22 Comments
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Caroline Baines's avatar

Really enjoying these emails Catherine. Thank you. Having had an Instant Pot for a few years I have invested in the Procook stove top pressure cooker. It’s marvellous! I have challenged myself to use it daily and your book is invaluable.

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Thank you! Very relieved as I thought it might be dull for people who have used them for years!

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Julie Hoey's avatar

Thank you Catherine. I recognise this behaviour. How do I know if I have an old fashioned stovetop PC? It's secondhand and I've never got to grips with it...

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Hi Julie - do you know the brand and model? Or failing that a photo?

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Anita Lowe's avatar

Loving the posts too. We’re in the middle of a reno and a new kitchen- I’m looking forward to investing in my second PC when it’s finally complete and I’ve got somewhere to store it 😊 I’m also looking forward to understanding how to maintain pressure correctly - I’m used to a steady, hissing stream of steam but I think next week you might tell me otherwise!!

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

I might well, yes! But honestly does depend on the pressure cooker.

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Laura Perrett's avatar

And your comment has just made me realise how I get through our impending kitchen reno. It’s got to be the Pressure Cooker!!

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Anita Lowe's avatar

Getting Catherine’s book for Christmas has made a huge difference to our meal choices in our reduced circumstances!!

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Sound practice well-being's avatar

I was lucky enough to have a mother who used her pressure cooker nearly every day with confidence and she made me feel like they were the easiest thing in the world. I’ve also used them most of my adult life but 1 daughter is terrified of them and 1 daughter shares my love. What did I do differently?

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Sounds like it’s one of them not you!

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Jes Sadler's avatar

Inspired first by Rachel Roddy, then you, I borrowed (stole) my mother-in-law’s stovetop which was a wedding present in 1967 and hadn’t been used more than twice since then.

I’m an instant convert!

Much in the same way as making coffee, it appeals to the foody+sciency+nerdy part of my psyche, while my wife is distracted from the disconcerting wet hiss of the valve by the speed with which food appears from the kitchen, as well as the slight improvement in our gas bill.

Loving your work, Catherine 😊

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Wonderful! I love Rachel, she's helped me and my book enormously. How are you finding the timings with the older pressure cooker? I think a lot of them are set at a slightly higher PSI.

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Jes Sadler's avatar

I’ve been very lucky. It’s an Italian model and the timings don’t seem to that far out. The seals are like new - it was very well looked-after, if ignored / avoided!

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Jes Sadler's avatar

You have to leave the high heat on a little longer than seems sensible, otherwise the pressure doesn’t build to a plateau, but it’s giving me great results and is really easy to clean and store.

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Pippa's avatar

I do have to say it was in part this anxiety about pressure cookers that made me go down the electric pressure cooker route when I first bought one, and I am so glad I did it has been so useful. I love it for cooking dried beans, but also its set and forget ability and all the extra functions that I didn't think I would ever use, but have certainly got a work out.

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Jenny Linford's avatar

So interesting to read, Catherine- appreciate your reassuring insight into the reality of modern pressure cookers.

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Thanks Jenny!

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LisaG's avatar

Ha-ha! This brought back memories of my mom's (ancient) pressure cooker with a rocking weight on the top. One time the weight fell off and beef stew blew through the tiny hole onto the ceiling. Scrubbing dried-on beef off the ceiling was not fun, but made for a good story.

Yeah, modern ones don't do that, don't make a lot of noise and are very safe. No fear here: I love mine and look forward to doing more with it :) Thanks so much for these posts!

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Ha yea, those weights were something! I say we’re, there are still some models around which use them, but most have them embedded in the lid these days, thank goodness!

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

Okay. Waiting for further instruction. I'm used to cooking regular batches of beans, lentils and chickpeas all in the oven at same time, bag em up and pop em in the freezer to finish later.

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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Well that is a very efficient way to use your oven, cooking everything together.

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Feb 23, 2023
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Catherine Phipps's avatar

Ha, thank you!

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