Newer Pressure Cookers Equipped With Modern Safety Mechanisms

The pressure is on for the latest pressure cookers to prove their value as an important element in the kitchen. Scare stories need to be erased from distrustful minds. The new breed of pressure cookers is coming forth equipped with modern safety mechanisms. Here are some of the newest introductions:

With emphasis on safety and ease in usage, Cuisinarts Inc. provides these innovations in its Belgian-manufactured cooker, which carries the name of the Quiet Pressure/Cooker Steamer.

Quiet signifies the absence of an annoying rattle caused by jiggle-top pressure valves common in older cooker models. Instead, the rattle is replaced by a faint hissing sound caused by escaping steam, which indicates that the pressure level has been reached and that it’s time to reduce the heat.

A single valve, which is designed not to fly off, sits on the center of the cooker’s lid. A red pressure indicator rod in the center of the valve rises when pressure builds up. The rod is marked with three white rings to show low, medium and high pressure levels. An important safety feature is that if the heat is left on high and excessive pressure builds up, steam escapes from small holes in the base of the valve, making the hissing noise. If the heat still is not reduced, steam is released in a slot in the rim of the cover.

Another safety mechanism is that the lid will not open, causing burns from steam bursts, until the pressure is completely removed from the cooker/steamer. One of the most interesting assets of Cuisinarts’ new pressure cooker is the quick-release pressure mechanism. Earlier models required taking the unit to the sink to run cold running water on the lid to lower the pressure so the lid could be opened. The red control knob on the handle of the Cuisinart cooker can be moved up and forward to blow out steam. This instant depressurizing allows cooking to be interrupted to add ingredients at the final stages and then returned to the heat source for further pressure cooking.

The cooker is made of heavy-gauge stainless steel. Since stainless steel takes longer to heat, the manufacturer installed a solid disc of copper in the bottom of the pot, sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel. Copper has proved to be an exceptional heat conductor and allows even heat distribution.

Available in three sizes (four, six and eight quarts), each Cuisinart cooker comes with a steaming and draining basket and a trivet for cooking large roasts or poultry. Like most pressure cookers, by not sealing the lid, it can be used as an ordinary cooking utensil, a stockpot, deep-fryer or steamer. Suggested retail prices are $150 for the four-quart, $165 for the six-quart and $180 for the eight-quart. There’s a full five-year warranty on all parts except the rubber ring in the cover, which has a two-year warranty.

The Swiss-made Duromatic pressure cooker from Kuhn Rikon is distributed by Swiss Gourmet Collection in San Francisco. The newest generations of Duromatic pressure cookers are among the quietest, simplest in the market with very few parts.

The stainless steel cooker has a five-layer heat-conducting base of stainless, silver and aluminum for optimal heat distribution. Duromatic comes in plain stainless design or in classic models that feature lids with cooking times for various foods etched into the top. The center of the lid has a multivalve, which contains: a metal pressure indicator rod that rises as pressure builds up, an overpressure vent, an aroma vent and steam release facility.

The indicator rod in the Duromatic rises to a first and second ring. When the first ring is reached, the heat should be turned down. When the second ring pops up, it indicates that the correct cooking pressure has been reached and that timing can be started. Should the heat be left on high, steam will escape downward through holes in the rim of the lid.

The Duromatic has an automatic safety lock in the lid. Pressure cannot build up inside the pot unless the lid is properly closed. Similarly, the lid will not budge unless the pressure is released. For quick depressurizing, fingertip pressure may be applied on the valve cap. The two-liter (slightly more than two quarts) Duromatic pressure skillet ($99) has a waffled skillet surface. It can be used for pressure roasting, braising and pot roasting stews, chops and small roasts.

The Kuhn Rikon Duromatic pressure cookers are available in three-, five- and seven-liter sizes and range in suggested retail price from $90 to $130. Wire baskets, bowl inserts, timer and perforated inserts are available separately. The company provides a one-year guarantee. Servicing work and replacement parts are also guaranteed for 10 years.

One of the most popular cookwares in Europe, the German-made Fissler pressure cooker has aluminum sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel in the bottom. The lid of the cooker carries the main valve, housing the dial and pressure gauge, all securely built in so that nothing shakes or comes off during cooking.

As pressure builds up, the red gauge rises to indicate pressure level. The dial enables you to set the cooker to two pressure levels, one for cooking vegetables, fish and other foods and a second position (higher pressure) for cooking meats.

The safety features in the Fissler cooker include the autovalve, which backs up the main valve by releasing steam if the main valve is not working. In order to remove the lid from the pot, the lid-release button on the handle must be pushed forward. When pushed forward, steam escapes and pressure is released.

Available in five sizes, from 2- to 10-quart sizes, Fissler pressure cookers range in suggested retail price from $110 to $190. It offers a full lifetime warranty.

The first of its kind, Nordic Ware’s Tender Cooker is a combination of pressure cooking and microwave cooking. The gray bowl of thermoset polyester has a domed lid with detachable red pressure regulator weight and black gasket groove around its rim.

High pressure in the cooker increases the temperature in a shorter period of time and seals in the moisture in the food. The lid contains a pressure-indicating stem, which rises after eight to 10 minutes of microwaving at high power. The red pressure regulator weight will hiss and rock when pressure is reached and will do so until the heat is turned off.

Safety mechanisms in the Tender Cooker include a safety tube, a secondary pressure relief or gasket, as well as the pressure indicating stem, all engineered to release steam if pressure becomes excessive. The Tender Cooker is limited in capacity. Its 2 1/2-quart capacity will accommodate a three-pound roast or chicken, however. It will not compete in time savings with the stove pressure cooker but will do so with standard microwave methods.

For microwaving meats and poultry to tender and moist results, as well as cooking rice and desserts such as custards and puddings, the Tender Cooker eliminates having to program power level changes and the need to rotate or stir the food. The Tender Cooker from Nordic Ware has a suggested retail price of $32 and has a one-year limited warranty.

The Cuisinart Quiet Pressure Cooker/Steamers are available at selected Bullock’s, Montana Mercantile in Santa Monica and Martinel’s in Los Angeles. It will be available by spring at Williams-Sonoma stores.

The Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker is available at Amirco in Beverly Hills and Ingrid’s Gourmet Kitchen in Ventura.

The Fissler Pressure Cookers are available at Bullock’s, Williams-Sonoma and Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance.

The Nordic Ware Tender Cooker is available at J.C. Penney’s and the Broadway and will be at Thrifty by mid-February.