Power Cooker Pro 6qt

We've cooked a lot of different things since the Power Cooker Pro 6qt was added to our kitchen. One of the first things I cooked was beans since the hour long hot soak, then an hour or more to cook could be shortened down considerably. Honestly, even following the directions explicitly I still overcooked them.

We've gotten rid of all our crockpots since getting this. It's no joke, cooking with a pressure cooker cuts down the cook times dramatically. Instead of loading a slow cooker and letting it run most of the day, coming back later to put the food in containers and wash up, we are doing that ten to twenty minutes later. Controls are very basic, but you do have full control over cook time and the pressure if you want it.

There is no hot cooker slowly heating up the kitchen all day. A big bonus in the hot months. This model does have a slow cooker option, but we haven't used it yet. There is also a rice button, and that does work, don't vent the pressure right away if you're cooking brown rice. The flat disk is for steaming, it rests on the ridge halfway down the inner pot. The instructions say not to use it for pressure canning with the claim that it doesn't regulate the pressure accurately enough. It does so electronically and there is a lag between when power to the heating element is switched back on and it builds pressure back up. 

The power cord is pretty standard, recognize that port? The one that comes with it is pretty short. We haven't needed a longer one, but they are readily available nearly everywhere.

It is important to never overfill this cooker. That Max Fill line is for safety. If the valves in the lid get splashed the vent orifices could become clogged. This could result in a possible overpressure.

Steamer plate in place. A couple cups of water in the bottom and either put the lid on and use pressure, or just leave it venting. There are some things, like asparagus that steam really fast. The cooker would never have time to come up to pressure before it was done.

The seal just drops in behind a stainless ring. It doesn't take too much finagling to get it out or put back in for cleaning. Just be gentle so it doesn't tear. Yes it's loose, but it works just fine. The two fittings are safeties. The upper one is a removable guard over the vent you use to depressurize the cooker. The lower one is a pin that once steam begins to build, will rise up and block the latch to stop you from taking the lid off. It hisses and sputters then goes silent. The silicone washer blocks the small port. All of these things can be removed for cleaning, they're small parts.

The switch just lifts the weight so the cooker can vent when it's done cooking. This unit is electronic, don't cool it in the sink. Remember that sudden drops in pressure can make some food items pop. If you are impatient and vent right after cooking, remember the contents are above the normal boiling point. That's what pressure cooking allows, higher temperatures because you stop the water from boiling away. That doesn't mean food won't burn, I will not attempt lasagna in the pressure cooker again.

And there is the weight popped off. There is a spring clip that retains it so it doesn't get lost or blow off when you vent the pot. The small hole above that is the secondary safety. Don't block either of these. I do like to tent a towel over the vent when I release the pressure to help mitigate the steam that geysers forth.

Overall operation is dead simple. The controls on this one are overly simplistic and there are better ones on the market, most of which are far more expensive than this one which still does the job. The instructions are not all that clear. I recommend trying a few simple things before doing something complex. Like making soup stock. Remember it needs to make steam to get pressure, so always put a cup or two water in it minimum. The pot is non-stick, but the heating element is in direct contact with the bottom of the pot, thus you need to plan your recipe to avoid burning. Mine lives on the counter and gets used at least once a week.

Morakniv aka Mora Knives

I have several as you can see, starting at the top they are:

• Morakniv HighQ Robust
• Morakniv Companion MG
• Morakniv Craftline Q Allround 510
• Morakniv Craftline Q 511 (older version pictured)
• Morakniv Classic No. 2/0

Both Craftline knives have seen hard work, the black handled 510 sees use in the kitchen and replaced a paring knife. The red handled 511 is my box opener and a fresh spare is in my large medical kit. The classic 2/0 lives in a pencil jar next to pencils, pens, and hobby knives. I use it when the smaller knives are either just not long enough, or too fragile. I have not used either the Companion nor the Robust regularly. I believe the reputation of Morakniv is sufficient that I do not need to test them harshly. They are both destined to go into bug-out kits.

The Companion and Robust scabbards both have a clip on feature where they can be hooked over a belt or pantwaist. The slots on both sides of the button attachment also make a good place to thread a lanyard. I have attached the scabbard of the Companion to the scabbard of the Robust and it locks on very firmly. Most metal blue jean waist buttons also seem to the be same size, so any jacket with the extra buttons around the waist to cinch the bottom tighter can be an attachment point. All of the scabbards except the Classic 2/0's have drain holes in the bottom and a positive feeling click when the knife is inserted fully. The black handled 510 and the Classic 2/0 are ambidextrous. The Classic 2/0 is retained only by friction, and while it has not fallen out, I do not trust it not to without modification. I plan to use a heat gun to soften the plastic scabbard and increase the contact area.

This is a top down, showing how much thicker the blade is on the Robust. The handle is also significantly larger. I can get a much meatier grip on the Robust, my fingertips just touch my palm. With the Companion I have a fully wrapped grip. None of these knives have a sharp edge on the back for use with a firesteel, and in the case of the Robust is actually beveled. All knives were shaving sharp when I received them and resharpen readily. The scandi grind is a time-tested classic and so is the laminated blade construction. Several major high-end manufacturers also use a similar construction.

Like so many other things that come my way and I have the ability to spend a long time working with, Moras are a pleasant blend of old and new technologies that do not break the bank. All of these knives go for less than twenty dollars, and you have a choice of old school wood, impervious utilitarian plastic or rubberized composite handles. There are also stainless versions available now if you'd rather not watch your shiny blade acquire its own unique patina. They are often viewed as starter knives for budding outdoorspersons but they have a long history and there is no reason not to have a knife such as a Mora in your kit if they fit within your plans.

Wonderbag

As always I like to find products and companies that I feel give back to communities and help alleviate poverty related issues in developing countries. The Wonderbag is such a product. A Wonderbag is essentially an insulated cooker. You combine your ingredients in a pot, bring it to a good, hard boil and put the pot in the bag. The food then continues to cook slowly on the remaining heat energy.

The Wonderbag arrives in a vacuum bag and must be fluffed up and allowed to fully decompress before using. You can put a pot of hot water in the bag or set it in a warm place to speed up the process, but it needs several hours or overnight. It will continue to fluff up over the first couple uses. It is recommended to wrap your pots in a towel and place a folded towel in the bottom. This is to prevent soiling the Wonderbag, catching stray condensation and in the case of cast iron to prevent damaging the fabric. I use a silicone hot pad for the bottom of the bag.

Just loosen the drawstring and place the pot in the bottom. Cover with the top and pull the string until the bag is closed up, it doesn't need to be tight.

The pot you use can be quite large, though today I used something less than three quarts. I made quinoa in a microwave cooker, after a few minutes of boil time I put it in the Wonderbag. Actually I forgot about it, but it wasn't overdone, and cool enough to put it in the fridge. No big deal as it was destined for a chilled quinoa salad.

The inside of the bag is about fourteen inches across, and as you can see, the insulation pillows puff up a good bit so be mindful that a fourteen inch pot may not fit well. The key is the insulation which needs to not get excessively compressed. I should note the bottom is actually semi-rigid closed cell foam, the remainder is shredded reclaimed open cell foam.

The pot can also be quite deep, though remember big handles or knobs will likely get in the way. I usually put an old pillow on top just as an extra layer of insulation, and when the bag is not in use, I stuff it in the Wonderbag to help it keep it's shape when stored. I keep mine on top of the kitchen cabinets so it's always ready. Some people toss it on the couch as a throw pillow. You can also use the Wonderbag to keep things cool, insulation is insulation. It also works well for holding hot food during transportation to pot lucks, or just around the holidays in a crowded kitchen. Those casseroles will be just fine in the Wonderbag and moved into the dining room, out of the way. I have also used it for rising bread and on a cold day put a heating pad around the bowl, plastic over the top, and a thermometer to make sure I don't kill the yeast.

Cook times are much like using a crockpot on low, but you need to keep an eye on the temperature. If it cools too much, you'll be taking a risk of bacterial growth. Better to put the pot back on the stove before it gets too cool and heat it up and put it back in the Wonderbag. Generally speaking it takes hours before there is a problem. It also depends on the overall mass you put in the Wonderbag. Mostly full, heavy pots near the size limits of the Wonderbag will have the necessary mass to last long enough to do the difficult things like beans.

Hot Logic Mini

The Hot Logic Mini is a small, portable, electric food heating device. I have had mine for about three months or so. I did not buy it with the pyrex baking dish, I sourced that locally from the grocery store.

The case appears to be nylon with an insulating layer. There is a fabric handle on top and inside is what looks like woven aluminized polyproplyene or mylar. The hot pad itself is slightly smaller than the case and has a power cord with a decent length. I did not measure it, but it's about four feet long. There is a slit in the middle of the rear of the case to feed the cord through. Generally though, the plate just stays in the case.

Here is the data plate on the bottom. 45W isn't much and that makes it critical to have as much contact area as possible. I have seen cooking temperatures in chicken breasts reach 160F. I also experimented with food service grade plastic trays, food cooked faster in them and tended to dry out easily. It is imperative that containers have tight fitting lids.

There is a tunnel on the back of the case where the cord can be rolled up and stored.

This is what the six cup pyrex dish looks like in the Hot Logic Mini. It is a good fit and zips up fine. I have also used a three cup dish with a little foil in the bottom to reheat frozen burritos and a four cup round to make oatmeal. Typically I give it two hours to work for most of the cooking I've done with it so far. Brown rice is the only failure I've had, so I precook that prior to using it in the Hot Logic Mini. 

For the most part I use the Hot Logic Mini to help keep myself to a diet and reduce my instant gratification cycle. Instead of heating something up in the microwave, I put something together in one of the pyrex dishes I have and try to forget about it for a couple hours. I have also used it to hold hot food while I cook other parts of a meal, like the bacon so I can make dirty eggs or a stack of pancakes so everyone gets to eat together.

Depending on what you want to cook, this can almost replace a crockpot. While brown rice and beans can be done in a crockpot, the Hot Logic Mini doesn't have the horsepower to be successful with them. That said, if you keep in mind the limitations of the lower temperature there is still a lot that can be done. If you work a job where you don't have a set lunch break or that break is easily interrupted, this is an excellent tool to free you from that time constraint. As I mentioned before, about two hours seems to be about when frozen vegetables become al dente (except carrots unless sliced thin) so whether you're cooking or reheating seems like a good timeframe. If your meal is interupted, just close it up, leave it plugged in, and when you come back to it it'll still be hot. Remember to use good food safety practices. I have also had good luck with a variety of frozen microwavable meals, just leave them sealed up or transfer them to something with a tight lid.

Size-wise, as can be seen in the pictures, the Hot Logic Mini is about the size of a child's lunchbox, or a large bento. Even with the six cup pyrex there is just barely room for an icepack, two if you take out the heating plate. So you could use it for a cooler if necessary.

Wow, so I unintentionally walked away from this for three years.

Another attempt at a reboot? Why not? On with the update, line by line.

• I have successfully paid off all my debts. I have a perk at work where we can take loans out of our 401K, and this I did a bit more than a year ago.
• I have nearly moved once, and for real twice.
• Both ZAST and Blur are no longer in my possession. ZAST was turning into a moneypit, so I walked away from that one. Blur ate its second timing chain the day before my birthday. 
• Plans were made and broke to move across the country.
• I purchased an urban commuting bicycle and kitted it out for my transportation needs after the above mentioned move, it has one mile on it due to the heinous risk to bicycles in my current area.
• I have more Mora knives than I use, however one is my box opener, another is regularly used in the kitchen, and a third is used for a utility knife. I have two others that will be going into some sort of survival kits.
• I am still using WiFi exclusively, except for the cell phone. I have had to replace the laptop.
• My extended camp kit has been completely changed, the 18' tent was deemed excessive.
• Several of my firearms have been sold off, partially due to living circumstances and lack of security. I felt it was more important to keep them out of undesirable hands and replace them later with more appropriate tools.
• I made a vague attempt at attending Munches and found the few I attended cliquey and unwelcoming.
• I have attended several regional burns.
• My 9V scale which was so integral to my food preparation was replaced by a slim glass topped scale which uses a 2032 lithium cell, about once a year.
• I've moved from doing nearly everything in OpenOffice to cloud based Google Docs, Sheets, etc.
• I am using Google Keep for shopping lists, Journalling and all sorts of things and it syncs to everything I own.
• The paper shredder finally died while processing Polaroids.
• I got a gym membership again, and canceled it six months later.

And now for the new stuff and I'm going to forget a lot:

• Latest move placed me in a two bedroom apartment with a life partner and her daughter, and I just moved everything out of storage and am in the process of doing another heavy reduction in preparation for the next move.
• I have been (personally) car free for six months and the next move must take into consideration the need to remain car free.
• I have a lot of mobile technology and changed my calling plan to allow the mobile hotspot to work.
• I have started gaming again, and have chosen Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition and my primary game of choice. Which has required an explosion of rulebooks. All my prior editions I have discovered in electronic formats, not so with the 5e. Also I now have two foot lockers of D&D supplies, which now need to be sorted and reduced. Instead of going to 3D scenery again, I used a large magnetic whiteboard, magnets, and poster printed maps. That has already been reduced to using Roll20, and the laptop with a large TV as a second monitor for the players.
• I have given away most of my oil painting supplies, as I do not have the ability to leave an easel set up for long periods of time. Instead I switched to oil pastels so I still get to manipulate physical media. Recently I started dabbling in digital media and purchased a digitizer tablet to make it friendlier.
• I am back in therapy for anxiety, depression, existential and suicidal thoughts. I am fighting the day job for time to work on my own creative pursuits. I have a large backlog of projects I want to work on, but being hounded to work overtime and being threatened with no job for refusing. . .so I had to "doctor" up and I qualified for FMLA protections.
• I now have a 1080p capable camcorder (they don't call them that anymore) and have been recording audio only for the past several game sessions I have run, and posted them up on the Youtube.
• I am trying to consolidate my efforts to becoming a published creator, the only thing I need is uptime, but when it hits, the dayjob is usually in the way.

Seems like it or now, stay tuned as I attempt to produce content, one more time!