How to choose the right MAGEFESA pressure cooker that best fits your needs

Once you know the properties of each manufacturing material and taking into account that MAGEFESA has one of the most extensive product catalogues in the market, you can choose the most suitable MAGEFESA pressure cooker to supply all your needs.

Have you ever used a pressure cooker?

If you are used to cooking with pressure cookers, it will relatively be easy to get used to handle every model. But, on the contrary, if you do not have experience, using easy handling pressure cookers without pressure selector valve preferably and a low working pressure (60-80 kPa) will be the best option. The opening system can also be considered when choosing a pressure cooker.
Recommended models:

–    Favorit Model
–    Dynamic Model
–    Nova Model

How many guests do you usually cook for?

Another important factor to take into account when choosing a pressure cooker is the relation between dinner guests and the volume of the unit required. MAGEFESA provides a wide range of pressure cookers including 3L pressure cooker models suitable for one or two dinner guests or large size units, up to 22 L.

In order to determine the size of your pressure cooker, take into account the kind of meals you are most likely to cook in it. It is not the same cooking stocks, vegetables, legumes or meat. Find next an illustrative relationship between the volume of the pressure cooker and dinner guests:

–    3 and 4 l.    —- 2 to 4 dinner guests
–    5 and 6 l.    —- 3 to 6 dinner guests
–    8 and 9 l.    —- 5 to 8 dinner guests
–    10 and 12 l. — 7 to 12 dinner guests
–    15 and 22 l. — more than 12 dinner guests

What kind of hob do you usually use?

There are 4 basic types of hob that are mostly used in the kitchen area of our home such as electric, gas, glass ceramic or induction hobs.
There is one MAGEFESA pressure cooker model for each hob type to make the most of your recipes and save time and energy.

Electric hobs require fast pressure cookers so that heat can easily be distributed; the most suitable models are made of aluminum:  Avant, Avant Plus, Avant Titan and Vital.

As ceramic hobs normally have low power ratings, we recommend models with thermo-diffusing base for heat accumulation and models with high working pressure (80-100 kPa). The recommended models are Qualix, Practika Plus, Athenas and Style.

Induction and gas hobs are the most versatile hobs available. MAGEFESA pressure cooker models are suitable for most gas hobs; however, when cooking with induction hobs you should look for pressure cookers specifically suitable for this kind of hob.

MAGEFESA pressure cookers are printed on the bottom with the hob symbol they are suitable for. Look out for the induction- compatible symbol to ensure proper functioning.
The suitable pressure cooker for induction hobs are Inoxtar, Star, Style, Nova, Practika Plus, Athenas, Qualix, Dynamic and Favorit models.

What foods do you most frequently cook?

MAGEFESA pressure cookers are suitable for cooking all types of foods, from delicate ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, fish or seafood up to more hard ingredients such as legumes or meats containing much collagen. Nevertheless, this statement is sometimes unknown and the customer only cooks certain foods with the pressure cooker.
Find next which pressure cooker models are most suitable for each food type.

MAGEFESA has three different types of pressure cookers:

•    Fast pressure cookers (55-60 Kpa): Star, Chef or Inoxtar models.
•    Super fast pressure cookers (70-80 Kpa): Style, Favorit, Dynamic, Nova, Vital or Avant models.
•    Pressure cookers with two working positions (60 and 100 Kpa): Athenas, Practika Plus, Magestar and Qualix models. We can select pressure depending on the ingredients or cooking technique. These pressure cookers combine 2 options, fast and super fast pressure cooking.

To sum up the previous points, the higher working pressure, the higher temperature the unit will reach, therefore requiring less cooking time and liquid. Why choosing one or the other? Because ingredients are different and they may require different cooking processes and time.
Fast pressure cooking is recommended for soft or delicate foods such as vegetables, potatoes, fish, seafood and steaming.
Super fast pressure cooking is perfect to prepare soups, meat stews, vegetables, canned food, and generally tough foods resistant to long cooking processes.

How much time do you spend cooking?

Undoubtedly, pressure cooking is one of the healthiest cooking methods you may use but, at the same time, it is one of the fastest ways to cook.

You can cook any type of rice in about 6 minutes. Cooking lentil stew will only take you about 12 minutes and the tough meat such as oxtail or Osso Buco will take you about 45 minutes, which is something inconceivable with any other conventional cooking method.

Save time and energy with MAGEFESA pressure cookers. You will cook 3-4 times faster and energy consumption will be reduced.

Do you use steam cooking method?  

When you buy a pressure cooker you sometimes are not conscious of the many cooking methods you can carry out with it. Steaming is one of the cooking methods you can apply with MAGEFESA pressure cookers.

Several MAGEFESA pressure cookers incorporate a steamer basket and stand that can be used for steaming or you can acquire one of the different accessories sold separately, such as the Nova pasta basket, perfect to prepare Italian pasta and compatible with the steam cooking method.

The main usefulness of these accessories is separating foods which are going to be cooked from the liquid required for steaming.

You can make steamed vegetables with this Magefesa pressure cooker as well as fish, seafood, poultry, etc.
Always read the user guide to know the minimum volume of liquid required for steaming.

Tips to get better results:

–    To generate enough steam, use some stock or water with spiced ingredients such as spices, vegetables, culinary herbs, wine, etc.
–    When using spice water, bring it to a boil before placing the steamer basket in the unit and close it.
–    If your pressure cooker has different pressure levels, always choose the lowest level.
–    Use the recommended cooking times, above all with fish and seafood, to avoid overcooking.
–    When cooking fish or soft foods, slightly baste the steamer basket to prevent food from sticking.

More uses of the steamer basket and stand apart from the above mentioned ones are:

–    To separate foods with different cooking times, foods you want to get rid of or serve separately such as vegetables, pulses, rice, etc.
–    If you use the pressure cooker for canning, use the steamer basket to separate cans from the base of the unit.
–    To bain marie crème caramel and terrines.

Do you give importance to healthy eating?  

Apart from the method above mentioned, there are many other healthy advantages when cooking with a pressure cooker. This is mainly due to three important characteristics of steam cooking

–    1st Foods cooked in a MAGEFESA pressure cooker require less liquid than when cooking in a traditional pot.
–    2nd Cooking times are therefore noticeably reduced, up to 75%.
–    3rd Liquid under pressure can reach temperatures over 100º C, eventually being able to reach a temperature of 126 º C.

Due to these three pressure cooking features, we can assure that:

–    Juices, aroma and natural flavors are more concentrated in foods cooked in less cooking liquid.
–    Cooking times are reduced, which will help retain the nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
–    Cooking under pressure preserves much of flavor, color and texture of foods.
–    Water in its liquid state over 100ºC is known as superheated water. Molecules are more soluble in superheated water; even some molecules that are insoluble in normal water turn into soluble when temperature is increased, so flavors and aroma are enhanced.

How much storage do you have at home?

Last but not least, the storage in the kitchen should be taken into account when buying cookware products. Among the wide range of MAGEFESA products available, Inoxtar, Star or Nova models are those which, due to their handle design, will take up less storage space.