Chicago Tribune
Slow cookers face off against pressure cookers to see which is better for the harried home cook
As these times find us reaching for more dried beans, whole grains and secondary cuts of meat, they don't always give us enough kitchen time to cook them.
Maybe that's why more home cooks have been turning to their mothers' secret weapons: the slow cooker and the pressure cooker. Despite their retro image, both appliances have seen a resurgence in use in the last decade, according to market research company The NPD Group.
With that resurgence have come updated cookbooks. Diane Phillips, author of the new "Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever," cites four reasons for the cookers' comeback: dual working couples, higher quality appliance models, better recipes and an era of frugality.
Despite their fast-slow differences, the appliances work best on similar foods, those that usually require long simmering, boiling or braising. Appliance prices range from $35 to $150.
So which should the home cook choose when she wants long-cooked flavors with minimum fuss?
"It would depend on your schedule," said Andrew Schloss, author of "Art of the Slow Cooker."
If you want your meals to cook while you're at work or in bed, the slow cooker is for you. If you often make your meals at the last-minute and need to turn a pan of dried beans into chili super fast, you're better off reaching for the pressure cooker.
But there are some foods that just work better in each appliance.
"Baked beans are amazing in slow cookers," Schloss said.
Although most whole grains don't work well in the slow cooker, they're ideal for the pressure cooker, especially risotto. Traditional risotto recipes require careful monitoring, regular doses of hot broth and stirring, stirring, stirring. "But in a pressure cooker, it takes 12 minutes from start to finish with no stirring," Phillips said.
Despite their popularity, the two appliances can still evoke unpleasant memories for some. Older, hotter slow cookers could scorch food, but Phillips says newer models offer better temperature control. Older pressure cookers had a nasty reputation for explosions, which manufacturers have solved with safety valves that automatically release pressure when it grows too high.
Also, some pressure-cooker/slow-cooker devotees (and their family members) have complained that all the dishes prepared in the appliance start to taste the same. That, Schloss and Phillips said, is often attributable to bad recipes and improper usage, or as Phillips calls it, the "dump and run" effect. They stress that proper flavor building before the lid goes on is essential to successful pressure/slow cooking.
"Whenever I cook meat in the slow cooker, I brown it first in a separate pan, and then I'll saute the vegetables separately and then make a sauce," Schloss said. "There is a huge difference if you take that 20 minutes to create the browning and build and blend the flavors."
An advantage of the pressure cooker: You can do all of that in the cooker.
Still, with most innovations come drawbacks. While we liked elements of the stews we cooked in these appliances, most agreed they preferred them cooked in a Dutch oven.
Smoked paprika chicken
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 6 hours, 20 minutes Makes: 8 servings
Serve over cooked noodles or rice. Adapted from "Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever" by Diane Phillips.
6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
10 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 onions, halved, sliced
2 each, seeded, sliced: red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked or regular paprika
1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Cook the bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook until browned, 10 minutes. Remove to platter. Pour off most of the bacon fat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and paprika to skillet; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes to skillet; heat to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
Transfer the contents of the skillet and chicken to the slow cooker. Cover; cook on low until the chicken is cooked through, 6-8 hours. Skim off fat. Season to taste. Stir in bacon and parsley.
Cooking in a pressure cooker: Cook bacon in the pressure cooker with lid off until crisp; drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the cooker. Add chicken; cook until browned on all sides, 7-8 minutes. Add paprika, broth and juice from tomatoes. Seal the cooker, heat to build pressure; cook 8 minutes. Cool pan. Release lid. Add vegetables, garlic and tomatoes; simmer until reduced to desired taste and consistency, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley.
Nutrition information: Per serving: 211 calories, 42% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 67 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein, 812 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
4 slow cooker tips
As these times find us reaching for more dried beans, whole grains and secondary cuts of meat, they don't always give us enough kitchen time to cook them.
Maybe that's why more home cooks have been turning to their mothers' secret weapons: the slow cooker and the pressure cooker. Despite their retro image, both appliances have seen a resurgence in use in the last decade, according to market research company The NPD Group.
With that resurgence have come updated cookbooks. Diane Phillips, author of the new "Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever," cites four reasons for the cookers' comeback: dual working couples, higher quality appliance models, better recipes and an era of frugality.
Despite their fast-slow differences, the appliances work best on similar foods, those that usually require long simmering, boiling or braising. Appliance prices range from $35 to $150.
So which should the home cook choose when she wants long-cooked flavors with minimum fuss?
"It would depend on your schedule," said Andrew Schloss, author of "Art of the Slow Cooker."
If you want your meals to cook while you're at work or in bed, the slow cooker is for you. If you often make your meals at the last-minute and need to turn a pan of dried beans into chili super fast, you're better off reaching for the pressure cooker.
But there are some foods that just work better in each appliance.
"Baked beans are amazing in slow cookers," Schloss said.
Although most whole grains don't work well in the slow cooker, they're ideal for the pressure cooker, especially risotto. Traditional risotto recipes require careful monitoring, regular doses of hot broth and stirring, stirring, stirring. "But in a pressure cooker, it takes 12 minutes from start to finish with no stirring," Phillips said.
Despite their popularity, the two appliances can still evoke unpleasant memories for some. Older, hotter slow cookers could scorch food, but Phillips says newer models offer better temperature control. Older pressure cookers had a nasty reputation for explosions, which manufacturers have solved with safety valves that automatically release pressure when it grows too high.
Also, some pressure-cooker/slow-cooker devotees (and their family members) have complained that all the dishes prepared in the appliance start to taste the same. That, Schloss and Phillips said, is often attributable to bad recipes and improper usage, or as Phillips calls it, the "dump and run" effect. They stress that proper flavor building before the lid goes on is essential to successful pressure/slow cooking.
"Whenever I cook meat in the slow cooker, I brown it first in a separate pan, and then I'll saute the vegetables separately and then make a sauce," Schloss said. "There is a huge difference if you take that 20 minutes to create the browning and build and blend the flavors."
An advantage of the pressure cooker: You can do all of that in the cooker.
Still, with most innovations come drawbacks. While we liked elements of the stews we cooked in these appliances, most agreed they preferred them cooked in a Dutch oven.
Smoked paprika chicken
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 6 hours, 20 minutes Makes: 8 servings
Serve over cooked noodles or rice. Adapted from "Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever" by Diane Phillips.
6 strips thick-cut bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
10 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 onions, halved, sliced
2 each, seeded, sliced: red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked or regular paprika
1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Cook the bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook until browned, 10 minutes. Remove to platter. Pour off most of the bacon fat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and paprika to skillet; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes to skillet; heat to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
Transfer the contents of the skillet and chicken to the slow cooker. Cover; cook on low until the chicken is cooked through, 6-8 hours. Skim off fat. Season to taste. Stir in bacon and parsley.
Cooking in a pressure cooker: Cook bacon in the pressure cooker with lid off until crisp; drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the cooker. Add chicken; cook until browned on all sides, 7-8 minutes. Add paprika, broth and juice from tomatoes. Seal the cooker, heat to build pressure; cook 8 minutes. Cool pan. Release lid. Add vegetables, garlic and tomatoes; simmer until reduced to desired taste and consistency, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley.
Nutrition information: Per serving: 211 calories, 42% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 67 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein, 812 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
4 slow cooker tips
From authors Diane Phillips and Andrew Schloss:
•Don't dump and run; brown meat and blend flavors before transferring food to the slow cooker.
•Avoid most whole grains, except barley, as most do not cook evenly.
•Do cook bean dishes, especially baked beans and cassoulet, which, Schloss said, works better in the slow cooker than in an oven.
•Do use as a warming dish for buffet foods.
5 pressure cooker tips
From Phillips and Schloss:
•Use it to quickly cook whole grains and soaked dried beans.
•Use more liquid than you would when adapting recipes for a slow cooker.
•Don't dump and run; brown meat and blend flavors before sealing.
•Adjust flavors after cooking, as they don't concentrate (through reduction) as much as they do with other methods.
•Do use the base of your stainless steel (not aluminum, which can pit and react to acids) stovetop pressure cooker as a regular pot.
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