How to Use a Stovetop Pressure Cooker (Video)

I made a 2014 resolution: to buy a pressure cooker and find out for myself what the hype is about.  I bought Fagor Duo 8 quart stovetop pressure cooker.  It's Cook's Illustrated "best buy" option that sells for about $100, making it very affordable compared to other brands (Kuhn Rikon, Fissler, etc).

I can't stop using it.  Pressure cooking is fantastic, not just because it's fast, but because it produces absolutely the best beans.  But this road to pressure cooking bliss was not without some bumps.  My first pressure cooker was slightly defective.  It took me a few weeks to figure out why it was cooking so inconsistently.  Eventually, I got it to work just fine, but in the meantime, Wayfair, the helpful retailer that sold it to me on Amazon sent me another one for free.  The second one worked perfectly and it helped me solve the problem with my first one.  It seems from Amazon reviews that I am not the only person with pressure problems, so I decided to make a video showing how to use Fagor Duo, and how to deal with its little quirks.


YouTube Link: How to Use a Pressure Cooker
More Videos: Helen's Kitchen Channel

Questions

Do I have to make any adjustments to use a pressure cooker on an electric stove?

Yes.  On an electric stove, you can't drop the heat quickly from high to low.  To simulate that, heat up your pressure cooker over high heat on one burner, and then move it to another burner that you preheated to medium-low heat.

Every time I turn the heat down, my pressure indicator drops.  What should I do?
Make sure you are not turning down the heat too soon.  Only turn it down if these three conditions are met: 

1. the steam is escaping from the knob area 
2. the pressure indicator came up 
3. the handles clenched tightly

If all three conditions were met and the pressure indicator still falls, your heat might be too low.  Turn up the heat back to high until all three conditions are met, and then turn it back down to low, but not quite as low as you tried the first time. 

Is it ok for the water to drip from the handle?

It's normal for the water to drip from the handle while the pressure is building and before the handles clenched.  Once full pressure is reached, wipe the remaining water under the handle and see what happens. If the water continues to drip, the seal might not be tight enough.

How much should I pamper my gasket?
I’ll be honest with you -- I don’t pamper my gasket too much and it seems fine. Definitely don’t put it in the dishwasher, but I let it air dry instead of towel dry and almost never oil it. If it does crack, Fagor replacement gaskets are cheap. If you have Kuhn Rikon, you might want to be more careful since their gaskets are pricey.

How do I convert normal cooking time to pressure cooking time?

It depends on the recipe, but I find that 15 minutes under pressure (5 on heat plus 10 off heat) is usually equal to 1 hour of gentle simmer without pressure.  

How do you choose which release method to use?

The faster you release pressure, the more violently the food will boil inside the pot, which is not advisable for delicate foods like beans that can break up.  Most of the time I use a combination of natural and automatic release.  In other words, I let the pot sit off heat for a specific duration (for example, 10 minutes), then release steam with a knob and open.  The reason I am timing how long the pot is off the heat is that if the pot is left to its own devices, the amount of time it will take to depressurize depends greatly on how much food is in the pot.  This means that if you are doubling your recipe, it can easily take much longer for the pot to depressurize and the contents will overcook.  The reason you have to time things so precisely is that 10 minutes off the heat in a pressure cooker are roughly like 40 minutes of regular cooking.