I'm bumping this topic because I need to bounce some ideas on buying a pressure cooker. Right now I have a T-fal that operates at a max of 12 psi and I'm looking for something that goes to 15 psi. I have the option of buying a Fissler Vitaquick for the equivalent of about 100$, but couldn't really find any info on the operating pressure (wrote them an e-mail, haven't heard back yet). Another option would be Kuhn Rikon, but from theamazon description, it also operates at about 12 psi. My husband did find another option that goes up to 15 psi - Beem. It seems a very good choice seeing that it has two pots (one 4L and one 6 L) and a basket, and it also has good reviews. But I don't know anything about this brand. What would you pick? I don't really want to go over 150 EUR, but if there's a very important reason to go over this amount, I could. Thank you! Edit: received an update from Fissler, all of their pressure cookers go to a max of 11 psi.

Soaking rice is a trick I learned back in the day when I led backpacking trips for a living. You'd put the brown rice in to soak in one of your nalgene containers at lunch, and then it would be ready to fast cook for dinner at the end of the trail. It's really a technique for brown rice, which is much longer cooking than white rice, it's not necessary for white rice. Anyway, the soaking cuts the time down but yes, you have to remember to soak it which I hardly ever do. The nice thing is, if you remember it doesn't require watching or anything in between. It worked really well for this short grain brown rice. Steaming is definately the way to go, but I mostly burn rice when I steam, I just don't have the cooking knack that most do on this site. A lot of it is due to me not having a nice heavy bottomed pot and also my electric stove is complete carp and I often get distracted by some other task when I'm cooking. Sometimes all the rice gods come together for me though! I think starchiness is part of the appeal of the short grain brown rice for most people. I'm glad I'm almost out of it now, I am definately a long grain brown rice gal. But this turned out very creamy with the feta cheese, which is fab. with asparagus. Even Alton said use long grain rice for rice pudding, on the video I was watching over the weekend. I can't wait to make room for some basmati rice in my cupboard and try Alton's recipe, with milk, cream and coconut milk! Here is a link that might be useful: Indian style rice pudding

I don't use any actual "crock" pots I use slow cookers that use a regular pot. I have had my favorite one that I use quite often since shortly after we got married, so very very very long ago! I was hosting a Tupperware party and that was the hostess gift if you had enough sales, I did. What a fabulous work horse it has been. And my mom had one exactly like it but smaller so now I have hers too. This is the one that it is like West Bend 84905 5-Quart Oblong-Shaped Slow Cooker It sits on a burner unit so you can use the pot on the stove too. I have never used the burner unit as a griddle but you can do that. My pots that are for that unit have never lost a single spot of the non stick coating it is all fully as it came. A few years ago I decided I wanted to get their bigger one which has a stainless steel pot this one West Bend 84866 6-Quart Versatility Slow Cooker with Glass Cover, Stainless Many reviews warned that the coating inside would come off very quickly. Well they were right, I used it maybe 3 times and the non stick coating came off in big pieces. So now I have a pretty pot I can not use and a nice new heating base. I should have contacted them and had them replace it with another model but I didn't. What I do now is use the base with one of my oval enamel cast iron pots and it works very well. But I would absolutely get another one of the original kind if mine every died. It must be over a hundred in slow cooker years lol. I did find another of the pots that fit on the original one at a goodwill store and snatched it up with the lid included so now I have 2 pots and 2 lids for that base. I don't think I have any other kitchen appliance that I have used as much and has lasted so long and worked perfectly for so many years. I do have an Aroma cooker that I love but mine does not have the slow cooker feature, it does have the brown and saute feature. I would love it if mine had the slow cook on it but that feature started coming out on them just after I was given mine for a Christmas gift.

* Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Sat, May 30, 09 at 11:27 Sally, anywhere that has alot of British imports would probably have it. I was checking out who had it online the other day and while you might not want 6 bottles of it.. smiles... Amazon has 6 bottles for $27.05. It's free shipping too. Most places sell it for between five and six or up to eight dollars, so that's a great price. They say they're 15 oz bottles. Maybe somebody else would want to go in on it with you?? I've always heard of it described as a mayo with more vinegar and also with a mustard taste. Sounds good. Smiles. My DW used it when she used to travel to the UK all the time for buisness. Surprised she didn't bring any back. I have a head of savoy cabbage so I'm going to make my easy 'stuffed' cabbage casserole that I described above. It makes it so easy and quick which is just what we want on a Saturday night. Steam the cabbage briefly, layer it with dirty rice, pour some tomato juice mixed with onion and garlic powder between layers and on top and bake for about 40 minutes. I'll see if I can manage to take a picture. I seem to be terrible at that. The camera is always in the other room and it's a kind of big house and by the time I'm done cooking I'm not walking very well. LOL.. We will see. Oh btw, I always make two dishes of this because Christy gets burnt out on "red" since I always have something made with red sauce around I make her a version with just some broth on it. I do stuffed peppers for her the same way. No red. I do love the red on it but prefer tomato juice since it's nice and light although I'll just water down tomato sauce or puree with chicken stock/broth, if I don't have any handy.