My thoughts on the Six Quart Presto Pressure Cookers

Learning to use a pressure cooker is a skill. However you can learn this skill fairly easily if you have the time and the care to learn. You should definitely follow instructions on how to use a pressure cooker to the letter. There have been several accidents when using a pressure cooker but it is usually because the person using it was not doing it correctly or they had faulty equipment. You should have a pressure gauge tested every year to make sure it is in proper working order. You can do so at your local extension office. If you buy a cooker at a flea market or yard sale take you should definitely have it tested before using.

Presto makes two different types of six quart pressure cookers, the 6 quart aluminum pressure cooker and the 6 quart stainless pressure cooker. They are all very nice, the only difference is the type of metal it is made of. These two non-electric presto cookers are made for use on glass/ceramic and flat top and regular stoves, the aluminum model number is 01264. The stainless steel is 01362. The 6 quart pressure cookers are made only to cook in, NOT to be used as a canner to preserve foods. Both of these Presto Pressure Cooker have a twelve year limited manufacturer’s warranty on them. All of these cookers do have replacement parts available if something happens to the original; just make sure you know the correct model number of your particular pressure cooker. The aluminum and the stainless steel come with a recipe/instruction booklet, and a canning rack. They all hold six quarts of liquid (that's the reason it is called a six quart pressure cooker). Each of the pressure cookers come with a regulator weight set at 15 psi. The regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically. These are supposed to cook food 3 to 10 times faster than other food preparation methods. The website www.pressurecooker-outlet.com carries both models of the 6 quart pressure cookers, the aluminum is $28.99 and the stainless steel is $51.95. They have several different recipes in the instructions booklets. Here is one for example:

Vanilla Custard 2 cups skim milk 4 egg whites, slightly beaten 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla nutmeg 1 1/2 cups water

Combine milk, egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour into individual custard cups. Sprinkle nutmeg on custards. Cover each cup firmly with aluminum foil. Pour water into cooker. Place custard cups on rack in cooker. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 5 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Cool cooker at once. Chill custard.

Nutrition information per serving 84 calories, 0g fat, 1mg cholesterol

Variation: chocolate custard Heat skim milk with 3 tablespoons cocoa. Follow vanilla custard directions.

Variation: coconut custard Sprinkle 1 tablespoon coconut over top of each vanilla custard before cooking. Great selection of Pressure Cooker Parts. We carry parts for Presto, Mirro, All American, Chef's Design, Sears, Maid of Honor & Maitre's.

A Quick Look at a Pressure Cooker

As a working mom I find it extremely difficult to have a good home cooked meal for my family every night. There are too many places to be and not enough time to do it all. I started trying to make my meals on Sunday nights and freezing everything, but I would rather be spending time with my family instead of cooking five meals! So I am left with the dilemma, “How do I cook a delicious, nutritious meal fast?” I found my answer, pressure cooking!

Did you know you can use a pressure cooker to make mashed potatoes in about 10 minutes? Green beans are cooked in no time and maintain their nutrients. As easy as it is to make a pot roast in a slow cooker and leave it all day it is even easier to throw everything in the pressure cooker, lock the lid and let it cook for about 15 minutes and my family has a delicious pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions!

My favorite brand of kitchen appliances is Presto. I have multiple Presto products in my kitchen, but my favorite is the Presto Pressure Cooker. Presto offers a 4 qt., 6 qt., and 8 qt. cooker in both aluminum and stainless steel. I use several different sizes of cookers, but my favorite is the 4 quart aluminum. I realize it is the smallest, but I can use multiple cookers at the same time if I use the smaller ones. I have an aluminum one and a stainless steel one. There aren’t too many differences, but here is what I have found to be different.

Size The 4 qt. aluminum is 7 5/8” x 5” and the 4 qt. stainless steel is 8 3/8” x 4”1/4 on the inside. Overall the 4 qt. aluminum is 14 ½” long and 7 1/5” tall. The 4 qt. stainless steel is 17” long and 6 5/8” tall. This doesn’t really make much difference to me, but it is different. The biggest difference, to me, is the price. The 4 qt. aluminum cooker retails for an average of around $26.00 and the 4 qt. stainless steel retails for about $20 more at $46.99. The aluminum pot is cheaper because of the metal it is made of. As you know stainless steel will keep its shine longer and will probably last longer over time. I have both, but I use my stainless steel cooker more.

If you don’t know how to pressure cook you can read the instructions included with the cooker. It really is easy to do. The Presto cookers come with an instruction manual that includes recipes. With such an affordable price these cookers are great house warming gifts, Christmas gifts, or mother’s day gifts.

A word of warning, these cookers are not tested to do pressure canning. While it is possible to do pressure canning it is not recommended. Always use caution when preserving food. If the can does not maintain it’s seal then do not consume that product.

(I found this information on Pressure Cooker Outlet. This is also the site I use to order replacement parts for my cookers from time to time. I don’t have to buy parts often.) Great selection of Pressure Cooker Parts. We carry parts for Presto, Mirro, All American, Chef's Design, Sears, Maid of Honor & Maitre's.