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I understand the attraction of slow cooking. It ties neatly into our desire for authenticity and even mindfulness. However, the last piece of kitchen machinery

I understand the attraction of slow cooking. It ties neatly into our desire for authenticity and even mindfulness. However, the last piece of kitchen machinery that changed my life is the opposite: the pressure cooker. It allows you to go from raw beef or even dried (unsoaked!) beans to a meltingly soft stew in less than an hour. It saves time and energy and, by doing so, opens up whole swaths of culinary possibilities.

dekhn 4y ago
Steel cut whole oats in 1 hour. I use an instant pot which does slow and pressure cooking
cmclaughlin 4y ago
I totally agree. I use my Instapot all the time. Another game changer for me is the Anova Precision Oven. Baking with steam and the ability to quickly and precisely switch between different baking methods is great.
nickd2001 4y ago
+1 to pressure cookers. We find owning both pressure cooker and slow cooker to be very useful. Pressure cooker is particularly good for pulses that would otherwise take ages to cook. Seems to reduce cooking time by roughly 2/3 .e:g beetroot takes 15 mins at pressure instead of 45 to boil. Only problem with it is its all too easy to overcook stuff. needs timing carefully.
- xattt 4y ago
  The marketing around pressure cookers (MAKE TANTALIZING MEALS IN 15 MINUTES!) always overlooks the time it takes for prep (~ 45 minutes), the times it take for the vessel to come up to pressure (~ 30 minutes) and time it takes to depressurize (~15-30 minutes). Ultimately the results are better, but it’s lead to a couple of one hour delays on meal time in my household because I forgot to take into account the extra time. These often involved a “rapid depressurization procedure” of taking the Instant Pot to the deck, and holding the release valve up with a long wooden spoon.
  - dragonwriter 4y ago
    > The marketing around pressure cookers (MAKE TANTALIZING MEALS IN 15 MINUTES!) always overlooks the time it takes for prep (~ 45 minutes), Most meals take a lot less time to prep than that, and prep can often be separated from cooking, some parts by days. > the times it take for the vessel to come up to pressure (~ 30 minutes) 5-15 would be more accurate. > and time it takes to depressurize (~15-30 minutes). Instant pot quick release only takes a couple minutes; natural release takes longer, sure, but that’s usually included in recioe times that use it (many of which have partial natural release for a set time followed by quick release.) For times when you need to do a full natural release because of the kind of food (to avoid fouling the valve) but want it to be faster, the Pro (and Duo Evo) Instant Pot models support an optional ice tray accessories that is placed on the lid to effect a rapid natural release. > These often involved a “rapid depressurization procedure” of taking the Instant Pot to the deck, and holding the release valve up with a long wooden spoon. The Instant Pot as a button (or pull switch on the Pro) for quick release, what is the purpose of your procedure besides gratuitous drama?
    - xattt 4y ago
      My times were spitball estimates. I'm slow to chop, and also defrost my meat in the microwave so I can saute. There's probably an element of perceptual time compression involved too. Even if the total overhead time is actually 20 - 30 minutes, it might as well be 45 minutes. Manual depressurization is messy. Yes, I can use a towel over the release valve to keep brothy splatters going on the wall, but now I have a brothy towel that I could have avoided if I waited 20 minutes.
      - dragonwriter 4y ago
        > Manual depressurization is messy It releases steam. Aside from not having the valve close to a wall, not sure why this is a big deal.
  - fransje26 4y ago
    For instant release, put your pressure cooker in the sink, under cold water. A few seconds of water cooling and you are good to go.
GeekyBear 4y ago
Slow cookers are good for people who plan ahead. Pressure cookers are better for people who like to put things off until the last minute. Low and slow yields better results for dishes like a pot-roast, but for many other things, a pressure cooker is a must have. I never buy canned beans anymore.
- ska 4y ago
  There are very few things you can do in a slow cooker without compromises that affect the taste, mostly because of the limited temperature range (mostly they don't get hot enough) and the fact that most of the time you don't want all of your ingredients in for that long. This can be mitigated of course, but once you are pre-cooking some things and adding others later, you lose the primary appeal of them. Most low-and-slow is better done in an oven, so the main thing you are left with is fire safety (e.g. if you want to leave it going and go to work). If you aren't careful you trade that off for food safety, anyway. I see the appeal for convenience if the mediocre results don't put you off.
  - GeekyBear 4y ago
    > Most low-and-slow is better done in an oven, so the main thing you are left with is fire safety You also gain the ability to cook without heating up the whole house.
    - ska 4y ago
      Fair point.
zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago
Buying an Instant Pot was life changing. I filled it up with chopped sweet potatoes, set it for an hour, and they were perfectly cooked to make mashed potatoes. Dry beans cook so fast. It makes rice as well as a rice cooker does. I love it
- klyrs 4y ago
  I'm with you on the beans, but mashed potatoes take about 20 minutes on a plain old electric stove.
  - IanCal 4y ago
    They'll have been done well before that. An hour is a long time in a pressure cooker. With kids, I sometimes do things in the instant pot I could probably do quicker outside, I'm happier leaving it on the counter rather than leaving a burner on.
    - PebblesRox 4y ago
      I often use my instant pot instead of a pot on the stove because I don't have much counter space next to my stove. It's much more convenient to chop stuff up on my big counter and toss it into the instant pot that's right there instead of going back and forth between the counter and the stove.
  - bombela 4y ago
    11 minutes in the microwave! Use a bit of water in microwave safe dish with a lid almost closed. This is like steaming and microwave cooking all at once.
    - akira2501 4y ago
      I put the potatoes in a paper bowl and then set another paper bowl inverted over the top of that. It traps just the right amount of escaping steam to effectively do the same thing.
  - 4y ago
gautamdivgi 4y ago
The pressure cooker has been an Indian cooking staple for a really long time. However, it does get noisy :). The instant pot has been an excellent improvement. We use the instant pot for everything - meat gravies/curries, beans and my wife even found a recipe to make jam from frozen strawberries and chia seeds. We've never owned a slow cooker. But I'm pretty sure I'd be in a load of culinary discomfort without my instant pot (or the back-up Indian pressure cookers).
- dragonwriter 4y ago
  > We've never owned a slow cooker. But I'm pretty sure I'd be in a load of culinary discomfort without my instant pot Among other things, the InstantPot is a slow cooker.
- hinkley 4y ago
  My ex befriended her Indian coworker and then his wife. Turns out the pressure cooker is the secret to some Indian cuisine as well. It and this reminded me of a different hack I heard about at one point, using whip cream dispenser to do herbal infusion. Seems the pressure helps transfer the flavors. Just open a window unless you want to get high while cooking (sharp instruments and hot surfaces are better employed by a clear mind) The slow cooker entered into a world of working mothers, it was a Have Your Cake and Eat It Too invention, because like the automatic timer on a coffee pot it let you be elsewhere while the food prepared. The instant pot partly solves that problem but also solves another: The slow cooker requires forethought and stable dinner plans. The instant pot lets you make last hour decisions. For long commuters, the person stuck at the office can tell you they're on their way home and the food is hot shortly after they get there (though to be fair, slow cookers have a forgiving window of edibility). If you're a space cadet you can still prepare a fancy meal even if you didn't think about it in the morning. And even if have to run to the grocery store for ingredients.
quickthrower2 4y ago
Does the pressure cooker get rid of the bean toxins?
vram22 4y ago
In India people soak dry beans (and other legumes, such as chana, rajma, etc.) for a few hours or even overnight, even if using a pressure cooker to cook them. And they usually get done in 30 minutes, max.

dekhn 4y ago

Steel cut whole oats in 1 hour. I use an instant pot which does slow and pressure cooking

cmclaughlin 4y ago

I totally agree. I use my Instapot all the time. Another game changer for me is the Anova Precision Oven. Baking with steam and the ability to quickly and precisely switch between different baking methods is great.

nickd2001 4y ago

+1 to pressure cookers. We find owning both pressure cooker and slow cooker to be very useful. Pressure cooker is particularly good for pulses that would otherwise take ages to cook. Seems to reduce cooking time by roughly 2/3 .e:g beetroot takes 15 mins at pressure instead of 45 to boil. Only problem with it is its all too easy to overcook stuff. needs timing carefully.

xattt 4y ago
The marketing around pressure cookers (MAKE TANTALIZING MEALS IN 15 MINUTES!) always overlooks the time it takes for prep (~ 45 minutes), the times it take for the vessel to come up to pressure (~ 30 minutes) and time it takes to depressurize (~15-30 minutes). Ultimately the results are better, but it’s lead to a couple of one hour delays on meal time in my household because I forgot to take into account the extra time. These often involved a “rapid depressurization procedure” of taking the Instant Pot to the deck, and holding the release valve up with a long wooden spoon.
- dragonwriter 4y ago
  > The marketing around pressure cookers (MAKE TANTALIZING MEALS IN 15 MINUTES!) always overlooks the time it takes for prep (~ 45 minutes), Most meals take a lot less time to prep than that, and prep can often be separated from cooking, some parts by days. > the times it take for the vessel to come up to pressure (~ 30 minutes) 5-15 would be more accurate. > and time it takes to depressurize (~15-30 minutes). Instant pot quick release only takes a couple minutes; natural release takes longer, sure, but that’s usually included in recioe times that use it (many of which have partial natural release for a set time followed by quick release.) For times when you need to do a full natural release because of the kind of food (to avoid fouling the valve) but want it to be faster, the Pro (and Duo Evo) Instant Pot models support an optional ice tray accessories that is placed on the lid to effect a rapid natural release. > These often involved a “rapid depressurization procedure” of taking the Instant Pot to the deck, and holding the release valve up with a long wooden spoon. The Instant Pot as a button (or pull switch on the Pro) for quick release, what is the purpose of your procedure besides gratuitous drama?
  - xattt 4y ago
    My times were spitball estimates. I'm slow to chop, and also defrost my meat in the microwave so I can saute. There's probably an element of perceptual time compression involved too. Even if the total overhead time is actually 20 - 30 minutes, it might as well be 45 minutes. Manual depressurization is messy. Yes, I can use a towel over the release valve to keep brothy splatters going on the wall, but now I have a brothy towel that I could have avoided if I waited 20 minutes.
    - dragonwriter 4y ago
      > Manual depressurization is messy It releases steam. Aside from not having the valve close to a wall, not sure why this is a big deal.
- fransje26 4y ago
  For instant release, put your pressure cooker in the sink, under cold water. A few seconds of water cooling and you are good to go.

GeekyBear 4y ago

Slow cookers are good for people who plan ahead. Pressure cookers are better for people who like to put things off until the last minute. Low and slow yields better results for dishes like a pot-roast, but for many other things, a pressure cooker is a must have. I never buy canned beans anymore.

ska 4y ago
There are very few things you can do in a slow cooker without compromises that affect the taste, mostly because of the limited temperature range (mostly they don't get hot enough) and the fact that most of the time you don't want all of your ingredients in for that long. This can be mitigated of course, but once you are pre-cooking some things and adding others later, you lose the primary appeal of them. Most low-and-slow is better done in an oven, so the main thing you are left with is fire safety (e.g. if you want to leave it going and go to work). If you aren't careful you trade that off for food safety, anyway. I see the appeal for convenience if the mediocre results don't put you off.
- GeekyBear 4y ago
  > Most low-and-slow is better done in an oven, so the main thing you are left with is fire safety You also gain the ability to cook without heating up the whole house.
  - ska 4y ago
    Fair point.

zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago

Buying an Instant Pot was life changing. I filled it up with chopped sweet potatoes, set it for an hour, and they were perfectly cooked to make mashed potatoes. Dry beans cook so fast. It makes rice as well as a rice cooker does. I love it

klyrs 4y ago
I'm with you on the beans, but mashed potatoes take about 20 minutes on a plain old electric stove.
- IanCal 4y ago
  They'll have been done well before that. An hour is a long time in a pressure cooker. With kids, I sometimes do things in the instant pot I could probably do quicker outside, I'm happier leaving it on the counter rather than leaving a burner on.
  - PebblesRox 4y ago
    I often use my instant pot instead of a pot on the stove because I don't have much counter space next to my stove. It's much more convenient to chop stuff up on my big counter and toss it into the instant pot that's right there instead of going back and forth between the counter and the stove.
- bombela 4y ago
  11 minutes in the microwave! Use a bit of water in microwave safe dish with a lid almost closed. This is like steaming and microwave cooking all at once.
  - akira2501 4y ago
    I put the potatoes in a paper bowl and then set another paper bowl inverted over the top of that. It traps just the right amount of escaping steam to effectively do the same thing.
- 4y ago

gautamdivgi 4y ago

The pressure cooker has been an Indian cooking staple for a really long time. However, it does get noisy :). The instant pot has been an excellent improvement. We use the instant pot for everything - meat gravies/curries, beans and my wife even found a recipe to make jam from frozen strawberries and chia seeds. We've never owned a slow cooker. But I'm pretty sure I'd be in a load of culinary discomfort without my instant pot (or the back-up Indian pressure cookers).

dragonwriter 4y ago
> We've never owned a slow cooker. But I'm pretty sure I'd be in a load of culinary discomfort without my instant pot Among other things, the InstantPot is a slow cooker.
hinkley 4y ago
My ex befriended her Indian coworker and then his wife. Turns out the pressure cooker is the secret to some Indian cuisine as well. It and this reminded me of a different hack I heard about at one point, using whip cream dispenser to do herbal infusion. Seems the pressure helps transfer the flavors. Just open a window unless you want to get high while cooking (sharp instruments and hot surfaces are better employed by a clear mind) The slow cooker entered into a world of working mothers, it was a Have Your Cake and Eat It Too invention, because like the automatic timer on a coffee pot it let you be elsewhere while the food prepared. The instant pot partly solves that problem but also solves another: The slow cooker requires forethought and stable dinner plans. The instant pot lets you make last hour decisions. For long commuters, the person stuck at the office can tell you they're on their way home and the food is hot shortly after they get there (though to be fair, slow cookers have a forgiving window of edibility). If you're a space cadet you can still prepare a fancy meal even if you didn't think about it in the morning. And even if have to run to the grocery store for ingredients.

quickthrower2 4y ago

Does the pressure cooker get rid of the bean toxins?

vram22 4y ago

In India people soak dry beans (and other legumes, such as chana, rajma, etc.) for a few hours or even overnight, even if using a pressure cooker to cook them. And they usually get done in 30 minutes, max.