TCK's New 15psi Pressure Cooker: The Fagor Duo 10 Quart!



After much research, and even soul searching, I have finally decided to upgrade to a more "serious" Pressure Cooker. Till now, I have been using "low pressure" (i.e. between 5 & 10psi) Pressure Fryers... Now, they have been excellent overall, but - ultimately - they fall short of my dream of creating perfect fried chicken. And by "perfect", I mean the fried chicken of Colonel Harland Sanders.

Indeed, as it stands, I must humbly declare that I am creating a fried chicken product, from the comfort of my kitchen, which is far superior in EVERY way to anything KFC Corp has produced in the last 20 years! It is moist, succulent, tender and full-flavored. And most importantly of all, the hands of those who eat it, can not resist going back for more!

Indeed, I have come a long way in the last 3 years... Out of a total pool of 40 herbs and spices, I am now down to 8 spices, and precisely 1 herb, which I am 100% convinced of (as far as cracking the O.R Code goes)... I only have two "slots" free and I'm done!

I once said that - for me personally - I didn't see the point in focusing too much on aspects of the O.R that are "secondary" to the main task at hand. I mean, my objective was - and is - to uncover a recipe of 11 spices and herbs; so at the outset does it really matter what kind of salt one uses? It's only sodium... And who cares what type of flour one mixes the spices into? It's only texture... Who cares what kind of milk one uses in one's "egg wash"! It's only.... milk! You see, varying any one of these aspects will not significantly alter the end result; at least, no where near the amount of change that is brought about by simply altering one spice, or herb! As many of you know, my method has always been to figure out the famous "11" spices and herbs first, and then move onto surrounding areas of interest.

As things stand now though - after three years of research - I am now finally satisfied with the bulk of my chosen herbs and spices... Satisfied enough that I have even started focusing on perfecting a good ole "side dish" or two, such as "cole slaw" and "chicken gravy" done Colonel Sanders way! ... But, most importantly of all, I now believe it is time to absolutely master the cooking process...

Time for a meaningful anecdote:

In the 1970's, even though Colonel Sanders despised the Corporate-created "Extra Crispy" chicken (fighting KFC tooth and nail over it), once he realised they weren't going to eliminate it from their menu, he bit the bullet - so to speak - and started recommending how best to cook it (i.e. the proper cooking methodology!), drawing on his more than 75 years of cooking experience at that time. He told the Corporate bigwigs that the temperature of the oil in the open fryer needed to be very hot, so that the chicken would cook in the quickest time possible, thus maintaining a stronger flavor-profile overall...

But what did KFC do? Having changed the Colonel Sanders' "way" of utilising the skills of formally trained "short-order cooks" to prep and cook Kentucky Fried Chicken (choosing to use instead, spotty-faced inexperienced teenagers because they were "cheaper"), they began fearing that one of these 16 year olds might get "burnt" from the super heated oil and then slap a huge lawsuit on them... So they began instructing their kitchen staff to cook the Extra Crispy product at a lower temperature, but for a longer period. And the end result? Overcooked, oil-drenched chicken! Or, as Colonel Sanders once said, a "damn doughball stuck on some chicken!" But hey! What did it matter? The suit & ties at KFC Corp protected their collective backsides, AND they saved LOADS of dollars in the process because oil that is consistently cooked at a lower temperature lasts longer to boot!

The only "loser" was the customer...

You can bet too, that in this day and age, they also take shortcuts such as this with the so-called O.R product as well. To my mind modern-day KFC's "Original Recipe" is simply too saturated with oil - far too often - for it to be just the mistake of the inexperienced 16 year old "cook" behind the counter. It is my belief that they purposely lower the temp on their automated pressure cookers for both the reason stated above AND to save on fuel and power costs... I also believe that they purposely hold the chicken in the Warmer for too long as well (which is why it is sometimes too dry), not because, as they say, so as to minimize "wastage", but to save money when they pass off this inedible chicken product to their customers. This certainly wasn't Colonel Sanders' way!

But, I digress...

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that in the end, you see... Even if you get the most attentive, knowledgeable, 16 year old on earth to cook your so-called "Original Recipe" chicken at your local KFC, and he lovingly mixes the Corporate spice bag into the Corporate-bought Flour along with the Corporate-supplied bag of salt, and he then follows the "official" KFC cooking process to the letter (releasing the pressure in good time and removing the chicken with efficiency and precision), the end result can NEVER be as good as it was in the 1960's and before!

Corporate red-tape plus staunch policies & procedures built around a terrible fear of litigation (and therefore a potentially massive dent on the "bottom line") just won't allow it.

In summary, after several years of research, I am now truly intrigued by the idea of utilising a 15 psi Pressure Cooker, as Colonel Sanders use to do back in the 1940's and 50's... I can not wait to see how the chicken turns out, especially once I have perfected the correct cooking process and methodology.

Enter the Fagor Duo range of Pressure Cookers:

- Recommended by Cook's Illustrated Magazine, USA
- Recommended by Consumersearch.com, USA
- Recommended by Choice.com.au, Australia



This Cooker is a 15psi stainless steel model (Note: the 10 Quart model is a Canner as well!) And here is a list of the basic Specs of the Fagor Duo Range:

- 18/10 Stainless Steel
- Spring type mechanism with two pressure settings: Low (8psi) and High (15psi)
- Automatic pressure release position & Visual pressure Indicator
- Stainless steel steamer basket with trivet
- Works on all domestic cooking surfaces: gas, electric, ceramic & induction
- Available in 4qt, 6qt, 8qt, 10qt
- 10qt unit can be used for pressure cooking & pressure canning, and at 15psi, it has full sterilisation capabilities.
- Ten-year warranty
- Instruction manual & Recipe book

Of the dozens of online reviews related to this excellent Pressure Cooker - reviews made by regular folk, just like you and me - I found the following quotes most interesting (especially in relation to our goal here at TCK):

Quote:

"Great product. Time saver, and the flavors of all foods are enhanced. Completely happy with the Duo." "I use it at least once a week. Excellent for soups & stews... I also love how they help instill the spices into the ingredients." "...This time of year is great for those long cook stews, soups, braised meats... I thought that perhaps the flavors wouldn't be as good but they most definitely are." "I love this cooker... Food is moist and never dry, and flavors seem to be infused. It's wonderful!"

These comments remind me of what folks use to say about Original Recipe chicken! Remember: That the flavors of the O.R of old were melded and blended into one core flavor-profile... That "no one herb or spice" stood out. And that this perfect blend of herbs and spices had a taste that was truly "addictive"!

Indeed, I am most excited at having the chance to cook my chosen 11 Spices & Herbs in the same type of cooker that Colonel Sanders once did.

First, I intend to test the cooker utilising just water (i.e. to measure time to heat, time to gain full pressure, as well as pressure-release time and bascially, to get the hang of the unit!). Then I intend to move onto utilising oil by pressure frying chicken nuggets made up of pure breast fillet (Fillet doesn't take long at all to cook )... Finally, I intend to post my results here so that my precise cooking methodology will be clear to one and all.

Wish me luck!

1st July, 2009: TCK Test-Run Results on the Fagor Duo 10 Quart Utilising just Water:

Placed 3.5 litres of cold water into pot. Turned large gas-heating element onto its highest setting. Waited till temperature reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celcius): Took around 10 minutes...

Sealed the lid, locking it, whilst turning the pressure guage to the "high" setting (i.e. 15psi). The Pressure indicator almost immediately rose, indicating that pressure had begun to mount.

I then started the timer.

At 3:40, a slight hissing sound was made at the pressure guage/dial. At 4 minutes, full pressure was reached, and a louder - yet gentle - hiss was maintained. I immediately turned the stove heat down to it's lowest setting. The Cooker was left in this state until precisely 15 minutes had expired (Note: I did this to see if the low-setting on my stove will maintain the Cooker at full pressure: It does!)

At 15 minutes, I turned the pressure dial to the pressure-release setting and steam began gushing out at a high rate. Wooooosh!

The steam was completely released at 18:40. Meaning that it took 3 minutes and 40 seconds for the unit to completely depressurize and the lock to release itself, thus enabling me to finally unlock the lid. This was way too long! That's at least 3 minutes too long in fact! It effectively means that my chicken - after being cooked perfectly for 8 minutes or so under pressure - will be frying for that extra period, thus overcooking it, and saturating it with excess oil!

Keep in mind that as soon as pressure is released, the pressure cooker effectively becomes a plain old "open fryer" ...

Second Test Utilising just Water:

After reading the manual I realise that there are 3 different ways to release the pressure from any given pressure cooker. They are:

- Automatic Steam release (Pressure release dial)
- Natural method (Turn off heat and let cooker sit naturally depressurising over 10 to 15 minutes)
- The Water Method (Colonel Sanders way!)

So, I thought I'd give the water method release a go!

I repeated the procedure above, but this time at 3:20, the slight hissing sound was made and then at 3:40 full pressure was reached.

I immediately turned the Cooker down to it's lowest setting, and waited for ten minutes to elapse. At 10 minutes, the pressure dial was turned to the pressure release setting and steam began gushing out at a high rate.

I immediately, but very carefully, moved the cooker over to the sink, tipping it on a slight angle (as per instructions) and gently turned the cold tap on, letting cold water run onto the rim, and over half the lid (making sure the handle did not get wet!).

The steam was completely released, and the pot unlocked at 10 minutes and 30 seconds! Meaning that it took only 30 seconds for the cooker to completely depressurize: PERFECT!

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Friday 3rd, July, 2009: Thoughts and Figures (Cooking with Oil)

I intend to fry up some chicken tomorrow in the new cooker. I have been over Colonel Sanders 1962 Patent for Frying Chicken with a fine tooth comb, and I have decided to adjust and adapt his stats for a 16 Quart Cooker, to my "humble" 10 Quart Cooker. I have also decided, for safety reasons, to err on the side of caution, and utilise the lower end of his given stats:

Please guys, if you see anything wrong with my maths, tell me!

Sanders Figures (Using the lower side of his specs):

Imperial:

16 Quart Cooker
7 Quarts of Cooking Oil
4.5 lbs Chicken Pieces (16 Bone-in pieces)
400 Degree (Fahrenheit) Initial Cooking Oil Temperature

Metric:

15 Litre Cooker
6.6 Litres of Cooking Oil
2 kg Chicken Pieces (16 Bone-in pieces)
200 Degree (Celcius) Initial Cooking Oil Temperature

Above Figures adapted to my 10 Quart Fagor:

Imperial:

10 Quart Cooker
4.4 Quarts of Cooking Oil
2.8 lbs Chicken Pieces (About 10 Pieces of Breaded Chicken)
370 Degree (Fahrenheit) Initial Cooking Oil Temperature

Metric:

9.5 Litre Cooker
4.1 Litres of Oil
1.25 kg Chicken (About 10 pieces of Breaded Chicken)
188 Degree (Celcius) Initial Cooking Oil Temperature

Heat oil to 370 degrees on high flame, place chicken pieces in cooker, stir chicken, seal lid (Time Taken: 30 seconds to 1 minute). Leave flame on high while pressure builds to 15 psi (This should ideally occur within 2 minutes!), When full pressure is reached, set timer for 8 minutes.

At 8 minutes release pressure valve, then carefully place cooker in sink and run cold water over the rim and half the lid. Pressure should be released within 30 seconds.

Place cooker back on stove top, remove lid, and take out chicken pieces.

Total Time (Estimate): 11 to 12 minutes...

Now, I need more time to think and assess...

Congratulations on your new Fagor 15psi pressure cooker. It's a beaut.

Afte describing it, you mentioned the following:

Quote:

I once said that - for me personally - I didn't see the point in focusing too much on aspects of the O.R that are "secondary" to the main task at hand. I mean, my objective was - and is - to uncover a recipe of 11 spices and herbs; so at the outset does it really matter what kind of salt one uses? It's only sodium... And who cares what type of flour one mixes the spices into? It's only texture... Who cares what kind of milk one uses in one's "egg wash"! It's only.... milk! You see, varying any one of these aspects will not significantly alter the end result

To clarify, am I correct in interpreting your comment to mean that the texture of Colonel Sanders chicken breading was not an integral facet of its uniqueness?

Additionally, again to prevent misinterpretation, are you suggesting that a tablespoon of Sea Salt has the same characteristics and the same recipe impact as an equal amount of Table Salt or an equal amount of Kosher salt or an equal amount of Fine Flake Salt?

I hope I've misunderstood your comments because I've tried using identical spice mixes with different types of flour and the results I've seen are dramatically different.

Again, congrats on the new pressure cooker. If your experiment with oil works out, I may have to break down and buy one. Although hotdog55 has an old 8qt Presto he's going to introduce me to next week.

Let's crack the code!

L

Lumpy wrote:

Congratulations on your new Fagor 15psi pressure cooker. It's a beaut.

Thank you my friend... I can't wait to try it out!

Quote:

To clarify, am I correct in interpreting your comment to mean that the texture of Colonel Sanders chicken breading was not an integral facet of its uniqueness?

No, I agree that the texture was quite unique, but the texture itself was not one of the 11 herbs and spices.

What would you honestly prefer: chicken breaded in plain old salt and pepper and the EXACT flour that Colonel Sanders used, OR Chicken breaded in THE 11 Herbs and Spices, but with regular off-the-shelf self-raising flour?

Of course, we'd prefer the 11 Herbs and spices WITH Colonel Sanders' original flour, but I am trying to illustrate my point that - for those of us trying to crack the code - it is all about prioritising. When I started this mission, I was under no illusion that it would be an easy task... Not at all; I knew it was a massive undertaking, so I honed my plan of attack with absolute precision. My main focus HAD to be the uncovering of the actual herbs and spices... Nothing else should interfere with that goal lest I risk becoming distracted.

And I believe this approach has paid off in spades, as they say. I have 9 herbs and spices which I am absolutely convinced of, and two more that I am very sure of. I feel I am very close to the O.R of old. In fact, I have never been so sure. Now, I can afford to relax a little and focus on other elements of the cooking process, but it has taken an enormous amount of work to get this far...

Quote:

Additionally, again to prevent misinterpretation, are you suggesting that a tablespoon of Sea Salt has the same characteristics and the same recipe impact as an equal amount of Table Salt or an equal amount of Kosher salt or an equal amount of Fine Flake Salt?

Here is a challenge for y'all:

Take some Table Salt, some Sea Salt, and an equal amount of Kosher Salt. Now, dissolve each one in a separate glass of boiling water. Shuffle them round, and then see if you can tell which one is which.

I can almost guarantee that you won't be able too.

Once they are dissolved, it is all "sodium" in the end. I know, because I've checked this very issue with at least one major salt supplier on the web, and they said that once cooked it "didn't matter". Now, one caveat to this might be the use of cheap table salt. Some Companies bleach it, and add anti-caking agents (along with some other stuff), which CAN give off a slight bitter, or burnt, aftertaste. But, avoid these dodgy companies and you should be right

Again though, this is not to say that I won't eventually start experimenting with different types of salt. Because the fact is, I intend too. Right now, for example, I am using only McCormicks spices where possible (because KFC Corp uses McCormick spices), BUT once I crack the recipe, I fully intend to go for 100% Organic herbs and spices, as well as Organic sea salt and flour to boot

But, I am only one man... so I don't see the point in leaving, say, 25 percent of my efforts to focus on elements which do indeed add to the overall picture of what the Original Recipe WAS, but which are not essential to it's core. To my mind, that 25% is much better put to use investigating the crucial "11".

That's my viewpoint anyway

Quote:

Let's crack the code!

LET'S! And keep up the great work my friend!

Guys, I have updated my second post (above), and am about to embark on using oil in the pressure cooker...

Colonel, I'm desperately awaiting the result of the oil cooking test in your new Fagor 10qt Duo.

I looked up all sources here for the same item and I can buy it for approx CDN$100.

If you confirm that it's OK to use oil in this cooker, I'll buy one immediately.

Please tell me that 15psi works with oil.

L

Lumpy, whilst I intend to write a complete update on my utilisation of this cooker with oil, the short of it is this: I cooked up four batches (around 2 pounds each) of chicken last night using 4.2 Quarts of oil, and it worked fine! I had no problems at all.

My only dissapointment was that my lovingly breaded chicken thighs turned out too dark! ... I still need to work on the process and cooking methodology to get it the "golden brown" color that Colonel sanders recommended.

$100 sounds very reasonably priced too I might add (Mine cost me $200AU [$185CAD])

Photos please!!

or did you eat all the chicken already

I hate like heck to disappoint hotdog55 since he was going to lend me his 8qt Presto this week so I could finally pressure fry my Lumpy 2.1.

But I think I'm going to buy that 10qt Fagor Pressure Cooker that The Colonel bought.

And Kid, you should buy one too.

L

Fagor 8 Litre is $215 NZ hmmm

OMG! That's expensive. Even with shipping & handling (whatever that is), it must be cheaper to order from the US or Canada.

L

Lumpy wrote:

I hate like heck to disappoint hotdog55 since he was going to lend me his 8qt Presto this week so I could finally pressure fry my Lumpy 2.1. But I think I'm going to buy that 10qt Fagor Pressure Cooker that The Colonel bought. And Kid, you should buy one too. L

I already have a Presto 6L that I've had about 3 years. I'm going to bite the bullet and try it with oil this weekend. If it works, I'm going to seriously consider that 10L Fagor! Looks great.

~Kid

Guys! I think its great that y'all are considering the Fagor pressure cooker... But as a word of advice/caution, keep in mind that it is a 10 quart cooker, and that it is rather large... You can easily cook 2.5 lbs of chicken in it! So, if your just wanting to experiment and practise, my advice would be to get a smaller model... say the 4 quart or something similar

All the best!

Fagor Pressure Cooker Duo 6 Litre is $158 NZ

quart???

That should be about 6.5 quarts Kiwi my friend It's just a little bit bigger than a "chicken bucket". You could probably cook about 6 pieces of chicken in it at a time.