Thanks for the great pressure cooker info.
Pressure cookers, known as fast-cook-pans or pressure-pans (snelkookpan/drukpan), are really uncommon in the Netherlands. I was surprised to see a huge selection of cheap Chinese cookers at a store in the Albert Cyupt Markt in Amsterdam. The store had ASD and another brand. The ASD pans came in 18,20,22,24,and 26 CM sizes, all anodized aluminum. The smallest was 15 euros, the largest 25. I bought the 24 cm size (7.5 liters) for 20 euros. Here is a link to the website, I think my cooker was made 5 or 6 years ago, though. My model number (J7524) doesn't line up with anything on the page.
There was another brand (Shuin??) that came in 26 and 28 cm ( 8 and 12 liters capacity?), all stainless steel, 32 and 35 euros respectively. This was a higher quality brand with several extra gaskets included in the box.
I just wanted to 'taste' pressure cooking, so these cheap models sucked me right in. I'm quite happy after a few uses, but I'll upgrade if I really get into it. This is a jiggler top, but its not too noisy or steamy. It has all the safety features that I've seen - locking lid with side blow gasket, protective screen over the steam exit, 2 alloy releases, and a spring loaded release.
It has a feature I haven't read about, but maybe its really common. There is a valve in the handle that vents steam for the first few minutes as the pan comes to pressure. At some point (heat? pressure?) the valve closes and the lid lifts, locking in place. When I do a fast release in the sink, the value opens and releases pressure as soon as the water hits it. It doesn't seem to leak water into the pan (an initial worry). It makes the fast release really fast.
Thanks for the great info.
Ian
Pressure cookers, known as fast-cook-pans or pressure-pans (snelkookpan/drukpan), are really uncommon in the Netherlands. I was surprised to see a huge selection of cheap Chinese cookers at a store in the Albert Cyupt Markt in Amsterdam. The store had ASD and another brand. The ASD pans came in 18,20,22,24,and 26 CM sizes, all anodized aluminum. The smallest was 15 euros, the largest 25. I bought the 24 cm size (7.5 liters) for 20 euros. Here is a link to the website, I think my cooker was made 5 or 6 years ago, though. My model number (J7524) doesn't line up with anything on the page.
There was another brand (Shuin??) that came in 26 and 28 cm ( 8 and 12 liters capacity?), all stainless steel, 32 and 35 euros respectively. This was a higher quality brand with several extra gaskets included in the box.
I just wanted to 'taste' pressure cooking, so these cheap models sucked me right in. I'm quite happy after a few uses, but I'll upgrade if I really get into it. This is a jiggler top, but its not too noisy or steamy. It has all the safety features that I've seen - locking lid with side blow gasket, protective screen over the steam exit, 2 alloy releases, and a spring loaded release.
It has a feature I haven't read about, but maybe its really common. There is a valve in the handle that vents steam for the first few minutes as the pan comes to pressure. At some point (heat? pressure?) the valve closes and the lid lifts, locking in place. When I do a fast release in the sink, the value opens and releases pressure as soon as the water hits it. It doesn't seem to leak water into the pan (an initial worry). It makes the fast release really fast.
Thanks for the great info.
Ian
