Can't help you with the electric style, or using it on induction, but I own two Fagor brand pressure cookers (medium & large). 90% of the usage goes to broth/stock, soups or roast beef, but my mother used hers for a variety of foods. (Forget Swainson's--Costco rotisserie chicken and a pressure cooker to make delicious broth is worth the shelf space alone!) One thing to consider about size is if you are going to be making stock, for example, you can only fill the pressure cooker about half full. You will want a larger pressure cooker than you may think you need for that reason alone. (I bought my medium-sized one first--live and learn).

I don't really fuss with the pressure cooker much while it is in use. Once it has reached pressure, I know from experience how low to set the burner. While I may peek in on it from another room once in a while, it is a fairly independent worker.

Read up on Magefesa brand pressure cookers. I love mine.

You might want to stick to the electric cooker if you don't want any complications.

Regulating stovetop pressure cookers can be a somewhat harrowing experience at times.

More than with almost any other form of cooking, you really need experience with the specific pressure cooker you have, and a recipe booklet that charts exactly how long and at what pressure things need to be cooked.

You are dealing with pressurized steam, and it can and will explode under the wrong conditions.

After cooking with a stove top pressure cooker for 50 years, I decided to downsize and ended up with a Presto electric. This thing cooks so fast and so well, I am amazed at the new (to me) electric function. A roast can take 20 min.

Even use it outside in the summer. The heat up and cool down is quick also. I have always taken the pressure cooker to the sink and ran cold water over it until the pressure is down. A lot quicker than letting it sit, safer and you don't have "food" steam to deal with.

I have a Bosch induction top and recently bought a Fagor Chef pressure cooker. I do fuss with it because it's still so new and I've only used it 3 times. There is a test procedure using only water to gauge what settings are required to maintain pressure on Miss Vickie's site. Of course, I just jumped right in and didn't do it!

For short cooking times, its much easier. Bring it to pressure on high, wait until "angry steam" is being released and the indicator is all the way up, go to "7" and make sure that you are still getting a steady stream of steam but it's not lazy or angry. This is the learning curve, figuring out which setting keeps pressure.

For long recipes, I've managed to gradually back it off to level 5 over the course of cooking by listening to the sound of the steam. I made the most delicious boneless short ribs! Whole potatoes went into the steamer basket and sat on top, which I mashed for a side.
For me, long cooking times requires more monitoring (which we should do anyway).

For 3 people, I'd recommend a 6 or 8 qt size because of the 2/3rds full restriction and the lovely option of cooking your sides at the same time. Also, it's great for larger items or quantities when you need it. Corn on the cob turned out great and I only used a 1/2 cup of water for 3 minutes!

I was *this* close to getting the Fagor Duo 8qt/4qt set, but I liked the pressure indicator on the Chef better and went with a 10 qt. I cook for 5.

1. thanks for the thread. i've been meaning to get a pressure cooker.

2. no need for rice cooker, just use your pot (like an all-clad).
I have Miele 36" induction cooktop; rice is a cinch.
- twice rinse 3 cups of jasmine rice in pot/drain
- fill w/ 2 3/4 cups of water
- cook at high/med (10 out of 12 for my cooktop) for ~2-4minutes w/out cover, when low boil, stir a bit
- cover w/ lid, reduce down to 5, cook for 20minutes.
- turn off heat, let it sit undisturbed for another 10.
DONE, presto.

I haven't read about programming my Miele to boil for 2minutes and simmer for 20 minutes YET. Will do that soon, so I would just need to press 1 button and rice will be done in 35minutes.

I usually make tons more rice, because I put extra in fridge.
When I'm ready to eat more, I take out the amount I want (1-2 bowls), add a sprinkle of water/or not, microwave for 1.5minutes to resteam everything.
Presto.

I'm Chinese.
grown up eating lots of rice.
we used to have a Chinese restaurant.
have cooked tons of rice, in all sorts of rice cookers, steamers, etc.
--> love this method of rice cooking: no teflon stuff to worry about.
easy cleaning too.

Amanda

Thanks Amanda - I'll try it!

3 cups of rice with 2 3/4 cups of water - are you sure about that? I always thought of rice/water as 1 to 2 ratio.

I have the Presto Professional pressure cooker 01370 - readily available at around $70. Really like it! I purchased Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure cooker recipes and have had good success cooking from it.

oldbat2be:
Yup, I'm sure. I had made a batch right before I posted it.

- You may be thinking of brown rice.
- What I wrote is for white Jasmine rice
- since I usually can't drain every drop of water from the rinsing, the total amount of water totals to almost 3 cups.

Does it have to say induction-ready, or can I just assume the stainless steel models (instead of aluminum) would work for induction?
I couldn't find confirmation that the Presto works on induction.

thank you.

Some stainless steel doesn't work on induction. Definitely verify if they would or not before buying.

Follow up question - some, but not all, pressure cookers come with a steamer basket. If the one I get does not, can any steamer basket be used? I assume you use the steamer basket for more delicate items, like fish and vegetables?

I have a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker that works on induction.
My favorite way to make rice is to bake it:
Preheat the oven to 350. Put 1 cup jasmine or white rice in 9x9 glass baking dish.
Add 1.5 cups hot water and a tablespoon of oil or butter. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before fluffing and serving. If I'm having the rice as a side dish, I use chicken boullion in the water. If I make a double batch, I use my Dutch oven or a 9x13 glass pan. The pan goes right in the dishwasher and the leftover rice doesn't get hard in the refrigerator. This is my adaptation of allrecipes classic rice pilaf recipe.

Schmaltzy, sounds great, but my dinnertime mantra is "if it takes more than 20 minutes, I don't make it!"

Ha!
My mantra seems to be, "if the dishwasher won't clean it I won't use it."

"Follow up question - some, but not all, pressure cookers come with a steamer basket. If the one I get does not, can any steamer basket be used? I assume you use the steamer basket for more delicate items, like fish and vegetables?"

Yes. Any heat/stove-top safe container can be used in it that fits. The basket can be used for delicate items or just to keep it out of the cooking liquid.

Thanks alex.

SJ -

I found some information about using the pressure cooker on induction. I've noticed that when I'm timing something for less than 10 minutes the food isn't done. It's probably related to the fact that the pot heats up so fast on induction. She says to use medium to bring it up to pressure.

Here is a link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pressure cooking with induction