Baccarat Electric Pressure Cooker [REVIEW]

I just bought a pressure cooker. Well, not right now. Not today, but last weekend – and I love it already!

I’ve been scared of these things, like, for ever after hearing horror stories when I was young of pressure cookers blowing up and at the very least making a hua of mess of the kitchen, and at the very worst burning people…

Eeeeeeeeek!…. But I’ve been convinced to master the art of cooking in a pressure cooker after reading Dr Steven Gundry’s new book The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain.

The book is about lectins in food and the problems they cause.  I’m about to embark on Dr Gundry’s low lectin diet, so don’t be surprised if the subject of lectins is featured in a few future blog posts…

How Do I Find The Best Pressure Cooker For Me?

I did a bit of research over the last few weeks prior to buying my pressure cooker because to be honest, I had NO idea what to buy! But I soon realised there were a few things to consider. Those things were:

• Size
• Shape
• Electric or not
• Construction material
• Price
• Quality

Best Pressure Cooker Size

Obviously this is going to vary depending on how many people you’re cooking for.

In our house there is only myself and my hubby, but I’d like to be able to cook for visitors as well. From my research I realised that I really wanted something about 7 or 8 litres (or quarts if in the USA). This is a good standard size that is big enough to cook for a few people, and when it’s just the two of us and the pressure cooker is only a quarter full, it makes no difference.

You can always cook less food in a big pot. It’s a tad harder to cook more food in a small pot!

And it’s handy to remember that pressure cookers can only be filled to 2/3 full!

But I’m also thinking that I might buy another smaller sized pressure cooker some time in the future  because I can see the value of having two cookers for some meals and a smaller one would be handy sometimes for cooking rice or vegetables. I’ll probably go for a 3.5 litre or thereabouts. During my research I narrowed down a few options:

✅ The best pressure cookers under 4 quarts (or 4 litres)

✅ The best pressure cookers 6 – 6.9 quarts (or 6 litres)

✅ The best pressure cookers 7 – 9.9 quarts (or about 7 litres) 

Best Pressure Cooker Shape

I watched this video of a chef testing pressure cookers, and one of the conclusions she came to was that a wider pot with straight sides was best. Some pressure cookers bell out from the bottom and they tend to burn in that curve on the sides as obviously heat builds up there.

Should I Buy An ELECTRIC Pressure Cooker?

This again depends on personal needs/wants and what you’re most comfortable cooking with. The new electric pressure cookers are quite automated and many have other features, so if that’s what you want then they might suit you.

For me, I wanted a quality cooker that would last me for years. I didn’t want teflon coating, and I wanted to be able to use my pressure cooker on gas when I go camping.

Pressure Cooker Materials

I wanted a stainless steel pressure cooker. As I mentioned above, I didn’t want Teflon. I don’t have any Teflon cookware these days because it is nasty stuff that gets in your food and poisons your body! I also didn’t want an aluminium pot for similar reasons.

Price

This is pretty self explanatory. How much can you afford to pay for a pressure cooker?

My advice is to spend as much as you can reasonably afford because quality cookware always costs money. However in saying that watch out for sales. I managed to get my cooker at 50% off which made it a great buy! 🙂

I looooove a bargain… 

Go For Quality

As above where I talked about price, go for the best quality pressure cooker that you can. A good stainless steel pressure cooker will last you for years.

If you’re leaning toward an electric model, my advice is to really do your homework! Appliances these days seem to be generally short lived and I can imagine that some electric pressure cookers might not last. I could be wrong… But if you’d rather go electric, read reviews and purchase wisely.

My Choice? The Baccarat Easy Twist Pressure Cooker

And I love it!

I have to admit though that my first night cooking in it was a bit of a hairy experience…? Visions of pressure building, huge metalic explosions and hot food spewing over me and my kitchen played on my mind while dinner cooked.

But all went well. 🙂

Our first meal was lamb shoulder chops and a variety of vegetables all cooked at the same time in the pressure cooker. It took about 10 minutes once it reached pressure and you’d have thought those chops had been slow cooked all day… They were falling off the bone, melt in your mouth, delicious!

What’s Good About The Baccarat Pressure Cooker?

Apart from doing a GREAT job of cooking food, this pressure cooker is all that I wanted. It features:

• 7 litre capacity
• Easy one touch twist & lift release lid
• Ergonomic stay cool side handles
• Safety lock on handle for quick pressure or steam release
• Heavy aluminum encapsulated base for even heat transfer
• Suitable for all cook tops including INDUCTION
• Dishwasher safe
• Quality stainless steel

Where Can I Buy The Baccarat Pressure Cooker?

I really like my pressure cooker and I’m happy to recommend it to anyone who’s looking to buy one. The Baccarat cooker should be commonly available in kitchen and department stores here in New Zealand and in Australia, and it generally retails at around $299. I’m not sure if it would be available in the USA or other countries (I think it’s an Australian brand), however it can be purchased on Ebay and if you find it cheaper than the recommended retail of $299, I’d grab it. It’s a good deal!