So how much pressure are your holidays, cooking wise?

I bought the Fissler 6.4 qt PC on Woot and just cooked a nice beef stew last night. This is a very high quality product! I'm sure I'll be using it a couple times each week.

If you love cooking and don't have a pressure cooker, you are missing out. I have cooked beef short ribs, roasts, stews, rice ... and they come out fantastic. Pressure cookers are a time saver.

And there are a ton of sources for recipes. Here is just one that I like - http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/pressure-cooker/

BergHOFF 2201411 XL
BergHoff Youtube link -
http://youtu.be/GhHlJN1Nbb8

The induction unit works by magnetic heat transfer between the unit and the induction ready cookware. It will only heat the diameter of the base of the cooking pot, while the remaining surface stays cool to the touch, saving you money. Features an auto-off feature for safety, easy one-button operation, nine power levels with inteli-chip that detects cookware on its surface.

Induction works with stainless steel and cast iron. Does not work with copper or aluminum.

I have a Samsung induction stove and just love it. I was looking for a portable induction cooktop to bring to work on those "pot luck" days.

I like the layout of the controls and the fact it has a knob for selecting temp.

Cheers - onon

On pressure cooking in general: One pot meals in the pressure cooker are great for the ADD-man-cook. Fast and easy!!!

On the Fissler Blue point: Great cooker. No jingle jangle valve. Quiet and safe. The lines on the blue point indicator give you an idea of the temperature which equals more precision.

Owner's review!

Fissler makes the best pressure cooker money can buy for a home.

Period.

And don't just take my words for it. It's the same comment on just about any cooking-related websites out there. WMF is similar.

Fagor comes close, and nothing else. The design, build quality and feature (the control valve alone is worth the price) are unmatched by anything else I have owned and handled. For pressure cooker, much more so than pans and pots, you do want a solidly built one for safety. I can tell you that the photos can't do these justice. Once you have handled one of them, you would know why I said what I said.

These are built like tanks. And at this prices, compared to 20-30% more at Amazon.com...just hit that I want one button. Well, even I want one more.

In short, get them. Get the largest one you can afford/want to pay for. Highly recommended.

Anybody have experience with this specific induction cooktop?

joenajera wrote:Anybody have experience with this specific induction cooktop?

With this one? No. With another brand? Yes. One thing I would ask an owner of this cooktop to address is how inducty it gets - does it generate enough voodoo to make it worthwhile. The cooktop I bought (and need to return) doesn't produce enough to make it worthwhile - I get a faster boil on my 20 year old calrods.

I just wish the pressure cookers showed up after Christmas. The missus has placed a moratorium on my purchases for myself until after.

magnetovox wrote:On pressure cooking in general: One pot meals in the pressure cooker are great for the ADD-man-cook. Fast and easy!!!

On the Fissler Blue point: Great cooker. No jingle jangle valve. Quiet and safe. The lines on the blue point indicator give you an idea of the temperature which equals more precision.

This ADD-man-cook uses a microwave pressure cooker. Works great - heats fast, cooks quick. Small enough to fit everything in the dishwasher.

Any suggestions on what size is best? Thinking about this as a present for my mother- would be used for general use.

emilylynch wrote:Any suggestions on what size is best? Thinking about this as a present for my mother- would be used for general use.

Ditto. My home is just two people, but I'd want to be able to have a few days of leftovers... so maybe cook for 6 or 8. Would the 6 quart pressure cooker be enough?

Which pressure cooker is better- the Fissler or Berghoff? Are there any differences between the two?

Wanting an answer on pressure cooker size too. Family of two. Would Like left overs/have ppl over for dinner often.

Ty

allykat26 wrote:Wanting an answer on pressure cooker size too. Family of two. Would Like left overs/have ppl over for dinner often.

Ty

I use my 6 quart pressure cooker several times a week. After soaking beans they cook in 8 to 12 minutes depending on type of bean. Garbonza beans take 20 minutes. Cooking 2 pounds of beans in a 6 quart pressure cooker is not a problem. Brown rice cooks in 16-18 minutes. I can have beef stew ready to eat in less than one hour after I get home including cutting up the meat and vegetables.
I do not cook roasts, but 6 quart is large enough to make stew, chili,soup for 6-8 people, as well as small enough to cook for 2. Sometimes I think I would like a larger pressure cooker, but it has not proved necessary.

There is a fill line in pressure cookers, but think about how much you can cook in a 6 quart stock pot.

millieandmacy wrote:I use my 6 quart pressure cooker several times a week. After soaking beans they cook in 8 to 12 minutes depending on type of bean. Garbonza beans take 20 minutes. Cooking 2 pounds of beans in a 6 quart pressure cooker is not a problem. Brown rice cooks in 16-18 minutes. I can have beef stew ready to eat in less than one hour after I get home including cutting up the meat and vegetables.
I do not cook roasts, but 6 quart is large enough to make stew, chili,soup for 6-8 people, as well as small enough to cook for 2. Sometimes I think I would like a larger pressure cooker, but it has not proved necessary.

There is a fill line in pressure cookers, but think about how much you can cook in a 6 quart stock pot.

I bought the Fissler 8 qt size in the last sale in November for the same price. The 6qt has a different diameter than the 8 qt and I wanted to use the 8qt on the larger burner on my flat top stove. I think for $20 more go with the larger one if you cook for many. I already have a 3 lit pressure cooker (traditional blow whistle type) and a 6 qt electric pressure cooker (Cuisinart) and they get used several times a month.

However, be aware that the 8qt is pretty heavy and needs more storage space. I bought it as I like to cook large quantities of beans and curries for potlucks or I serve some and freeze some when I make those time consuming Indian curries. My electric pressure cooker is great too but the Fissler allows complete one pot cooking as I can saute vegetables, or brown onions first and add in meats and any stock.

The 8 qt and 10 qt use the same lid while the pressure pan and 6qt use the smaller lid.

I bought a Fissler 8.5 pressure cooker on Woot in early November. I have yet to use it because mine is defective. There are two valves in the pressure cooker. I first noticed that the one under the handle was defective - it kept spewing steam - would not stop. The Fissler Customer Service person referred me to her boss for an answer, but getting that answer was delayed she was traveling, etc. etc. Eventually, she sent a replacement valve and when I installed it, the handle problem went away completely, only to reveal that the second valve under the small handle is also defective. Now a replacement for that is being sent.

If you buy one of these, be sure to compare how it is working to the video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDF8j0VdpU

If you don't know how it is supposed to work, you may think that steam coming out is normal - like my old, old pressure cooker, and be using a defective product.

As far as size goes, there is this information on the Fissler site:

"1–2 persons >2.5 l
2–3 persons >3.5 l / 4.5 l
3–4 persons >6.0 l
4–5 persons >8.0 l
5+ persons >10.0 l"


All that said, if I can get this pressure cooker to work properly, and so far I have only boiled water to test it, I think it should be quite good. You can use the pressure cooker as a regular pot by moving a switch on the handle. With only water inside, it reaches the pressure point in only a few minutes. The 8.5 qt is big, but not too heavy itself - filled with food, may be a different story.

The customer service boss is very helpful, but very busy, so a lot of patience has been required. I am hoping for a January pot roast.

These Blue Points have been discontinued which has me a little worried about replacement parts such as o-rings that are supposed to be replaced every two years.

yankeesrule wrote:Ditto. My home is just two people, but I'd want to be able to have a few days of leftovers... so maybe cook for 6 or 8. Would the 6 quart pressure cooker be enough?

I got the 6qt model a few weeks ago. Love it. Right now we're a family of 3 (2 are very hungry men). I frequently make dishes to the capacity of the cooker and have plenty of leftovers. The chili I just made will easily make another meal for us. I was able to fit and entire long family pack of boneless country ribs into it (can't recall the package weight, but it was a lot of meat). It coked up beautifully. Hope that helps.

Oh - The cooker is heavy when you want to pour out of it, it requires two hands. I wouldn't want to regularly use the larger one for that reason. I'm no weakling (but I am a girl), I like to be stable when I'm pouring hot stuff in the kitchen.

I purchased the 6 qt Fissler from Woot in Nov. It is so versatile and flawless. I tested it right away doing the water test. It lost so little water I could barely detect it on the measuring cup lines!
6qt is most useful overall. I own an 8 qt electric, too. And use that when cooking for more than two. I wish there had been a 4 qt /skillet PC on this Woot.
Remember you only fill the pot (when using pressure feature) 2/3 full. I can do a 3# chuck roast with some carrots and potatoes in the 6 qt. The two of us have a great meal and there are usually enough leftovers for soup the next day. Remember you can cook less in a larger pot, but you can't cook more in a small pot. That said, I know people who do use the 2.7 size for a small amt of food, but it is too small for the two of us.

clover5 wrote:I purchased the 6 qt Fissler from Woot in Nov. It is so versatile and flawless. I tested it right away doing the water test. It lost so little water I could barely detect it on the measuring cup lines!
6qt is most useful overall. I own an 8 qt electric, too. And use that when cooking for more than two. I wish there had been a 4 qt /skillet PC on this Woot.
Remember you only fill the pot (when using pressure feature) 2/3 full. I can do a 3# chuck roast with some carrots and potatoes in the 6 qt. The two of us have a great meal and there are usually enough leftovers for soup the next day. Remember you can cook less in a larger pot, but you can't cook more in a small pot. That said, I know people who do use the 2.7 size for a small amt of food, but it is too small for the two of us.

What's a small amount of food? I haven't used a pressure cooker in decades, but have some small roasts (usually under three pounds). Since we never cook for more than two, the 2.7 seems like it would work. Any thoughts?

Can anyone tell me the height of the 6 Qt cooker? My other half wants to use a pressure cooker to sterilize glassware for beermaking, and I can't find any info on the height of the pot (sans lid).

alvinrocket wrote:What's a small amount of food? I haven't used a pressure cooker in decades, but have some small roasts (usually under three pounds). Since we never cook for more than two, the 2.7 seems like it would work. Any thoughts?

The 2.7 PC is too small for most things including a 2# roast and some potatoes. But the 2.7 qt is large enough for a few vegetables. Get at least a 4 qt. Tonight we had a 3# roast with carrots and potatoes all cooked in an 8 qt. The 6 qt may have worked, too. Get the 6 qt IMOHO Remember you can cook less in a 6 qt, but not more in the 2.7 or 4 qt.

ytsemaddy wrote:Can anyone tell me the height of the 6 Qt cooker? My other half wants to use a pressure cooker to sterilize glassware for beermaking, and I can't find any info on the height of the pot (sans lid).

The height of the 6 qt Fissler is 7 inches without the lid.

There is much information about pressure cookers on a YAHOO group called PressureCookerRecipes. There is a wealth of information on the site. I love reading other's experience and opinions. It inspires me to use my pressure cookers in many ways for many types of food.

I missed out this time around, these pressure cookers are great gifts, especially for Christmas, picked up two Fissler pressure cookers a while back for gifts. Anyone know if we're going to see pressure cookers in the next week or so?! I need to pick up one more and my Christmas gift giving will be complete!