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| Presto Stainless Steel 6 quart pressure cooker, Presto steamer basket and trivet, stainless steel bowl |
Myrna purchased an electric pressure cooker and I thought
maybe I needed to replace my old aluminum Presto 6 quart stove-top pressure
cooker, as its rounded bottom didn’t work well on my glass stove top. Remember,
these are pressure cookers…not canners.
I searched for a replacement, and thought that I simply
didn’t have room to store an electric pot.
So I looked at newer stove-top models instead. To my surprise, I finally purchased a
stainless steel model of my old pressure cooker – a new 6 quart Presto stainless steel model! It was sturdily built, had a nice level
bottom, newer, better safety features than my old one, and I could buy some
accessories. My local hardware store
stocked replacement parts and it was much smaller than any of the electric
pots. After using it, I can say it also
cleans up much better than my aluminum model.
I looked at more expensive brands, they didn’t actually seem
as sturdy…one display model had a broken handle that was snapped in half…I
don’t think you could do that to the Presto.
I also thought they were not as easy to clean and the safety feature
seemed unnecessarily complicated.
Several of them were bigger than I needed…I have a 10 quart All-American
canner that I can use as a pressure cooker if I need one bigger than a 6 quart. Just like the Presto canners, their
cooker-size models are simple and straightforward to use.
A couple of things I bought for this new pressure cooker
were a steamer basket and two metal bowls to cook rice
in. All of these fit inside the pan for
storage. Presto also sells a glass lid
for the pan as well as a strainer lid which I think would be handy to have,
especially for straining off stock.
I also looked through a lot of pressure cooker cookbooks and
decided to purchase two…used…The Official
Presto Pressure Cooker Cookbook and Miss Vickie’s Big Book of Pressure Cooker
Recipes. I’ll review these soon.
I can say that I’m using this new pressure cooker more than
I have since I had a child at home. I
especially use it to make full size recipes that I divide into meal-size
portions and freeze to use on busy days...a pressure cooker makes those
long-cooking recipes a snap.
I'm a new follower of The Iowa Housewife. I've a few questions. First, where did you purchase your new Presto pressure cooker? Second, can electric pressure cooker and InstaPot recipes be done in a stove top pressure cooker? Do the recipes need any modification when cooking on a stove?
ReplyDeleteI purchased mine at a True Value hardware store. Yes, many of the electric pressure cooker recipes also work, but I would start with the book you get with your Presto...you can look at it and download it from their website if you're interested. Instant pot pressure cooker recipes also generally work, but, of course, not the slow cooker and yogurt function recipes, of course. Myrna and I have used pressure cookers like this since we were teenagers, they were especially popular during the 50's I think.
DeleteGlad to have you as a follower.
Sue, would you be able to use this stove top pressure cooker as a pressure CANNER as well? For half-pint jars? Or does it not have all the temperature and pressure indicators that you need for such work?
ReplyDeleteThe National Center for Home Food Preservation says that: The USDA recommends that a canner be large enough to hold at least 4 quart jars to be considered a pressure canner for the USDA published processes.
DeleteThese are pressure cookers…not canners. They heat and cool too quickly to use them to safely pressure can foods.
The All-American 10 quart canner is the smallest currently available-I have one and like it very well; I have occasionally cooked stock in that one, but it is too large for most meal-time recipes, in my opinion.
Also, I see that you purchased Stock# 01362 of the 6-qt stainless cooker, rather than stock# 01365. What made you choose one over the other, seeing as they are both stainless and both 6-qt?
ReplyDeleteNo reason for the stock number, I didn't realize there were 2 numbers. This was the model available at the hardware store when I bought mine. I can tell you that I have had very good luck with the more "old-fashioned" looking model; it's very simple and sturdy and it is similar to my old aluminum model that I have had for years.
DeleteI don't know why they changed the design, but I can't argue with the success I've had with the version I own.
Well, I could not resist calling Presto (hey, it was free!) and finding out why there are two models of the same cooker. Call me insatiably curious OR nosy!
ReplyDelete- The 01362 has an optional strainer lid and lists a steamer basket as an accessory.
- The 01365 does not come with a strainer lid nor list the steamer basket as an accessory. Steamer basket from 01362 will fit 01365 but strainer lid will not!)
- If you want to make rice, you need a solid bowl, which Presto does not offer as an accessory. Sue, where did you get your stainless bowls from?
- The glass lid is no longer available. Presto could not get it manufactured at a reasonable cost, so they discontinued it. HUGE BUMMER.
The biggest difference is that the 01365 has an extra pressure release, and the lid is more domed. And there you have it!
I really like the steamer basket, much easier to wash than the fold out ones, and it holds custard cups, etc. too.
DeleteWhoops! You already answered the question about the steel bowls! Sorry!
ReplyDeleteAmazon has the Presto 01634 model (same model in picture except made of ALUMINUM) on sale for $24.99! A very nice price point for someone who wants to explore the pressure cooker scene but wants to do it cheaply! Note that price does not include a steamer basket; you'd have to check with Presto to make sure the steamer worked with that particular model.
ReplyDelete