Pressure cookers

[AdriftAtSea]

I like everything execpt the long handle. It might be a problem.

Nothing a hacksaw can't fix.  ;)

[Lynx]

Great Pressure Cooker site -
http://missvickie.com/

[cubemonkey]

Well, now you've got me shopping!!

I looked at both the Kuhn Rikon, and the Fagor, following the links on MissVickie's site. Having used one of these in the dark ages, (or 2 counting the 20qt canner), I assumed that the size would be pretty standard for a cooker. I don't recall what mine was, probably an 8qt. I had a hard time imagining how that would work baking a loaf of bread. I see though that the top size in the 'sets' can be 5 1/4qt for the Kuhn Rikon, and 8 or 6qt for the Fagor, depending on the 'set'.

So now I have to go store shopping to get the diameters (mostly to see what pans would fit inside), and to get a general feel of how I could translate most of my oven recipes to use a PC. I think in addition to quicker meals with less fuel, the use of a PC as an oven may be an important feature for cooking on a voyage. Typical galleys on small boats often do not include an oven.

One of the comments on the Kuhn on Amazon seemed disappointed in the trivet and insert. I am also wondering about the pasta insert on the Fagor. If you lifted it up a bit (to keep food off the bottom or to layer it on top of something more dense) would it clear the lid? Another measurement. Seems like inserts for certain touchy foods might wind up being a quest. It should be easy to make steel cut oatmeal in a PC, but I would want it lifted up a 1/2 inch. A solid trivet, or a stainless steel mixing bowl of the right diameter might do the trick. I would think the same technique might be necessary for risotto.

Any thoughts from current sailors who use Pressure Cookers aboard?

-elizabeth

[meps]

Regarding trivets and spacers: I always kept a few very large stainless steel nuts (probably the kind that fit a 1/4-inch bolt) in a drawer in the galley, to serve as spacers under a casserole or steamer basket in my Magefesa pressure cooker.

Choosing a pressure cooker: One of my favorite things about the Magefesa's design is that it has two small handles, like a Dutch oven, instead of one long one that gets in the way, like you find on a saucepan.

Pans for baking bread: The original Laurel's Kitchen recommended baking bread in cans. It makes a nice round shape and you can do three or four, depending on the diameter of the cans and your PC.

Pressure cooker recipes: I have a collection of pressure cooker recipes on my website, as well as recipes and shortcuts for cruisers and people without refrigeration. It's all at http://www.foodiegazette.com, including a recipe for Pressure Cooker Bread.

[Auspicious]

Regarding trivets and spacers: I always kept a few very large stainless steel nuts (probably the kind that fit a 1/4-inch bolt) in a drawer in the galley, to serve as spacers under a casserole or steamer basket in my Magefesa pressure cooker.

Excellent idea! Thx!

[AdriftAtSea]

Instead of cans, I had a set of stainless steel food storage containers that are normally used for panchan (korean side dishes, like kimchi).  They're relatively small, about 30% wider than a tuna fish can, and about twice as tall, with nice lids.  I think they'd work pretty well for baking in a pressure cooker. 

Meps, I do like the idea of using large ss nuts as spacers for a smaller pan, but for these, I'd probably just use the lids as trivets.

[Pixie Dust]

My mantra pressure cooker broke after less then 1yr.  Non replaceable part etc...  long story and I do not recommend that brand, so I bought a Presto 6 qt Stainless.  While crossing, I made 2 small loaves of yeast bread in it. 
Just put in 3 cups water, spray your loaves with spray butter (does not have to be refrigerated) cover them tightly with foil and place loaf pans on a trivet.   Cook under pressure 40 minutes ( probably would have been fine with 30-35, then let pressure fall on its own.     Slice and butter while warm.  YUM!!!!!!!!  Even browned on top.   
While bread was cooling, put in a pot roast with all the trimmings.  I love eating on a boat.  :)

[CapnK]

Margaret - the 'foodiegazette' website is awesome, thanks for the link, and the ideas. :)

Dan - your cans sound like they are about the same sizhey were prolly made of a cheap tin, anyway. Where'd you get your cans?

Connie - I bet Pixie has enough food onboard right now to feed a small nation... ;)

[AdriftAtSea]

CapnK...

I got them at the asian market down in Virginia... unfortunately, there are no really good asian markets up this neck of the woods.

[skylark]

I have a nice, small Presto? pressure cooker.  But it is aluminum, and my wife is against cooking in aluminum for some reason.  Does anybody else have concerns about aluminium cookware?

[AdriftAtSea]

There have been some tentative links between aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease... but nothing conclusive.

[cubemonkey]

Does anyone have any experience with pressure cookers on alcohol stoves? Wondering if you can build up enough heat to create the pressure.
-elizabeth

[Captain Smollett]

The adiabatic flame temperature of ethyl alcohol is 1924 C (compared to 1995 C for propane, for example), but 'real-world' temp will be lower.  Even in the extreme case of only 0.2 equivalents with air (that is a large air excess), the flame temp of ethanol is still a little hotter than about 750 C. 

So, the issue is not going to be "if" but "how long."  The alcohol flame is hot enough (assuming there is not a large draft/wind cooling the cooker off).

Edited for clarity.

[Captain Smollett]

Picked up a new copy of The Pressured Cook by Lorna Sass today on clearance for $8.  There are some great recipes in this book; I cannot wait to try some of them out.

[cubemonkey]

The verdict is in on the pressure cooker over alcohol stove. We made Skylark's lentil soup the first night. So not under weigh, but in stormy conditions.

We have a Kuhn Rikon 4qt Risotto cooker (basically a smaller version of their regular pressure cooker). It was the perfect size for the 2 burner alcohol stove. Not too heavy or wide to unbalance it. I'm not sure under weigh if we would leave it gimballed though. Still things to test out.

It took quite a while to build up the pressure. Perhaps 25 minutes. Then it was difficult to regulate. I turned the flame as far down as it would go, and it still went up to the second position on the pressure indicator. Cooking time and cooling time were about 40 minutes. The soup was perfect. And delicious.

The pot is a good size for boiling pasta water, or making any kind of soup. Doesn't have to be pressure cooked. I did cook potatoes in it, by just bringing it up to pressure and then turning it off and letting it cool down. Then we used the cooked potatoes in a packaged leek and potato soup, as additional filler.

We also tried an iron frying pan aboard, but we ran into trouble with the heeling and water in the cabinet. So now we have an unseasoned iron frying pan. What are folks' opinions of using iron cookware?

-elizabeth

[AdriftAtSea]

Cast Iron cookware is great stuff for shore... but not so good IMHO for a boat.  It's heavy, awkward, and relatively high maintenance as cookware goes.  I prefer either stainless steel or aluminum.

[CapnK]

Elizabeth - IMO, nothing cooks like cast iron, it is "The Best" of cookwares. :D My cast iron pot collection resides in my storage unit, though, because I don't have room aboard for it all. Obviously, I am reluctant to part with it, too. :)

Even though it cooks so well, and is probably impractical for boat use for the reasons Dan listed above, the main reason I don't see myself using it much is because of it being so heavy, it takes a relatively lot more fuel to heat up to cooking temp.  :( I can put up with the other drawbacks, but fuel stowage/usage/conservation is a primary concern of mine.

I do have one small iron skillet aboard that was my grandmothers, and, if space allows, may bring another, stored low as "extra ballast", for pan frying on 'special occasions'. Unlike thin walled SS and aluminum pots, you can put cast iron right onto a fire/coals at beachside as easily as on a temp-regulated stove, and cook well with it. Thin walled stuff will distort and/or burn food in that circumstance.

Regarding pressure cookers: I was at WalMart the other day, and espied a 4 qt Mirro aluminum cooker for the first time. I really like that size better than the 6 (or maybe 8...) qt PC that I have now. So down the road I'll be replacing my current aluminum cooker with a smaller, stainless one in the 4 qt size.

[AdriftAtSea]

CapnK-

Don't forget the classic use of the Cast Iron skillet to repel boarders... ;) 

[CapnK]

LOL, Dan. Hopefully, the authorities at foreign ports will never figure out the *true* usage of a good big cast iron skillet! ;D

[Lynx]

There is some advice not to have a smaller pressure cooker because when cooking foods that foam need the extra space to foam.  No experience on my part. Any thoughts?

In the same article it said that it takes smaller meals take less time to heat up than bigger meals in the same big pot.