Best Pressure Cookers

Is it worth getting a pressure cooker?

How does a pressure cooker work?

A pressure cooker (or 'high pressure cooker') is a cooking pot that uses highly pressurised steam to cook foods in a short time that can’t be achieved by other cooking methods.

This steam is created when you put a liquid such as water or broth inside the pressure cooker, along with food. The liquid boils, reaching hot temperatures of up to 120 degrees, which creates steam that reaches pressure to cook food fast.

The pressure cooker must remain airtight throughout the cooking process, often using a locking lid that creates a seal. After food is cooked, pressure then needs to be released.

There are two types of pressure cookers - stovetop pressure cookers and electric pressure cookers.

Which is better, a stovetop or electric pressure cooker?

The main difference is that stovetop pressure cookers require an external heating element to work, which is a cooktop. An electric pressure cooker, on the other hand, is a standalone appliance with a built-in heating element.

The other primary difference is that stovetop models require much more manual handling than electric pressure cookers, which take some of the pressure off with their automatic settings.

Stovetop pressure cookers · See All

Electric pressure cookers · See All

What can you cook in a pressure cooker?

Pressure cookers are a great way to cook a variety of dishes that require some amount of liquid to cook. This includes curries, soups, stews, vegetables (including tougher veggies like potatoes), lentils, tougher cuts of meat, and risotto.

On the other hand, pressure cookers aren't a suitable choice to cook delicate, fried or crispy food. This is because adding moisture to these foods (for example, those with a crumbed batter) will make them soggy. Delicate food will just be obliterated under the highly pressurised heat.

Factors to consider before buying a pressure cooker

Capacity

The capacity of your pressure cooker determines how many people you can cook for every time you prepare a dish. As a general guide, here's what to aim for when you're sourcing a correctly sized cooker:

• 3-4 litre capacity: These small pressure cookers offer a sufficient size for singles or couples.
• 5-litre capacity: This will be suitable for a household of 3 people.
• 5-6 litre capacity: Accomodates a household size of 4-5 people. Most electric pressure cookers are designed to hold this capacity.
• More than 6 people: Add an additional litre for every extra person you're cooking for.

It can be tricky to find a standalone pressure cooker with a capacity over 6 litres. You'll probably have better luck purchasing a stovetop cooker - which can have capacities of up to 20 litres, or a multi-function pressure cooker - such as the Crock-Pot Express Crock XL, which boasts a spacious 7.6-litre capacity.

Build quality

Stainless steel

This is the most durable construction material available, for both the outer body and cooking bowl of a pressure cooker. It lasts long because it doesn't dent or scratch easily. However, due to its solid construction, it will be heavier to carry. The finish is also more likely to attract fingerprints or other marks, requiring special attention when it comes to cleaning.

Aluminium and plastic

Both aluminium and plastic are frequently used in the outer body construction of budget pressure cookers. While these are lightweight and easy to carry, the material isn't especially resilient. As a result, it may become scratched or dented easily.

Ceramic inner pot

Ceramic serves as a high quality material for an inner cooking pot. Ceramic is a superior conductor of heat, and will allow your appliance to achieve the right amount of pressurised steam for cooking faster. A 100% ceramic inner pot doesn't have coatings or layers that peel off, allowing it to maintain its durability. It is a different beast to ceramic-coated inner pots.

Ceramic-coated inner pot

This refers to a pot that's manufactured with a synthetic ceramic coating, on top of a base metal such as aluminium or lead. This coating isn't particularly resilient, and has commonly been reported by reviewers to chip away or peel off, even after a few uses.

This can expose the metal underneath, traces of which can contaminate food that's cooking and become potentially toxic to health.

Ease of Use

Features

The majority of these are only available with electric pressure cookers.

• Preset menu options let you make your favourite foods at the touch-of-a-button. For example, the Russell Hobbs Express Chef has one-touch buttons for making curries and soups.
• Adjustable pressure settings allow you to control the level of pressure and heat inside the appliance. A low setting may be preferable for foods that have partially been cooked, for example by searing them beforehand. A high setting, on the other hand, can speed up the time it takes to cook some meat you just grabbed out of the freezer.
• Pressure level indicator informs you of the level of pressure currently inside the cooker. This doubles as a safety mechanism, as it alerts you when it's safe to remove the pressure cooker lid after cooking.
• Searing function allows you to sear foods inside the pressure cooker pot before changing the setting to 'Pressure cook.' This infuses more flavours into the food.
• Steam-release valve is your friend when it comes to pressure cooking. Simply turn this valve when cooking is finished, to release the steam that's built up throughout the cooking process. This is an important step - opening the lid before releasing boiling hot steam is dangerous.

Pressurising speed and Release time

Pressure cooking is the fastest way of cooking meals. However, while some recipes may proudly proclaim that you can make curries in an easy three minutes, this isn't entirely true. That's because you'll also have to account for extra time taken for the appliance to build up pressure, and then release the pressurised steam afterwards.

So while it may take 3 minutes to cook that curry, you can add on about 10 minutes for an appliance to build up pressure, then another 15 minutes for it to release presssure afterwards. That's still only a total time of 28 minutes - but if you're expecting to be fed in a slick 3 minutes, your hangry self should probably be warned it's not going to happen.

To have a hot meal on the table faster, it's important to consider the pressurising speed and release time of a pressure cooker. This will naturally vary depending on the quantity of food in the pot, the amount of liquid, and the level of heat in the pot to begin with. However, it's also down to the efficiency and quality of a pressure cooker.

Reading reviews written by fellow pressure cooker owners can help you find out how speedy a pressure cooker actually is.

User friendliness

Pressure cookers are valued for their convenience. To continue with this theme, look for a pressure cooker that's easy to use, with clearly labelled buttons or controls, or an electronic display that clearly indicates settings, the amount of time remaining until cooking is complete, and any other useful information you need to know.

Cleaning and maintenance

Many pressure cookers have dishwasher safe parts. Whether this includes either the inner cooking pot, the cooker lid, or both - this makes your pressure cooker easy to clean.

Cleaning the gasket

When cleaning, remember to remove the gasket - the rubber or silicone seal underneath the lid - and clean it thoroughly. The gasket is an important part of the pressure cooker, as it's what keeps the cooker airtight so food can pressure cook properly.

However, it can become easily clogged with food, as well as retain flavours and smells of food after cooking. Since most people won’t think of a fish-flavoured chocolate pudding as being tasty, cleaning the gasket is beneficial for both the smooth running of your appliance and your culinary sensibilities.

Safety

Safety is an important consideration when it comes to pressure cookers. The contents inside pressure cookers become dangerously hot - exceeding even the boiling point of water to reach 121 degrees Celcius.

From a safety perspective, modern electric pressure cookers are more reliable than stovetop cookers. They are designed with safety as a paramount concern, and are often equipped with several different safety mechanisms to help all household members stay safe.

Choose a double locking lid

Unsafe pressure cookers will have a faulty design (such as faulty locking mechanisms) which can causes boiling hot contents and steam to explode from the cooker and injure bystanders. A pressure cooker released by Aldi in 2017 did just that, causing second and third degree burns to the poor people standing closeby.

Make sure any pressure cooker you buy is fitting with a lid that has a double locking mechanism. This is much safer than a single lock, or a lid that simply twists on and off without any lock at all.

Safe steam release

Choosing a pressure cooker with a safe steam release valve is also important. This means when you turn the valve to release steam, the hot steam should not in any way make contact with your hands or face.

Price

Pressure cookers range considerably in price from $60-$650.

The higher up the price scale you go, a pressure cooker is more likely to feature a sturdier build quality. These pressure cookers have a stainless steel outer body, and inner cooking pot.

A more expensive pressure is also more likely to function as a multi-cooker. For example, it may operate as a 2-in-1 pressure cooker and slow cooker, and also be equipped with a greater variety of pressure settings and features - including one-touch cooking programs.

Wrapping up

A pressure cooker is an undeniably handy kitchen addition for those times when you need meals in less than half an hour. For the ultimate convenience, an electric pressure cooker offers a set-and-forget functionality. However, if you prefer more manual control over cooking, a stovetop option may be preferable.

Also consider how many people you usually cook for, how easy a pressure cooker is to use and clean, and of course how safe it is. Choosing right the first time means less stress in the kitchen, and more days and nights of home cooked meals made in a jiffy.