The Joy of Pressure Cooking

The Intelligent Way to Cook

Pressure cookers have simplified and enriched my cooking life. What did I ever do without a pressure cooker?? Ten years ago, I bought my first Kuhn-Rikon Pressure Cooker. It was the 2 ½-liter "Hotel." I used it occasionally. Then, I bought the 5-liter "Hotel" and used it every week. It is my favorite. Now, that I have the 12-liter "Hotel," I cook exclusively with these 3 cookers.

Kuhn Rikon is called the "Rolls-Royce" of pressure cooking. This is not your grandmother's pressure cooker that could easily explode. It is a very heavy, highly polished stainless steel. It has 5 safety steam-release systems and meets world wide safety standards. You cannot open your pressure cooker until all the pressure has been released.

Living here in the Rocky Mountains is a privilege many wish they had, but when it comes to always adjusting recipes to living at 5,600 feet above sea level, it has some disadvantages especially in cooking grain and beans. With the pressure cooker, grains and beans cook quickly and beautifully.

The excuse I often hear is, "I don't cook a lot with grains and beans because even after cooking in the slow cooker all day, the beans are still hard and not edible." It's no wonder that most households in Switzerland have 3 pressure cookers. They cook in the Alps with their refined engineering expertise and have passed on their high altitude cooking expertise to us. Welcome to the new millennium!

Benefits of the Pressure Cooker

Safe
There are 5 safety systems in place, including the integrated lid-locking system that make the UL approved Duromatic the standard of safety worldwide. 18/10 stainless steel will not interact with food and is dishwasher safe.
Fast
Compare cooking times! Cooking with the Duromatic takes an average of 1/3 the cooking time of conventional cooking methods.
Easy
The secret is the Duromatic's spring-loaded valve which takes the guesswork out of pressure cooking. No noisy steam escaping and no more mushy food!
Healthy
The Duromatic redefines the term "fast food". Cook high-fiber, low-fat foods in record time. Preserve vitamins and essential nutrients.
Versatile
Cooks everything: grains, meats, chicken, vegetables and even desserts. Stainless steel clad aluminum disk enables even browning and rapid heat absorption without food coming in contact with aluminum.
Economical/Ecological
Since cooking with the Duromatic takes 1/3 the time, you save 70% of energy normally consumed during cooking. The Duromatic pays for itself in energy savings.
Reliable
The Duromatic carries a full 10-year warranty and all replacement parts are readily available by calling Kuhn Rikon. This company has over 45 years experience in manufacturing pressure cookers. This is the last pressure cooker you'll ever need.

Perfect Grains Every Time!
For every 2 cups water (plus salt and oil to taste), add:

¾ cup millet
1 ¼ cup quinoa
1 cup barley, buckwheat, arborio rice or brown rice

Bring water to a boil, add grains and bring to a boil again. Place pressure lid on cooker. Bring to 1st ring of pressure. Lower the heat and stabilize pressure on the 1st ring for 10 minutes (22 minutes for brown rice). Remove from heat and let pressure release naturally. You've never seen such beautiful grains!

Pressure Cooker Wisdom

• Important: Before each use, check that the screw under the pressure cooker lid is tight. Otherwise, the pressure will not rise and you will burn your meal. Also check to see that the gasket is seated properly. If it is not, steam will escape.
• Be sure your liquid is boiling before you put on the pressure lid.
• When releasing pressure under cold water, tilt the pressure cooker so water will not run inside.
• A good rule of thumb: fill no more than ½ full when cooking beans or grains as they will expand, but fill as full as possible when cooking fruits or vegetables as they will decrease in volume.
• All of the recipes in my cookbook have been designed for the 5-liter "Hotel" Pressure Cooker. You can half the recipes for the 2-4 liter pressure cooker. Or, you can double the recipes for the 12-liter pressure cooker.