"merryb" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> As I read yall's postings, pressure cookers keep coming up in the
> topics. I have never used one- when I was younger, I remember hearing
> about how they can explode. Is that something of concern, or is that
> just the older ones, or what? It sounds like many of you use them, and
> I would like to hear what you have to say. Thanks!
I don't think there's much chance of one exploding these days, as they have
safety pressure relief valves, plus the primary pressure control valve
itself is pretty foolproof. Some had the weighted valve that teeter-tottered
back and forth to let the excess steam out, while others used a spring
loaded valve. I can't see those failing unless one deliberately overrides
them, but then the safety pressure relief valve would kick in.
The other danger was opening before the pressure was released, but most are
designed to prevent removal of the lid if any pressure is present.
I've never heard of one exploding, or even read about it in modern times. I
think this is a worry from the past, and during a time when other things
using steam also exploded with some regularity, like steam locomotives on
trains and steam boilers in buildings.
I have two antique pressure cookers myself that don't have the safety
mechanisms, and that I would never use. One was made in the second half of
the 1800s, the other was made in the first half of the 1900s. Neither has a
safety pressure relief valve, and no real protection to keep one from
opening them under pressure. The older one is made of cast iron, which is
not a good material for pressure cookers anyway since it is quite brittle
and subject to casting flaws.
There is currently one of the cast iron pressure cookers from the 1800s for
sale on eBay which is just like the one I have. Mine is of the 5 gallon
size. This one for sale is at a ridiculous price of $345. I got mine for
$27, but the seller had no idea what it was... and neither did I at the
time. I only found out recently about it. Here's a link to that 1800s cast
iron pressure cooker:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=250022807939
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