanks again!