Topic: First try with the new pressure cooker disaster!

[Petrolhead360]

Hi,
I just bought my first pressure cooker.
I have a question about what went wrong with my first attempt at using it.

Firstly it may not be the best cooker. Tower 7Ltr aluminium 11 or 12 PSI.

I did read the user guide and thought I followed the instructions.

I made a Pat Chapman non pressure cooker madras using a whole chicken chopped up with a chopped onion with spices.
This is where I'm questioning myself.
I added about a pint (500ml) of tinned chopped tomatoes and small amount of stock according to the recipe.

Locked on the lid and on with the gas.
The hissing soon started but the weight never turned.
After a few minutes I flicked the weight with my finger but it only turned a little and stopped. This went on for 10 or 15 minutes.
Still hissing away I left it a bit longer as I didn't know how long it would take to get up to pressure.
Finally the safety valve blew and that was it.

The contents was cooked but the bottom of the pot was covered with thick burnt on hardened crust

My questions are
1. Why didn't the weight turn, I checked that it wasn't blocked?
2. Are tinned tomatoes not good as the liquid?
3. Should I have added 1/2 pint (250ml) of water for a 15 min cook?

After I spent an hour cleaning the pot I ran a test with 300ml of water only and tried again.
The weight turned properly as described in the instructions.

This has lead me to the conclusion that it must be about the liquid content, or lack of it, in the recipe.

Thanks for reading and I value any replies.

Regards, James

[Peripatetic Phil]

Locked on the lid and on with the gas.
The hissing soon started but the weight never turned.
After a few minutes I flicked the weight with my finger but it only turned a little and stopped. This went on for 10 or 15 minutes.
Still hissing away I left it a bit longer as I didn't know how long it would take to get up to pressure.
Finally the safety valve blew and that was it.

Urk.  I don't have time to search back for the link to the manual, but are you sure there is any "turning weight" at all ?  Is it not a pressure dial, with two or three settings : unpressurised, medium pressure, high pressure ?  If so, it does not turn : you turn it, to the desired setting, then it stays where you put it.  What I begin to fear is that you did not significantly reduce the gas once it was up to pressure.  Could this be the cause of your failure (apart from any possible misunderstanding regarding "the weight") ?

** Phil.

P.S. Is it similar to this Prestige model ?

[Petrolhead360]

Hi Phil and thanks for the reply.

Yes this model has a weight with no adjustment.
According to the instructions the weight spins when it reaches maximum pressure and then you reduce the gas to slow the spin speed to a low level.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Hi Phil and thanks for the reply.  Yes this model has a weight with no adjustment.  According to the instructions the weight spins when it reaches maximum pressure and then you reduce the gas to slow the spin speed to a low level.

Then I would return it as "not of merchantable quality", get your money back, and then get one of the more modern designs that don't rely on weights.  Far safer, IMHO.  Lidl had them for less than

[RubyDoo]

Was the weight seated properly? I have one of these and they have a very good write up despite not being the full 15psi.. Problem is I have only ever used it for rice or base. Never had the weight spin as with rice it gets turned off as soon as the button pops up and with base it is only hot enough to keep the button up. Will out instructions tomorrow if you want but I assume you have those.

[meggeth]

Wouldn't it need some water to create steam, in order to create pressure? I suspect that's why the weight didn't lift the first time, but did the second.

[Petrolhead360]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I seem to think that you are correct with the liquid content even in the tomatoes evaporating before the pressure was reached.

I do have the user guide thanks but I would still be interested in your experiences in making a base.
Which recipe did you follow? C2G, Chewy's 3 hour etc?

More testing needed I think.

[meggeth]

I've always used Cory Anders base with a pressure cooker. It just the right amount for the cooker. Put everything in, pressure cook for a round 15 mins, then blitz. I also put it through a sieve afterwards, its surprising how much fibrous stuff is in there! Always turns out good. I have a few modifications for my own preference, bit I don't think you'd go wrong with the original recipe.

[RubyDoo]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I seem to think that you are correct with the liquid content even in the tomatoes evaporating before the pressure was reached.

I do have the user guide thanks but I would still be interested in your experiences in making a base.
Which recipe did you follow? C2G, Chewy's 3 hour etc?

More testing needed I think.

C2G.   I tend to make the 3 litre version but do it in the 7l pressure cooker as I then later make it up to around 6l when adding the water. I actually fill to a little over halfway with onions when doing this. Why do I do this? Simples. The largest pot I have is only 7l

[Peripatetic Phil]

I still think that PH360 should return it.  Note the key element of his report : "Finally the safety valve blew and that was it."  If the safety valve blew, there was pressure in the pressure cooker; if there was pressure in the pressure cooker (which would of itself require liquid in order to generate that pressure, unless it were purely pressurised air), why did the weight not spin ?  When the safety valve blew, PH, was there copious steam or virtually none ?

** Phil.