Product Description
- 8-3/4 inches in diameter at base; 8 inches high
- Quickly and healthfully cooks foods under steam pressure with little liquid
- Instructions, steamer insert, and booklet with dozens of recipes included
- Two pressure-release valves and pressure indicator ensure safety
- Made of high-quality 18/10 stainless steel with mirror finish
Beginning in the 1930s, two successive generations of busy cooks employed pressure cookers to prepare family meals. The next generation, freighted with memories of valves dancing and hissing on stovetops, then snubbed pressure cookers. Now pressure cookers have come back, those old valves replaced by modern versions that ensure safety while delivering the speed, ease, and nutritional benefits of pressure cooking.
This heavyweight, stainless-steel beauty is a fine example of contemporary engineering and style. Its mirror finish gleams, and its black handles, including a loop handle for two-handed lifting, stay cool. Pressure cooking traps steam to heat foods at temperatures higher than boiling. An aluminum disk in the base, sandwiched by stainless steel, speeds the process even more through fast heat conductivity. It's safe on electric, gas, ceramic, and induction stovetops. Little water is required, so nutrients, flavor, and color are not boiled away. Vegetables emerge vibrantly colored from the steamer insert. Stews, soups, beans--even meat loaf, pork chops, and desserts such as bread pudding--come out tasty and nutritious. (A booklet containing dozens of recipes is included.) You can brown meats in the pot before the lid is locked on, or use the pot without the lid. The stem of the operating valve shows high and low pressure so you can adjust heat for different foods. After cooking, pressure can be reduced slowly (just let the cooker sit for a while), normally (press the pressure indicator), or quickly (run tepid water on the lid's rim).
Safety measures abound. The lid twists onto the pot; a rubber gasket ensures a tight seal. A vent releases steam if pressure builds too high, as does a valve that also locks the lid when any pressure whatsoever is inside the cooker. Cleanup is a bit involved: hand wash the pot, gasket, and lid with a mild detergent, then lightly oil the gasket. Normally the valve is self-cleaning, but if food passes through it, disassembly is required. Minor cleaning inconvenience, though, should not overshadow the major convenience of pressure cooking. --Fred Brack
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The best pressure cooker I have used so far
I've gone through 4 or 5 pressure cookers in the last 10 years, and I think I've finally found one I like. I work full time (40-60 hours a week), and I like to cook, so the time saved by pressure cooking is important to me. I use the pressure cooker mostly for meat, potatoes, beans and lentils. Typically, meat cooks in about 1/3 the time it would take in a regular pot. Pressure cooked meat is very tender and flavorful, but you need some experience in matching the cooking time to the type of meat. You have to be careful not to overcook.
The construction and finish of this cooker are excellent. It is made of stainless steel, with a thick aluminum plate at the bottom to spread the heat. This is a useful feature. Typically, pressure cooking requires high heat initially to quickly build up steam pressure before you turn the heat down. That is when food can burn and stick to the bottom of the cooker. This cooker spreads heat very well. So long as you use the prescribed amount of water or other cooking liquid, this cooker will not burn food at the bottom.
There is a two-level steam pressure indicator on the lid. The cooker comes with two booklets containing recipes, and a very comprehensive list of recommended cooking times for all sorts of meats, poultry, vegetables, beans, etc. If you follow directions, the cooker does not whistle or otherwise make any objectionable sounds. I can barely hear it from 10 feet away. Of course, if you forget to turn down the heat after the cooker is up to full cooking pressure, it will release a loud burst of steam. This is a safety feature.
The cooker has a shield on top of the lid to direct any escaping steam downwards, so there is no danger of burning your hands.
Kuhn-Rikon recommends using nylon spatulas to maintain the mirror-like finish, but you'll find them sadly inadequate when, for example, browning meat. I use a heavy gauge steel Calphalon spatula and steel tongs. After several months, I can see minor scratch marks inside the cooker, but the outside is still bright and shiny! Anyway, cookware should be designed to take this kind of handling -- it is meant to be useful rather than decorative. Stainless steel is the best material to withstand normal levels of use and abuse, and this cooker handles it well.
Keep in mind that a pressure cooker can't be filled to the top when cooking. It should never be more than half or two-thirds full, so the 5 liter capacity translates to about 2.5-3.0 liters of usable capacity. If you cook large quantities, you might want to get a bigger model.
This is a relatively expensive cooker, but it is well worth the money.
A "Must Have" in the Modern Kitchen
Remember Grandmom's pressure cooker with the rattling pressure control weight and all the associated hassle of using the thing? Well, all that's history. This cooker is a gem -- about as good as it gets in pressure valve technology, beautifully constructed, easy to use, and best of all, it turns out great meals in minutes.
We use ours to cook all kinds of stews, soups, casseroles -- you name it-- and they turn out just as good as the versions cooked for hours. Moroccan lamb stew, chicken cacciatore, braised lamb shanks, and many more recipes have all been delicious. And they all cook in 30 minutes or less -- yes, that's right -- half an hour. The prep time usually takes a preliminary half hour, so a great meal in 60 minutes with no fuss.
Everything they said it is.
I deliberately went searching for a modern pressure cooker, partly because every Vegan cookbook that I own considers it a "must have". I also have fond memories of the delicious meals that my Mom and Grandmother cooked in years past, but the older styles scared me with their sputtering and pressure releases. I was always somewhat afraid I would end up with pot roast on my ceiling... The Kuhn Rikon 5-Liter Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is a dream come true. The 5-Liter size is adequate for a small family or if cooking just for one or two people. It is easy to regulate the cooking pressure with the gauge on the top and the user guide is actually user-friendly! Pressure cooking foods is somewhat of an art, I believe, so it does take a little bit of getting used to if you are not familiar with using a pressure cooker. I, personally, have not owned one and so there is a bit of a learning curve. But the measurement and timing guides for different foods are comprehensive and very easily understandable. The foods I have cooked came out just as expected in much shorter amounts of time than regular cooking methods. Plus, I like the fact that nutrients are sealed in and foods retain their moisture. The stainless steel pot and cover clean up easily. The engineering and design are beautiful and I am totally happy with this cooker. It is a most welcome addition to my kitchen!
Hasn't blown up yet
I bought this as a gift for my chef husband who begged for a year. He tempted me with stories of creamy risotto in minutes and broths that won't sit for hours and stink up the kitchen. He got it with the caveat that he would clean up any explosions. None yet, and I'm convinced now that there won't be any. Food is evenly cooked, fast, and has well developed flavors. This package comes with everything- CD, cookbook, pot. The only downside is the small size. If you're doing a lot of broths you might want to upgrade to the 7 liter.