Difference Between Electric And Stove Top Pressure Cooker

Have you figured out what kind of pressure cooker you want to have in your home? There are two types of pressure cookers: Electric pressure cooker and Stove top pressure cookers. What’s the difference between them?

Before discovering the best pressure for your needs, let us first know what are electric and Stove top pressure cookers and how do they function.

Also Read: [BEST] Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

Best Electric Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

What is an Electric Pressure Cooker?

Electric pressure cookers are very convenient for people who love canned or preserved food. It’s also a convenient appliance to have if you want your food to be ready in a matter of minutes.

Though a relatively new addition in the world of modern kitchen equipment, this appliance has made a huge impact on optimizing cooking with pressure.

As the name indicates, it works on electricity. The electric pressure cooker doesn’t necessitate any manual temperature adjustments and automatically adjusts this for you.

The electric pressure cooker of today is very modern and sleek looking. There are models and styles that will fit your particular style and needs, and the décor of your cooking area.

The electric pressure cooker is easy to clean and most can fit easily in a cupboard or closet. The typical color of the electric pressure cooker is stainless steel or silver, but you can also get in white although it is not as common.

Many love using the electric pressure cooker due to the time they save and the sizes of the meat they can cook with it. It is great for cooking fare such as a big pot roast or side of pork. Its use will allow you to cook what you need and have a large amount left over for excellent follow-up meals.

In this way the electric pressure cooker is a very good investment, you will save money and avoid eating fast food.

What is a Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

In the stove top pressure cooker, the pressure is created by boiling a liquid, such as water or broth, inside the closed pressure cooker. The steam which is locked in increases the temperature thereby raising the internal pressure. After usage, the pressure can be naturally and slowly released in order to open the vessel safely.

Almost any food which can be cooked in steam or water-based liquids can be cooked in a pressure cooker.”

Stove Top Pressure Cookers have come a long way since their early days. Many of us can remember tales of pot roast hitting the ceiling and near-death experiences from flying lids. Fortunately, the Stove Top Pressure Cookers of today are almost as safe as the electric models.

They have numerous built-in safety features ranging from stopping you from accidentally removing while pressurized to stopping it from working unless it’s properly assembled and locked.

Electric Vs Stove Top Pressure Cooker

Some may argue that the stovetop pressure cooker is the best pressure cooker while others say the electric model is the better one since it has the advantage of having more than two pressure settings. This allows you to modify the pressure within the cooker in order to control how your food will be cooked.

To help you decide, here’s a detailed comparison of the stovetop pressure cooker and the electric pressure cooker. In deciding which one is more suitable for your home, you can pinpoint the exact features you want your pressure cooker to have.

Also Read: [BEST] Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

Best Electric Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

Here’s a quick compiled rundown of differences between an electric pressure cooker and stovetop pressure cooker based on several reviews.

Through this comparison, you can also see the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of pressure cookers.

Feature	Electric Pressure Cooker	Stove top pressure cooker
Power Source	Electric pressure cooker requires only electric energy to work. Hence the power consumption is more and specific type.	Stove top pressure cooker can be used in conjunction with any heat source, like normal gas or electric stove. It even goes with bonfires and barbecues.
Cooking Programs	Almost all electric pressure cookers are available with cooking programs. The upside to cooking with electric pressure cookers is that many have pre-set programs for different foods so it takes the guesswork out of cooking your food.	Traditional stove top pressure cooker generally does not have any additional programs like electric cookers.
Timers	Electric pressure cooker is available with integrated timers. Timer is extremely useful if you’re leaving the house and want to come home to a complete meal that’s ready to be served up. You just put the ingredients into the cooker, set the timer for an hour before dinner, and you will come home to a completed meal.	Stove top pressure cooker does not have the provision of an integrated timer or scheduling features. . It simply requires your attention because you need to watch for the cooker to reach the correct pressure so that you can lower the heat.
Maximum Pressure Time	Electric pressure cooker takes about 14 minutes time to build up the pressure	Stove top pressure cooker usually takes about 11 minutes for enough pressure to build up, which is quicker than the electric pressure cooker
Maximum Cooking Pressure	Electric pressure cooker is available with the varied pressure settings. The lowest pressure setting is 6 PSI whereas the highest one is 15 PSI. However, this cooker generally takes longer cooking time than that of the stove top as per the reviews of different people who have used it.	Stove top pressure cooker typically has two (sometimes more than two) pressure settings. The lower pressure setting is about 6-8 PSI (Pound per Square Inch) whereas the upper one is around 13-15 PSI.  These high pressure settings enable the cooker to cook the meal speedily as compared to electric pressure cooker.
Heat Regulation	In an electric pressure cooker, heat regulation is completely automated. Just select the pressure and cooking time, and you’re ready to initiate cooking.	stove top pressure cooker doesn’t have the facility of automated heat regulation. For this type of cooker, you need to adjust heat while it reaches the exact level of cooking pressure.
Cold water quick-release	This is the speedy method of releasing pressure from the pressure cooker. You can use the cold water quick-release method to release pressure, which takes up about 30 seconds. After which you can safely open the pressure cooker. The electric pressure cooker doesn’t have the cold water quick-release feature for releasing pressure in the pot. It only can be opened using the normal release method, which takes about 3 minutes, or the natural release method, which takes around 25 minutes.	Stove top pressure cooker has this facility and is recommended for the food with the short cooking time. However, it can be opened using the normal release method, which takes about 2 minutes, or the natural release method, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
Burn Accidents	Electrical pressure cooker has an insulated exterior to reduce the chance of burn accidents	Stove top pressure cooker’s exterior is not insulated.
Multipurpose	Electrical pressure cooker cannot be used for cooking and stored like a normal cooking pot.	Stove top pressure cooker can be used for cooking and stored like a normal cooking pot without using the lid.
Material	Electrical pressure cookers are available in the materials like stainless steel, Aluminium or non-stick	There are many different types of stovetop pressure cookers, depending on the material they are made of (Aluminium, stainless steel or hard anodized)
Pricing Factor	Electric pressure cookers are pricier as compared to the stove top ones.	Stove top pressure cookers are pocket friendly as compared to the electric pressure cookers..

Conclusion

For ease and convenience of cooking, pressure cookers are essentially needed. However, before using the device, make sure that you read the instructions and safety precautions to be observed while cooking.

Either way, use a pressure cooker that allows you to have more time for the more important things in life. Whether you need to get work done or spend some time with your loved ones, the quicker cooking time you get with either the electric or stovetop pressure cooker can make cooking a lot more convenient for the whole family.

Also Read: [BEST] Pressure Cooker Buying Guide

Best Electric Pressure Cooker Buying Guide