My Supercalafragalisticexpealodocious Pressure Cooker Back to Library Menu   What's on This Page Dear Miss Vickie... Meet the Standard I'm Looking For Recipes Just for My Brand Where's my Brand? I Need Instructions Fads Come and Go But I Have A "Modern" Electric Brand For Owners of Electric Pressure Cookers Dear Miss Vickie... Question: I just bought a pressure cooker and I'd like to know if you have recipes specially designed just for my particular brand? This is an example of one of the most frequently asked questions I receive. If you are new to pressure cookery, or just bought an electric model, or picked up a cooker from a yard sale, auction, TV commercial, or inherited one from your great aunt Fannie, you're probably searching for directions and recipes. Maybe you just bought some cleverly marketed cooker featured on a TV infomercial or from an Internet ad that arrived with only a few recipes. If any of these scenarios sound familiar then this article is for you. Meet the Standard Pressure cookers that do not meet the standard pressure settings are a perpetual headache for their owners in trying to adapt either regular stovetop recipes, or standard pressure cooker recipes for use in their 'magic pot'. Almost all pressure cooker cookbooks, including all the recipes on my website, are written to the pressure cooking standard of 15psi. This standard was established way back in 1917 by the USDA and is still the basis for all pressure cookers, as well as the recipes. Because those hyped up cooking pots do not meet the standards they are given fancy names and call themselves Infusion Cookers and other trade names. Find out my recommendations for purchasing a new pressure cooker, or browse through the Store for more ideas. I'm Looking For Recipes Just for My Brand Looking for recipes based on a certain brand or type of cookware is a misconception. Would you only use the recipes that came with a blender or a toaster oven? Of course not!   Some pressure cooker owners limit themselves to the recipes that come with their pressure cookers and never try anything beyond the basics of cooking meat, or the occasional pot of stew. There are hundreds of pressure cooker recipes on my web site, and there are many more scattered throughout the Internet, and many cookbooks. As long as your pressure cooker meets the standard 15psi pressure then you can use all the recipes on my website as well as those found in most pressure cooker cookbooks. All pressure cookers operate on the same principle.  The pot is an enclosed system. Heat builds pressure to cook the food faster. Pressure is controlled by heat. There is a means of venting off excess pressure. The pressure must be released by some method before opening the lid.  That's it in a nutshell.  For basic instructions on how to operate a pressure cooker click here. You can also find more information about the many improvements, advanced safety features , and the many benefits and versatility of today's modern pressure cookers. Where's my Brand? You may have purchased a cooker from a foreign manufacturer with no parts available in this country. Maybe your 'good deal' is a model that was discontinued and no longer supported by the maker, or the company is out of business. You probably found little or no instructions, few or no recipe ideas, and minimal instructions, you may even have safety concerns about your new bargain pressure cooker. This is one of the major drawbacks of buying "a pig in a poke" as it were. If you aren't an experienced pressure cooker user you're probably reading this right now and wondering what to do next. I always advise anyone considering buying a pressure cooker to thoroughly research the products first. Buying some unknown brand is a big gamble. You may find the manufacture is out of business, or only available in a foreign country. Worse you may not find the manufacture at all. It may be impossible to get replacement parts, so in a year from now when its time to change the rubber gasket you'll be surprised to find that you can't find any. So your pressure cooker is now worthless and you've wasted your money. You may have found yourself stuck with a pressure cooker of poor quality and dubious value. You can read my recommendations on what to look for in buying a good pressure cooker, and what to avoid.  This will save you a lost of time in the long run and you will not be stuck with some unknown brand or an old vintage cooker that may be dangerous to use. I always say,  save your money and buy the best brand you can afford.  A pressure cooker will last a lifetime, so consider it as an investment, buy once and buy well - you won't be sorry. I Need Instructions for My Brand If you need to find specific operating instructions for your particular brand of cooker please post your requests in the FORUM. If you have an owner's manual for your pressure cooker and would like to share the basic operating instructions with other readers, I would appreciate your help in posting the information. Fads Come and Go Unfortunately many people are hoodwinked into believing the advertising claims of some new, ultra-modern, wonder invention, only to end up with an extremely over-priced cooking pot. Some people don't realize they have spent hundreds of dollars on some advertised brand when they could have bought a much better pressure cooker for a third of the price if they had shopped around first. Or worse, once there new purchase arrives, they find out that it can't do most of the things a standard pressure cooker. The problem with some well-marketed fads, or off brands, is that many of them are not standard pressure cookers. Some are low-pressure cookers, such as the Turbo Cooker and the Prestige Cooker among others. They only reach an inside pressure of 3-5psi instead of the standard 15psi. Others, like the over-priced T-fal pressure cookers will reach 13psi, and there are come brands that only come to 10psi. But I Have A "Modern" Electric Brand The makers of electric or programmable models often tout their clock/timer controls as the most modern improvement since sliced bread. Look closer before considering purchasing any electric model and you will find they have far fewer safety features than a comparably priced stove top model. Most electrics come with some variety of nonstick finish, a "feature" that limits the use of accessory items, and despite manufacturers claims to the contrary, no applied finish will last under the demands of pressure cooking. Users with non-stick interior finishes may find it invalidates your warranty if you try to use any accessory that did not come with the pot. That means you will not be able to cook steamed rice, puddings or other recipes like those found in my Pan in the Pot recipe booklet. Another inherently common problem with ALL electric pressure cookers is overheating. I have received many e-mails from owners complaining about foods that burn, and unfortunately there is no means of regulating the heat or temperature in these appliances. Another drawback is the lack of any means to immediately stop the cooking/heat for those perfectly, tender-crisp veggies, delicate shrimp kabobs or braised salmon fillets that take only 0-3 minutes to cook, and there is no workaround that I am aware of at this time. For Owners of Electric Pressure Cookers The makers of electric pressure cookers do not adhere to any standard. Instructions vary widely with all the various makes and models so I do not propose to give detailed operating instructions one each and every one of them. In general, you can use the BROWN setting to do any initial cooking. Look in your owners manual to find the  temperature or psi settings used by your appliance. Use the chart to see the corresponding settings. In general you will program the cooker for HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for the same amount of time recommended in the recipe. If the recipe calls for a cold water release by putting the cooker under cold running water, ignore this instruction. Instead, press the pressure release button in very short spurts, taking care to keep your hand and head away from the escaping steam. If liquid is ejected from the valve, wait a minute longer before proceeding. Use the Quick release mechanism if this is called for in the recipe. Natural release means to wait until the pressure drops on its own. Use the BROWN setting to do any finish cooking after pressure is released.     Questions or comments on this article? Click here.