Hi and Happy New Year to you all.

I've read that a few posters, including Mamta, use a pressure cooker. I'm going to get one soon so I'd appreciate any advice re makes & models. I thought I'd ask here as I usually make a mistake with this sort of thing. I either buy cheap and its no good or I buy something whose capabilities are way beyond what actually need. I haven't even used one before. Many thanks.

first thing you need to consider is how much food you will cook in it ?.. if you are a big family with hearty appetites, its no point buying small pan... get a big high dome pressure cooker...

Steve

Three of mine are of this type, all Prestige; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prestige-Aluminium-Pressure-Cooker-Litre/dp/B0007U94U0/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1326607609&sr=1-11 . One is high dome and 10 litre, one 5-6 litre and one similar pan one. I also have two Hawkins Futura pressure cookers; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prestige-Aluminium-Pressure-Cooker-Litre/dp/B0007U94U0/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1326607609&sr=1-11 one huge, I think it is 12 or 15 litre, may be even more, I only use it for party cooking once in a while. I also have one small 3 litre one. I have not used the modern ones, except when visiting some friends house. Simple ones are the ones I am used to, they work fine and are safe and easy to use.

You might like to read this; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1254991/Pressure-cookers-hot-Our-mothers-swore-them--kitchens-scariest-gadget-making-comeback.html

I would get a decent sized one, to be able to cook for more people when required. It is possible to cook less in a large one, but not the other way around! Obvious, but people often forget this when buying.

Shop around, there are a lot of offers at the moment and they vary hugely. Choose what you want and then look for prices.

Good hunting!

May I add my two cents here ...

I am no expert on pressure cookers, but I learned from another forum board of the "new generation" cookers which provide better security/lock features and greater efficiency with cooking.

I think that cooks raised in India are used to the cookers that "whistled," that emitted steam every so often, a useful guide for timing. Some of the newer cookers do not "whistle" and emit steam in the same way. They are very quiet, and make more efficient of the liquid contained within the cooker since no steam is being evaporated out of the sealed cooking interior.

That said, a heavier all stainless steel unit will lessen the chance of "burning" of foods than the cheaper thinner aluminum cookers. Am Mamta said,

you need to consider what you plan on using the cooker for. If you will be cooking larger amounts of food, you definitely need at least a 6 qt cooker. To cook a whole large chicken or large piece of meat, go for a larger size.

Some cookers have two settings for pressure - one for high, another for low.

It is recommended by some "experts" go ensure the cooker cooks at 15 psi. Lower pressure will provide a lower "cooking" point and will require a longer relative cooking time, so if you are going by recipes and cooking time guides, you will need to adjust the times.

I like the Fagor Elite (no longer made/sold) I bought some years ago. It is only a 4 qt size and I use it primarily for small items, such as for cooking kale (6 to 7 minutes), raw beans, oatmeal, rice, and more recently, the first full meal I have ever made in it (read my more recent post). I really like it for its smaller size, quiet operation, and reliability, not to mention the job it does with cooking!

One of the premium brands is Kuhn-Rikon (Swiss?) and is priced accordingly.

With Fagor you are still getting good quality but make sure the model you buy is made of all stainless steel and pressures to 15 psi. I think Hawkins premium cooker is called the "Futura," and looks more similar to the Fagor line than the other Hawkins cookers that "whistle."

For an extra $30 to $50 over some of the cookers department stores sell from lesser known brands, I'd go with something similar to Fagor or a recommended brand by Mamta.

With concern for not wanting to advertise another forum board, I refrain from specifying that site, but if you do a search on the internet for pressure cookers and forum, you should find the one that will give you an education of pressure cookers. Good luck!

That is a very comprehensive reply Felafelboy, thank you.

I am not really recommending any brands, I am simply saying which ones I have/use and that I find them good. Buying a pressure cooker will also depend on how much you are going to use it and how much money you want to spend on it.

Thanks

Mamta