The Best Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

A good pressure cooker will give you the ability to prepare several different dishes in only a few minutes (which has given rise to the fancy but apt name of “multi-cooker” for the new generations of pressure cookers.) There are several more benefits that you can get from owning top pressure cookers, all of which we will be explaining in this highest rated pressure cookers buying guide. We also have some tips as to how you can find a quality pressure cooker for your kitchen.

• What Are the Benefits of Owning A Modern Pressure Cooker?

There are plenty of reasons why a good pressure cooker is going to be one of the best investments you can make this year.

• Saving Time and Money

A pressure cooker gets its heat from the steam’s pressure building inside of the pot, which allows it to cook at temperatures far exceeding boiling point. Due to this, pressure cookers can slash cooking time by as much as 70% and save you a significant amount on the energy bill. In fact, the U.S Department of Energy highly recommends using a pressure cooker to prepare your food whenever possible to save energy.

• Have Healthier Meals

Unlike other cooking appliances, a pressure cooker uses less water while it’s cooking. As a result, it can retain more nutritions like essential vitamins and minerals within the food as well as the natural flavours of the ingredients.

The moisture within the foods is also maintained, so ingredients prone to drying out like meats remain succulent.

• Eliminate Harmful Bacterias and Viruses

The humongous amount of heat inside of a pressure cooker will kill any and all harmful bacterias and viruses.

• Save Space

A multi-cooker can handle the job of several kitchen appliances at once, including a yogurt maker, rice cooker, slow cooker, pot, pan, and more. This not only means that you can save countertop space, but you will also be spending less on appliances.

• What to Look Out For While Buying A New Pressure Cooker

The most important things to look out for while you’re out shopping is the type of cooker, the price, and the size.

>> Types of Pressure Cookers: Electric or Stovetop?

Electric Cooker

The key difference between an electric and a stovetop pressure cooker is the heat source. While a best rated electric pressure cooker has an integrated heat source that can produce its own heat and cook on its own, a stovetop pressure cooker relies on an external heat source (a stove) to heat up its contents.

Electric pressure cookers are less fussy and are generally more convenient to use. They are usually built with a digital timer that oversees the cooking process from the beginning till the end without you having to constantly hover over it and supervise. The computer will usually control the pressure and the temperature by itself, as well.

Stovetop Cooker

While a stovetop cooker is less convenient, having manual control over the cooking process can be a good thing especially if you’re searing the food (let it brown, then seal and cook it up under pressure.)

Searing is quite tricky in an electric cooker. You have to set the browning temperature, time the browning period on your own, cut power at the right time and then restart the cooker to start the cooking phase.

A stovetop can also build temperature faster and allow you to do quick cold water release, which instantaneously halts the pressure cooking process. A huge advantage while steaming.

Stovetop also has higher maximum pressure (about 8 to 15 PSI) than electric cookers, which only range from 10 to 11 PSI. The majority of the cookbooks requiring a pressure cooker demands that the pressure is at around 15 PSI, so a stovetop— while requiring more manual works— is compatible with more recipes and cookbooks than an electric one.

>> Price

Pressure cookers are available in many different price points and the best pressure cooker brands on the market often have models in all pricing ranges.

There are three pricing tiers that we’re going to discuss: budget, mid-range, to the most expensive and premium cookers.

Budget

Budget cookers are typically made from aluminum, which is a light material. This makes it perfect for camping trips or outdoor cooking. Their affordability makes them the obvious choice if you are either new to pressure cooking or don’t use a pressure cooker very often to justify more expensive purchases.

Of course, there are disadvantages to this tier. Because the construction and all of the parts are typically cheaply made, they are not very durable and may have problems such as discoloration and catching unpleasant food odors over a long period of use. They may also lack some convenient features such as a quick-release valve in order to save costs.

Mid-Range

Most popular among consumers and being featured the most in the best pressure cooker reviews are the mid-range cookers. These cookers are at the perfect balance point between affordability and cooking performance, making them the ideal choices for the majority of households.

Mid-range cookers usually have a stainless steel construction that’s tougher and has more longevity than the aluminum construction in more budget cookers. They are also easier to clean and maintain as well as not being susceptible to bad smells and flavors after use.

These best rated pressure cookers are also loaded with great convenient features and cooking settings to make the majority of users happy. However, when compared with more premium cookers, the range of features may seem lackluster.

Premium

Premium cookers are the answer to the question of “what is the best pressure cooker?”. They have extremely durable stainless steel construction that won’t be damaged even if they were to be tipped over. All of the smaller components are easy to clean and were designed and built to last you for a long time.

Premium cookers have a wider range of settings for you to fine-tune your cooking. Most are equipped with a digital control panel that’s easy to use and comes with a large number of accessories to improve your efficiency and convenience in the kitchen.

The only “bad” thing about these cookers is that they’re expensive.

>>Size

The last thing to consider is size.

Ask yourself two simple questions, first: “Who and how many people will you be cooking for?” and “How often do you cook for them?”

Most cookers are advertised with their full capacity, however, do keep in mind that only about ⅔ of that capacity can be used for cooking. Never fill the pot for more than ⅔ the capacity to account for bubbling and frothing.

Useful Reference: My Fantastic Journey Finding the Best Pressure Cooker

There are four main sizes:

- Beneath 5 Liters: Great for small families or for singles. It can prepare a meal for two or a single course for a small family.

- 5 to 7 Liters: Ideal for a family of three to five and will be able to handle cooking a full meal.

- 7.5 to 10 Liters: The go-to size for families with more than six members or if you expect to cook for a lot of people at once.

- 10 Liters and Up: The largest size suitable for catering or commercial cooking. Can handle a meal for fifteen people at a time.

Conclusion

Concluding this buying guide, we hope that the article has been of use to you. If you’re ready to purchase, we have a range of pressure cooker reviews for you to browse through.

Happy shopping!