Ah yes, the pressure cooker. This little steam-powered cooking tool transforms ordinary Indian dishes into culinary masterpieces. After all, you need a pressure cooker to make dal – can you imagine dal makhani, chole, or rajma without it? Hence, it is crucial to spend time and choose among the best pressure cookers available.
That said, all pressure cookers are not the same. Some are clearly better than others, and this is true every year with new products in the market. This article will describe the best pressure cookers in India in detail. Read on to learn more!
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
1. Best Pressure Cooker With Compact Design: Prestige Deluxe Plus Hard Anodized Aluminium Pressure Handis
2. Best Pressure Cooker With A Thick Base: Hawkins Hevibase Induction Compatible Aluminium Inner Lid Pressure Cooker
3. Best Pressure Cooker With A Sturdy Build: Pigeon By Stovekraft Favourite Aluminium Pressure Cooker
Summary Table: Best Pressure Cookers In India
There are several pressure cooker brands available in India. Here’s a look at the top 9 brands that are worth a purchase:
Product Name | Buy On Amazon | Buy On Flipkart |
Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Prestige Popular Aluminum Pressure Cooker | Check price here | – |
Butterfly Cordial Aluminum Pressure Cooker 3L | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Pigeon By Stovekraft Favourite Aluminium Pressure Cooker | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Hawkins Hevibase Aluminium Inner Lid Pressure Cooker | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Pigeon by Stovekraft Deluxe Aluminium Pressure Cooker | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Hawkins Contura Hard Anodised Aluminium Pressure Cooker | Check price here | Check Price Here |
Prestige Deluxe Plus Outer Lid Pressure Handis | Check price here | Check Price Here |
How To Cook In Pressure Cooker | Safety Measure | Types Of Pressure Cookers. Read here.
Top 8 Pressure Cookers in India in Detail
Though rarely used in the West, pressure cookers are an essential cooking vessel in the typical Indian kitchen. They are relatively expensive, therefore; it is better to buy after careful consideration. Here are some of the best pressure cookers in India.
1. Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Most Indian dishes require many ingredients and have complex flavor profiles. Additionally, most Indian dishes require the same or similar ingredients. People who cook Indian dishes need to have a versatile pressure cooker. The Hawkins steel cooker is the perfect candidate because it works on any burner or stove range. It works well on electric stovetops and it works wonders on gas ranges. This amazing pressure cooker has a size spectrum that starts at 2 liters and includes every liter up to 10 liters.
If you buy this product, it will be in your kitchen for many years. It’s that durable because it’s made from stainless steel. Stainless steel is a hardy material that doesn’t rust, corrode, or scratch easily. You’ll love the fact that it comes with a five-year warranty.
Stainless steel is an alloy that is made out of three metals. The main metal is steel. This comprises 74% of the total metal composition. 18% of the metal is chromium, and the remaining 8% is nickel. It’s this ratio that makes Hawkins the best pressure cooker brand used by people who cook Indian food. The entire pressure cooker is not magnetic. This is part of what contributes to its longevity. The chromium and nickel make it corrosion-proof. This is crucial since many Indian dishes require the use of acidic fruits and vegetables. This stainless steel alloy is also very easy to clean thoroughly.
The following attributes make Hawkins one of the best pressure cookers in India. The thick stainless steel base diffuses heat evenly. This means that your food cooks slowly and uniformly. It will always taste delicious and it will never have a burnt taste. It’s lid locks when cooking food. This makes it the Ideal Pressure Cooker brand used in India’s kitchens. The fact that the lid locks means that the steam created doesn’t escape. Instead, it accumulates. This is advantageous in Hawkin’s small cookers because it allows food to cook thoroughly and quickly.
Product Features:
- The curved body design makes stirring easy.
- It has a thick 6.6 mm sandwich bottom.
- Equipped with safety valve under handle bar for greater safety.
Its metal composition is 100% stainless steel.
2. Prestige Popular Aluminum Pressure Cooker
The Prestige cooker pan is made from 18/8 grade stainless steel. This is what makes it safe, strong, and durable. Your food will always cook completely and evenly. These features are part of what make it among one of the best pressure cookers in India. One feature you’ll love about the Prestige cooker steel is that it comes with handles that are made out of strong and durable plastic. They don’t heat easily. You don’t have to worry about constantly having to replace the cooker because of handles that constantly melt and/or warp!
There is one drawback, it can’t be used on induction cooking stovetops.
Product Features:
- It has a sturdy build that makes it ideal for daily use.
- Equipped with controlled gasket release system for added safety.
- Durable and sturdy handles.
3. Butterfly Cordial Aluminum Non-Induction Pressure Cooker 3L
It’s one of the best pressure cookers in India even though it’s not for induction stoves. However, you can buy a special version of these Butterfly cookers which can be used on induction stovetops.
Other attributes that you’ll rave about Butterfly cookers are that have a metallic safety plug and gasket release system. These sense the amount of steam and pressure that are left in the cooker. The lid releases only when both in low quantities in the cooker. You’ll put it in the dishwasher after using it. Just be sure to use a dishwashing soap that isn’t too harsh. The Butterfly cooker features an aluminum exterior that makes it scratch and blemish resistant. Indeed, this pressure cooker will look and function like a new pressure cooker for years. It will also have a beautiful shine for years. These are what make it one of the best pressure cookers in India.
Product Features:
- Easy to hold handle ensures comfortable use.
- It comes with a 5-year warranty.
- Features a concave bottom that ensures the shape is retained for years.
4. Pigeon By Stovekraft Favourite Induction Base Aluminium Pressure Cooker
This Pigeon 3 Litre pressure cooker is made from the best quality aluminum manufactured. Maybe this is why it’s strong and durable. It also cooks all food, no matter how hard the texture, evenly and thoroughly. You’ll love its thick plastic handles which are securely welded into the pan. This makes for an easy and strong grip every time. This is the ideal small cooker for the Indian family that is always on the go!
The Pigeon 3 Litre pressure cooker is the modern working Indian woman’s best friend because it cooks well even when placed over a very hot and large flame. Other pressure cookers buckle and their handles start to melt and warp. This pressure cooker, however, retains its integrity.
Product Features:
- This pressure cooker is both induction and gas stove compatible.
- The Bakelite handle will no heat up during cooking.
- The safety valve is lead free.
5. Hawkins Hevibase Induction Compatible Aluminium Inner Lid Pressure Cooker
This is among one of the best pressure cookers in India partly because of its thick and strong base. This is composed of two layers of aluminum. It has two functions: it gives the cooker a stable and flat base, it also allows for the even distribution of heat. Food cooks thoroughly and uniformly. What makes it one of the best cookers to buy is the fact that you can use it on induction powered stoves.
It may be the latest pressure cooker in India because it’s perfect for use in the small Indian family – households with 3-4 people. The base is circular and 288 millimeters in circumference. For best results, you should cook foods that need to be lightly fried before being cooked in a pressure cooker. This pressure cooker’s base is 6.35 millimeters thick. Its handle is made out of a thick layer of aluminium that is sandwiched in between two thick layers of plastic.
This is strategic in terms of thinking and design on the part of the manufacturer because it prevents the handle from being too hot to hold – the thick layers of plastic will absorb and diffuse the heat. The plastic layers are thick to prevent them from melting and/or warping when subjected to high temperatures. The design also ensures a strong grip every time!
Product Features:
- Results in even cooking of dishes.
- Enables fast cooking thereby helps save fuel.
- It has a stable base that will not bulge while cooking.
6. Pigeon by Stovekraft Deluxe Aluminium Pressure Cooker
What makes it one of the best pressure cookers in India is its brilliant engineering. Though it’s made from high-quality aluminium of the best industrial-grade, it’s ‘light as a feather’ when held. It can hold up to 12 liters of liquid or solid food. It comes with a flat base that is standard for the latest cooker. However, don’t use it on induction stoves – you may end up with nasty surprises if you do.
What makes it one of the best pressure cookers in India is its many quality food-grade nitrile gaskets. You’ll love its ISI certification. It also conforms to IS21: 1992 international safety standards. It has many safety features including a weight valve, gasket release system, gasket vent release system, and a safety valve.
The weight valve gives the gasket and safety plug weight. This ensures that it stays put. The gasket release system will open only after the internal pressure and temperature in the pressure cooker have been reduced to safe and acceptable levels. The safety valve will not release the plug until most of internal pressure has left the cooker.
Its bottom absorbs heat efficiently and rapidly. This makes it cook your food better and faster. But there is another added bonus – your monthly gas bills will be substantially lower. This pressure cooker helps to decrease overall energy usage through more efficient utilization. The lid is engineered and designed for easy opening and closing.
The fact that the aluminium is made from the best-quality available makes it one of the best pressure cookers in India. Because it’s designed for cooking food, it allows internal temperatures to skyrocket quickly. This dramatically and rapidly accelerates the cooker’s internal pressure. The result is food that’s cooked more thoroughly and faster. This increases the nutritional value of the food because fruits, vegetables, dal, and other foodstuffs lose their nutrients (and hence nutritional value) when they are cooked for long periods of time.
The safety valve is attached to the gasket vent. This is a vital safety feature because it (safety vent) will open if the internal pressure climbs above a certain level. It will safely release extra pressure quickly. This ensures that the lid is not forced off of the cooker when it’s cooking food – too much internal pressure buildup can do that. The safety valve is a backup for the main pressure valve. It will do the main pressure valve’s job should the main pressure valve fail.
The weight valve is underneath the plug. It plays an important role in keeping you safe by opening to release excess pressure. This occurs when the internal pressure in the pressure cooker climbs dramatically above an acceptable level. Interestingly enough, this feature also ensures that your food cooks uniformly in less time.
Product Features:
- Its composition is 100% aluminum.
- The precision weight valve option allows for safe release of pressure.
- Cleaning and maintenance is easy.
7. Hawkins Contura Hard Anodised Aluminium Pressure Cooker
This pressure cooker will last. It’s made entirely out of high quality, industrial-grade stainless steel. The fact that it’s an anodized pressure cooker makes it stronger and cooks food faster and better. It comes in many sizes: 2 liters, 3 liters, 3.5 liters, 4 liters, and 6.5 liters. This makes it ideal for a family of any size.
But part of what makes it among the best pressure cookers in India is its thick and flat base. At 3.25 millimeters thick, the base is strong and durable. It’s also flat and this is what helps it diffuse heat uniformly. This feature also helps distribute heat (and hence pressure) throughout its interior.
You’ll love another feature – it comes with an instruction manual. This cooker also comes with many recipe cards that will tell you how to cook the most popular Indian and international dishes in detail. It sells for $62 and this places it in the middle of the cooker price list spectrum. It cooks food in almost half of the time that a conventional microwave oven does. Boiling food in water may be the conventional way to ensure that food is cooked thoroughly and doesn’t contain any pathogens. However, this pressure cooker cooks food at a temperature that is 22% higher than the temperature that water boils at. You can rest assured that your food will be pathogen-free and therefore safe to eat.
If you lack the natural cooking knack of a gourmet chef, don’t worry. This pressure cooker will take care of that for you with its many recipe cards that describe how to cook gourmet Indian and international dishes. You’ll be cooking them with the skill of a chef who works in a 5-star restaurant, your food will be delicious, fresh, and flavorful.
The pressure cooker comes with instructions that tell you how to take care of it. It’s also easy to clean either by hand or dishwasher. Just be sure not to use this pressure cooker on an induction stove.
Product Features:
- An anodized body prevents chemical reactions with food when cooking.
- This model comes with a lid whose interior fits soundly and is unbreakable.
- The curved body is results in easy stirring and prevents foods from burning.
8. Prestige Deluxe Plus Baby Induction Base Hard Anodized Aluminium Outer Lid Pressure Handis
Its small size is what makes it one of the best pressure cookers in India. It’s the best in terms of the price of the pressure cooker. You’ll pay less than 2,000 INR for this beauty. It’s both a mini pressure cooker and the ideal pressure cooker for induction. Yes, you can use this mini pressure cooker on both induction and gas-based stoves.
The pressure cooker in an Indian kitchen with the whistle pressure release valve held open with a spoon. Shows a staple of Indian kitchenware for cooking rice, potatoes, and pulses.
The body of this pressure cooker is made from high-quality aluminum. Its lid is made from 18/8 grade stainless steel. This combination of metals allows different types of food to cook uniformly and at the same temperature. You can cook foods that have different temperatures in one pressure cooker from now on.
The Prestige Deluxe pressure cooker will last for years in your kitchen. This pressure cooker uses a precision weight valve. This is an important safety feature. It will automatically open when there is too much pressure building up inside the cooker. This is important because it ensures that your food will not burn as it cooks. The feature also keeps the lid and plug from flying off of the pressure cooker when in use.
The latest cookers come with many layers of safety features. The controlled gasket release system is one of these. This feature activates and releases excess steam and pressure whenever the vent tube fails.
Prestige Deluxe’s anodized metals make them rust, tarnish, scratch, and stain-resistant. The metals are coated on the interior as well. This allows food to float on the base of the pan while cooking thoroughly. Your food will never stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. The anodized feature also makes for easy cleaning. You can even put this pressure cooker in the dishwasher.
You’ll love the pressure indicator. This is a gauge that allows you to see the pressure level in your pressure cooker. You’ll always know when it’s safe to open the cooker.
The pressure cooker in an Indian kitchen with the whistle pressure release valve held open with a spoon. Shows a staple of Indian kitchenware for cooking rice, potatoes, and pulses.
Product Features:
- Well fitted and sturdy handles.
- Its small size makes it perfect for small families with 3-4 people per household to use.
- Its base is thick and perforated. Your food will cook faster and taste better.
Which is the Best Size of Pressure Cooker for you to Use?
This is an important message for moms with infants. You can cook great baby food in a pressure cooker. Just keep in mind that you should use a small pressure cooker or even a mini pressure cooker. The main reason why is because infants and babies don’t eat much. A small pressure cooker or a mini pressure cooker is best because it cooks small amounts of food quickly and thoroughly. You can cook the vegetables or fruits on a low flame. This is best since a low flame will soften the fruits and vegetables. This allows for easy mashing and/or blending.
Well, though the best pressure cookers in India were just described in detail, the best pressure cooker for you depends on many factors. One of these is the size of your family. If you have a small family, you’ll need a smaller pressure cooker. In fact, you may even be able to use a mini pressure cooker for some dishes. However, you’ll probably need a much larger pressure cooker if there are more people in your family.
More and more moms are deciding to make food for their babies at home. One reason why is because baby food is expensive and most babies eat 4-5 tubes or jars a day. Another reason why (and this is the main reason) moms make baby food at home is that they know all of the ingredients that are in the baby food. They also know the quantities. This gives many moms peace of mind.
Moms can also experiment with different combinations of food to create delicious baby food with a unique (and often interesting) flavor profile. Many babies are picky and don’t want to eat conventional baby food. These consist of apple chicken, prune apple, pear-cinnamon oatmeal, among others. Also, babies’ tastes change quickly and often. Their taste buds change once every 10 days until they’re three. Buying baby food to suit their changing tastes is inconvenient and expensive.
But asides from that, if you cook larger meals, you need a larger pressure cooker even if your family is small in size. You’ll be cooking smaller batches of food much more often. This will consume more fuel even if you are using an energy-efficient pressure cooker. You’ll see the increase in your monthly energy bill in no time.
That’s why you should choose pressure cooker brands that come in larger sizes. Good examples would be the Hawkins stainless steel and Butterfly Cordial Aluminum pressure cookers.
Final Words
Indeed this article not only unveiled the best pressure cookers in India, but it also described many of the more popular and better quality brands in detail. Some of the takeaways of this article were that stainless steel is clearly a better metal to use because it’s an alloy of metals that are high-quality, durable, and strong.
They don’t react to the food that they are cooking easily. They also don’t leach easily. Both qualities appear to be very important to the average Indian consumer. These pressure cookers also had many features which made them very safe.
This article ended by answering some of the most frequently asked questions in detail. Ultimately, it’s up to the end consumer to decide which brand and type of pressure cooker are best for him or her!
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people ask lots of questions about the best pressure cookers in India, and rightfully so. After all, they are looking for a quality product at a reasonable and affordable price. Some of the more frequently asked questions (FAQs) are answered below:
1. What are the advantages of using a pressure cooker?
Using a pressure cooker offers several advantages, including faster cooking times, energy efficiency, and the retention of nutrients in food due to shorter cooking durations. Additionally, pressure cookers are versatile appliances that can be used to cook a wide variety of dishes, from rice and lentils to meats and vegetables.
2. How do I choose the best pressure cooker for my needs?
When selecting a pressure cooker, consider factors such as size, material, and safety features. Choose a size that suits your household’s needs, whether you’re cooking for a small family or a larger group. Stainless steel and aluminum are common materials for pressure cookers, each with its advantages. Ensure the pressure cooker has safety features such as pressure release valves and locking lids to prevent accidents during cooking.
3. Can I use a pressure cooker for canning purposes?
While pressure cookers can reach the high temperatures necessary for canning, not all pressure cookers are suitable for canning. Look for pressure cookers specifically labeled as “canner-friendly” or designed for canning purposes. These pressure cookers typically have larger capacities and specific features needed for safe and effective canning.
4. How do I maintain and clean my pressure cooker?
To maintain your pressure cooker’s performance and longevity, regularly inspect and clean all parts according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After each use, wash the pot, lid, and sealing ring with warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Check the pressure release valve and other safety mechanisms for any debris or buildup. Additionally, follow any specific maintenance guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
5. Are there any safety precautions I should take when using a pressure cooker?
Yes, safety is paramount when using a pressure cooker. Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Never overfill the pressure cooker beyond its recommended capacity, as this can lead to dangerous pressure buildup. Always ensure the pressure release valve is working correctly before cooking, and never attempt to open the cooker while it is pressurized. Finally, be cautious when handling hot surfaces and steam, using appropriate oven mitts or gloves to prevent burns.
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