Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers: Are They a Good Choice?

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are one of the highest quality stovetop pressure cookers on the market. They're made in Switzerland, have the most safety features of any brand, and are our overall favorite pressure cooker brand.

If you're interested in a stovetop pressure cooker, Kuhn Rikon is a brand you should definitely consider. Our review covers the important issues: safety, cooking features, ease of use and cleaning, pros and cons, how they compare to other brands, and more.

Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker Summary:

Superb quality, with more safety features than any other pressure cooker, including electric pressure cookers. They're not cheap, but they're a great tool that can save up time and effort making meals.

Highly recommended.

Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers at a Glance

You can see the official American models at the US Kuhn Rikon site. However, there are models available on Amazon that aren't on the K-R website. We're not sure what the availability will be moving forward, but we listed all the Amazon options here.

We will update the models listed if they become unavailable.

All Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are made in Rikon, Switzerland.

For more information, see our Recommendations section below. 

*The 6.3-, 7.4-, and 8.5-quart are our recommended sizes for most cooks. See What Size Pressure Cooker Do I Need? below for more info.

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About Kuhn Rikon

Kuhn Rikon is a Swiss company founded in 1926. It has about 160 employees. According to Wikipedia:

Kuhn Rikon is a Swiss cookware manufacturer based in Rikon im Tösstal, Zell, Switzerland. It is particularly known for pressure cookers sold under the brand name Duromatic, which is often used in Switzerland as a synonym for pressure cooker. The company is a family owned public limited company.

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are considered by many cooking sites and organizations to be the best in the world, including Serious Eats, the French Culinary Institute, and the folks at Modernist Cuisine. Their pressure cookers have just a 10 year warranty, but should last forever. Replacement parts are available on Amazon and on the K-R website (more on this below).

Kuhn Rikon also makes cookware, ceramic knives and peelers, and several small kitchen accessories. All products are made in Rikon, Switzerland. 

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What Is Pressure Cooking?

Image courtesy of marcelsculinaryexperience.com

Essentially, pressure cooking uses pressure to decrease cooking time. Under pressure, water boils at higher temperatures: at the normal stovetop setting of 15 psi, water boils at about 250F (instead of 212F). Because of the higher temperature, food cooks faster--up to 70% faster than standard cooking. (By the way, stovetop pressure cookers are also about 25% faster than electric pressure cookers, which have a lower max psi.)

Because they require liquid, you can only use pressure cooking for cooking methods that require liquids. They're great for beans, rice, grains, soups, stews, chili, and braises. 

When braising, you can brown your meat right in the pressure cooker before locking it down to add flavor. Braising is a slow-cooking method used for tough cuts of meat or other meals that benefit from long cooking times, like stews, soups, and stocks. 

So your pressure cooker is essentially a fast slow cooker (slow cookers also require liquid). It's identical to using your slow cooker, but instead of cooking a meal all day, you can cook a soup, stew, pot roast, and just about anything else in less than an hour (often including pressure release time). 

In fact, if you get into pressure cooking, you don't need a slow cooker.

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Is a Stovetop Pressure Cooker the Right Choice for You?

Pressure cooking is an easy, time-saving way to prepare many foods. If you're not sure whether you want to invest in a pressure cooker, here are some cool features of pressure cooking:

If you're looking for a faster way to prepare many foods, a pressure cooker is a great investment. Even if you just use your pressure cooker for beans and rice or stock, it's a convenient way to cook in a fraction of the time it takes in a regular pot. 

You can't make everything in a pressure cooker because you have to use liquid to create pressure inside the pot. But for anything that uses liquids, a pressure cooker is tough to beat.

Here's what Modernist Cuisine has to say about pressure cookers:

Pressure cookers are fantastic tools. They develop the characteristic flavors and textures of foods so quickly that what is conventionally a long, labor-intensive process becomes one hardly more time-consuming than a casual sauté. Risotto takes six minutes instead of 25. An intense chicken stock takes only 90 minutes. You can even pressure cook food in canning jars or in oven bags or FoodSaver bags rated for high temperatures–which means grits and polenta, for example, no longer require constant stirring to avoid sticking. The high temperatures inside the cooker also promote browning and caramelization, reactions that create flavors you can’t get otherwise in a moist cooking environment.

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Why a Stovetop Pressure Cooker Is Better than an Electric Pressure Cooker

Despite the popularity of electric pressure cookers (e.g., Instant Pots), we think a stovetop pressure cooker is the better choice--yes, even though you have to turn them off yourself, and even though you have to monitor the pressure and cooking time yourself.

Here's why a stovetop pressure cooker could be the best choice for you:

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Are Stovetop Pressure Cookers Safe? (Plus Tips for Safe Use)

Old pressure cookers didn't have good safety mechanisms, but modern pressure cookers do. Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are the safest brand on the market: they have several redundant safety features that pretty much guarantee the cooker will never explode or cause any harm, as long as it's used correctly.

Both stovetop and electric pressure cookers (Instant Pots) are safe as long as you follow safety instructions and use them correctly. And even if they do malfunction, they are extremely unlikely to explode.

Most pressure cooker accidents are caused by misusing them. The biggest error people make is overfilling them. You can't fill a pressure cooker more than two-thirds full, or half-full if the food foams (like beans). If they are too full, food can boil up and clog the steam release valve, which is how problems occur.

By the way, this is true for both stovetop and electric pressure cookers, and is one reason why we recommend a larger size, particularly if you're batch cooking, like to have leftovers, or are cooking for several people (more than four or so).

Here are some tips for using a pressure cooker safely:

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Drawbacks of Pressure Cooking

Are there drawbacks to a stovetop pressure cooker? Sure; there are drawbacks to everything. Here are a few:

Stovetop pressure cookers also have some specific disadvantages:

Stovetop pressure cookers are more powerful, smaller, and more durable than electric cookers. We think they are the better choice, despite the drawbacks.

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Pressure Cooking Vs. Pressure Canning: What's the Difference?

They are not the same, and it's important to understand the difference.

A pressure canner has a gauge so you can monitor pressure. Keeping the pressure at the right setting is important to kill food-borne pathogens in low-acid foods (meats, stocks, most vegetables, and some fruits).

Pressure cookers do not have a gauge and are not accurate enough to safely can most foods. 

You can use a pressure cooker to cook some foods in jars, like garlic confit. You need to use the trivet to keep the jars off the direct heat of the burner (which can crack them). 

Pressure canners also tend to be much larger so you can fit quart-sized jars in them. Pressure cookers are smaller, and you usually can't fit jars larger than pints. 

If you're interested in using your pressure cooker for canning, you should do more research. We like this beginner's guide to pressure canning if you want more information.

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Can You Adapt Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes to a Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

Absolutely. Electric pressure cookers don't have as much pressure as stovetop cookers, so they require more cooking time. It's a simple conversion:

To adapt an electric pressure cooker recipe to a stovetop pressure cooker, deduct 25% of the cooking time.

For example, if cook time is 20 minutes on an electric cooker, cook for just 15 minutes on a stovetop cooker.

Conversely, add 25% cooking time if you're adapting a stovetop pressure cooker recipe to an electric pressure cooker.

For example, if cook time is 20 minutes on a stovetop cooker, cook for 25 minutes on an electric pressure cooker. 

In both cases, follow the same instructions for pressure release (if any).

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What Size Pressure Cooker Do I Need?

All the size options of stovetop pressure cookers may seem overwhelming, but it's not hard to figure out what size you need.

Kuhn Rikon offers this size chart on their site:

1.5 liters is really small, and not practical, even for two people. Even 3 liters is small unless you're using it just for side dishes, or only like cooking small amounts of food at a time.

If you buy a pressure cooker this small, you may end up kicking yourself if you ever want to make stock or cook a big batch of beans or rice for meal prepping.

Remember, you can cook smaller amounts in a bigger pressure cooker, but you can't cook larger amounts in a smaller pressure cooker. 

We recommend not going smaller than 6 quarts (or liters), unless you're sure you won't want to make larger batches of anything. And 7-8 quarts (or liters) is even better.

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Pros and Cons of a Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker

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How to Choose a Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Features to Consider

Size/Capacity

Kuhn Rukon gets 5 stars for their wide range of sizes.

Their sizes range from as small as 1.5 liters up to 12 liters. Smaller sizes can be shaped like skillets or like small sauce pans.

In our discussion above on what size pressure cooker you need, we recommend not going smaller than 6 quarts (or liters) unless you're sure you won't ever want to use your pressure cooker for bigger tasks like stocks and meal prepping. (This is not what Kuhn Rikon recommends, but we stand by our advice.)

It's also hard to brown a roast--even a small one--in a pressure cooker smaller than about 6 quarts.

We like a 7-8 quart size for the best all-around versatility. The 8.45 Quart Duromatic with an 11" base is our recommendation for most people. It's an excellent option because of the large amount of flat cooking surface (as much as the 12 liter cooker), and the wider, shallower shape is great for most cooking tasks (especially searing).

If it's a second pressure cooker, or if you're always cooking for just one or two people and not making stock or meal prepping, a smaller size might be the right choice.

You can only fill a pressure cooker half to two-thirds full, so remember to keep that in mind when choosing a size. 

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers get 5 stars for their large range of sizes (and shapes).

Construction/Overall Design

Construction and overall design refers to the build quality of a stovetop pressure cooker and how easy it is to use. Is it stainless steel? (Some cheaper stovetop pressure cookers are made from aluminum, which we do not recommend.) Are the walls thick and sturdy? Is the shape what you want? Does it heat well? Is it induction compatible?  Is the lid easy to close? Does it have good safety features? Is the pressure indicator durable? Are the handles sturdy, and is there an option for long or short handles? 

Build quality: Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are built extremely well, with thick, high quality stainless steel walls and lid. We love that the sides are straight, not angled, so whatever size cooker you buy you'll have a good amount of flat cooking surface for searing those roasts, chicken thighs, and batches of stew meat.

All parts of the Kuhn Rikon spring valve are also steel, adding to its durability.

Shape: Most people think of pressure cookers as tall and narrow, like stock pots. Many of them are, but when you buy a European brand, you have many options for size and shape. You can get a standard tall, narrow one, which is great for cooking beans and grains and making stock (and tend to be the least expensive, as well). Or, you can get a braiser-shaped one that's wide and shallow, with a large cooking surface that's excellent for searing meat. Kuhn Rikon has several shapes and sizes to choose from, with one of our favorites being an 8.5 quart model with a wide base, which makes it great for searing and batch cooking.

If you're going to use the pressure cooker primarily for stocks and beans, a tall narrow one is the best choice. Tall pressure cookers are less likely to get clogged by bean foam.

If you'll be browning a lot of meat or bones for stock, a wider base is a great feature. However, wider based models are more expensive, so you can save money by buying a taller, narrower model. 

The straight sides of the Kuhn Rikon are also a plus, as they provide more flat cooking surface regardless of the size you buy. Some people prefer angled sides because they're easier to stack, though. If you're in this camp, you can deduct a quarter of a point from our 5-star score.

Heating: Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers have a 5mm thick encapsulated base for fast, even heating and is compatible with all cooktops, including induction. They are praised universally (Serious Eats, Wirecutter, The Kitchn) for being extremely efficient meaning that once they're up to pressure, they can maintain pressure steadily at a lower temperature than other pressure cookers. This means you'll use less energy with a Kuhn Rikon.

Lid: Kuhn Rikon has one of the easiest-to-close lids of all pressure cooker brands. There are no buttons or locking mechanisms to futz with. You just align the arrow on the lid with the handle, then slide the lid so its handle is aligned with the pot handle:

Once aligned, the lid is locked, and you're ready to build pressure. That's all there is to it. The spring valve will start to rise when pressure begins to build.

To open the lid after cooking, you just wait until the pot is depressurized--or press down (or pull up) on the spring valve to de-pressurize it manually--and slide the handle back to the right to open.

Safety features: Kuhn Rikon has more redundant safety features than any other brand on the market. Though all modern pressure cookers are safe to use, if you're concerned about safety, Kuhn Rikon is the brand to get.

We talk more about safety features below.

Pressure indicator: The Kuhn Rikon pressure indicator is one of its best features. It is a spring valve that automatically pops up during cooking: one red line means low pressure (8 psi), two red lines means high pressure (15 psi). If it's got space below the second line, then it is at max pressure (17 psi) and probably whistling vigorously (which means you should turn the heat down). The spring valve is easy to read, easy to take apart to clean, and you can purchase all extra parts (if needed). 

There is also a valve housing ("Dancing Cone") surrounding the spring valve ("Primary Release Valve") that protects your hand by directing steam downward if you want to release steam manually:

It's an elegant design; simple yet sophisticated, with no switches or levers for setting pressure. The spring valve also causes less steam to escape than on other pressure cookers, making Kuhn Rikon one of the quietest on the market. 

Handles: The handles on Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are heavy duty plastic, oven safe to 300F. They are built to last, comfortable to grab and hold, and stay fairly cool on the stovetop. Models are available with either one long handle and a helper handle, or two short handles. 

Summary: Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are some of the highest-priced on the market, but their sturdy build, excellent heating, multiple safety features, efficiency, unique spring-loaded valve, and easy-to-lock lids make them a pleasure to use--and they will last for decades.

We give Kuhn Rikon 5 stars for design.

Safety Features

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers have 5 redundant safety features, including the primary release valve, a secondary release valve, two safety vents, a lid placement nub so you can't seal it in the wrong position, and a self-locking gasket that will collapse on itself if the pressure goes too high.

If safety is a major concern for you, there is no better choice than Kuhn Rikon.

Ease of Use

As we've already said, a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker is one of the easiest to use on the market. The lid simply slides closed and open, with no worries about being in the "right" position because the cooker won't build pressure if it isn't.

And--as we've already said--the spring valve is easy to read, and allows you a range rather than just a High or Low setting: the more valve you can see, the higher the pressure. Low pressure (one red bar) is 8 psi, High pressure (two red bars) is 15 psi, and when the valve is all the way up and the pot is whistling rather vigorously, you're at the max pressure of 17 psi.

You can adjust your stovetop burner so the pressure stays anywhere in this range. Use lower pressures for delicate foods like fish, and high pressure (15 psi) for everything else. 

You don't really want to run at max pressure, and you don't need to: most stovetop pressure cooker recipes are designed for the 15 psi setting.

Stovetop pressure cookers do take a bit of practice to get the right setting. Typically, you run the cooker on high heat until it reaches the desired pressure, then turn down the heat to a point where it will maintain the pressure evenly. On most stoves, this is Medium Low or Low for a Kuhn Rikon, but you will have to experiment with your stove to get it right. Once you do, though, the pressure cooker becomes an incredibly easy tool to use.

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers have a reputation for holding heat incredibly evenly--but again, it will take you some trial and error to figure it out.

Other than figuring out the heat setting, you should find this pressure cooker very easy to use. The alignment arrows on the lid make it easy to close, and the spring valve is easy to monitor.

We give 4.5 stars for ease of use because of the necessity to figure out the right setting to hold the right pressure. But if you think this will be an easy task (which it should be for most cooks), you can bump our rating up to 5 stars.

Steam Release

To release steam, you either hold the spring valve down or pull it up. It's not automatic, so you have to hold it in either position until the steam is fully released. This is true for most stovetop pressure cookers, but an automatic release valve (that you don't have to hold) would be a nice feature, so we deducted half a point.

We deducted another half point because it can take several minutes to fully release steam, especially with the push-down method. This is standard for stovetop pc's, but it's still a drawback (most electric pressure cookers have an automatic steam release setting--maybe their best feature).

The removable valve housing vents steam downward, away from your hand. This is a great safety feature. 

(NOTE: Pushing down is the recommended way to vent steam, but pulling up will do so much faster. However, the steam rushes out so fast that you have to be careful to not burn your hand--so pushing down is safer.)

Kuhn Rikon recommends not putting your pressure cooker under cold water to release steam faster. But if you're careful to not let water near the spring valve, you can probably do so safely.

Ease of Cleaning

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are easy to clean. All the parts on the lid are removable so you don't have to worry about gunk building up in the nooks and crannies--but you do have to wash them by hand. 

The pans themselves are dishwasher safe. However, we recommend hand washing for best results, as we do for all fine cookware.

We give Kuhn Rikon 4 stars for ease of cleaning because you can't put the lid in the dishwasher (as you can with some brands), and also because stainless steel often requires some scrubbing to clean--so no stainless cookware ever gets a perfect rating for ease of cleaning.

Also, when you take apart the spring valve for cleaning, the parts are small and could easily slip down your drain, so you have to be careful. 

Heating Performance and Cooking (How We Tested the Kuhn-Rikon)

For testing, we browned roasts and pressure cooked them, cooked beans and Spanish rice, and used the steamer insert to make garlic confit in a mason jar. We also cook chicken breast and veggies at the same time for a one-pot meal (without the trivet).

Browning was rapid and even, and the pressure cooked pot roast turned out tender and juicy. We gave it a little less time than we did in the Fissler test, so the vegetables were perfectly done. 

Beans and rice turned out great. Rice was fluffy and dry, beans were tender and creamy. 

The steamer insert worked great the garlic confit (done in a pint canning jar).

The chicken breast and veggies also cooked wonderfully, with moist chicken and perfectly tender-crisp broccoli and carrots, and this was without a trivet--we just threw everything in the pot together. This is a great, simple way to get a quick, easy meal on the table.

The Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker held a steady pressure remarkably well, making it one of the easiest stovetop pressure cookers to use (once you figure out the right heat setting). Other pressure cookers can require a lot more monitoring to keep the pressure steady, which can be a pain.

Holding remarkably steady pressure also means that the Kuhn Rikon is very energy efficient, so you may save a little on your energy bill and do a little good for the planet, as well. 

The Kuhn Rikon gets a 5-star rating for heating performance and cooking. 

Included Accessories

All Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers come with a trivet insert for steaming and cooking in jars. This adds greatly to the usability of the pressure cooker, so it's a great feature.

As with many pressure cooker brands, we think Kuhn Rikon should have buying options that include more accessories, like a glass lid for non-pressurized cooking, a steamer basket, and maybe even an extra gasket (which you will need if you use your pressure cooker a lot). As far as we know, there are no K-R buying options that include any of these, which means you'll have to buy accessories other than the trivet separately.

It's an issue common for all brands, so we only deducted one star. 

Parts Availability

Kuhn Rikon has readily available parts and accessories on their website and some on Amazon as well. And we love that the pressure indicator and valve housing is the same on all sizes of Duromatic, making it easy to replace them. Gaskets are a little trickier, with several sizes available. Your cooker has the size and model number etched on the bottom, but this may be hard to read after a lot of use--so you'll have to do a little more research (which can be a real pain). 

Fortunately, the Kuhn Rikon gaskets pages have all the model numbers and sizes listed for each gasket they sell, which makes it fairly easy to find the right one. For this reason, we recommend buying parts from Kuhn Rikon rather than Amazon, where helpful information can be non-existent.

They also have a fairly limited supply of accessories, although you may be able to find aftermarket accessories that work well and cost less.

Unfortunately, their parts and accessories are expensive, so we deducted a point. 

Warranty and Customer Service

Kuhn Rikon has just a 10 year warranty on their pressure cookers, which we find surprisingly short. Most cookware of this caliber offers a lifetime warranty. So for this reason, we give them just an average rating in this category.

The good news is that a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker should last for decades, perhaps even generations. Yes, you will have to replace parts occasionally, but this is true for all pressure cookers (including electric pressure cookers). 

Kuhn Rikon does have great customer service--so if you want to bump our rating up, you can add another star to it.

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Our Overall Kuhn Rikon Recommendations

Here are our favorite Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers. 

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker, 8.45 Quart with 11 Inch Base

See it on Amazon (About $410, trivet included)

See 8 qt model with narrower base (About $250, trivet included)

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers come in several shapes and sizes. Probably our overall favorite is the Duromatic 8.45-qt with an 11-inch base. The shallower, wider base makes this an excellent choice for browning large cuts of meat like pot roasts and whole chickens. 

Kuhn Rikon recommends this size for 8 people, but if you're meal prepping or making stock, you'll like the large size.

At around $400, it's not cheap, but the build quality is excellent and it should last for decades.

If you want this size but for a lower price, or prefer short handles over the long handles of the 7.4 quart model below, get this model.

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker, 7.4 Quart Deep Sauce Pan

See it on Amazon (About $240, trivet included)

If you want a deeper, more sauce-pan shaped pressure cooker, the 7.4 quart is deeper than the 8.45 quart above and has an 8.6-inch diameter base. A deeper pot is great if you're primarily using it for beans, grains, rice, and stocks, but is also great for general braising.

Kuhn Rikon recommends the 7 quart to feed 7 people, but we think it's a great size for most people cooking for more than two and doing any sort of meal prep or stocks. Remember--you can only fill a pressure cooker two-thirds full (half full for foamy foods like beans), so your actual capacity is only around 5 quarts.

It's also a better price than the 8.45 quart, so if you're looking for a deal but still want a decent size, this is the one to get.

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Hotel Pressure Cooker, 12 Liter

See it on Amazon (About $400, trivet included)

If you like to make stock, you need a big pressure cooker. This 12 liter model is stock-pot sized, yet wide and shallow enough for searing large cuts (or big batches of stock bones) with ease. 

Yes, it's big, but note that you get about 4 liters more capacity than the 8.45 quart model above for about the same price. If you cook for several, batch prep, or make stock, this big boy is kind of a no-brainer.

And at 11x11x9 inches, it's not much bigger than a standard 12 quart stock pot.

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Supreme Pressure Cooker, 6 Liter

See it on Amazon (About $140, trivet included)

The Supreme model has common cooking times printed right on the valve housing. This is convenient if you don't want to look up cooking times. 

We're concerned that the plastic valve housing may not be as durable as the stainless one, but we didn't have any problems in testing.

You can replace the housing for about $14 on the Kuhn Rikon Parts site.

We don't recommend going smaller than 6 quart/liter, unless you specifically want a braiser-shaped pressure cooker or a second smaller cooker for side dishes (or whatever).

You can get this model, the Duromatic Supreme comes in 2.5-, 3.5, 6-. and 8-liter sizes. 

The 4L, 6L, and 8L Duromatic Supreme also have short handles, so if you prefer that, this is also a good option. Be careful to compare pricing to be sure you get the best deal.

If you don't care about the cooking times, regular Duromatics are also available in smaller sizes. The 6 liter Duromatic also has short handles and is about $220. (Why is it so much more than the 6L Supreme? We wish we knew.)

Other Kuhn Rikon Buying Options

See all Duromatics on Amazon

The models we share above are the models we recommend, but if you are looking for a smaller size, Kuhn Rikon has many available options. 

When you buy, make sure you get one with the depth you're looking for and the handles you're looking for. K-R makes many options, and similar sizes can have very different shapes (e.g., deep, shallow, sauce pan, stock pot, braiser). See What Size Pressure Cooker Do I Need? and How to Choose a Stovetop Pressure Cooker above for buying advice.

Similar sizes can also have short handles or long handles, so be sure you get the model that has the handles you want. 

There are pros and cons to all shapes, sizes, and handles, so there is no wrong answer. Just give some thought to what design will work best for you.

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Kuhn Rikon Parts and Accessories

See accessories at Kuhn Rikon

See parts at Kuhn Rikon

Owning a pressure cooker means having to replace parts occasionally (true for both stovetop and electric models). Most importantly, you will have to replace the gasket every couple of years, depending on use because they rubber gaskets wear out with use. They can also absorb odors that you may not be able to get out of them (like garlic).

You may also want more accessories, as Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers come with just a trivet. If you want to use your pressure cooker for regular stovetop cooking, a glass lid is a great accessory. Or you may want a steamer basket or insert for making one-pot meals and easier steaming in general. 

Amazon has a limited selection of gaskets and other parts, so your best bet may be to buy them from the Kuhn Rikon site.

If you want to save some money, you can buy cheaper steamers and trivets made by other companies. But we don't recommend doing this for replacement parts like gaskets and valves. Since these involve safety issues, we recommend sticking with Kuhn Rikon replacement parts.

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Other Stovetop Pressure Cookers to Consider

Fissler: Fissler pressure cookers are very high quality and comparable in price to Kuhn-Rikon, made in Germany. We think the Kunh-Rikon is easier to use and like the straight walls rather than the angled walls on the Fissler. But Fissler has some great features, too, which you can read about in our Fissler review.

Presto: If you don't want invest in a Kuhn Rikon or Fissler, Presto pressure cookers are much less expensive and are just as safe, although they don't have quite as many redundant safety features. They have a loyal following and get great reviews. They're made in China and have just one pressure setting, but for basic pressure cooking, they work just fine. Stay away from the aluminum models, as stainless steel is a more durable, less reactive material.

T-fal: We haven't tested the T-fal pressure cooker, but it gets great reviews. There are several models to choose from, and all get good reviews. Made in China.

Zavor: Another lower-priced option we haven't tested but gets excellent reviews. Made in China. 

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Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about pressure cookers and Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers in particular.

How Do Pressure Cookers Save Time?

They create pressure in the pot, and higher pressure causes water to boil at a higher temperature. This causes food to cook up to 70% faster (you must use liquid in a pressure cooker to create steam).

Are Pressure Cookers Healthy?

Yes, very healthy. Pressure cookers are one of the healthiest ways to cook. The shorter cook time helps foods to retain more of their nutrients--in fact, pressure-cooked food has the highest nutrient value of any cooking method.

Are Pressure Cookers Worth It?

It depends on your cooking style and what you like to make. Pressure cookers are an excellent way to cook foods that require liquid, like beans, rice, grains, soups, stocks, casseroles, risotto, braising meats, and more. Pressure cooking is essentially a fast way to slow cook, it retains nutrients well, and if you use these cooking methods often, it is definitely a smart purchase.

Are Pressure Cookers Safe?

Yes: modern pressure cookers are very safe. They have multiple safety mechanisms to ensure that they will cook your food safely. 

Most incidents with pressure cookers (both stovetop and electric) are caused by user error, so be sure to read instructions and take all safety precautions before using your pressure cooker.

Are Pressure Cookers and Instant Pots the Same Thing?

An Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, but not all pressure cookers are Instant Pots. Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers, and in addition to pressure cooking, they can perform many other functions, such as slow cooking, searing, and yogurt making. 

The problem with electric pressure cookers is that they rarely perform all of these tasks well. You can get a much better sear in a stovetop pressure cooker, and food will also cook faster in a stovetop pc because the pressure is higher (most go up to 15 psi vs. the standard 11 psi on electric pressure cookers).

Are Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers Good Quality?

Yes. Kuhn-Rikon pressure cookers are extremely high quality. Along With Fissler, they are one of the best brands on the market.

Can You Buy Spare Parts for a Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker?

Yes. The Kuhn Rikon website has a full listing of parts and accessories. Amazon has a more limited selection of parts and accessories. Since you need to replace gaskets and valves occasionally, this is an important thing to know. 

You can also buy aftermarket brands of parts, particularly gaskets, but Kuhn Rikon recommends that you use only their parts in their pressure cookers. Since it could be a safety issue, we concur.

Is There a Time Chart for Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers?

Yes, the manual contains a detailed cooking time chart. Here's a PDF of it.

Are There Recipes for Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers?

Kuhn Rikon has some recipes on their website. There aren't a lot of them, but you can use a Kuhn Rikon for any pressure cooker recipe, including those for electric pressure cookers. To adapt an electric pressure cooker recipe to a stovetop pressure cooker, subtract 25% of the cooking time. (Conversely, to adapt a stovetop pressure cooker to an electric pressure cooker, add 25% to the cooking time.)

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Final Thoughts on Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cookers

If you've been hesitating about getting a pressure cooker for safety reasons, then Kuhn Rikon is the pressure cooker for you. It has more steam release systems and safety features than any other pressure cooker on the market, including electric pressure cookers. 

Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers aren't cheap, but they are absolutely the best quality you can buy. Their straight sides give them an edge over Fissler pressure cookers, which are also excellent quality.

We think 6-8 quarts is the best size for most people, and that you should err on the side of getting one bigger than you think you need rather than smaller. Kuhn Rikon's 8.45 liter Duromatic cooker with extra wide 11" base is an excellent choice for people who cook for 3-6 people or want to use it for stocks or meal prepping. 

If you don't want to spend that much (about $400), the Kuhn Rikon 7.4 quart Duromatic (about $240) or 6 liter Duromatic Supreme are also good choices. 

If you're really into batch cooking or making stock, the 12 liter Duromatic (about $400) is also an excellent option. 

Whichever model you decide on, a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker is a top quality purchase that will serve you well for decades. Highly recommended.

Thanks for reading!

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