I know many of you are already happily using pressure cookers, but I also know that a lot of you are thinking about either upgrading or – hooray! – buying a second or third. So while this post is mainly aimed at those who are yet to buy, you might want to have a scan through as some of the information might be useful. Generally speaking, these posts about pressure cooking basics which I am going to intersperse with recipes might be worth reading by experienced pressure cooker users – new and useful things occur to me all the time, which seem really obvious as soon as I think them, and I will want to share them all.
And just as a reminder - when you can hear that the cooker is coming up to pressure, the Kuhn Rikon central indicator sometimes needs a little help, so gently pull it up at intervals until it supports itself. It isn’t always necessary but I thought I’d mention as it is a KR quirk!
Hi Catherine have done my water test (on the cooker not me!) and now planning to make beef in beer. However I have bought beef shin. Normally I give thisr4 hours in the Le Creuset in a lowish oven. Should I omit the carrots from your stew recipe and cook longer? How would you give beef shin? Thanks!
Hi Alison - well done! So with beef shin it does need half an hour. I would cook for that length of time, fast release, add the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes then natural release. And I do find that it is better when made in advance - a lot of the connective tissue will dissolve into the liquid but will only start to thicken it after it has had a chance to rest.
great newsletter! thank you . I bought mum and dad an instant pot and your book for christmas so I am following along so I learn how to use a pressure cooker. (though I have a lovely everhot in my kitchen which is now making me wince financially and I havent ever cooked in a pressure cooker !)
Not long found you. Brilliant post and really helpful.
I have put my instant pot in the loft.
I have got myself a small £20 slow cooker for some cooking but mainly to make yogurt.
And then invested in Khun Rikon double offer set. I do life solo, but either batch cook, and have quite a large family, so I got the 2 litre and 5 litre with the pressure lid that fits both and also a brilliant glass lid and a free small frying pan.
The reason I changed from the instant pot is that I like to brown my onlons or sweat my veg for some more flavour in recipes. Browning chicken skin too. This led to the 'burn' setting so often coming up, even though I would thoroughly scrape all the bits from the bottom. Once the burn setting come up, it seems difficult for the machine to stop sending it.
The stove top is so much better than the old prestige hi-top I had many moons ago.
Non of my rings on the lowest setting bring it to low pressure though. I would be interested in knowing how to do that.
I also like that with the stove top, the amount of liquid it requires is so low, that I get really saucy sauces straight away. Just made your Chicken and cashew nut curry, brilliant.
So helpful Catherine. I’ve been using them for over forty years but I really need help with updating mine (I even have one in the holiday home) and this is exactly what I needed you to write. I’ve just received Modern Pressure Cooking for my birthday and it has given me the encouragement I need.
Thanks to posts by Catherine Phipps & Carla Tomasi I did as I was told (a rarity!) and bought both a pressure cooker and Catherine’s Modern Pressure Cooking. I have not looked back! Thrilled with both
Yes, when I bought an induction hob, the only pan I had that was NOT compatible was my old pressure cooker - a great chance to get my Kuhn Rikon! I then had to “relearn” how fast it came up to pressure and what level to put it down to keep the pressure. It took one go and we were away.
Hello and many thanks for making me dig out my trusty WMF from the back of the cupboard! I've been trying a few recipes from your book and am looking forward to your post with the tips on how to prevent burning my shakshuka... :-)
Ha! Pesky tomatoes! It should be fine if the pan is completely deglazed. I try to avoid adding extra liquid as it can flood the pan - peppers especially give out a lot of liquid. If you are really struggling, what you could do is sauté as per the recipe, then add the garlic spices etc., but not the tomatoes. Pour over the water then the tomatoes and don’t stir. Then follow the rest of the recipe. If it is burning at the next stage - it shouldn’t as it should come up to pressure immediately as the pan will be hot - if the sauce isn’t too liquid, add another splash of water before you add the eggs. Do you think that might solve it for you?
Thank you. One last question- if I scale up the ingredients us there a rule of thumb for scaling up liquids as you've talked about not needing so much in the pressure cooker. Planning to do a double chilli recipe on Tuesday
It depends on the texture you want, but with something like a chilli I would see on the size of caution and not increase the liquid levels as so much comes out of the other ingredients. You can always add a bit more afterwards if you think it needs it.
Just a quick question. I've had a delayed delivery because of Royal Mail. My Kuhn Rikon neo classic 5 litre is now on sale. KR have kindly said they will price adjust when my cooker arrives. The question is the 5 litre frying pan one is now more affordable. Should I switch to that instead of the 22cm 5 litre? Your book has arrived (wonderful) and I'm thinking desserts and sautéing and whether it would be better.
Honestly? I would stick with what you have ordered. And as nice as the wider base is (especially for searing of course, but that can also be done in a frying pan), the height is more useful for all kinds of things, especially a lot of the desserts. You can always invest in another one down the line - I do often find that once people have one pressure cooker they often find they need another!
Hello Catherine I'm just about to order your book and my first pressure cooker. Was about to buy a 3 litre as its just the two of us (kids left home and I'm recently retired). Having read your post I'm now thinking a bit bigger as we do entertain a lot and I like the idea of batch cooking. Is the WMF perfect plus 4.5 l the one you go to most or is it the WMF premium one of the same size (costs a lot more). I don't mind which just want you know if it's worth the extra.
Also should I buy inserts baskets at the same time? I'm a complete novice at pressure cooking but a keen cook at home. Feel quite excited actually. Thank you!
Hi Alison, glad to hear you are taking the plunge!
Yes, the 4.5l Perfect Plus WMF is one I use on a daily basis- I haven't used the premium one, so I can't tell you if it is worth the extra. The dimensions are the same as the PerfectPlus so that doesn't really help with your batch cooking etc.
If I was going to buy one pressure cooker and I was going to use it a lot for entertaining/batch cooking, I think I would want to go for one with more generous dimensions. A 6.5 l WMF still has a 22cm base.
I would look at the Kuhn Rikon and go for a 6l/24cm base - they often have deals on their website and offer an additional 20% sign up which brings the price down considerably.
Regarding steamer baskets - only invest if you have nothing you can already use. A trivet is the most useful thing - Kuhn Rikon come with one. Their other accessories are quite standard but expensive, so I would probably look elsewhere. Ditto with WMF.
In terms of accessories, the Pro Cook comes with the most - really well equipped. It is also a really lovely cooker to use, just very slightly slower.
I hope that's helpful and that I haven't muddied the waters too much. Please write back if you need more help/clarification.
Hi Catherine Thanks so much for your reply! Waiting for your book to arrive and think I'm settled on the Kuhn Rikon neo classic 5 litre with the side grips. As you recommended I looked at their website currently doing 20% off and a free frying pan. I really love their sauté pan 5 litres but probably have more versatility with the tall one. Thanks again!
I’m just about to begin my journey, entirely thanks to you! I have your book, follow you on instagram & have listened to you in R4, so am now ready to dive in. I have never used a pressure cooker, so would love a little advice. I do realise that this is very cheeky - I’m sorry.
I’m looking at the Kuhn Rikon and WMF websites & getting a bit befuddled. I would like - as you suggest - a nice wide base for browning, as well as enough height for a chicken (duck, joint of meat, etc). The Kuhn Rikon 5litre frying pan pressure cooker (DUROMATIC HOTEL PRESSURE COOKER FRYING PAN SIDE GRIPS - 28CM / 5L) looks like what I’m looking for, but not sure if it has enough height.
Could you help? I realise you must get a gazillion of these requests, so I quite understand if you can’t reply.
Hi Anna! Not at all cheeky! So the 28cm is lovely but sadly not quite deep enough to give you real versatility. I would stick with Kuhn Rikon though and get a 6litre which I believe you can get at either 22 or 24cm. I think the 24cm is deep enough - I think it is the one I have (definitely wider than my WMFs which are all 22cm) but I’m afraid I can’t double check until next weekend as I’m not at home.
Thank you so much for your reply Catherine, especially since you’re having a weekend away!
I was always fascinated by my grandmother’s terrifying pressure cooker, from which she produced a steady flow of perfect dahl, preserves, curries, yoghurt, even ghee. It was an ancient contraption she’d brought from India, and it never did explode despite our absolute certainty that it would.
I’m a cook now - on a modest, local level. I sell preserves and do a bit of informal catering, batch cooks for new mums & the just-out-of-hospital, (and people who just want a freezer full of food). I also do a lot of cooking for groups, and batch cooks for my family. I’ve wanted for so long to use a pressure cooker, and now you’ve made it feel so accessible and straightforward!
At the moment I’m a bit broken & waiting for surgery, so even just cooking our evening meal is suddenly a huge task that I often can’t manage. Not being able to tackle anything more than the simplest home cooking has been really miserable and so boring! Hopefully learning to use a pressure cooker will turn that around, and leave me ready for anything post-surgery.
Thank you again for the inspiration and the reply!
My memories of pressure cooking was overcooked vegetables by my mother. However, I put these memories on one side and bought an Instant Pot, and haven’t looked back. I use it nearly every day and no overcooked vegetables, it’s great for batch cooking and it’s cheap, easy and safe to use. More important from a health point of view, it has a stainless steel inner whereas my mother’s was made of aluminium.
I am very happy experimenting with the Kuhn Rikon 6 litre pot that lives now on my stovetop. Living alone but cooking regularly ( obsessively??) it is proving its worth … the lentil soup I made yesterday with the stock from a bacon knuckle was a hit with family at lunchtime( Felicity Cloake advised 45 minutes - I cooked in 5 at high pressure ) and I used it again tonight with a steamer basket for the mashed potatoes… Still working on perfecting pasta for one in the absorption method but heading to a class shortly with Stefano Arturi so will pick his brains too !
Brilliant. I have a bit of a niche question, apologies! I have a WMF perfect pro 4.5l, and I would like to get a larger and smaller pan. But they don’t seem to make this model any more. Do you know (and I realise this is unlikely, sorry) if a perfect premium would fit (they look very similar). I don’t really want to have to buy a full new one if I can avoid it! Thank you x
Brilliant! And it's just arrived. Going to get cracking! Thanks so much for prompt reply! Alison
And just as a reminder - when you can hear that the cooker is coming up to pressure, the Kuhn Rikon central indicator sometimes needs a little help, so gently pull it up at intervals until it supports itself. It isn’t always necessary but I thought I’d mention as it is a KR quirk!
Hi Catherine have done my water test (on the cooker not me!) and now planning to make beef in beer. However I have bought beef shin. Normally I give thisr4 hours in the Le Creuset in a lowish oven. Should I omit the carrots from your stew recipe and cook longer? How would you give beef shin? Thanks!
Hi Alison - well done! So with beef shin it does need half an hour. I would cook for that length of time, fast release, add the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes then natural release. And I do find that it is better when made in advance - a lot of the connective tissue will dissolve into the liquid but will only start to thicken it after it has had a chance to rest.
great newsletter! thank you . I bought mum and dad an instant pot and your book for christmas so I am following along so I learn how to use a pressure cooker. (though I have a lovely everhot in my kitchen which is now making me wince financially and I havent ever cooked in a pressure cooker !)
Not long found you. Brilliant post and really helpful.
I have put my instant pot in the loft.
I have got myself a small £20 slow cooker for some cooking but mainly to make yogurt.
And then invested in Khun Rikon double offer set. I do life solo, but either batch cook, and have quite a large family, so I got the 2 litre and 5 litre with the pressure lid that fits both and also a brilliant glass lid and a free small frying pan.
The reason I changed from the instant pot is that I like to brown my onlons or sweat my veg for some more flavour in recipes. Browning chicken skin too. This led to the 'burn' setting so often coming up, even though I would thoroughly scrape all the bits from the bottom. Once the burn setting come up, it seems difficult for the machine to stop sending it.
The stove top is so much better than the old prestige hi-top I had many moons ago.
Non of my rings on the lowest setting bring it to low pressure though. I would be interested in knowing how to do that.
I also like that with the stove top, the amount of liquid it requires is so low, that I get really saucy sauces straight away. Just made your Chicken and cashew nut curry, brilliant.
So helpful Catherine. I’ve been using them for over forty years but I really need help with updating mine (I even have one in the holiday home) and this is exactly what I needed you to write. I’ve just received Modern Pressure Cooking for my birthday and it has given me the encouragement I need.
Brilliant, so glad it is helpful.
Thanks to posts by Catherine Phipps & Carla Tomasi I did as I was told (a rarity!) and bought both a pressure cooker and Catherine’s Modern Pressure Cooking. I have not looked back! Thrilled with both
Yes, when I bought an induction hob, the only pan I had that was NOT compatible was my old pressure cooker - a great chance to get my Kuhn Rikon! I then had to “relearn” how fast it came up to pressure and what level to put it down to keep the pressure. It took one go and we were away.
So fast, isn’t it! Makes quite a bit of difference.
Hello and many thanks for making me dig out my trusty WMF from the back of the cupboard! I've been trying a few recipes from your book and am looking forward to your post with the tips on how to prevent burning my shakshuka... :-)
Ha! Pesky tomatoes! It should be fine if the pan is completely deglazed. I try to avoid adding extra liquid as it can flood the pan - peppers especially give out a lot of liquid. If you are really struggling, what you could do is sauté as per the recipe, then add the garlic spices etc., but not the tomatoes. Pour over the water then the tomatoes and don’t stir. Then follow the rest of the recipe. If it is burning at the next stage - it shouldn’t as it should come up to pressure immediately as the pan will be hot - if the sauce isn’t too liquid, add another splash of water before you add the eggs. Do you think that might solve it for you?
Cheers, I'll try that next time, it makes a lot of sense. :-)
Thank you. One last question- if I scale up the ingredients us there a rule of thumb for scaling up liquids as you've talked about not needing so much in the pressure cooker. Planning to do a double chilli recipe on Tuesday
It depends on the texture you want, but with something like a chilli I would see on the size of caution and not increase the liquid levels as so much comes out of the other ingredients. You can always add a bit more afterwards if you think it needs it.
Noted! Thanks again
Hi Catherine
Just a quick question. I've had a delayed delivery because of Royal Mail. My Kuhn Rikon neo classic 5 litre is now on sale. KR have kindly said they will price adjust when my cooker arrives. The question is the 5 litre frying pan one is now more affordable. Should I switch to that instead of the 22cm 5 litre? Your book has arrived (wonderful) and I'm thinking desserts and sautéing and whether it would be better.
Honestly? I would stick with what you have ordered. And as nice as the wider base is (especially for searing of course, but that can also be done in a frying pan), the height is more useful for all kinds of things, especially a lot of the desserts. You can always invest in another one down the line - I do often find that once people have one pressure cooker they often find they need another!
Hello Catherine I'm just about to order your book and my first pressure cooker. Was about to buy a 3 litre as its just the two of us (kids left home and I'm recently retired). Having read your post I'm now thinking a bit bigger as we do entertain a lot and I like the idea of batch cooking. Is the WMF perfect plus 4.5 l the one you go to most or is it the WMF premium one of the same size (costs a lot more). I don't mind which just want you know if it's worth the extra.
Also should I buy inserts baskets at the same time? I'm a complete novice at pressure cooking but a keen cook at home. Feel quite excited actually. Thank you!
Alison
Hi Alison, glad to hear you are taking the plunge!
Yes, the 4.5l Perfect Plus WMF is one I use on a daily basis- I haven't used the premium one, so I can't tell you if it is worth the extra. The dimensions are the same as the PerfectPlus so that doesn't really help with your batch cooking etc.
If I was going to buy one pressure cooker and I was going to use it a lot for entertaining/batch cooking, I think I would want to go for one with more generous dimensions. A 6.5 l WMF still has a 22cm base.
I would look at the Kuhn Rikon and go for a 6l/24cm base - they often have deals on their website and offer an additional 20% sign up which brings the price down considerably.
Regarding steamer baskets - only invest if you have nothing you can already use. A trivet is the most useful thing - Kuhn Rikon come with one. Their other accessories are quite standard but expensive, so I would probably look elsewhere. Ditto with WMF.
In terms of accessories, the Pro Cook comes with the most - really well equipped. It is also a really lovely cooker to use, just very slightly slower.
I hope that's helpful and that I haven't muddied the waters too much. Please write back if you need more help/clarification.
Hi Catherine Thanks so much for your reply! Waiting for your book to arrive and think I'm settled on the Kuhn Rikon neo classic 5 litre with the side grips. As you recommended I looked at their website currently doing 20% off and a free frying pan. I really love their sauté pan 5 litres but probably have more versatility with the tall one. Thanks again!
Hello Catherine,
I’m just about to begin my journey, entirely thanks to you! I have your book, follow you on instagram & have listened to you in R4, so am now ready to dive in. I have never used a pressure cooker, so would love a little advice. I do realise that this is very cheeky - I’m sorry.
I’m looking at the Kuhn Rikon and WMF websites & getting a bit befuddled. I would like - as you suggest - a nice wide base for browning, as well as enough height for a chicken (duck, joint of meat, etc). The Kuhn Rikon 5litre frying pan pressure cooker (DUROMATIC HOTEL PRESSURE COOKER FRYING PAN SIDE GRIPS - 28CM / 5L) looks like what I’m looking for, but not sure if it has enough height.
Could you help? I realise you must get a gazillion of these requests, so I quite understand if you can’t reply.
Thank you for all the inspiration!
Anna
Hi Anna! Not at all cheeky! So the 28cm is lovely but sadly not quite deep enough to give you real versatility. I would stick with Kuhn Rikon though and get a 6litre which I believe you can get at either 22 or 24cm. I think the 24cm is deep enough - I think it is the one I have (definitely wider than my WMFs which are all 22cm) but I’m afraid I can’t double check until next weekend as I’m not at home.
Thank you so much for your reply Catherine, especially since you’re having a weekend away!
I was always fascinated by my grandmother’s terrifying pressure cooker, from which she produced a steady flow of perfect dahl, preserves, curries, yoghurt, even ghee. It was an ancient contraption she’d brought from India, and it never did explode despite our absolute certainty that it would.
I’m a cook now - on a modest, local level. I sell preserves and do a bit of informal catering, batch cooks for new mums & the just-out-of-hospital, (and people who just want a freezer full of food). I also do a lot of cooking for groups, and batch cooks for my family. I’ve wanted for so long to use a pressure cooker, and now you’ve made it feel so accessible and straightforward!
At the moment I’m a bit broken & waiting for surgery, so even just cooking our evening meal is suddenly a huge task that I often can’t manage. Not being able to tackle anything more than the simplest home cooking has been really miserable and so boring! Hopefully learning to use a pressure cooker will turn that around, and leave me ready for anything post-surgery.
Thank you again for the inspiration and the reply!
All the very best from soggy Somerset,
Anna ☔️
My memories of pressure cooking was overcooked vegetables by my mother. However, I put these memories on one side and bought an Instant Pot, and haven’t looked back. I use it nearly every day and no overcooked vegetables, it’s great for batch cooking and it’s cheap, easy and safe to use. More important from a health point of view, it has a stainless steel inner whereas my mother’s was made of aluminium.
I am very happy experimenting with the Kuhn Rikon 6 litre pot that lives now on my stovetop. Living alone but cooking regularly ( obsessively??) it is proving its worth … the lentil soup I made yesterday with the stock from a bacon knuckle was a hit with family at lunchtime( Felicity Cloake advised 45 minutes - I cooked in 5 at high pressure ) and I used it again tonight with a steamer basket for the mashed potatoes… Still working on perfecting pasta for one in the absorption method but heading to a class shortly with Stefano Arturi so will pick his brains too !
What would you say is your favorite or ‘go to’ stove top pressure cooker?
It is not fixed - I would most often reach for my Kuhn Rikon saute model or the 4.5l WMF.
Brilliant. I have a bit of a niche question, apologies! I have a WMF perfect pro 4.5l, and I would like to get a larger and smaller pan. But they don’t seem to make this model any more. Do you know (and I realise this is unlikely, sorry) if a perfect premium would fit (they look very similar). I don’t really want to have to buy a full new one if I can avoid it! Thank you x
They are the same diameter, but I’m afraid I couldn’t say for sure. WMF customer services is generally good though, so I would check with them.