Magazines and cooking shows have done their best to review pressure cookers but, often, they are tested by people who do not know how to pressure cook nor are aware of basic operational and safety features.
Starting December 7th, and about once a month thereafter, we are going to publish pressure cooker reviews. They will quantify and compare specific data like time to pressure, evaporation, energy consumption, and dimensions with an detailed look at their features (or flaws)!
Each review will conclude with a “Hip Score” – a simple average of the cooker’s score in each category. Is clean-up more important to you than performance? Then you should pay careful attention to the rating in that category on the Hip Score Card.
The tests are executed in my own kitchen following a standardized testing routine with the help of a few techie gadgets and, most importantly, designed to simulate real cooking situations.
Before using a pressure cooker in the photographs of the step-by-step recipes we run it through the same three recipes twice to get acquainted with the pressure cooker’s features, opening methods and quality.
A pressure cooker risotto, for example, is an excellent recipe for testing the browning, heat expansion of the base (too much means that the top may not fit properly on the pre-heated base), time to pressure and evaporation. A tomato-based pasta sauce is made to test heat distribution (even distribution means no burning in spots). Finally, I make a custard to see if pressure is maintained with no fluctuations (which could make a holey or even “fried” custard).
But now, in addition to these behind-the-scenes testing, we’re taking careful measurements and combining all of this information to give you comprehensive pressure cooker reviews.
If you have the same model pressure cooker that is being reviewed, we’d love to have your thoughts on how you like it. Just leave a comment at the bottom of the review – the more information you share the better your fellow readers can make their purchasing decision.
To submit your pressure cookers for a free, detailed, expert review please contact info@hippressurecooking.com. If your pressure cooker gets high marks, it will be added in the photographed recipes rotation and added to the list of pressure cookers we use on this website
Outstanding!
We’ve only used a few different models and manufacturers so we are eager to learn more about what’s out there. Your numerical testing process is a great idea!
-Ryan
Excellent! Looking forward to this series. I am great fan of Fissler and Kuhn Rikon but would love to hear about other brands as well.
I’m looking forward to following along – just came over here from your guest post on Herbivoracious. I adore pressure cookers, they make *everything* easier.
I should publish the second one in a week or two. You can follow the series also by clicking “Reviews” on the right-hand menu under “HIP SERIES”.
Ciao and welcome!!
L
Thank you so much or such detailed reviews! I received a Fagor Futuro for Christmas, and without your review would have been frustrated by the inaccuracy of the pressure indicator. I’ve cooked with it frequently since, and thanks to your review and beginner series, have really enjoyed it! Thank you again!
Will you review Magefesa,WMF and B/R/K?
Thanks for reviews.
I have Magefesa Ideal and Instantpot in the que to review. WMF is not interested and I have have not yet been contacted by B/R/K.
You’re welcome!
Ciao,
L
Anyone have any experience yet with the tefal nutricook? It’s just arrived here in Canada, and I get to ask for a pressure cooker for xmas, so I have to make up my mind real fast…
Randal, that’s great news that they’re bringing the Nutricook to America. Tefal has not sent me a sample to review, so I don’t have any personal experience with it.
However, it has some really nice features like timed cooking and alerts and the company has a very good reputation.
Why not post your request on the Facebook page to see if anyone’s used one, yet?
Ciao!
L
It’s great that you reveal the country of manufacture in the reviews. When it comes to pressure cookers, I would never recommend one that’s made in China – I question the safety and durability of pressure cookers made in China – or any poorly made pressure cooker for that matter, even ones not made in China.
Also, if you can, please let us know if you notice any rust or discolouration caused by repeatedly washing the pressure cooker in a dishwasher. I was pleased to comment on the Fagor review to say that my own Fagor pressure cooker shows no rust or cosmetic damage after MANY washes in the dishwasher (I wash the lid and gasket by hand). Some brands of “dishwasher safe” cookware don’t have rust-proof screws in the handles and these screws will rust after just a few rounds in the dishwasher!
David,
Since after reviewing I cycle through all of the cookers for the recipes of the website I do have some extra knowledge on the durability of cookers that some “one time” reviewers might not. I’m happy to report that so far, even after using a cooker made in China, none of the cookers show any actual rusting.
Now, some are NOT dishwasher safe however I do live right next to the Mediterranean sea where the air is quite humid and the salinity is quite high – as you know salt is what causes metal to rust prematurely in a dishwasher- so these cookers DO get a lot of use and abuse in the hip kitchen and they have all survived quite nicely.
I cannot comment on the working conditions in China – though I have heard of the latest spate of scandals- but I can say that each manufacturer does their own quality control as they want to be assured that the cookers they sell have made no compromises in safety.
Ciao,
L