Best Pressure Cooker Cookbook
If you are familiar with the benefits of using a pressure cooker, then you probably have a small arsenal of pressure cooker cookbooks to inspire your meal planning. If you don’t, then you may be missing out on some fabulous opportunities to discover new and exciting tastes.
For anyone unfamiliar with this kitchen appliance, a pressure cooker is a great way to speed up your cooking time and still produce healthy, delicious meals for yourself and your family. Finding the right pressure cooker cookbook will introduce you to the ins and outs of how to use it, plus offer up dozens of recipes for foods you may never have imagined could be prepared in a pressure cooker.
Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or somewhere in between, there is a pressure cooker cookbook out there to meet your specific needs so you don’t miss out.
We feature five pressure cooker cookbooks you can buy online. Read on to find the one – or two – that best suit your needs.
1. Best for Electric Models: The Complete Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook
There are two types of pressure cookers: a stovetop model or an electric one. The type you end up using is a personal choice, since both work well, but for the purposes of getting the most out of this cookbook, you will need an electric model.
We picked this 274-page pressure cooker cookbook because it is perfect for anyone who has never used a pressure cooker, is hesitant (i.e. afraid) to use one, is just starting out and is not sure how to go about it or is a seasoned cook who wants to expand his or her repertoire.
The first thing you will find in this cookbook is a comprehensive 30-page guide to everything you need to know about owning and using a pressure cooker: from the science behind it to how to use the functions and pressure release methods to basic dos and don’ts. By the time you get to the recipes, you will be relaxed and raring to go.
You will discover that an electric pressure cooker is one of the easiest and most convenient tools for cooking fast, delicious, and mess-free meals, even when your schedule is jam-packed. This all-in-one pressure cooker cookbook will teach you how to make the most of this versatile appliance and serve up mouthwatering recipes you can set, forget, and savor in no time.
Along with some time saving and troubleshooting tips for cooking healthy, wholesome meals faster and easier, you’ll find 150 recipes that cover everything from comfort food staples and international favorites, to meatless mainstays. There are also one-pot meals, 30-minute meals and dairy- and gluten-free options.
This cookbook makes an ideal gift for anyone who is thinking of purchasing an electric pressure cooker and wants to learn the basics along with new recipe ideas.
Pros:
- 30-page introduction on the fundamentals of using a pressure cooker
- 150 recipes
- Gluten- and dairy-free options
- Available on Kindle and in paperback
Cons:
- Recipes only designed for an electric pressure cooker
- Not a lot of food photos
2. Best Overall: The Healthy Pressure Cooker Cookbook
Sure you want to eat healthfully, but all that meal planning and food prep is really not your jam. Plus, you’re busy and don’t have time to spend hours over a hot stove babysitting whatever’s bubbling and boiling in the pots on the stovetop and in the oven.
That’s when it’s time to pullout – or purchase – a pressure cooker along with this 294-page pressure cooker cookbook that will surprise and tempt even the most reluctant home cook. With its roster of 125 tasty and timesaving recipes – think pulled pork in 30 minutes, sweet potato curry in 20 minutes and steamed mussels in 10 minutes – you’ll end up reaching for your pressure cooker more often than any other appliance, including your microwave!
Another great thing about this pressure cooker cookbook is that each recipe gives the correct times and prep for stovetop and electric models, so you can use it without having to purchase anything new if you already have a pressure cooker.
Inside the book you’ll find the 10 dos and don’ts of pressure cooking, a step-by-step guide to using a pressure cooker, how to adapt your favorite recipes to work in your pressure cooker, plus a delightful mix of classic, international, and modern recipes geared for anyone who loves good food but doesn’t want to spend all day cooking.
And if you have any special dietary requirements or food sensitivities, don’t worry. There is nutritional info for every recipe and labels for Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and one-pot meals so you can easily find the recipes that best suit your taste and way of eating.
Pros:
- Suitable for stovetop or electric pressure cookers
- Nutritional information supplied
- Available on kindle or in paperback
Cons:
- Most recipes are only for two servings
3. Best for Beginners: Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners
If you’ve never owned a pressure cooker and would like to try it, then this is the cookbook to accompany you on your journey. It will truly guide you through everything you need to know about properly using – and enjoying – your new pressure cooker. And if you’re not sure what type of pressure cooker to purchase, the cookbook has a buying guide to help make the decision easier.
Aside from learning how your pressure cooker works, there’s help on setting up your kitchen with pantry essentials and equipment. Each of the 75 recipes has step-by-step instructions to help you tackle meals during a busy week or for entertaining friends and family.
Some of the recipes include garlic-sesame chicken wings, sweet jalapeño cornbread, shrimp scampi, and lemon bundt cake, with tips, tricks and substitutions so you can customize the recipes to suit your taste and with ingredients you already have on hand. This cookbook makes an ideal wedding or housewarming gift for the budding culinary genius in your life.
Pros:
- Comprehensive guide to using a pressure cooker
- 75 recipes
- Substitutions and hints to customize recipes
Cons:
- Not enough photos of the finished product
4. Best Versatile: Martha Stewart’s Pressure Cooker: 100+ Fabulous New Recipes
There’s something about anything Martha Stewart that screams domesticity and creature comforts all wrapped up in a beautiful presentation. This guide to cooking in a pressure cooker is 100 percent Martha Stewart, organized into three parts to bring you to the height of pressure cooker cooking perfection.
The first section introduces you to the many ways a pressure cooker can help with prepping foods that can be used in other dishes, using other cooking styles. For example, this would include essential building blocks like beans, stocks, grains, and vegetables that can be assembled into simple dishes, such as salads, soups, quesadillas and burgers.
The second chapter contains more than 40 hearty main course meals that you make from start to finish in the pressure cooker, the set-and-go standard that makes using a pressure cooker so useful. Some of these one-pot meals include braised short ribs that fall off the bone after only an hour; rich pork and pinto bean chili made with dried beans, no pre-soaking required; and a creamy, perfectly cooked risotto ready in six minutes, without constant stirring. And not to be undone in the sweets department, the last chapter covers the kinds of desserts – think cakes and puddings – that can be completely cooked in a pressure cooker.
Along the way you’ll find instructions for stovetop and electric pressure cookers as well as for its close cousin, the Instant Pot. Filled with beautiful photographs of the tested recipes, it’s also a visually pleasing experience.
Pros:
- Book is separated into three parts
- Instructions for stovetop, electric models and Instant Pot
- Instructions for preparing staples that can be used in other meals.
- Beautiful food photography
Cons:
- Not all recipes are for one-pot meals
5. Best Electric for Two: The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Two
It’s not always easy cooking for only one or two people. Sure you can try to half the ingredients in a recipe, but that doesn’t always translate into the same delicious tasting dish. Or you can prepare the typical amount of most recipes and have leftovers – days and days of leftovers that may end up getting thrown out.
This 250-page electric pressure cooker cookbook is the ideal solution for making perfectly portioned family-style meals for two (or for one person with leftovers). Every recipe is properly scaled to serve two people, taking the guesswork out of having to adjust ingredients.
The cookbook includes an overview of how to choose the right pressure cooker for your needs and the right size for cooking for two, how to get the most of the pressure cooker you have, plus an in-depth look at the basic steps you need to follow using a pressure cooker.
There are pantry must-haves, recipe labels for Paleo and vegan and vegetarian meals. The 100 quick and easy recipes have realistic prep and cook times and clear directions for pressure levels and release.
The different chapters cover everything from breakfast and brunch to meatless dishes, fish, shellfish and pork and beef to vegetables and side dishes, desserts and sweet treats and include 15-minute, 30-minute and five-ingredient options as well.
Pros:
- Perfectly portioned recipes for two
- Guidelines on how to use a pressure cooker
- Meatless and vegan options
Cons:
- Recommended for electric pressure cooker only
What to look for when looking for a pressure cooker cookbook to meet your needs:
There is no doubt that using a pressure cooker is a quick and healthy way to prepare your favorite meals all in one pot. Basically, using a pressure cooker is a set-and-go experience, but that being said, there is a bit of a learning curve to getting the process right. Plus, when it comes to using a pressure cooker cookbook, the one you choose will depend upon what kind of pressure cooker you own, or will purchase. Even though a stovetop and electric pressure cooker work using the same basic principle, they operate differently, with different cook times, temperatures, pressures and release mechanisms. That’s where having the right pressure cooker cookbook is vital. Some cookbooks are only for the stovetop, some only for electric, while others will give the information for both options.
And even if you’ve mastered the art of making meals in your pressure cooker, using a cookbook will only enhance that knowledge and introduce you to recipes that you may have never otherwise considered.
Once you have decided what kind of pressure cooker you will be using, there are some other factors to consider when choosing a good pressure cooker cookbook, although keep in mind that when it comes to cookbooks of any kind, having more than one or two will make the end result that much sweeter.
Education: An important factor to look for in a pressure cooker cookbook is a section that clearly and easily explains how this appliance works, and the different features that it offers. This is especially important if you are new to the pressure cooker game. It should include the different models and functions, as well as how the pressure and release systems work, the terminology and the right-sized pressure cooker for your needs.
Eating style: While we all might own a pressure cooker, or wish to purchase one, that’s where the similarity ends. That’s because we all enjoy different kinds of food and follow different diet regimes. Vegan, carnivore, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, paleo – well, you get the idea. So when it comes to a pressure cooker cookbook, look for one that reflects your eating style, because when it comes down to it, it’s really all about the food.
If you don’t like the ingredients or the recipes, you’re not going to use the cookbook. The best thing to do is to find a pressure cooker cookbook that reflects your tastes with easy-to-follow steps, a reasonable amount of ingredients and colorful photographs to illustrate the final product to make your cooking experience more enjoyable. As well, the recipes should reflect your cooking style with 15 or 30-minute options and less complicated options with five ingredients if you are a busy cook on the run.
Photo credit: New Africa/Shutterstock