If you are looking to learn about what the best pressure cooker is and what to look for in a good pressure cooker, then this article is for you!
Why you need a pressure cooker?
The cooking arts and technologies have been advancing at a rapid rate in today’s modern world, and fewer industries are seeing the kind of boost in popularity and interest than the food worlds.
Everywhere you seem to look there is a new cooking show on TV, another magazine focusing on food preparation, and cook books cropping up just about out of nowhere. The world at large is fully embracing new methods and technologies of cooking while rediscovering some of the lost art that world renowned chefs around the globe have been practicing for hundreds of years.
One of these old school developments that is seeing an influx in interest and experimentation is cooking food with a pressure cooker – and it’s not really hard to see why.
While we are embracing the concept of cooking our food and becoming more and more responsible for the things we put into our bodies, our modern world is conspiring against us.
We’re busier than we’ve ever been, and as anyone that has tried to prepare food with distractions or in a hectic day would attest it’s not a very exciting experience. Luckily the best pressure cooker options will alleviate some of that stress and speed up the cooking process, giving you back some of the precious time you would have otherwise wasted.
A favorite tool of some of the world’s finest chefs and culinary experts, commercial kitchens and home kitchens are really getting a boost from these top pros pushing the industry and technology as far as humanly possible. While you may not need a unit the size of some of the world’s classiest hotels and restaurants it is still very nice to know that you’re not buying your Grandma’s old pressure cooker – you’re tapping into the power of the best pressure cooker that have ever existed.
There are a couple of things that you should consider before making an investment in one of these high end machines, and as with just about everything it will come down to your own personal choices and unique situation. What I can tell you is that for the first time in world history the everyday, common home cook has access to the same top of the line best pressure cooker that even the world’s most demanding chef has – an exciting possibility that until just recently has never existed. Here are a couple of things you’ll want to keep top of mind when looking for the right solution for your particular needs.
Two Most Important Factors to Look For When Trying To Find the Best Pressure Cooker
# Picking the correct size
Pressure cookers come in just about every size imaginable. There are some models that are perfect for bachelors and single people who want to whip up a meal for one quickly while still locking in all the flavor that the best pressure cooker will impart as well as giant machines that can serve and entire line of cooks in a Vegas kitchen working under the most demanding and stressful situations. For the sake of this article though I’m going to assume that you are a home cook looking to access the incredible leverage and power that the pressure cooker can offer you (and if you’re looking for more commercial solutions there are some other fantastic resources that can be found on the web).
People who are living alone or with just a couple of people can almost always get away with buying a small and portable 3-4 quart size pressure cooker while those with a midsized family will probably want to move up to the 6 quart models. If you have a large family or are planning on using a pressure cooker for a lot of people then an 8-10 quart model is the smallest you would go with. Any larger than that and it’s really out of the scope of what this article covers and you’re looking at converting commercial grade pressure cookers to home use.
# Choosing the right materials
The very best cooker models come in just two basic variations – aluminum and stainless steel. While you may not give much thought to which your chosen or particular models uses (I mean after all, they are both metals right?) digging a little deeper into the science and engineering choices behind both will give you a better idea of what you’re looking for.
Stainless steel pressure cookers are almost always bigger and heavier units, but they look absolutely amazing. Very elegant and sophisticated they are suitable for display on a counter or shelf and don’t need to be hidden in a cupboard or closet somewhere when not in use. These also make for the most durable and warp resistant pressure cookers, two features that the best pressure cooker will definitely have.
Aluminum models are also a solid choice because they conduct heat a little bit better than stainless steel, are much lighter and just as solidly built, and cost a lot less initially. The problem you’ll find with some pressure cookers that are built with aluminum though is the reaction with acidic foods and the fact that they are prone to damage and denting as well as scratching very, very easily. While these factors may not be enough to sway you one way or another they are definitely something to consider before you lock your choice in and give up some of your hard earned money.
As to make and models, there are some fantastic options for pressure cookers available from all of the major kitchen technology and appliance providers – brands like Cuisinart, Presto, Kitchen Aid and GE all have their own makes and models with their own pros and cons. So long as you keep in mind that the best pressure cooker is not one particular model over another, or one brand over another but the one that best fits you particular needs and unique requirements and fits into your daily life without skipping a beat, you’ll have absolutely no problem selecting the right pressure cooker for you.