Christine Dabney > wrote:

> So, for those of you that have and love pressure cookers, which one(s)
> do you have? Do you recommend it? And for what reason?

I have a Fissler model like this one:
<http://www.fissler.net/Pressure_cooker+show=detail+detailID=fis_116010202 3_72_sw,jpg.9.0.html>,
and I recommend it highly, but such brands as Silit or WMF here in
Germany are at least as good. They are without doubt of at least as
good quality as anything that has ever appeared on the market anywhere.
They are indestructible and as safe as any pressure cookers anywhere.
If you can find them in the USA, consider them. Their only disadvantage
is their top pressure, which is a bit lower than that of some other
pressure cookers marketed in the USA.

Generally, the choice is between stovetop cookers and electric/electronic
ones. The big advantage of the latter is electronic thermostat,
which is bound to be more precise and easier to set up than regulating
the pressure by changing the temperature of the stove burner. However,
you forgo the quick-release option (running water over the cooker to cool
it fast), because the heating element in an electric cooker is inside.
This option may be crucial for some recipes. Having one cooker of each
kind would perhaps be the best choice in an ideal world...

In any case, I'd get the largest model available, as the cooker should
never be filled to more than 2/3 of its capacity (and to no more than
half with some ingredients) if the highest pressure is to be used. Also,
the cooker should have adjustable pressure (at least two settings).

Victor