lauraw4321 Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Anyone else kind of terrified by pressure cookers? I'm so scared I'm going to somehow blow it up on my kitchen. 😜 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I have an electric one. It's not scary at all. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Doesn't bother me a bit. :) Before I bought my first pressure cooker, I was wondering about that whole "potential explosion" thing, too, but once I read up on them a bit, I realized that with modern pressure cookers, there was no need to worry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nope, the valve makes it nice and safe. The older valveless ones needed more watching and checking of pressure and seal quality, but even they were very safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 My wife uses our Pressure Cooker very frequently. Almost daily. She strictly follows safety procedures. EVERY TIME SHE USES IT You must follow the safety procedures, 100% of the time. People who do not do that have a potential accident on their hands. Used properly, a Pressure Cooker saves a lot of time and money (energy costs). Used improperly, they can be extremely dangerous. If you are a new user, I suggest that you first study (not skim) the information from the manufacturer and then probably you can find some web sites and YouTube videos that show how to use them safely. For example, before she uses our Pressure Cooker, my wife insures that the hole in the top is completely free of any obstruction. That is extremely critical, each time, before using it. And, buy a very high quality Pressure Cooker. Ours is made by a company based here in Colombia, UNIVERSAL. It is not pretty (she has been using it since 1997 or 1998), but it works perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I have an electric one. It's not scary at all. My old one made me nervous, because it wasn't working properly and even after examining it closely, I couldn't figure out what part was malfunctioning. I got an electric one, and I was a little nervous the first couple of times, but now use it with ease. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nope. I use my Instant Pot all the time. I do make sure the valve is clear when I wash the lid. I just fill the lid with a little water and make sure it flows freely back through the valve. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I was because I heard all of my grandmothers exploding pressure cooker stories and even my Mom has had them make quite a mess through the safety valve when she was young, although no explosions. But after learning about electric pressure cookers I use mine with no fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nope. I learned how to use my stove top ones safely. And now with the instant pot, no worries at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraw4321 Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 Maybe I need an instapot.... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Lauraw4321, you are not alone! My mom used hers ask the time with no worries. I use mine rarely, Do when I do I find myself obsessing over the directions and trying to find the "For Dummies" page! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Yes, I fear them with the same fear I have of opening a Pillsbury container. So I don't use one or buy Pillsbury containers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I love my stove top Fagor pressure cooker. I am using it right now to make vegetable soup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I have an InstantPot that I use without fear. I had a couple stovetop ones - a canner and my grandmother's old one - that made me nervous everytime I used them. I prefer my IP to the stovetop models,but I have read very good things about the new stovetop versions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I should have clarified - using my stove top pressure cookers is what eased my fears. Using them made me understand how they work and why, with attention, I didn't have to worry about them any more. When I first started with my cookers and canner, I wouldn't let the kids in the kitchen while cooking. Now it is fine with me. And the Instant Pot takes all that worry away. And it's what I recommend to clients looking to start pressure cooking but feeling reluctant. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) Well...I once had a minor pressure cooker disaster...the valve got clogged somehow and the rubber seal broke and bean soup went spraying all over the kitchen. I don't think the ceiling ever got really clean... It was an old pressure cooker though. Edited March 15, 2017 by maize 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I was a little weirded out by my stove-top pressure cooker, and only used it a few times. However, I bought an Instant Pot in July, and I use that puppy all the time with no worries at all. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Instant pot is awesome! I made a delicious potato soup in less than a half hour after skiing all day. I don't leave the house with it going, but I'm not scared of it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I just blew out the safety valve on a vintage Mirromatic. Don't be dumb like me! Luckily no one was in the kitchen at the time because hot bean mush and steam went everywhere. I made three mistakes: doubled the recipe, wasn't hovering and used a food that could foam. The foaming bean mush blocked the regular pressure vent. The safety fuse blew out and did what it was supposed to do, but still scary and very stupid on my part. I love used stuff but have sent both of my vintage pressure cookers to the recycling pile. I'm probably going to ask for a modern stovetop model for my birthday. I love how they cook food, but I have an even healthier respect for them now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopskipjump Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Anyone else kind of terrified by pressure cookers? I'm so scared I'm going to somehow blow it up on my kitchen. 😜 I have two. An Instant Pot and another very similar to the Instant Pot (it cost twice as much and was a gift from my mother). I am terrified of both the things. The times I have used it, I haul it out to the garage - so if it explodes, it won't hurt any people!! lol I just haven't found that it saves time in a relaxing way for me. I feel like every step is so right on top of another that I don't have time to make anything to go along with whatever I've put into the pot. Add to the fact that I'm terrified of it exploding AND I'm having to go in and out of the garage... well... it's just not my cuppa. lol I far prefer the crockpot. Throw in a roast and 85+ hours later - voila! Perfection! :smilielol5: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 I bought a stove-top pressure years ago and have never used it for that reason. The instant pot I like, however! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Yes, I find them nerve-wracking. Not due to odds one will explode and send shrapnel flying everywhere, but because pressure cooking pretty much ruins the texture of most foods. I don't like eating mush. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8Arrows4theLord Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I was afraid of them for years. Then we had a huge crop of green beans. My friend came over and taught me how to use hers. It was so easy! Now I use mine a lot. The food doesn't have to be mushy if you follow the cooking directions. It takes a little practice, but it has saved me a lot of time. Just be sure to use a new modern pressure cooker with a one piece pressure weight. The older ones with dials have to be calibrated regularly to keep them accurate. Also as mentioned above, follow the directions exactly, especially if you are canning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I love my Fagor, but IP is way better. I can walk away while it comes to pressure, I can leave the house, and its a slow cooker to boot. So much better than stovetop pressure cooker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Anyone else kind of terrified by pressure cookers? I'm so scared I'm going to somehow blow it up on my kitchen. 😜 I would be if I tried to use my mom's old stovetop one, but my InstantPot isn't any scarier than my crock pot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 It took me about two months to use my Instant Pot because of the fear my mom had instilled in me of pressure cookers. Then I "had" to because I was so behind. Now I use it 4 times per week. It is so not-scary. :) Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Yes, I find them nerve-wracking. Not due to odds one will explode and send shrapnel flying everywhere, but because pressure cooking pretty much ruins the texture of most foods. I don't like eating mush. Bill That hasn't been my experience with my IP except with one failed experiment with some noodles I overcooked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 One needs to learn how to use a Pressure Cooker safely and ALWAYS follow the rules. If one does that, they are safe. Of the things in our kitchen that my wife uses the most, they are: The stove, the microwave oven and the Pressure Cooker. She has been using the same Pressure Cooker since 1997. Possibly I've purchased a new gasket for it a couple of times. Possibly once I bought a new gizmo that fits on the top. It isn't pretty, but it is in excellent shape. The brand is UNIVERSAL, made here in Colombia. Buy a very-high-quality Pressure Cooker and always follow the safety rules. The Pressure Cooker will save you a lot of time and a lot of $ for energy costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 That hasn't been my experience with my IP except with one failed experiment with some noodles I overcooked. Same here. I like my instant pot, and use it quite a bit. I've messed up a couple of things, like mac and cheese, by overcooking. Like most appliances, there can be a learning curve. But more often than not the recipe works, and I'm happy with the results. I was scared at first, though I have no experience with exploding pressure cookers and wonder sometimes if that has been exaggerated. But I like it a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 That hasn't been my experience with my IP except with one failed experiment with some noodles I overcooked. Agreed. I don't know if the IP is more precise or it's what I cook, but I have never had mushy food. I don't use it for fancy meals but I use it a lot for dried beans, rice, Italian sausage (12 minutes from frozen so its my go-to fast food when I forget to thaw), cheesecake, curry, etc. and never once had anything turn out mushy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minerva Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I make beans in my pressure cooker several times a week. I have been using the same pressure cooker for over twenty years and would be lost without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Home'scool Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Nope. Never used one and never will. When I was little my mother used hers all the time, but every time she did she would yell "It's like a bomb!! It could explode at any time!! It could literally kill you!" My mother loved to terrify her kids. I have never been comfortable around pressure cookers. I also fear the threat of spontaneous combustion, or somehow slipping into the 4th dimension where no one would ever be able to find me, or hearing a bell ring and thinking the devil is near ...... My mother was not a source of comfort haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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