Presto and Mirro pressure cookers are great for cutting down cooking time, and are suited for the way we eat today. Cooking with an electric pressure cooker allows you to easily prepare healthy and delicious meals quickly. Chicken, pork, and beef all cook up fork-tender in minutes. Tough cuts of meat are cheaper to buy, and won’t be tough after a few minutes in the pressure cooker, so it can save you money.
Pressure canners can also be used for canning fruits and vegetables. If you plan to have your pressure cooker double as a pressure canner, you should consider the size you want for both jobs. Four, six and eight quarts are the standard cooker sizes, while pressure canners start at eight quarts and go up past 22 quarts.
There are a few options to look at when buying an electric pressure cooker, one is the name brand. Presto leads the way, and are rated #1 by the American Culinary Institute. Other major names include Mirro, Maitre and Revere. Most often, your choice for material in pressure cookers is either stainless steel, or aluminum. Stainless steel cookware will cost a bit more, but has a nicer look, and will stay that way.
In the last week, I've been asked 3 times about gaskets, the little rubber ring that forms the seal in the lid of the presto pressure cookers. This is a typical email:
I have an aliminium Presto Pressure Cooker (Model No 708B),for which I am seeking a new sealing gasket(part No.7379), which no longer appears to be on sale. Can you please let me know if parts are available for this extremely useful piece of equipment which has been in constant use since I bought it, which was in 1966.
I'm pleased to hear that Presto's quality cookers stand the test of time, 40 years!! As for getting your new rubber sealing ring gasket, when you've got an older model, I suggest checking out this Ebay seller who has a list including the old model numbers, and what the new model numbers are. I think the organization could be better, but it still beats the official Presto Website for information on gaskets.
