Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Family Style Pressure Cooker Braiser Reviews

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This pressure cooker is probably the best on the market and a perfect size for a family. But, watch what you are purchasing, there are 2 separate types of lids on the Duromatic pressure cooker. This is the superior lid as it is easier to see the pressure, and turn it down to appropriate settings-fast release, slow release, with minimal effort. The other Kuhn Rikon's are awesome too. As far as I can tell, they are the same, with the exception of the lid/release. If you have the extra money, this is worth it--especially if you are a beginner. I regret that I bought the duromatic set without realizing the difference in the lids. I guess on the bright side, it means that I have pressure cookers in different sizes now.

If you are nervous about pressure cooking, there are awesome books out there to help lead the way-including pressuring cooking for dummies. My favorite is Miss Vickies Book of Pressure Cooker recipes, also found on amazon. She also has a website that offers a lot of free information as well as free recipes (although some have a small charge).

So, cook your food faster, save energy, retain more nutrients, and serve delicious homemade meals that seem like you have spent all day in the kitchen.

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My wife recently mentioned that most people have pressure cookers. I don't know about that... but, now that we bought this Kuhn Rikon 7.4 quart pot, I have to say that I am very impressed and I feel I've been strangely uninformed all these years about the capabilities of a pressure cooker.

I've organized my thoughts into two categories: pressure cooking in general, and this Kuhn Rikon product specifically.

Regarding the magic of pressure cooking, we've tried a variety of items, including mashed potatoes, ribs and one-pot meals. They turned out very well. They were quick. They were simple. The pot cleaned up easily. The flavors seemed to be more "sophisticated" than I've typically produced on the stove. The flavors were all blended together as if they'd been simmering for hours. All in a matter of minutes. Pressure cooking authors Lorna Sass and Vickie Smith each offer pretty good cookbooks with plenty of good advice and recipes to newbies like myself.

One thing I would point out... I was skeptical about cooking something in a mere 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 minutes. And in a way, I was right. The cooking times associated with pressure cooking refer to the time once pressure has been reached. For me, on our gas stovetop at fairly high heat (I never use the highest setting), it takes about 10 minutes plus to get "pressurized". Then, after the cooking time has elapsed, you have to take the time for the pot to depressurize. This pressure reduction can take just a few minutes to about fifteen, depending on the method used. So, it is true you can throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot, close the lid and be completely done in a half hour, but I wouldn't tell anyone that dinner will be ready in eight minutes as you secure the lid and turn up the burner!

Now, my thoughts on the Kuhn Rikon 7.4 qt cooker... At first, before I understood the product, there were two things that bothered me. I have resolved both issues without having to contact Kuhn Rikon customer service. First, on the cosmetic side, the brand label was all bumpy and wavy. I thought something this expensive should be perfect and I couldn't bring myself to accept that the label wasn't applied with care. It turns out that the problem was with a plastic, transparent, static cling protector over the label. Once I figured this out and removed what amounts to packaging, the label was beautiful.

Secondly, when I tested the product with a few cups of water, I couldn't get the cooker to come to pressure until I tinkered with the pressure gauge. After 29 minutes of heating, the pot just sat there with steam released from the lid. After spending time reviewing the owner's manual, I decided to dissemble the pressure valve and reassemble it. That's when I noticed that the valve's screw (which allows you to dissemble and clean food out of the valve) was loose. I tightened this screw, the cooker works flawlessly, and I now know how to easily clean the valve if I should ever have to.

Beyond my first two "newby" problems, I have to say that this product is very simple to use. A clear gauge tells you when you reach either a middle pressure or high pressure, the lid is secured and removed easily, the parts are easy to clean and probably because of quality design and materials, I haven't had any scalding/burnt food issues. The relief valve apparatus works well, allowing you to simply turn the top knob and it depressurizes on its own without any heat on hand or arm. No holding under tap water in the sink. It appears to be built for many years of use and claims that Kuhn Rikon is the jewel of pressure cookers just might be true.

I wondered about what size would be best. I am glad I have this size. It isn't unreasonably large. It is tall enough that no food has reached anywhere near the top. Just steam. So... cleaning is easy, and I am very sensitive to difficult cleaning chores after preparing a meal.

Overall, I have to say that I wish I had had this years ago. I think it will revolutionize cooking in our home. I always thought the microwave was the best tool to increase speed over conventional cooking, but pressure cooking seems to produce better results. I highly recommend this product, it is well worth the seemingly high price.

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I grew up watching my mother use a pressure cooker with a balancing weight on the lid and constantly terrified that it was going to explode.

It has taken me 20 years to get over that fear and after doing a lot of research, I finally bought a Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker. As a working mother with two young children, I have NO IDEA how anyone survives without a pressure cooker. I use mine almost every day. Unlike a slow cooker, I'm not worried about whether my house is burning down because I left the slow cooker .... cooking.

I started with spareribs, which after 15 minutes tasted like they had been braised for 3 hours. Then I moved on to risotto, which after 6 minutes is delicious, creamy, and tastes like I slaved over the stove stirring it constantly for an hour. I have also made soups, which are quick and easy.

The pot is easy to use, easy to clean, and safe. Rather than wasting gas/electricity simmering a dish for hours, it's finished in literally a fraction of the time. And it doesn't sound like an airplane's landing in your kitchen.

This is by far the wisest kitchen appliance purchase I have ever made.

Honest reviews on Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Family Style Pressure Cooker Braiser

I use this pot at least once a week, particularly for risottos (try a butternut squash version!) and tougher cuts of meat, which cook to fork-tenderness in a trice. It's also fantastic for cooking dry beans (try the heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo) -no need to soak overnight.

You have to keep an eye on the pressure indicator, but over time you learn how to adjust the burner to maintain high (but not too high) pressure for the recipe time. You can't really walk away from the kitchen, but then the cooking times are pretty brief.

Lorna Sass' cookbooks -Cooking under Pressure and Pressure Perfect: Two Hour Taste in Twenty Minutes Using Your Pressure Cooker -are invaluable. I haven't had a bum recipe yet.

I also have a smaller Fagor model, but I prefer the larger size as well as the simpler Kuhn-Rikon controls. For lots of dishes, you're not supposed to fill the cooker more than halfway, so anything smaller than four quarts is often too small, and the bigger size can handle everything.

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Although I love this pressure cooker, I wish I had purchased a larger size. That is entirely my fault. Clearly I'm not going to make a huge soup in a 3.7 quart pot. Potential buyers should think about what it is that they expect to cook and how much, and then select an appropriate size. 3.7 quarts sounded big enough to me, but remember that the pressure cooker can only be filled half way for pressure cooking soups, grains, beans, and foods that expand, or 2/3 full for other foods.

The pressure cooker comes with a recipe book, however all the recipes are for size 4 quart or larger pressure cookers (except the frying pan recipes).

The instruction manual says it is NOT suitable for apple compote, cranberries, porridge (oat flakes), barley, peas, pasta, macaroni, rhubarb, or some cereals because those foods tend to foam and froth and could block the valve.

Otherwise, this pressure cooker is great! I have no problems with it. It works wonderfully. I will happily use it to make my dried beans, brown rice, and veggies.

Someday I may even buy a bigger one :)