Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker
by Kuhn Rikon
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Our Price: $197.90
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Kuhn RikonBrand: Kuhn Rikon
Model: 3342
Product features:
- 5-quart saucepan-style pressure cooker made of 18/10 stainless steel; holds up to eight 1/2-pint or four 1-pint jars for canning
- Solid thermal aluminum sandwich in bottom for even browning and rapid heat absorption
- Five over-pressure safety systems; automatic locking system; spring-loaded precision valve
- Saves time and 70 percent of energy normally consumed while cooking
- Made in Switzerland; hand washing recommended; 10-year warranty
- Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
- Kuhn Rikon Stainless-Steel Swivel Peeler
- Kuhn Rikon Twist and Chop, Artichoke
- Kuhn Rikon Durotherm 3.2-Quart Cook & Serve Pan
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker
Customer Review: 5L Pressure Cooker: First Impressions
Summary: 5 Stars
Update: December 2010
Very happy with this purchase. Use it ~5 times a week. Lentils/ Beans - the only way to cook them is in a pressure cooker. I can't believe I managed w/o one all this time. The size has worked out well for 2 people. Allows for leftovers and cleans very nicely. Upgraded review to 5 stars (from 4).
September 2010
Very new to using a pressure cooker. After much thought and vacillation we settled on the Kuhn Rikon 5L duromatic inox (name of the pressure valve used) pressure cooker. The Kuhn Rikon best seller based on their website!
There is another model with the same capacity with a top lid that is slightly different called the Top Model. The valve on the top is a bit more elaborate but both models seem to have all the same features. The Top Model has a valve on the top that is almost like a stove burner knob and you dial in the setting. On the model we bought, the duromatic, you have to press the little knob on the top to release pressure. Given that this has been around for a while I think it may be a bit sturdier than the top model (just a thought - not based on any data!).
For two people the 5L size is ample. We recently became vegetarians and cooking beans/ lentils in a stockpot is a day long affair. I had soaked chickpeas for 15 hours and then I cooked them in a 5 qt stockpot on the stove top. After 3.5 hours they were still somewhat crunchy.
Soaked 1.5 cups of chickpeas for ~15h and it took 18 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker. Took another 20 minutes for the pot to cool down before I opened it. I could have pressed the pressure release valve on the top to hurry up the process of depressurizing but I was getting other stuff together and so waiting another 20 min. was not a big deal. The stockpot version had a lot of chickpeas losing their skin and splitting. With the pressure cooker the consistency turned out perfectly.
This particular cooker comes with a trivet, which sits on the bottom of the pot and allows the food to be off the bottom of the pan, preventing it from burning. I wish they included a steamer set. This is something you can see on their website in Switzerland (KuhnRikon.ch) but is not sold in the U.S.A.! Item # 2002. I spoke to them and got no conclusive reason as to why they wouldn't sell it here. One cannot even buy this from the swiss website !! They look like stackable cake pans each with a diameter of 22 cm. If one wants to cook rice/ multiple veggies altogether, this would be invaluable. You use one container for each item, stack them and fire up the pressure cooker. Anyway, so I need to find something that will work. Kuhn Rikon suggested Williams Sonoma! I feel this would be a very useful accessory to have and it is a shame that they make it but won't sell it here!
In trying to find the steamer I called up Shar's kitchen (their authorized dealer in the U.S.) and wished I had bought the pressure cooker there. Here's why - the pressure cooker has a base (5L) and a lid with the valve. When cooking you first bring the contents to boil on the stove top and once you see it starting to boil you cover it with the pressure cooker lid. So before you put the pressure cooker lid on your pot sits there with no lid. Apparently Kuhn-rikon sells tempered glass lids that fit the pressure cookers perfectly and Shar's kitchen often runs specials and will sell the glass lid, (with the purchase of a pressure cooker) for 50% off. I ended up paying $30 bucks and ordered the lid. The pressure cooker lid (with the valves) needs to be hand washed and so I want to use it only to bring up the pressure and avoid getting food on it. The glass lid will get used as the ingredients are going into the pot and any mess I make splattering stuff on the glass lid is taken care of by the dishwasher.
The mechanics of how the valve works:
After the contents in the pot begin to boil you put the pressure cooker lid on. On our larger burner (20,000 btu) after about 3 minutes the black stem on the pressure cooker lid moved upwards and a red line became visible. After an additional 1 minute the black stem kept moving upwards and a second red line was visible. This is the high setting for the pressure cooker. I turned the burner down to a 4 for about 1 minute and then to low for the remaining time (~13 minutes). The cooker is very quiet. No hissing or steam release at all. Once the 18 minutes were up I turned off the stove and let it sit for 20 minutes. If I had wanted to let the steam out manually I could have pressed the stem with the markers down a bit and this would have let out the steam from inside the pressure cooker.
The pressure cooker lid with the gasket remained very clean at the end of my first cooking endeavor and I hand washed it lightly with some soap. Very nice product! I hope this helps clarify any thoughts concerns you may have!
Description of Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker
Want to speed up your cooking time and reduce your energy bill at the same time? With Kuhn Rikon's Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker, you can do both. By using their pressure cooker to prepare everything from risotto to roasts to cheesecakes, you'll reduce your cooking time by one-third and your energy use by 70 percent! The Swiss-made, 5-liter pressure cooker is equipped with a special spring-loaded valve that eliminates every bit of the guesswork. The integral lid-locking system comes with 5 safety steam-release systems that pretty much eliminate mishaps once associated with pressure cookers. The 18/10 stainless steel cooker won't react to foods being cooked, and the solid thermal aluminum bottom promotes even browning and rapid heat absorption. The bottom pan is dishwasher safe..Beginning in the 1930s, two successive generations of busy cooks used pressure cookers to prepare family meals. The next generation, with memories of valves dancing and hissing on stovetops, snubbed pressure cookers. Now pressure cookers have come back, those old valves replaced by modern versions that ensure safety while delivering the speed, ease, and nutritional benefits of pressure cooking. Pressure cooking also saves 70 percent of the energy normally consumed while cooking.
This heavyweight, stainless-steel beauty is a fine example of contemporary engineering and style. Its mirror finish gleams, and its black handles--including a loop handle for two-handed lifting--stay cool. Pressure-cooking traps steam to heat foods at temperatures higher than boiling. An aluminum disk in the base, sandwiched by stainless steel, speeds the process even more through fast heat conductivity. It's safe on electric, gas, ceramic, and induction stovetops. Little water is required, so nutrients, flavor, and color are not boiled away. Vegetables emerge vibrantly colored from the steamer insert. Stews, soups, beans--even meat loaf, pork chops, and desserts such as bread pudding--come out tasty and nutritious. (A booklet containing dozens of recipes is included.) You can brown meats in the pot before the lid is locked on, or use the pot without the lid. The stem of the operating valve shows high and low pressure so you can adjust heat for different foods. After cooking, the pressure can be reduced slowly (just let the cooker sit for a while), normally (press the pressure indicator), or quickly (run tepid water on the lid's rim).
Safety measures abound: the lid twists onto the pot; a rubber gasket ensures a tight seal. A vent releases steam if pressure builds too high, as does a valve that also locks the lid when any pressure whatsoever is inside the cooker. Cleanup is a bit involved: hand wash the pot, gasket, and lid with a mild detergent, then lightly oil the gasket. Normally the valve is self-cleaning, but if food passes through it, disassembly is required. Minor cleaning inconvenience, though, should not overshadow the major convenience of pressure cooking. --Fred Brack
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