By using my large pressure cooker, I save 70% in energy over using the stove top. It is amazing how energy efficient they are. This one is not an Instant Pot but cooks just the same. I had this one long before I ever heard of an Instant Pot. I will be using it a lot this fall and winter.
The bonus is that it is easy to cook the food in and doesn’t take much preparation time. So dinner is on the table in a matter of minutes.
Last week, I did a roast beef along with red potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery in it. The celery I added along with the roast beef. That only took 50 minutes. After taking the roast beef out, I added the onions, potatoes and carrots which only took another 10 minutes. Prior to cooking the roast beef, I was able to brown it right in the pressure cooker. Sorry, I have no pictures of the roast that but I was having a lot of trouble with my camera last week. Hubby has now fixed it. The picture at the top of this post is an old one.
On Saturday, I cooked 4 chicken breasts in Hickory Smoked SF BBQ sauce. That only took 6 minutes. I cooked up some fresh broccoli and Hubby cooked some corn. We had a delicious meal. The leftovers are pictured above. I sliced up the last two chicken breasts so that they would marinate in the sauce before I heated them up for dinner on Sunday. Hubby had his on rice and I had mine with some cauliflower rice.
So the next time you are planning out your dinner meal, think about using your pressure cooker to save on your utility bill. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, think about what you do have that will cook your meal more energy efficient. Most small appliances are more energy efficient than your oven or stove top.
What do you cook in your pressure cooker?
14 replies on “Saving With My Large Pressure Cooker”
Hi AD, this is Chris. I just love how you are doing the small appliance series so I can see how you use yours and if something might be a good investment for us. I have never owned a pressure cooker, but my mom had one of the old style ones that she used a lot for beans when we would have beans and cornbread growing up. I will have to think about if this would be good for us. Some of the stuff you mentioned, I try to only make in the oven in the winter when it is cold anyway. I do make beans in our crock pot.
Hi Chris,
I love mine Chris. The fact that it cooks so quickly is a bonus. And when I forget to thaw something it cooks so quickly from frozen if I just add a few extra minutes.
We don't have a pressure cooker, but I did make crockpot carnitas yesterday. They are great & easy, and we prep the meat, and then freeze. When we defrost, we then do the crisping step. This is an easy recipe & keto friendly, if you would like to try.https://chefsavvy.com/crispy-slow-cooker-pork-carnitas/
That looks delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am going to ask for on of these for Christmas.
I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
I don’t have pressure cooker. We did get an air fryer and really enjoy it.
I am amazed at your pressure cooker short cooking times.
Hi Rhonda,
Yes pressure cookers cut the cook time way down. I love my air fryer too.
Nothing much now, and since it was stolen, absolutely nothing! Many years ago when I was losing weight, I would cook a pot of vegetables–cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, cauliflower–all in one pot. In the middle of the vegetables I would cook either brown rice or dried beans. I put the beans or rice in a cup with less 1/4th cup of water. The rice or beans cooked perfectly. Usually, I had chicken breasts cooked from a day or so earlier.
Hi Practical Parsimony,
Thanks for telling how to do this. I am always looking for new recipes.
I love my Power Cooker, especially since it's quiet and doesn't heat up the kitchen. I think my new favorite to cook is a simple recipe from Erica Arndt on YouTube. Chicken breasts, taco seasoning (I make my own no-salt mix) and a jar of salsa (I use a small jar of Pace picture from Dollar Tree). It makes a delicious taco/burrito filling and it's super quick.
That recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing with all of us.
I love my Instant Pot. I have cooked custard in a smaller bowl, made yougurt (mine has that feature), I regularly hard-cook eggs in it (the shells almost fall off), potatoes and mash them, chicken, roasts (carnitas!), pasta & meatballs (you have to watch the order in which you layer-water first), so many things. I belong to Instant Pot groups on facebook and follow a couple of Vloggers on Youtube, who really helped me get started using it.
Hi Kay,
Thanks for sharing. I will have to try hard boiling eggs in it.