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.