With a Christmas gift card from Cathy's uncle Bob in hand, I headed straight for the cookware department at Macy's.My inner food geek wanted something for the kitchen.We didn't know what it would be, only that we would know it when we found it.
And there they were, in all their gleaming stainless steel splendor.Twenty out-of-pocket bucks later, I'm strolling the streets of Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga with my new Fagor Elite 6-quart pressure cooker.
Things sure have changed since I gave my mother a Presto Harvest Gold pressure cooker back in the last century.Fagor replaces the wobbling weight with a captive spring-loaded pressure regulator.Instead of a rubber plug that blasts out of the lid in the event of excess pressure, the Fagor's emergency release is a cutout portion of the lid that exposes part of the gasket.The gasket stretches but if it should snap, it would stay in place and the steam would escape out the side, not into the cook's face.To earn the Underwriters' Laboratories seal, Fagor pressure cookers feature a pressure-activated safety lock in addition to the manual latch.You'd have to be built like Mister Universe to force open a pressurized cooker.
In operation, the Fagor behaves a little differently than a weight-regulated pressure cooker.On the latter, you have to determine if the weight is wobbling at just the right rhythm.The weight should waggle but not bang against the vent stem.With the Fagor, all you have to see or hear is a gentle constant flow of steam.The regulator knob is also the release valve, should you wish to depressurize the cooker immediately instead of allowing the pressure to drop naturally.The steam is routed through a fan-shaped outlet, allowing it to disperse and cool quickly.At six inches from the outlet, the steam is warm but not burning hot.
So far, the cooker has performed as promised.Lentil soup with diced smoked sausage cooked up thick and flavorful in just 10 minutes under pressure.Ditto for spaghetti sauce and whole links of Italian sausage.The sauce had intense flavors of garlic and herbs, and the sausage came out juicy with a hint of snap in the casing.Three pounds of diced red potatoes and the peeled cloves from a whole bulb of garlic were ready to mash in 6 minutes.
The amazingly short cooking times omit the time required for the cooker to come up to pressure which can take about 10 minutes.Still, you save a lot of time overall.
Keeping the all-important gasket clean is a cinch because it's so easy to remove and replace.The lid and pot are made of gleaming 18/10 stainless steel with an encapsulated aluminum base that cooks over any gas or electric heat source as well as the latest induction cooktops.When it's time to clean up, you can use cleaners like Bar Keeper's Friend on the inside and out, but if the discoloration is from cooking lentils, split peas, potatoes or beans, it's iron and other minerals that are good for you.Just wash and dry the pot and put it away until you're ready to prepare spaghetti sauce or some other high acidity recipe.You'll get back a little nutrition and you won't have to scour your pressure cooker.
If you've never heard of Fagor or you're wondering if it's a brand a pro would use, Lola Bistro owner and head chef Michael Symon used a Fagor pressure cooker while competing to become Food Network's newest Iron Chef. He then went on to win his first Iron Chef America challenge, preparing one of his winning dishes in his Fagor. Although he's not officially connected to Fagor in any way, I can't think of a better endorsement.
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Fagor "Elite" Pressure Cooker, 6 Qt.Product Description: A contemporary 6-qt. pressure cooker with European design and easy one-touch cooking. Made of 18/10 stainless steel with aluminum-clad base sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel for even heat distribution. 10-year consumer warranty. Model # 918012660
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I purchased a bunch of canning gear and as a result was entitled to an additional promotional claim, so I threw this pressure cooker in with it.What a great deal.I was impressed with the solid construction of this cooker, easy to use, nice features.Presto makes a newer one without the handle, but personally I think the handle is far more useful, especially for browning meat prior to pressure cooking, and the new one is priced at twice this one.I just made a batch of rice pudding in this thing, works great.I am looking forward to long years of service with this thing.
