Why would anyone want a pressure cooker?

I have an 8qt Wolfgang Puck electric PC. It has a slow cooker setting and even comes with a glass lid for slow cooking. It also has a sear feature and a lot of preset times for rice, meat, etc. You can set a delay time and when it finishes-it goes to 'keep warm'.
There are plenty of models that have those same features. I noticed a lot of them are advertised as having the lid and inner pot as dishwasher safe. I don't agree with that as I hand wash all parts.
All those features might be nice, but I only use it as a pressure cooker. The inner pot is too narrow to properly brown,(sear).
I also just got an Emeril Lagasse model PC. It's very nice but does not have as many extra settings as Wolfgang's.

NYCgrrl wrote:

swtgran wrote:
NYCgrrl, you can get a pressure cooker that also has a slow cooker function, as well as rice cooker, browner, etc. terry r.

Hmmmmmm now THAT sounds like a great possibility! Time for me to do some researching and thanks for the heads up:C

The one I just bought is a Power Cooker brand. Seems to work okay, and it has all the features listed above.

swtgran wrote:
NYCgrrl, you can get a pressure cooker that also has a slow cooker function, as well as rice cooker, browner, etc. terry r.

Hmmmmmm now THAT sounds like a great possibility! Time for me to do some researching and thanks for the heads up:C

NYCgrrl, you can get a pressure cooker that also has a slow cooker function, as well as rice cooker, browner, etc. terry r.

Kittykath wrote:
After getting sucked in to a digital pressure cooker infomercial yesterday morning, I went out and bought a similar style in a big box store instead, avoiding the loads of S&H fees. The instructions were slightly confusing.

I tossed in a corned beef roast and a quartered head of cabbage, along with the recommended 4C of liquid, closed the lid and crossed my fingers for 55 minutes. It was difficult not being able to peek on my meal. I was pleasantly surprised with the results and am anxious to use this thing regularly and let my crock pot gather dust.

One silly question. Are the recipes interchangable between the stovetop and digital models?

I've been using a pressure cooker for many years. I use it mostly now to cook chickens for the dogs and the broth left over for great chicken soup. I think the only difference in pressure cooking compared to other types is the time. Pressure is pressure, it's the same, no matter the cooker.

I love the extra layer of flavor PC's make but I don't have one.

I don't know why there would be a difference in the two, except possibly as Go Dogs noted. Our old Presto uses a weight that is 5,10, and 15#, but most recipes call for 10. We have a small stovetop unit that has a skillet and a large pot using the same lid and while it has 2 settings virtually every recipe for a mass requiring a longer cook uses the 10#. Because of this when I wing it I use the 10#.
Remember you're basically creating a steam and driving it into the food, so the pressure will effect the time.

I've limited kitchen counter space which means if I buy a new appliance it has to do something I can't accomplish with an existing kitchen tool. A slow cooker does most everything a pressure cooker does so I've never bought one. I do use a PC annually at a sister's home. She has a big garden and we do a nice bit of canning with her pressure cooker. I plan to do some RVing this year as opposed to tent camping and will see which of the 2 appliances uses less fuel to operate. Should the PC consume less fuel than the crockpot...I'll get one for the road.

For your next PC recipe try this one. We made it over the weekend in our digital PC and it's definitely a keeper.
SPICY ANGLO-INDIAN PORK ROAST
Serves 6 Preparation time; 2 hours

2kg (4.5 lbs) pork (1 whole piece) from the shoulder portion 2 teaspoons pepper powder
4 dried red chillies broken into bits
3 pieces of cinnamon about ½ inch each
1 teaspoon chilly powder
½ teaspoon tumeric powder
2 or 3 onions sliced
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
Wash the pork and rub it well all over with the salt, pepper, chilly powder and tumeric powder. Spread the sliced onions evenly in a fairly large greased baking dish. Lay the chunk of pork on the layer of onions. Sprinkle the broken red chillies and cinnamon over it. Drizzle the oil all over the meat. Shake the dish so that it spreads evenly. Cook in a moderate oven (355' ) for about one and a half hours till the meat is soft and brown. (Turn the meat over every half hour so that it browns all over evenly).

Serve with mash potato and Bread or Rice.

The Pork Roast could be prepared using a Pressure cooker instead of baking in an oven.
http://anglo-indianfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/spicy-anglo-indian-pork-roast.html?m=1

The only thing that I think would be different between electric and stovetop models would be the PSI readings. The electric models usually have a setting for low/high. I've seem some stovetop ones that had a special weight. One way was for low PSI, the other way was high PSI. Low PSI is for more delicate foods-veggies for instance. I think you could just compensate by time. IOW, if you don't know the PSI on your stovetop PC-assume it would be a higher PSI, (15 maybe)-just hold at pressure for only 2/3's the time for a more delicate dish. You might have to experiment to get it right, or just use the stovetop for high PSI recipes. Good luck!