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.

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

The other site is down for a server move.
I can't see the pics either.

In case anyone is interested the 7 Ltr Tower Pressure cooker is
only

About a couple of chef spoons full in Milton Keynes but now about to set off for Northampton where I hear the roads are bad:(

All sorted.
I picked up the Tower 7L psi 11.5.
Let's see how I get on with it.

Thanks again for the info

Cannot for the life of me see a 7l one at Tesco though.  Biggest is 6l and not at

Thanks to all for the replies/info.

I just shot down to Aldi. They have a stack of the Stainless steel 5L Pressure Cooker

Hi unclefrank,
What was the outcome to your pressure cooker purchase?

Just feel the need to get one myself and am currently looking at the Prestige 7L model

Great stuff