I have 2 in use, an old 6 quart Presto, and an All American 21.5 quart, and a couple others for parts.

The larger one takes a long time to heat up. In a grid down situation, it would not be cost effective, imo, for cooking.

The smaller one will hold a 3-4 pound roast, or a family size pot of stew. It would be much more effective for offgrid cooking.

The only thing I do not like about smaller pressure cooker/canner, is that it is aluminum. I don't like cooking in aluminum. I'd spend the extra money for a stainless one.

As far as model, Presto is a good name, and parts are readily available. This one is currently on sale:

Amazon.com: Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker: Home & Kitchen

Shop Presto at the Amazon Cookware store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.

www.amazon.com

 

We got a 4.5 litre (4.7 quarts) from WMF, stainless steel, it work´s nicely on our outdoor wood oven, but you have got to be careful with the fire though, it´s not designed to have flames "licking up" the sides (had to replace the lower part of the handle)

 

Have one of these in 6.3 quart size (also 8.5 qt available), Swiss made by Kuhn Rikon.
Stainless steel w/ clad bottom. So easy to brown meat / sauté veggies before adding liquid and putting under pressure. Great for beans.
As to size, depends on how many you are feeding and how many leftovers you want. It doesn’t need to be full in order to work.
As to how much propane, once heated and brought to pressure, a small flame will keep it going. So how much? All depends how many you’re cooking for and how long the 💩 hits the fan.

 

OK you guys have my attention. I don't have a pressure cooker. I looked at the one linked to by 2ftgd and watched the videos. My grandmother always used a pressure cooker when I was a little kid and the weight dancing around fascinated me. What all are you using yours for when it comes to cooking? Do I need a pressure cooker.

My grand mother always made red potatoes with green beans and pork or bacon or something in there and it was good. I saw you can make a roast. But it doesn't look like the roast would have a lot of soup in the pan and I really like the soup part when I make a roast in a roasting pan in the oven.

 

Rice and Beans.Separately cooked over a Propane Burner. Takes minutes. No soak. A large amount of other things can be pressure cooked as well.

 

I have an Instant Pot and a solar generator big enough to run it. I was going to try and use that if I have to break into my dried beans.

 

Here is the same recipe book that came with mine:

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/manuals/Presto/hip_national_presto_recipe_book.pdf

 

Get a good quality cooker that can be used to can meat (no refrigeration required). I’d suggest the All American version others have mentioned, they are the best. Stay away from the smaller electric versions.

good luck.

 

I have a small and compact 1.5L Hawkins pressure cooker. This one is used almost daily for soups, stews and root vegetables. Perfect size for 1 or 2 people with no leftovers. Camping I have used it over Sterno, a Trangia alcohol burner or Primus stove. Essential kit!

These are made in Mumbai, India, but the quality is VERY good. Much better than Chicom stuff. Amazon has for $28. Also try looking at ethnic groceries, Wal-Mart or Target. A 2L size is very common. Hawkins website has larger sizes too.

 

We use an all american 21 and keep about 200lbs of propane on hand.

 

Stovetop pressure cooker doesn't require electricity & conserves whatever fuel source AND water.

Size being based more on what you all would eat daily (canning aside).

Tank size based upon cooking platform. We have small 1lb on up to large 40lb. Mostly 20lb (normal bbq grill size).

Cooking platforms being portable Coleman grill with burner (can use 1lb on up to 40lb) & bbq grill with side burners.

Then wood fuel based rocket type.

Wouldn't use our backpacking isobutane stoves for pressure cooking with ease, due to being unstable for that size.

 

Bought a used pressure 'cooker' years ago, and we've never used it. 🤷‍♂️

 

Same here, but after half a dozen years I refurbed mine (a 60's era Sears Kenmore) and used it to do some canning.

I prefer low and slow cooking and use a crock pot to cook, never a pressure cooker.

I have a buddy who uses one daily because he has no teeth and needs mushy food.

He brags that he can make hard boiled eggs in just 12 minutes!

No duh, I can make them in 12 minutes on the stove and not have to clean out an instapot.

 

Neer had a problem in central AL with a 20# propane tank, so here, it’s just total storage volume. But I’ve used propane farther north ( not for cooking) where there are withdrawal rate issues. I refill my 20#s off a wet leg on the big tank. you can hook two tanks together to improve withdrawal ( which is usually only an issue as the tank is emptied.)

High gas use is only to get the unit up to pressure, it doesn’t take much heat to maintain pressure. For cooking, that warm up time is cooking time, for canning it’s wasted.

If you have an all American, you can put your food is a SS bowl or pot in the canner if the AL bothers you or you are cooking high acid food. Obviously you loose capacity and efficiency, unless the pot is a close match.

Im a little leery of the SS pressure canners, but even if you ran it at 5 psi, it would still save fuel.

 

I use pressure cookers to cook yardbirds and venison.
What is this propane tank you mention?

I light a wood fire in the grill outside and put the pressure cookers on that.
Those dropped limbs that we all have to pick up... May as well get some use out of them...

 

I’d never use that for canning, too hard to maintain the required pressure ( in both directions.). You need a lot of heat to heat up All American, then very little ( if out of the wind) to maintain it. For cooking you could allways guess. But my unit has some Bakelite handles on the side that I would want to expose to the full heat from the fire. I’ve got a homemade tent camping stove that will heat a pot via direct flame impingement ( like a real cook stove). When I get it back I might try it. I’d imagine I need a better damper.

 

Ok, two use cases for my stove top Fagor pressure cooker set:

1. Deep pot with strainer basket.
Put a roasted chicken carcass or two plus vegetable ends and scraps, spices and herbs, a splash of apple cider vinegar, into the strainer basket and into the deep pot. Fill with water to cover food in basket. Close cooker, bring up to pressure on the power burner on the gas (propane) range. Once at pressure, move to a medium burner at its lowest setting. Cook at pressure for 2 hours. Strain carcasses, move broth to a stock pot to hold it. Add fresh vegetable scraps, herbs and spices, apple cider vinegar, and water to cover the food. Repeat cooking at pressure for 2 hours. Mix second batch of broth in with first batch. Jar it up and pressure can it in a pressure canner. I can easily get two batches of broth made and canned in a single day by starting with my pressure cooker.


2. Shallow pot.
Chop several slices of bacon into lardons, fry up in the shallow pot. Leave grease and lardons in the pan. Season thick boneless pork loin chops (think Costco sized) on both sides with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Add to pot with sliced onions. Sear chops to brown on both sides Carefully add 2 cups water to pot. Close up the pot, bring up to pressure, move to medium burner on low. Cook at pressure for 7 minutes. Release pressure, open pot. Add sherry, heavy cream, a dollop of Grey Poupon mustard, herbs of your choice. Simmer briefly to thicken sauce. Fridge to table in less than thirty minutes, one pot, fork tender and juicy pork loin chops.
ETA: Mushrooms are a tasty addition to this recipe. You can drain canned mushrooms, reserve the liquid and use the liquid as part of the 2 cups of water added for pressure cooking. Sautee the mushrooms with the sliced onions as you sear the chops. Or, you can sautee fresh mushrooms.

 

@Rigel, we will happily substitute various beef cuts (that can benefit from the tenderizing effects of pressure cooking) sirloin, top loin, eye of round, beef brisket are examples, chicken or turkey, personally I'd reduce the cooking time for poultry. Lamb, mouton and chevre are probably also valid but I am uneducated/inexperienced in these cuisines.

 

I have a Woll pressure cooker. It's easy to clean and the locking mechanism is idiot proof (this is a great feature for me). The seal and the relief valves pop out and go back in easily. I also like the minimal use of plastic.

I had one that some piece of plastic on the lid's handle broke, and it just happened to be the piece that held the pressure relief valve in place.

I am saving up for an All American for canning. I have no problems with aluminum, when it doesn't come in contact with food.

 

These are great for pressure cooking over a fire.

https://wildchefkitchen.com/product/afghan-kazan-or-afghan-pressure-cooker/?gQT=1

 

Pressure cookers can save beaucoup fuel, vs open-top pan, since the heat is retained instead of disappearing into the atmosphere. In a SHTF situation a PC atop a rocket stove could make the difference.

 

As long as you dont buy this kind- you're good to go.
Exploding Pressure Cooker

 

Stovetop pressure cooker doesn't require electricity

It does if your stove is electric.... 😅

Those dropped limbs that we all have to pick up... May as well get some use out of them...

What are these "limbs" of which you speak?

Turns out we DON'T all have to pick them up.
We had to put in a post so we have a place to hang bird feeders...🤣

 

It does if your stove is electric....

That wasn't the point of his/her post there 🤠 . Try to keep up will ya?