Looking for Quick Weeknight Meals? Get a Pressure Cooker!
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Think dinner tastes better when you haven't slaved over a hot stove all day? Ready for meals that can come together at the push of a button? Don't waste hours babysitting a saucepan. Pick up a pressure cooker to help serve up delicious roasts, to-die-for chicken breasts, and your signature chili in no time flat.
Forget using a traditional pot or pan – pressure cookers cut your prep and cooking time down to the time it takes to enjoy an episode or two of your favorite sitcom. In other words: food will be ready in a flash.
But which cooker should you purchase? Well, that depends: How much food do you need to cook? How much are you looking to spend?
We have several options, from multipurpose models best for hands-free cooking to stovetop variants with additional controls. Ready to speed things up? Check out our top picks for the fastest (and best) pressure cookers for making your quickest and most savory dinners ever.
Best Pressure Cookers
Best Budget Buy: Prestige Popular Aluminium Pressure Cooker, 3 Liters
Best for Beginners: Presto 01370 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Best for Canning: Presto 01755 16-Quart Aluminum Canner Pressure Cooker
Best Overall
You may have expected to see a basic stovetop pressure cooker model as our top pick, but we're here to tell you that the very best (and most versatile) choice comes in the form of the internet's favorite appliance: the Instant Pot. Not only does it have a phenomenal pressure-cooking function, but it also works as a slow cooker, a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, and so much more.
But the pressure-cooking function is what we're here to talk about. The Instant Pot features a sleek, easy-to-read, blue LCD screen, and allows you to choose between high- and low-pressure cooking, which gives you the tools to go from cooking tough cuts of meat to more delicate soups and stews. It has a safe-lock lid that prevents one from being able to open the top while the contents are pressurized, and it has an anti-blockage vent that clears any possible food debris buildup to ensure a steady escape of steam. The lid even has automatic sensors to let you know if it’s on securely before you try to pressurize it.
Best Budget Buy
At just 3 liters, this small-sized pressure cooker is perfect for soups, stews, beans, and smaller pieces of meat. It's large enough to feed a family of four, but if you prefer a different size, this affordable pressure cooker is available in capacities as small as 2 liters and as large as 20 liters.
Made completely of durable virgin aluminum, your cooker is strong enough to last through many years of memorable meals. A thick base ensures that food never sticks to the bottom, and when dinner is ready to serve, a gripped handle makes it easy and safe to transfer to your table. Other features include a safety plug and a gasket-release system that de-pressurizes to avoid dangerous accidents.
Best for Beginners
This pressure cooker is a great option for newbies and pros alike. It has a simple steam-regulator knob that maintains proper pressure inside the vessel, and the general pressure levels can be manually adjusted by raising or lowering the heat on the stove. It works on both regular and induction burners, too, thanks to a stainless steel build.
The top has a safety lock indicator that tells you when it's safe to open, and as a bonus, the unit includes a steaming basket insert, so you can cook and steam foods at the same time without flavors mingling together.
Best Splurge
Don't let the price tag scare you off! With increased safety features, including a spring-loaded precision valve, an integrated lid-locking system, and five thorough safety releases, we recommend the Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker as a top-of-the-line option.
Not only is it sleek, easy to use, and quiet, but it also comes with a 10-year warranty, which equates to serious peace of mind knowing that in the event that anything fails, you're backed up for a very long time. This Swiss-made unit is built to last, and it's perfectly sized for a small family (or dedicated meal-prepper).
Best for Canning
Pressure canning is the safest and most effective way to preserve food, and this warp-resistant aluminum pressure cooker is designed specifically for that purpose. It can also be used to cook meats and other dishes, but acidic ingredients should be avoided, as they can react with the aluminum to produce a metallic taste in soups, stews, and sauces.
Whether you're new to canning or you're a serious pro, you'll appreciate the dial gauge that tells you when proper processing pressure has been reached. As an additional safety feature, the air vent and cover lock ensure that pressure won't start building until the lid is securely closed.
In terms of sizes, you can choose from a 16-quart or a 23-quart option, depending on how much storage space you have available. The 23-quart size can fit up to seven 1-quart jars at a time, or 18 pint jars (when stacked).
Read More:
Slow Cookers That'll Have Dinner Ready When You Get Home
Quirky Kitchen Gadgets That'll Make Cooking Fun
Top-Rated Food Processors That Do All the Hard Work for You
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