Pressure Cooker: 10 Portions for 8 Euros, But Safety Risks Lurk

The pressure cooker turning 8 euros into 10 portions of fabada

A well-used pressure cooker boils beans in minutes, transforms 8 euros into 10 portions of fabada, and finishes cooking before the alarm rings. That is the case for daily users. However, the same device that saves time and money can fracture a leg if its valve gets clogged.

How much does a pressure cooker really save?

The most common calculation involves fabada. With fabes —not cheap white beans, but the Asturian legume— 8 euros yield 8 to 10 portions of stew. Leftovers go to the freezer for next week. The same system applies to lentils, chickpeas, beans, and broad beans: cook in bulk, portion into containers, and freeze. The cooker works once, satisfying hunger many times.

Savings come from time, not just ingredients. A fabada taking three hours in a regular pot is ready in 15 minutes, with three for heating and eight under steam. Some calculate that residual heat from the stove extends cooking time for soups. A full cocido yields soup, vegetable puree, and up to 100 croquettes to freeze.

From stews to flan: its real uses

Its uses extend beyond beans. Steamed vegetables, lentils, zucchini and potato cream, menestras, stews, cuttlefish with garlic and wine, or even rice: some make paella in two minutes once the valve whistles.

Then there is flan, the lesser-known trick. Mix eggs and milk in a metal mold, cover with foil, place in the cooker with water, and turn off heat when steam appears. Let it cool inside, and the dessert is ready. This leverages thermal inertia, just like with legumes.

Price matters: 40, 120, or 200 euros

The harshest debate concerns price. At one end, a programmable electric cooker costs around 40 euros (six liters), ready before leaving home and keeping food warm upon return. At the other, German and Swiss brands cost 200 euros, while others cost a third, such as Magefesa or Alza.

Those paying more argue for thicker steel, one-piece lids, and distinct pressure warnings. A 12-liter cooker for large families lasts decades. Budget buyers argue the price difference affects the wallet, not flavor.

Everyone agrees on maintenance: replace worn seals and clean valves every use. The mantra: do not fill more than two-thirds, or half if the stew foams.

Safety: the unavoidable warning

The dark side exists. One account describes an accident with a well-maintained pressure cooker without manipulation, boiling potatoes, green beans, and onions. Post-incident inspection found both valves —normal and safety— clogged. The result: fractured leg, third-degree burns, multiple surgeries, nearly a year without putting weight on the foot, and rehabilitation. This occurred 14 years ago.

Other reports suggest such incidents are frequent in emergency rooms. Take this as a personal experience, not a verdict on a brand. Technical recommendations remain: check valves before closing, do not force open if pressurized, and do not leave unattended if steam exit is uncertain.

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Culinary debate: searing meat or not

The core dispute pits pressure cookers against slow cookers. Some argue searing meat before stewing is contradictory: since searing seals juices, but stews benefit from flavor releasing into broth, meat should enter cold water. Technical explanations cite Maillard reactions, not searing, as responsible for tonalidad and flavor.

Others argue pressure cooking degrades products: it reduces vegetables and homogenizes everything. A slow simmer, they say, is unrivaled for those with time. The pressure cooker wins when time, not ingredients, is scarce.

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Predictably, pressure cookers will gain ground in kitchens where budget and time dictate. However, savings are not free. A neglected valve turns a few euros of rubber into a major problem.