Pressure Cooker, Chamber Vac, Sous Vide Unit....

[Justin0505]

That's what I was looking for, thanks!

I have heard of people using the KR for canning, although I don't think that it will go to quite as high a pressure as a dedicated canner like the AM 921. However, the KR is VERY thick (esp at base) stainless where the 921 is cast aluminum. It' wouldn't be an issue for canning, but I don't cooking on raw aluminum. -Aluminum oxide kinda nasty stuff... if it irritates my skin in anti-perspirant, I sure don't want to eat it.
The KR works very well for browning prior to pressure cooking and also as a huge stock pot. I like making concentrated stock by first browning the meat / caramelizing the onions / veg with the top off no water (just a little fat), then add h20 and pressure cooking to rapidly release the contents of bones / veg, then remove the solids and reduce with the top off.

IMO KR W/ induction burner would be the ultimate setup. With this and a good skillet or saute pan you could cover 99.99% of your stove-top needs.

[Zwiefel]

I have heard of people using the KR for canning, although I don't think that it will go to quite as high a pressure as a dedicated canner like the AM 921. However, the KR is VERY thick (esp at base) stainless where the 921 is cast aluminum. It' wouldn't be an issue for canning, but I don't cooking on raw aluminum. -Aluminum oxide kinda nasty stuff... if it irritates my skin in anti-perspirant, I sure don't want to eat it.
The KR works very well for browning prior to pressure cooking and also as a huge stock pot. I like making concentrated stock by first browning the meat / caramelizing the onions / veg with the top off no water (just a little fat), then add h20 and pressure cooking to rapidly release the contents of bones / veg, then remove the solids and reduce with the top off.

IMO KR W/ induction burner would be the ultimate setup. With this and a good skillet or saute pan you could cover 99.99% of your stove-top needs.

I was wondering about the cooking aspect since I know most canners aren't made with food prep in mind.

What the thoughts on size for the PC? Seems like a large one would discourage nightly use...but a small one wouldn't cover all needs.

5q?
8q?
bigger?

[apicius9]

I have a 10qt Fagor but don't nearly use it as much as I thought because it's just too big for one person to cook everyday meals. If I had to do it again, I would get a combo with 2 pots, one large and one small, and one pressure and one regular lid.

Stefan

[bieniek]

Gentlepersons,

Since MuchoBocho has given me the bug, I've been eyeing these pieces of equipment...wanted to see what you all think of them functionally, price-wise, etc. for a home user.

http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP...ressure+cooker

http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-Port...vacuum+chamber

http://www.amazon.com/PolyScience-Pr...ords=sous+vide

with the possible exception of the pressure cooker, these would be "later in the year" items...

Also, wanted to see what you all think of the "Modernist Cuisine At Home" vs "Modernist Cuisine." I'm guessing the science is explained in much greater detail in the full set....?

Start with a - one great question: Wat you want to do?? I did not read other answers cause it would not change my opinion anyway. Simple as it is. You want to feel better about yourself? Buy all the stuff plus modernist cuisine. At the end of the day, so much money must mean good cooking, isnt it?

or

If you really want to get into cooking, get yourself cheapest sous vide magic set, maybe with rice cooker, find good german pressure cooker [there is one german company, which I can promise you - makes amazing durable pressure pots, find it yourself, very well known] and do the cooking.

Two main advantages over polyscience? 1st power 3000W in sous vide magic which makes 80 C in no time, against polyscienses 400 years and 2nd the noise.

cooking cooking cooking. You will never get chicken that succulent as with regular very cheap,barbarian oven anyway. But good lock tyrying

[Zwiefel]

Start with a - one great question: Wat you want to do?? I did not read other answers cause it would not change my opinion anyway. Simple as it is. You want to feel better about yourself? Buy all the stuff plus modernist cuisine. At the end of the day, so much money must mean good cooking, isnt it?

or

If you really want to get into cooking, get yourself cheapest sous vide magic set, maybe with rice cooker, find good german pressure cooker [there is one german company, which I can promise you - makes amazing durable pressure pots, find it yourself, very well known] and do the cooking.

Two main advantages over polyscience? 1st power 3000W in sous vide magic which makes 80 C in no time, against polyscienses 400 years and 2nd the noise.

cooking cooking cooking. You will never get chicken that succulent as with regular very cheap,barbarian oven anyway. But good lock tyrying

I hear your message...I think I've earned my chops. I spent 10 years with no gadgets at all...only a chef's knife and a parer...no food processor, no grater, no blender, etc. I know what it means to cook (at home). There is no substitute for that....but I'm also ready to try something new.

[JCHine]

Before making the decision on which sous vide machine to purchase do some investigation about the advantages of stirred versus unstirred baths. For me the stirred bath with variable capacity, portability (great for holiday rentals) and the ability to cook from frozen is a big advantage that offsets the noise.

KR for canning - they get to approximately 121C at 2 bars (maximum) which should in theory kill botulism/Staphylococcus aureus spores. But they are pretty small so yields are low.

[Justin0505]

I was wondering about the cooking aspect since I know most canners aren't made with food prep in mind.

What the thoughts on size for the PC? Seems like a large one would discourage nightly use...but a small one wouldn't cover all needs.

5q?
8q?
bigger?

I think my first link was incorrect, I think that one that I have is the 8q:
http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ef=pd_sbs_k_10

I think that the 7.4 is the most popular, but looked at them side by side and like the 8q more for a few reasons:
-more compact handle actually made it better space-wise for storage
-big enough to fit a few cans in
-I didn't have a good quality, big stock pot, and now I don't need to buy one
-easily accommodates a large chicken, rack+ of ribs, etc...
-theres a method of cooking rice where you put the rice in a bowl with water, then put a small amount of water in the PC then put the bowl in the PC. The 8q accommodates my large pyrex bowl (that makes plenty of rice for 1-4 people) well.
-I'm a bit of a safety nut when it comes to things that can explode and shoot super-heated plasma and metal all over, and while the KR does have the best valve / safety design, you still need to make sure that the contents never touch the lid / valves. There's a max fill line, but you also have to think about cooking certain things (like beans) that can bubble / foam up, so the extra margin in size is also a margin in peace of mind for me.


the next size up (10 I believe) is really huge.

[bieniek]

I hear your message...I think I've earned my chops. I spent 10 years with no gadgets at all...only a chef's knife and a parer...no food processor, no grater, no blender, etc. I know what it means to cook (at home). There is no substitute for that....but I'm also ready to try something new.

My message was something little else.
I meant, the priciest eq does not mean best or most useful.
Water is an amazing substance it never is unstirred.

[mikemac]

If you haven't made a commitment yet....a few years back I did the same search for PC's...the Magefesa and Kuhn-Rikon were essentially 'ranked' as equals, with a big two thumbs up for the documentation that came with the KR vs. a big two thumbs up for the $$ value in the Magefesa. I have the Magefesa Supercooker which is a pressure cooker & pressure fryer (most PC's are NOT), and I've had no problems or complaints.

[rahimlee54]

If you have the cash the KR is great, it not the fagor is nice as well. I purchased the 8 qt, it works great for 2 people. I narrowed it down between the fagor and KR and went with the KR because I liked the release valve and fagor had quiet a number of quality complaints online. If I could have found it locally I would have gotten it, and had access to easy returns if there were any problems. I looked at the american canning pots, which look great, but storage was an issue.

Expensive equipment is not a necessity but it does usually make your life easier.

Botulism and Staph die around 72 C any boiling water bath will kill them and pressure cookers will for sure.