Hi guys, I've never used a pressure cooker, and neither did my mom. However, I am curious about them as I'm sure the technology has improved. I've been reading reviews, but those can be very confusing?

So, any of you wonderful Boomer cooks use one?

They scare the bejeezus out of me so I won't try one. Hope you find out what you need.

Ana

Ya, ditto what Ana said. My grandmother had one and it blew.... I am sure technology has come a long way but I would rather let things take longer...

i am with ana on that . bought hubby one from fingerhut and he hasn't used it yet. . we have only used our boiling bath pan for our canning right now.. sorry no help here

I have one and I love it. It's kind of using a slow cooker on fast forward. You can achieve similar results to a long braise in a much shorter period of time. I don't think the modern versions are scary at all. Just make sure you read the directions that come with your model.

I've always used one. I grew up with mom using them.

We have a pressure cooker-fryer that we got at State fair and could not find another one. Hubby uses that one since it is too large for me and is heavy.

I have a small one that I use.
It is a futuro made by Fagor. I got mine at Amazon.
You can check here and also other kinds: http://www.fagoramerica.com/cookware/pressure_cookers/futuro_line/futuro

L4L, When my mom was alive, we had one that you closed up and put in the microwave to cook. It was just the vessel-no electricity, made of plastic. It sealed up and we always followed the printed instructions to the letter. It made the best little roasts. Very tender and flavorful. We never tried the regular kind, but I took lessons in cooking school to use one. If I still had a family, I wouldn't hesitate, but would follow instructions precisely.
Andrea

Thanks, guys, and thanks for the link MaG

Ana, that is why I've never used one, but I am thinking about conquering my fear.

I've been wanting to get an electric one, especially since it's so hot outside and I don't want to heat up the house. I haven't decided on a brand yet.
Terri

We have 7 pressure cookers, some of which are 60 years old. They are so valuable to people that you can get all the replacement parts you need on the internet. I use them hundreds of times every year.

We use them for canning tomatoes and other produce from the garden for maximum food safety. They are safe, but only as safe as the "operator." All have a safety release on the top which is designed to pop off if someone walks away and lets the pressure get too high.

I much prefer the old "jiggler" types over the newer ones with the gauges. You have to constantly monitor the gauges to keep the pressure at the proper psi.

I have a smaller one that I use in the house and I love it. It will cook swiss steak to melt-in-your mouth tenderness in 35 - 40 minutes. When I make bean soup, I cook the smoked ham hocks, onions, carrots and celery for about 30 minutes at 15 lbs of pressure. The broth is fabulous and the meat melts off the bones. I throw away the veggies and chop up fresh ones for the soup. There are so many other things to do with one too. I dearly love and use my indoor pressure cooker all the time.

I also grew up using pressure cookers. Plus, I taught cooking for a decade and I have 2 currently. One smaller for little things, and one larger for big roasts and lots of soup/stew.

Easy to use with just a few precautions. Be sure the rubber 'seal' on the lid is flexible and evenly in the groove. Make sure the 'pressure release valve' (the little round thingie with a metal center embedded in the lid) is not gummed up with food. It has to move up under pressure to seal the pot.

Always seal the lid tightly (push and turn the lid till the handles match) and put the pressure doo dad on the lid as you start heating. Wait for the sound of hissing steam at an even pace and turn down the heat so the doo dad barely rocks or hisses.

It should have a chart of times on the handle or in the instruction book. I usually make stews so it's a fast 10 minutes of cooking (after pressure is up) to cook the meat and potatoes to perfection.

MOST important. Let the steam dissipate BEFORE unsealing the lid. I do it the fast way: Put the whole pot in the sink and run cold water over it till I hear the whoosh of steam escaping. NEVER take off the doo dad OR open the pot if there is still pressure inside. Big boom will occur with bad results (hot liquid on you and the lid will probably hit the ceiling like when my Mom did that absently mindedly)! Then take off the doo dad (I can't think of the right name ) and unseal the lid. BE SURE to have the lid facing AWAY from your face and arms. That steamy stuff will be hot hot hot.

No worries if you follow the few simple rules. Absolutely great for fast cooking with loads of flavor. Cooked potatoes in 5 minutes! AND tender roasts in about 20-30 minutes. I wouldn't be without mine.

Thanks, Drac and Sorta. I think they could be great...if I can use it without killing myself.

Terri, do you already use a stove top one? My first thought was to get an electric one, but the reviews were not so great on them.

Sorta, I like "jiggler" myself! I also use the cold water method to bring the pressure down on things like meat and veggies. However, you can never, never, never do that if you are canning. The rapid reduction in pressure sucks the liquid and or food right out of the jars.

Unfortunately, virtually all the new ones have gauges on them instead of our doo-hickeys or jigglers. I just had to order a new jiggler for one of the pressure cookers and it was $15!

A little trick we use when we get all our canning equipment down from the shelves in the garage every year is to put a light coating of vegetable oil on the rubber rings before we use them the first time. I never have to do it with the pressure cookers I keep in the house though.

I've never used one and never will, but my grandmother used one all the time; that was back in the 50's.

I always found mine invaluable

I always use it.It saves money and time.

Yea Draclvr, I like 'jiggler'. It describes what it does.

As for the new ones with only a gauge, yuk. I bought my second pressure cooker at a thrift store. Just have to check all the 'parts' and it was in perfect shape. Probably used once.

My friend/neighbor has the one my Mom had since before I was born. It's still in great shape (he even has 2 replacement lid gaskets. It's so old it has a 'jiggler' that has a pop up center with lines to indicate the pressure. Fun to use. The higher the pressure, the more lines appear. It's a Presto brand as is my more modern one.

Now I'm hungry for some of my Pork Stew. Gotta go shopping for ingredients. Lots of cutting and 10 minutes later, a yummy stew. Whole thing is done in 1/2 hour start to finish and serves about 6-8 depending on how hungry they are. Yummmmmm.

Wow, Sorta, stew in 10 minutes sounds wonderful. I cook mine all day in the crock pot.

L4L, that's the world of pressure cooking once you get past the learning curve! Plus, I think everything just tastes better...

PLUS more vitamins and minerals are preserved instead of "getting lost" in the cooking

Seems like it would be.....

L4L. I've never used a stove top pressure cooker and at my age and with so many senior moments, I don't think I am going to try it now.

I feel ya, Terri. I either sit in the kitchen with the timer going or come down stairs with 2 timers going...one tethered to me around my neck and the other sitting prominently in front of my computer screen

My Mom never used a pressure cooker but my MIL did. I got one for a wedding present and I still use it. I make veg. beef soup in it and it is one of Susie's favorite meals. What do you want for your birthday dinner Susie? Answer: homemade soup. Once everything is in the cooker, it takes 15 min. I let the pressure go down on its own.

Hey yous guys, jiggler, doo dad, doo hicky..... It's called a pressure gauge, for anyone interested.

Bets

Pressure gauge? Ahhhh. Informative but boring. I much prefer the jiggler/doo dad.

Thanks Bets.