efficient cooker

double-boiling pressure cooker & induction cooktop


6.5: aq.gear/amazon.com/order#103-6237227-7819428/confirm:
Shipping Method: FREE Super Saver Shipping
Max Burton 6000 Induction Cooktop (110V) UL $74.95
Fagor Futuro 6 Quart Pressure Cooker $135.79 .

6.11: it arrived .

[7.19: the induction cooktop  has 4 modes:

{temperature-controlled -- temp.button

, power-use-controlled -- power.button

} x { non-stop, timed } .

. after getting a head of steam,

I switch from power-use-controlled,

to temperature-controlled:

I avoid having steam be released

by setting the temp.button down a notch

from 250F to 210F .]

proj.gear/pressure cooker & induction cooktop/testing:
. start steam with 2 cup water,
oil gasket with rosemary-olive oil .
. getting close to it with an AM radio
was a rush of fear;
but the radio affects quickly diminish with distance .
. check timer,
check how long it takes to
get full 15 lb steam .
. turning off induction
quickly stops the steam whistling
-- it works just like gas .

6.12: sci.gear/pressure cooker/induction power mode setting:
. increment the  power.button (from 5 to 6)
to get steam quicker
 to reduce steam loss due to
the pressure-triggered lock
letting steam go before lock .
... that is worse, because,
too much steam escapes later
from pressure relief valve:
. upon hearing the relief valve starting to whistle,
I turn the heat off,
and, on the default (5) setting,
the whistle stops almost immediately;
but, on the next higher setting (6),
the whistle goes a minute longer .

6.13: mis.gear/cooker/use the force luke-warm!:
. I was in the next room listening
so that when the steam began whistling
I would turn it off,
but it was much longer than 5min,
and it was smelling burnt;
so then checking it visually,
the gasket was leaking steam:
the lumpy mix of herbs with oil
did prevent a clean seal;
also, it was set at 250 not 210 .
. I cleaned the gasket and re-oiled it
with mct in old vit.e dropper bottle .
. after restarting it,
it shut off shortly after that
with the message error#2:
oveheating at the plate;
which is understandable since
after a burn already formed,
its char was insulating the cooker's liquids
from the plate's heat .
. I was anxious to test my theory
so I cleaned out the char,
and put the remaining bean soup back in .
. the seal is forming,
and the burner is completing a 15-psi head .
...
test le(whole bean): yes!

6.14:

rdy le(210F, 20min):
it's still on without venting steam .
--[7.19: cook legumes with temp.button at 210F
and timer.button at 20min .]

6.15: the double boiler idea:

. one thing I liked about
this pressure cooker idea was that
if you could have the heat just under
the max pressure (so no steam is coming out)
then this would be the best at
keeping heat out of the kitchen
and not wasted .
. the induction cooktop
is very good at this:
move the function to near boiling (210),
down from 250 .
. then set the timer to 20min
(gives you about 5min to ramp up),
. what you have there now
is the timer going with
the [heat by power].function,
but, what you want is
the timer going instead with
the [heat by temp].function,
so, punch the function.button one more time;
and you'll see the indicator lights
are up for temp and timer,
rather than power and timer .
. I would rather puree my beans before cooking
so the oil and herbs are close by all .

web.gear/cooker/double-boiling pressure cooker:

. my pressure cooker insides are 8.5" wide x 6" high;
a meal of beans will use 1qt = 4cups;
so, 2qt would be roomy .
. how wide is a 3qt saucepan?
shaped wider than square, is 8" wide x 5" high .
-- that is a very tight fit:
2qt pan is my target .

. Revere ware is familiar looking:
it's a thin stainless steel [not anymore]
that doesn't add any extra metal I don't need
since I'm using it as the upper of a double boiler .
. it also has a handle that I've hacked off before
(as you can tell from the view, it's an easy job).
--. here at target, you can see
the dimensions are right:
7.9" width x 4.8" height .

. at amazon, with Super Saver Shipping:
$28 Revere 2-Quart Covered Saucepan .

. another pan, too thick for a double-boiler:
$29 Farberware Classic 2-Quart Saucepan with Lid
"( This takes a while to heat up
& you do not need to start it on high heat.)

6.16: engl.gear/cooker/steamer insert:
--. a steamer insert is the top chamber of a double boiler,
except with holes on the bottom .

6.16: mis.gear/cooker/induction cooktop given bad setting:
. I had somehow left it on power-control
rather than temp-control
so then I got too much steam .
. sure would be nice if that thing would
remember settings !

6.19: mom/gear/cooker/health/induction cooking to avoid radon:
. another reason to use an induction cooktop
even when gas is cheaper to operate
is that gas burning in the home
can be a significant source of radon:
if radon has been a problem in
some maryland basements,
their gas is bound to be
even more generally problematic .

6.24: proj.gear/cooker/double-boiling pressure cooker:
. the Revere 2-Quart Covered Saucepan
has arrived for use inside the pressure cooker .
. to spare a messy hacksaw job,
I tried bending the handle back and forth
until stress fatigue snapped it off:
 that worked quickly  .
. the cover's handle screwed off
leaving just a screw
-- wasn't sure if that handle would
add chemicals to the food
with the pan inside a pressure cooker .
. it fits easily on trivet meant for
holding steamer tray inside pressure cooker .
. first try will be yam puree 210F for 6 min
(from start of full steam) .



mis.cook/cooker/yam puree included citric:
. recalled only after reviewing instructions
that citric acid should be added only
after the cooking .
. I know from experience too,
that stainless steel will develope
pits and even holes
when pressure cooking acidic foods .

bk.gear/cooker/pan with cover:
. don't store with acid or salt,
don't clean with bleach .

6.25: sci.gear/cooker/double-boiling pressure cooker/pan not inductive:
. confirmed the pan is not inductive,
and it has a thicker-than-expected bottom
so, the most efficient way to quick-soak
(bringing up to a brief boil)
is in the rice cooker .

proc.cook/le/double-boiling pressure cooker:
. with the added heating job of a
double-boiling pressure cooker,
I thought the beans would need
an extended cooking time:
20min after pressurization,
rather than 20min after heat-on .
[7.19: or 30min to be safe .]