Small pressure cooker?

[sidpost]

When camping, I like to fix beans for supper but I am starting to camp at modest altitudes where dry beans take many hours to cook even when pre-soaked for 12~24 hours. By modest altitudes, I'm talking about 3000~6000 feet (1,000~2,000m) not mountaineering altitudes!

What is a good pressure cooker that won't weigh too much or take up a lot of volume?

 

[Toddy]

Three things come to mind.....I think you might pick your beans carefully, we make mushy peas that soak and cook in under two hours, so bound to be something suitable ?
If you hot soak the beans it greatly shortens the soaking time though. Put them in the pot and bring them up to the boil, let it boil for two or three minutes and then take the pot off the heat and cover it up. Leave it to soak. Navy beans only took two hours that way instead of overnight.
For the pressure cooker I'd say have look at Indian ladies cooking pots. I envy their choice of small pressure cookers, I really do. I don't think they're quite BS here, but any of the Indian cooking youtube channels show them often in use for small quantities. Is there an Asian (Indian/Pakistani) supermarket near you where you might have a look?

Edit...That said, I've just had a google and lo and behold, only £12 for a pressure cooker ??? here ??
I paid nearly sixty for mine)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawkins-CB35-Anodised-Pressure-3-5-Liter/dp/B00NROOUPM/ref=asc_df_B00NROOUPM/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=375418724539&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5045855024667191174&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007336&hvtargid=pla-319649318123&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=83648334944&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=375418724539&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5045855024667191174&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007336&hvtargid=pla-319649318123

Nisha shows one at 1:11 on this video....that's the big size, they do a much smaller one. Sort of half this size.

Our nearest hill is only 711m, I can't see me boiling beans up at Tinto tap but I hope you have fun though beans ? supper ? does that not keep you awake ?

M

 

[Mesquite]

Check out Afghan pressure cookers.

 

[Toddy]

Does that not look like a bomb ?? a cartoon bomb

 

[Erbswurst]

Most people who experienced that they exploded surely didn't write bad reviews afterwards.

 

[Mesquite]

Does that not look like a bomb ?? a cartoon bomb

It does but they're apparently very effective.

Simon, A bloke in the woods did a good video using one

 

[Jared]

GSI Outdoors used to make a 2.7l one

Hawkins have a little 1.5L

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HAWKIN-Classic-CL15-1-5-Liter-Improved-Aluminum/dp/B00SX2YZNK

 

[sidpost]

How are those Hawkins models? Good pressure cookers for the money?

 

[sidpost]

Three things come to mind.....I think you might pick your beans carefully, we make mushy peas that soak and cook in under two hours, so bound to be something suitable ?
If you hot soak the beans it greatly shortens the soaking time though. Put them in the pot and bring them up to the boil, let it boil for two or three minutes and then take the pot off the heat and cover it up. Leave it to soak. Navy beans only took two hours that way instead of overnight.
For the pressure cooker I'd say have look at Indian ladies cooking pots. I envy their choice of small pressure cookers, I really do. I don't think they're quite BS here, but any of the Indian cooking youtube channels show them often in use for small quantities. Is there an Asian (Indian/Pakistani) supermarket near you where you might have a look?

A different bean is certainly a valid consideration but, growing up in Texas and Oklahoma, I have a strong affinity for Pinto beans, especially spicy ones with a bit of Mex/Tex-Mex spice, even better with some barbeque (real BBQ, not grilling ).

Navy beans, which are more common in the NorthEast USA, are probably something I should try but, my Texas roots have me pretty focused on Pintos.

Our nearest hill is only 711m, I can't see me boiling beans up at Tinto tap but I hope you have fun though beans ? supper ? does that not keep you awake ?

M

I like to spend time away for the crowds with little respect for other people or the environment so, I am more into Overlanding and Farm Shows in addition to simple camping at more remote locations like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in addition to Overlanding in Colorado or my time in Minnesota.

A tarp or hammock with some para-cord, a light sleeping bag, a butane camping burner and some quality time away from other people is an awesome way to destress and enjoy life IMHO! Spicy Pinto beans brings back lots of good memories, I suspect like your mushy peas in your Mother's kitchen!

Good thoughts though with the peas. Next time, I think I will throw some split peas with instant mashed potatoes in my kit and give them a whirl.

 

[Toddy]

@sidpost

Your camping sounds excellent Waking up to that view must be amazing
I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy it.

I had a quick look for quick cook Pinto beans and the sites I found said the same thing that I did about the boil up and let them soak thing. This site reckons that from starting with dried beans to being cooked to edible and tasty, would only take about two and a half hours.
Might be worth a try at home ? see if it really does work ?

4 Ways to Cook Pinto Beans Quickly - wikiHow

If you'd love to be able to whip up refried beans or homemade chili at a moment's notice, learn how to quickly cook pinto beans. Decide if you'd like to simmer them on the stove top, bake them in the oven, or throw them in your pressure...

www.wikihow.com

Me ? I'm eyeing up that Afghan pressure cooker and thinking my wee bother would love that for Christmas......maybe

 

[sidpost]

@sidpost

Your camping sounds excellent Waking up to that view must be amazing
I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy it.

Thanks! It is awesome, especially around Zion National Park where I camp as deer often come in at night to graze and greet me in the morning! Montanna "Speed Goats" (Pronghorn) are nice too but, never that close.

I had a quick look for quick cook Pinto beans and the sites I found said the same thing that I did about the boil up and let them soak thing. This site reckons that from starting with dried beans to being cooked to edible and tasty, would only take about two and a half hours.
Might be worth a try at home ? see if it really does work ?

4 Ways to Cook Pinto Beans Quickly - wikiHow

If you'd love to be able to whip up refried beans or homemade chili at a moment's notice, learn how to quickly cook pinto beans. Decide if you'd like to simmer them on the stove top, bake them in the oven, or throw them in your pressure...

www.wikihow.com

Me ? I'm eyeing up that Afghan pressure cooker and thinking my wee bother would love that for Christmas......maybe

Cooking Pintos at home, which is near the Texas coast (~3 hours away), is much different than cooking them in Colorado or Minnesota. Air density due to altitude makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

For me, an overnight slow soak for Pintos is best at home but, I have also done the fast soak with great results where you do a quick boil (~2 minutes) turn the heat off and walk away for an hour which works really well for last minute pinto beans. The pressure cooker also works well at home too.

Lower air pressure/density with modest altitude really extends the cook time if not in a pressure cooker. I once simmered some Pintos at the Grand Canyon North Rim for 3 hours and they were still rock hard and I ended up eating my canned Chili!

Being a bigger bean, Pintos are a bit tougher to cook than other beans and are more sensitive to altitude and presoak methods than something like Lentils. I tried traveling with my WMF Perfect Plus pressure cooker but, even car camping I found it to be too big and too heavy, especially for most heat sources I had access to.

 

[Toddy]

Y'know ? I preserve foods in Kilner jars all year long, and I did buy the Ball canning book from Lakeland a couple of years ago, but the height thing just did not in any way relate

We're on islands, with a very maritime climate and some fairly high hills. Most of us live in the fertile lowlands though, so here I'm at just about 60m above sea level, and I wasn't joking about never thinking about stewing beans up the hill.
Your plateaus (our Grampians were, once, a veeeery long time ago) are a different world entirely. Have you thought maybe about the insulated carrier box idea ? Bring the beans up to the boil, as soon as you set camp, and then put the potful into the box and set it aside until you're ready to cook ? You could do all that in the pressure cooker.

Having said all that, if making the beans is such an effort at height, why not cook them at home and bag them in mylar bags. Seal them and poach sterilise and they'll keep long enough for your trip. The term to google for information on that is

Retort canning

and it's used to make ready to eat meals. It needs forethought and care, but it will work for cooked meals and doesn't need refridgerated or frozen.

Best of luck with it
M

 

[C_Claycomb]

Keith titanium rice cooker can be retro fitted with pressure valve and used as pressure cooker

 

[TLM]

From some tables the boiling point of water drops to 93C at 2000m, that is really not all that much. At high base camp altitudes a proper tea temp is not attainable.

 

[SCOMAN]

Keith titanium rice cooker can be retro fitted with pressure valve and used as pressure cooker

But where could you get the valve? I was about to post about it when I read your post. I have the cooker and it is excellent.

 

[sidpost]

But where could you get the valve? I was about to post about it when I read your post. I have the cooker and it is excellent.

I have been searching and Googling for the "pressure" cooker attachment in the Ti6300 "premium" set without success.

 

[Jared]

Seems Keith Ti were intending to release an upgraded version with a pressure regulator in 2019. But never have done so.

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