Now I think I need a pressure cooker so I started investigating them on the Internet. It seems there are 3 brands that everyone talks about. Fagor, Kuhn Rikon, and one I forgot the name of that is supposed to be able to cook fried chicken as well as Colonel Sanders! The last two are expensive but that is not really an issue.

1st thing I want to get is the best cook book there is on pressure cooking.
2nd thing I need to know is who make the best pressure cooker.
3rd thing I need is any advise you care to give.

PS. NOT gay, just single!!

I just researched pressure cookers and purchased a Fagor from Macy's on their sale. I used it once and am ashamed to say I returned it. It was not easy to tell when it had reached pressure and you have to be careful about pouring water on the lid.

I ended up going with my second choice (wasn't my first choice 'cause of $$$) and I must say I LOVE my new WMF cooker which I bought from amazon.com. It is easy to use, has a thick enough bottom that nothing burns and is fast.

As for cookbooks, try the local library and see what they have from Lorna Sass before you buy. There are also lots of recipes on line.

Good luck

Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass is an excellent book I can recommend. Any of her books on pressure cooking would be good. Research all of them.

Teresa

Check it out!

The pressure cooker came with a manual that gives some basic cooking directions and also a book of recipes. I also bought the cookbook recommended by many forum members, Lorna Sass' "Pressure Perfect." However, once you get the hang of it, you don't have to follow a recipe completely.

I think a pressure cooker is a good investment. It's really great for foods that normally require long, slow cooking -- like beans, pot roasts, stews, etc. It's also good for many vegetables. One of the nice features is that it doesn't heat up the kitchen, so it's particularly welcome on hot, summer days. You can make stew or boil potatoes for potato salad without steaming up your kitchen. And most of the cooking odors are contained in the pressure cooker, so you don't have cooking smells wafting throughout your house.

I like them all. The 'fit and finish' is slightly better on the KR, but I can't tell any difference yet in the performance of it versus the Fagor. One annoying thing about the KR is the replacement parts are high. A gasket is about $18, and since I had to order it, with shipping it was about $25. If the KR is the Mercedes of pressure cookers, the Fagor is at least a Lincoln Town Car.

I'd recommend getting the Fagor set like mine; sometimes you're gonna want an 8 quart pot for a big batch of chili or stock or a pot roast, and sometimes you'll want the frypan for braising chops. I use it a lot for taking a cheap cut of beef, browning it then adding some broth or other liquid, and pressure cooking it into submission.

But if you're only going to get one PC, get an 8 quart one if you have the room to store it.

Whatever you get, IMHO you don't need a PC with two pressure settings. The vast majority of your pressure cooking is gonna be at high pressure. My KR has an indicator ring to indicate a low pressure setting; I haven't used that setting in the entire time I've had it. So I wouldn't make a big deal of having two settings.

I think the Fagor Multi set is a great value for the dollars spent. My set cost around $105 at my local Dillards. Then if you want to get some specialized KR pressure cookers, go ahead. I've been lusting after their 5 quart brasier but I can't really justify spending $300 for another pressure cooker.

Ditto on the Lorna Sass recommendation. I've never had any of the recipes out of her cookbooks that weren't very good, and some were outstanding. (Favorites include Osso Buco, and Curry in a Hurry.)

What you're gonna like, I think, is that this tool allows you to do some stuff in a fraction of the time so you end up doing stuff you wouldn't ordinarily do. Steamed artichokes in 12-14 minutes instead of 45. A pot roast in an hour, or corned beef & cabbage in about that time. I didn't get a PC until I was in my fifties; I wish I had gotten one sooner.

One thing, though: it ain't safe to 'pressure fry' like Colonel Sanders. These items are not made to do that. The frypan allows you to brown something then add liquid, but you can't fry stuff under pressure.

Well I think I will start with the Fagor PC, but I only want the 1 pot (6qt). I have all the pans I think I will ever need and space is becoming a premium consideration.

I'll never be a great cook, I know that, but I just want to do the best I can. Some things I cook very well but some things are just plain impossible for me to make really good!!
My goal is to be able to walk into my kitchen or anybody for that matter and cook anything in the world without needing anything.
However I didn't realize just how much room all these things took, unbelievable!!

I really appreciate the help, thanks to everyone, Changeling.

Your mom was right. Ya' gotta eat, and it may as well be something good. Also, there is no reason for anyone not being able to feed him/her self a decent meal. My husband is the best cook in our family and enjoys it. Both my dad and brother were good cooks (but didn't enjoy it so much.)

Honestly, though? You don't need a bunch of gadgets. The best cooks I know are able to turn out great meals with basic but versitile equipment. Space often becomes the most precious "tool" in any kitchen.

The advise you guys gave is undoubtedly, but I just want the basic pressure cooking unit. I went to the links on Fagor and am a little confused!
I want to buy the following, not a whole kit:

The Fagor Duo model or the Splended model, other than ghe handle difference I have no idea what the difference between the two are, I am leaning towards the Duo but I really cant tell you why! They don't have a chart to tell you the differences between the two, I would appreciate some knowledgeable help!

The safety mechanisms and and pressure indicators are the same. I have a problem with the upturn of the handles on the Duo Combi model, but that's just me.

Maybe you should list the descriptions of one model and compare it to the other one just to assure yourself of the differences if any.

Teresa

I need to play around with mine more often so I'll get used to it.

Thanks for posting your questions, it'll get me motivated to use mine more.

I've read that beans cook very well in a pressure cooker, so I'm very tempted. I'm going to print these comments and go from here.

Thanks again!

You will love using a PC if you cook any amount at all, Nancy.

Likewise, healthy stuff can be cooked quickly--beans and grains in about a third of the time. If you want to pursue healthy veggie stuff, Lorna Sass has written an excellent book along those lines--see the link. And Lorna has also just released a new book on Whole Grain cooking which I may just have to add to my collection.

But it's not just health food. You can make incredibly rich artery-clogging pot roasts and corned beef & cabbage, meat-fallling-off-the-bone ribs, veal shanks...yum.

You're talking about steamed fresh artichokes right before our lunch hour? Now you're seriously tempting me!