Pressure Cookers
- March 2014
- Simple Life
Hi Steph,
I have been following your website for some time now and find you to be a huge inspiration in all things outdoor and simple! Thanks for dedicating so much of your time to create a fabulous resource for us to enjoy.I have finally had it with the cans and have read your blog where you mentioned that you use a pressure cooker for cooking beans. We eat a ton of them. You have fabulous reviews and much more experience than I do and all those unreliable reviews online. What type/brand of pressure cooker do you have? Any feedback would be great as I like to buy something once and keep it for many years.
Thanks and keep up the awesome things you do. Woof to Cajun!
Best,
Julia
Hi Julia,
I don’t like cans either: I met a woman who is a biochemist, and she told me the one thing she avoids is anything in cans, and she knows something I don’t know. The pressure cooker is amazing! I make garbanzo beans almost daily, to put in stirfry, salads or to make hummus out of. And I make a lot of beans in general, so I love the pressure cooker. Occasionally I’ll do some butternut squash if I don’t have time to roast, but mainly I use it specifically for beans. You do still need to soak them, either over night or at least for the day, but it’s easy to get in the habit.
The one I have is a T-Fal 4 quart stainless steel pressure cooker and I am very happy with it. It’s great for getting beans cooked up, and I always have a lot in the end. If you are doing full-on pressure cooker meals, it’s probably the right size for 2-3 people. It’s very solid, easy to use and easy to clean, and I don’t foresee it breaking any time soon–I’ve had mine for about a year now.
Usually I soak the beans, and then I put them in the pressure cooker with 2-3 times more water than beans. I use the “2” setting. I cook until steam is starting to come out the top valve, and then reduce the heat to keep it at that point (gentle steam coming out, not trying to lift off to outer space) and cook for 10-12 minutes. Then I turn off the heat and let it sit by itself for a while until the little indicator stick has popped back down, open it up and drain the beans. Super easy 🙂
Steph
