Are pressure cookers a substitute for slow cookers?

[RossMAN]

You laugh, but I actually just got back from teaching my BIL how to make homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot :biggrin:

Kitchen gadgets are no laughing matter 😎

 

[gorcorps]

You guys have to check out the facebook group for Instant Pot. Incredible amount of recipes there and people are really helpful. It's up to 45K members and has exploded, I think in December and it only had 20K. Hard to mess up pressure cooking when you can just copy other people's recipes.

I don't know how many they had, but when Amazon had the instant pot 7-in-1 for $100 it seemed to generate a lot of new interest in pressure cookers. Maybe that's just my perception because that's when I bought it, but friends talked about it more too.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Kitchen gadgets are no laughing matter 😎

Right on! I own the Instant Pot because of Kaido.

 

[cliftonite]

You guys have to check out the facebook group for Instant Pot. Incredible amount of recipes there and people are really helpful. It's up to 45K members and has exploded, I think in December and it only had 20K. Hard to mess up pressure cooking when you can just copy other people's recipes.

Is this the page? https://www.facebook.com/instantpot/

 

[PokerGuy]

Instant pot

Specifically, this one: http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-I...r_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1455651823&sr=1-1

It's the #1 selling cooker on Amazon for a reason. I like mine

Just pulled the trigger and ordered one. What could be better than a present for her that will end up with delicious food for me??? 😉

 

[Kaido]

I don't know how many they had, but when Amazon had the instant pot 7-in-1 for $100 it seemed to generate a lot of new interest in pressure cookers. Maybe that's just my perception because that's when I bought it, but friends talked about it more too.

I didn't even know electronic pressure cookers (EPC's) existed before 2014...or that pressure cookers were even a thing anymore. I remembered seeing pictures of them exploding into the ceiling like this:

But that was like, grandma-in-the-1950's stuff. Plus I wasn't too keen on having a kitchen tool that (1) was prone to blowing up, and (2) required babysitting on the stove. So when I discovered the electric ones, I was pretty excited, and the more I learned about them, the more useful they have become.

They just make everything faster...meats (ribs, roasts, pulled pork, shredded chicken, meatballs), starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice), beans (45 minutes from dry, no soaking required!), veggies (especially for steaming), desserts (rice pudding, cheesecakes, fruit compotes, applesauce), snacks (hummus, with a food processor), etc. I don't use my oven or stovetop nearly as much anymore because I can just dump in what I want into the IP & hit a button. Pretty easy :thumbsup:

 

[NetWareHead]

I have this pressure cooker/canner: http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/a-lumper/media/106.jpg.html

 

[ControlD]

I don't see one replacing the other honestly. I use my slow cooker because it is a SLOW cooker. Get something ready to go the night before, turn on the cooker before I leave for work and come home to a meal ready to eat.

I might look into one of these instant pots however for weekend meals. It looks pretty neat.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I didn't even know electronic pressure cookers (EPC's) existed before 2014...or that pressure cookers were even a thing anymore. I remembered seeing pictures of them exploding into the ceiling like this:

I came in here to post this picture...

And yes, pressure cookers existed long before 😀

 

[SP33Demon]

Is this the page? https://www.facebook.com/instantpot/

Nope, this is the one:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/

Some recent posts:

How does a brick of cream cheese do in a pressure cooker? I'm attempting to convert a crock pot recipe to my PC. I'm making creamy Italian chicken w/chicken, Italian dressing, mushrooms, cream of chick soup and cream cheese. Not sure on how long your able to cook cream cheese. Thank you for any advice on this since I'm need to using a PC.

Oh my goodness. I just made my spaghetti sauce I always make on the stove, in the Instant Pot. I used Penne noodles since I had a box of them on hand. It came out PERFECTLY. Holy wow. My life has forever changed.

 

[Kaido]

I have this pressure cooker/canner: http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/a-lumper/media/106.jpg.html

2 items:

1. Story time! The names "pressure canner" and "pressure cooker" are easily confused because they both have the word "pressure" in them. A pressure canner is used to can food & is specially-designed to prevent you from getting botulism & dying a horrible death (provided you follow the instructions properly). A pressure cooker cannot safely pressure-can food; it's used to make meals you eat (like a crockpot), not to store food in a can. Yours is a pressure canner (i.e. not the same item being discussed in this thread).

2. There's a lady who specializes in pressure canning information for food storage. She has a great PDF here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B06YYNupBx59QnpYd3BTdndpTzQ/view

And an instructional DVD ($15) here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sensible-Food-Storage-Storing-Foods/dp/1608610896/

She pressure-cans everything from meat to cinnamon buns (no joke). And if you have a vacuum-sealer (like a FoodSaver), she explains how she vacuum-cans candies like M&M's and chocolate chips for food storage. Pretty neat stuff.

 

[Kaido]

Nope, this is the one:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/

Also check out

Instant Pot People v2 (technical problems on the old group, relocated here)

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Meals

Facebook's Instant Pot Recipe Swap group

Facebook's Instant Pot People group

Facebook's Pressure Cooker Cooks group (generic pressure cooking recipes)

Facebook's Instant Pot G-BOMBS group (veggie-focused)

 

[Kaido]

I don't see one replacing the other honestly. I use my slow cooker because it is a SLOW cooker. Get something ready to go the night before, turn on the cooker before I leave for work and come home to a meal ready to eat.

I might look into one of these instant pots however for weekend meals. It looks pretty neat.

The 7-in-1 Instant Pot (on sale for $115) has a slowcooker function, so you don't have to keep multiple devices if you don't want to. They sell a glass lid for that purpose:

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Tempered-Electric-Stainless/dp/B008FUJ2LK/

Also useful for the keep-warm function (that way you don't have to keep taking off the locking lid to dip into the food).

 

[NetWareHead]

2 items:

1. Story time! The names "pressure canner" and "pressure cooker" are easily confused because they both have the word "pressure" in them. A pressure canner is used to can food & is specially-designed to prevent you from getting botulism & dying a horrible death (provided you follow the instructions properly). A pressure cooker cannot safely pressure-can food; it's used to make meals you eat (like a crockpot), not to store food in a can. Yours is a pressure canner (i.e. not the same item being discussed in this thread).

2. There's a lady who specializes in pressure canning information for food storage. She has a great PDF here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B06YYNupBx59QnpYd3BTdndpTzQ/view

And an instructional DVD ($15) here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sensible-Food-Storage-Storing-Foods/dp/1608610896/

She pressure-cans everything from meat to cinnamon buns (no joke). And if you have a vacuum-sealer (like a FoodSaver), she explains how she vacuum-cans candies like M&M's and chocolate chips for food storage. Pretty neat stuff.

Thanks for sharing. My pressure canner can also double as a cooker. I can probably fit 2 entire turkeys in there with some room to spare. Any pressure cooker can also pressure can food, if the cooker can fit the jars/cans needed. Most pressure canning recipes are written for 10 pounds of pressure and therefore, its best to use a vessel that has a real and calibrated pressure gauge and not just a weight.

 

[ControlD]

The 7-in-1 Instant Pot (on sale for $115) has a slowcooker function, so you don't have to keep multiple devices if you don't want to. They sell a glass lid for that purpose:

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Tempered-Electric-Stainless/dp/B008FUJ2LK/

Also useful for the keep-warm function (that way you don't have to keep taking off the locking lid to dip into the food).

Thanks Kaido! That makes it an easier decision for sure.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for sharing. My pressure canner can also double as a cooker. I can probably fit 2 entire turkeys in there with some room to spare. Any pressure cooker can also pressure can food, if the cooker can fit the jars/cans needed. Most pressure canning recipes are written for 10 pounds of pressure and therefore, its best to use a vessel that has a real and calibrated pressure gauge and not just a weight.

I've never thought to use my pressure canner as a cooker, I'll have to try that sometime (only ever done mason jars). What's your recipe for turkey, and how does it turn out?

As far as pressure cookers doing canning, certain things (like waterbath canning) can be done, but there's some further detailed information on it here:

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/consumer-alert-no-pressure-canning-in-un-tested-multi-cookers/

The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), an offshoot of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), posted an announcement today warning consumers against using digital multi-cookers for pressure canning – even if they are advertised as being able to do so.

In a nutshell:

There are two types of canning: hot-water bath canning for acid foods (fruits jams and jellies) and pressure canning for low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, grains and/or tomatoes). Anyone can do hot-water bath canning with a normal pan and steamer basket (or using pressure cooker) but pressure canning is a tightly controlled process. Low-acid foods can provide a hospitable environment to the growth of deadly bacteria which is odor-free, taste-less and otherwise invisible. Pressure canning takes advantage of the high temperatures which can be achieved with pressure to fully sterilize the food within the jars and ensure that the contents are safe. Temperature, altitude and “processing times” are carefully calculated based on the type of food being pressure canned.

The Instant Pot has a an advertised working pressure range of 10.15 to 11.6 PSI. However, the plot thickens based on elevation for weighted-gauge pressure canners:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_canners.html

Weighted-gauge models exhaust tiny amounts of air and steam each time their gauge rocks or jiggles during processing. They control pressure precisely and need neither watching during processing nor checking for accuracy. The sound of the weight rocking or jiggling indicates that the canner is maintaining the recommended pressure. The single disadvantage of weighted-gauge canners is that they cannot correct precisely for higher altitudes. At altitudes above 1,000 feet, they must be operated at canner pressures of 10 instead of 5, or 15 instead of 10, PSI.

Anyway...for me, better safe than sorry regarding botulism, which is why I have both a pressure cooker & a pressure canner. If the NCHFP (USDA offshoot) felt it was enough of an issue to warrant a consumer warning, I'll take their word on it 😀

 

[Kaido]

Thanks Kaido! That makes it an easier decision for sure.

Now that you've got your HT setup, having quick meals via the IP makes dinner & movie nights @ home fun because you can pop some food in & be chowing down in short order without having to order take-out just to have a reasonably quick meal :thumbsup:

Once you get the hang of the Instant Pot, you can start layering on extras. I like to cook, but not every day, so I do a lot of make-ahead stuff that I throw in the freezer. So you can do say Kalua Pig (like super-soft pulled-pork) in the IP, and then bake up some dinner rolls straight from the freezer:

https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/freezer-dinner-rolls/

I keep a bunch of junk like that on-hand for throwing together meals really quick (including stuff like cookie dough, in the freezer...if you don't want to cook & don't want to eat out, you can have a pretty awesome meal in no time by combining the IP & say your oven for meat, dinner, rolls, cookies, etc. with virtually zero effort). For example, I used caramelized onions a lot, which make great toppings for burgers, Thousand Onion Chicken, etc. (also, you can make a big batch of them in the IP real quick!), and then you can freeze it to use as-needed:

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-you-sh...nd-3-ways-to-do-it-tips-from-the-kitchn-81485

If you want to get creative & do desserts too, try out this recipe:

http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-samoa-cheesecake/

This is the 7" pan I use: (springform = side pops apart via a latch)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000237FS0

That one goes out of stock a lot; Fat Daddio also makes a good one (with or without the latching system).

 

[ControlD]

Now that you've got your HT setup, having quick meals via the IP makes dinner & movie nights @ home fun because you can pop some food in & be chowing down in short order without having to order take-out just to have a reasonably quick meal :thumbsup:

I like that reasoning.

I love making one pot meals already (arroz con pollo, etc.). This seems like it would be a good addition to the kitchen

 

[Kaido]

I like that reasoning.

I love making one pot meals already (arroz con pollo, etc.). This seems like it would be a good addition to the kitchen

Yeah, the IP kind of takes one-pot meals to the next level. Like the kalua pig, you basically do in 3 stages - you use the pot to sear the bacon use saute mode, then you pressure-cook the pork on top of that, then you throw in the cabbage (this was the recipe that made me like cabbage, haha) & pressure cook for a little bit more time. One pot, multiple functions. I like easy cleanup 😀

 

[NetWareHead]

I've never thought to use my pressure canner as a cooker, I'll have to try that sometime (only ever done mason jars). What's your recipe for turkey, and how does it turn out?

As far as pressure cookers doing canning, certain things (like waterbath canning) can be done, but there's some further detailed information on it here:

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/consumer-alert-no-pressure-canning-in-un-tested-multi-cookers/



In a nutshell:



The Instant Pot has a an advertised working pressure range of 10.15 to 11.6 PSI. However, the plot thickens based on elevation for weighted-gauge pressure canners:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_canners.html



Anyway...for me, better safe than sorry regarding botulism, which is why I have both a pressure cooker & a pressure canner. If the NCHFP (USDA offshoot) felt it was enough of an issue to warrant a consumer warning, I'll take their word on it 😀

Do you have an All-American canner? Ive never cooked a turkey in mine, but was more or less using that example to show its size. The AA canner manual gives plenty of recipes where entire birds or sides of meat are cooked all at once.

Upon further consideration, I will have to revise my prev statement about the weight. If you run the pressure cooker at high temp so the weight is steadily jiggling and steam is always exhausting, then you are gauranteed to be cooking/canning at the PSI the weight is rated for. If the weight stops its movement and steam exhaustion, the pressure has fallen below the threshold and this characteristic is what makes it unsuitable for pressure canning. By the time you realize this, its too late.

When pressure canning, the food must be kept at or above the recipe's pressure at all times. Botulism spores are only killed when exposed to pressure for x amount of time and if during that time the pressure has dipped, you may be at risk. Plus, falling pressure causes other anamolies such as liquid from pressure cannner drawn into the jars or cause a ruptured jar.

A canner/cooker with a real gauge allows you to monitor it and assess PSI level without having to interpret the weight. If the gauge indicates falling pressure, you can turn up the heat before the point of no return. My recipes usually call for 10 PSI and as a precaution I run my jars at 11. Such control and on the spot readings are just not possible on a canner/cooker without a gauge; unless as described in my previous example you run the heat on high and keep the weight in constant motion. This could also run the risk of boiling all of the water out of the vessel...

 

[Kaido]

Do you have an All-American canner? Ive never cooked a turkey in mine, but was more or less using that example to show its size. The AA canner manual gives plenty of recipes where entire birds or sides of meat are cooked all at once.

Upon further consideration, I will have to revise my prev statement about the weight. If you run the pressure cooker at high temp so the weight is steadily jiggling and steam is always exhausting, then you are gauranteed to be cooking/canning at the PSI the weight is rated for. If the weight stops its movement and steam exhaustion, the pressure has fallen below the threshold and this characteristic is what makes it unsuitable for pressure canning. By the time you realize this, its too late.

When pressure canning, the food must be kept at or above the recipe's pressure at all times. Botulism spores are only killed when exposed to pressure for x amount of time and if during that time the pressure has dipped, you may be at risk. Plus, falling pressure causes other anamolies such as liquid from pressure cannner drawn into the jars or cause a ruptured jar.

A canner/cooker with a real gauge allows you to monitor it and assess PSI level without having to interpret the weight. If the gauge indicates falling pressure, you can turn up the heat before the point of no return. My recipes usually call for 10 PSI and as a precaution I run my jars at 11. Such control and on the spot readings are just not possible on a canner/cooker without a gauge; unless as described in my previous example you run the heat on high and keep the weight in constant motion. This could also run the risk of boiling all of the water out of the vessel...

Yup, I have the smaller 21.5-quart model:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S88Z

Waited years for it to go on sale...when it dropped to about $160, I jumped on it. I don't use it nearly as much as I want to tho 😀 I hit up the local fruit farms in season, but I still have a lot to learn about canning in general. There was a pretty bad case last year where someone brought improperly-canned potatoes to a potluck and like twenty people got botulism. Somebody even died because of it...scary stuff. On the flip side, at least you know exactly what is going in your food when you can it yourself. For example, the ingredients off Campbell's cream of chicken soup:

INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK, VEGETABLE OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, CREAM (MILK), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, DEHYDRATED MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CHICKEN FAT, YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVORING, BETA CAROTENE FOR COLOR, CHICKEN FLAVOR, CELERY EXTRACT, BUTTER (CREAM, ANNATTO), ONION EXTRACT.

Yeah, not sure why I need MSG, soy protein, and "modified food starch" in my soup 😛

 

[NetWareHead]

Yup, I have the smaller 21.5-quart model:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S88Z

Waited years for it to go on sale...when it dropped to about $160, I jumped on it. I don't use it nearly as much as I want to tho 😀 I hit up the local fruit farms in season, but I still have a lot to learn about canning in general. There was a pretty bad case last year where someone brought improperly-canned potatoes to a potluck and like twenty people got botulism. Somebody even died because of it...scary stuff. On the flip side, at least you know exactly what is going in your food when you can it yourself. For example, the ingredients off Campbell's cream of chicken soup:



Yeah, not sure why I need MSG, soy protein, and "modified food starch" in my soup 😛

Yeah I like canning my own food. I try to do it as much as posssible. Not only for health reasons but I have a bit of a doomsday prep streak in me. Have probably a few hundred jars with all sorts of preserved shelf stable food in my basement. All our friends joke they are coming over in the event of a disaster

 

[Kaido]

Yeah I like canning my own food. I try to do it as much as posssible. Not only for health reasons but I have a bit of a doomsday prep streak in me. Have probably a few hundred jars with all sorts of preserved shelf stable food in my basement. All our friends joke they are coming over in the event of a disaster

I've lived from coast to coast...earthquakes in Cali, hurricanes in FL, blizzards in CT. I wouldn't call myself a prepper, but there have been times where we've been without supplies for a week or two at a time and it's stunk not to be prepared for that, which has prompted me to make bug-out bags for my family in times of emergency & do some food & supplies storage.

It's not overly hard to get a pretty good supply, either...at minimum, all you need is a week's menu (3 meals a day = 21 meals over a week), then if you want to get say a year's stock, multiple all of those quantities by 52. My local restaurant store sells a 50-pound sack of flour for $14, which lasts a year in the pantry (or a good two years in the fridge or freezer, if you have room for it), which can be used to make everything from pizza to dinner rolls to pancakes to cinnamon buns.

What kind of stuff do you preserve?

 

[cliftonite]

Now that you've got your HT setup, having quick meals via the IP makes dinner & movie nights @ home fun because you can pop some food in & be chowing down in short order without having to order take-out just to have a reasonably quick meal :thumbsup:

Once you get the hang of the Instant Pot, you can start layering on extras. I like to cook, but not every day, so I do a lot of make-ahead stuff that I throw in the freezer. So you can do say Kalua Pig (like super-soft pulled-pork) in the IP, and then bake up some dinner rolls straight from the freezer:

https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/freezer-dinner-rolls/

I keep a bunch of junk like that on-hand for throwing together meals really quick (including stuff like cookie dough, in the freezer...if you don't want to cook & don't want to eat out, you can have a pretty awesome meal in no time by combining the IP & say your oven for meat, dinner, rolls, cookies, etc. with virtually zero effort). For example, I used caramelized onions a lot, which make great toppings for burgers, Thousand Onion Chicken, etc. (also, you can make a big batch of them in the IP real quick!), and then you can freeze it to use as-needed:

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-you-sh...nd-3-ways-to-do-it-tips-from-the-kitchn-81485

If you want to get creative & do desserts too, try out this recipe:

http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-samoa-cheesecake/

This is the 7" pan I use: (springform = side pops apart via a latch)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000237FS0

That one goes out of stock a lot; Fat Daddio also makes a good one (with or without the latching system).

Have you cooked potatoes in the IP? I tried to but they ended up burning on the bottom.

 

[slag]

Have you cooked potatoes in the IP? I tried to but they ended up burning on the bottom.

Cook how? I can make "baked" potatoes by wrapping potatoes in foil, placing them on the wire rack, and putting a cup or two of water in the bottom. Stack the potatoes up as well, I've done up to 12 at once with room for more and they cook in 10 minutes.

If you are talking about mashed or scalloped potatoes, I've not done those. I have the cuisinart model but its essentially the same thing.