The Level using a pressure cooker of consumers
Among industry analyses of pressure cooker use patterns, the
consensus is that consumers view their ovens primarily as devices for reheating
leftovers. That's something of a surprise. The industry had had greater
expectations when pressure cooker first began to gain popularity a decade ago.
When a totally new kind of appliance is purchased, the owner will invariably try to find the range of its features. Therefore, in the course of their experimentation with their pressure cooker, we fully expected most of the owners to have cooked a complete meal from scratch at least once in the appliance.
But this was not the case. Only one third of the owners (60%) reported ever having used their pressure cooker to cook a complete meal from scratch. The value of pressure cooker lies not in being able to cook a meal from scratch in record time, but in the convenience of being able to reheat food at a moment's notice.
Most pressure cooker ownership growth has taken place during the past 10 years or so. Only 30% of the adult U.S. population owned pressure cooker in 2008. So, despite deep household penetration, the pressure cooker is still a relatively new appliance and its influence is sure to grow.
More than 90% of pressure cooker owners participating in the pressure cooker reviews report said this was their first pressure cooker. As consumers' experience with pressure cookers, their use patterns may change.
Some sources speculate that as more pressure cooker food products come on the market and as pressure cooker technology improves, more consumers will begin to cook full meals in their ovens.
Amazon reported that the continued development by manufacturers of food products designed specifically for the pressure cooker may encourage consumers to use their pressure cooker more frequently and for more purposes. Also, according to Cuisinart, pressure cooker manufacturers are working on a number of technological advances to improve their products' cooking performance.
Customer Surveys Using A Pressure Cooker
Although all kinds of consumers -- married or single, male or female, young or old -- own pressure cooker, there are certain demographic trends. The appliance is also apparently more popular with younger consumers. Seventy per cent of adults under age 65 reported owning a pressure cooker, compared with only 48% of senior citizens.
Socioeconomic status also plays a role in pressure cooker ownership. As education and income levels go up. Not surprisingly, more employed women own microwaves (67%) than unemployed women (58%). Pressure cooker is more prevalent in households of two or more people (71% ownership rate) than in single-person households (42%). Although microwave use patterns vary from household to household, there are some general trends.
The Good Housekeeping Institute reports median consumer use of pressure cooker is four times a day. According to most industry studies, dinner is by far the most popular meal for pressure cooker use. For instance, 92% of respondents said they use their microwave ovens in dinner preparations, followed by snacks (76%), lunch (69%) and breakfast (66%).
However, only a small percentage of consumers use their pressure cooker to cook an entire meal. a mere 30% of respondents said their most frequent use of the pressure cooker is to cook complete meals from scratch. It is used much more often to prepare parts of meals.
The most popular use of the pressure cooker at present and for the foreseeable future, sources said, is to reheat food prepared from scratch at home. Nine of 10 pressure cooker owners have at some time used their pressure cooker for this function and 57% do so often.
Reheating leftovers was also the most popular function reported by Good Housekeeping. In that poll, 97.6% of respondents owning a pressure cooker say they usually use their appliances for that purpose. The second most popular use was melting ingredients, such as butter and chocolate, reported by 83.2%; followed by defrosting, 83%; baking potatoes, 78.6%, and preparing frozen vegetables, 65.7%
Among the least popular uses were cooking poultry and eggs, each mentioned by 13.8% of respondents; beef, 5.7%; pork, 3.8%, and baking bread, 0.8%. According to it, consumers use pressure cookers most often to reheat leftovers and heat drinks; defrost frozen food prepared at home, and heat side dishes and snacks.
When a totally new kind of appliance is purchased, the owner will invariably try to find the range of its features. Therefore, in the course of their experimentation with their pressure cooker, we fully expected most of the owners to have cooked a complete meal from scratch at least once in the appliance.
But this was not the case. Only one third of the owners (60%) reported ever having used their pressure cooker to cook a complete meal from scratch. The value of pressure cooker lies not in being able to cook a meal from scratch in record time, but in the convenience of being able to reheat food at a moment's notice.
Most pressure cooker ownership growth has taken place during the past 10 years or so. Only 30% of the adult U.S. population owned pressure cooker in 2008. So, despite deep household penetration, the pressure cooker is still a relatively new appliance and its influence is sure to grow.
More than 90% of pressure cooker owners participating in the pressure cooker reviews report said this was their first pressure cooker. As consumers' experience with pressure cookers, their use patterns may change.
Some sources speculate that as more pressure cooker food products come on the market and as pressure cooker technology improves, more consumers will begin to cook full meals in their ovens.
Amazon reported that the continued development by manufacturers of food products designed specifically for the pressure cooker may encourage consumers to use their pressure cooker more frequently and for more purposes. Also, according to Cuisinart, pressure cooker manufacturers are working on a number of technological advances to improve their products' cooking performance.
Customer Surveys Using A Pressure Cooker
Although all kinds of consumers -- married or single, male or female, young or old -- own pressure cooker, there are certain demographic trends. The appliance is also apparently more popular with younger consumers. Seventy per cent of adults under age 65 reported owning a pressure cooker, compared with only 48% of senior citizens.
Socioeconomic status also plays a role in pressure cooker ownership. As education and income levels go up. Not surprisingly, more employed women own microwaves (67%) than unemployed women (58%). Pressure cooker is more prevalent in households of two or more people (71% ownership rate) than in single-person households (42%). Although microwave use patterns vary from household to household, there are some general trends.
The Good Housekeeping Institute reports median consumer use of pressure cooker is four times a day. According to most industry studies, dinner is by far the most popular meal for pressure cooker use. For instance, 92% of respondents said they use their microwave ovens in dinner preparations, followed by snacks (76%), lunch (69%) and breakfast (66%).
However, only a small percentage of consumers use their pressure cooker to cook an entire meal. a mere 30% of respondents said their most frequent use of the pressure cooker is to cook complete meals from scratch. It is used much more often to prepare parts of meals.
The most popular use of the pressure cooker at present and for the foreseeable future, sources said, is to reheat food prepared from scratch at home. Nine of 10 pressure cooker owners have at some time used their pressure cooker for this function and 57% do so often.
Reheating leftovers was also the most popular function reported by Good Housekeeping. In that poll, 97.6% of respondents owning a pressure cooker say they usually use their appliances for that purpose. The second most popular use was melting ingredients, such as butter and chocolate, reported by 83.2%; followed by defrosting, 83%; baking potatoes, 78.6%, and preparing frozen vegetables, 65.7%
Among the least popular uses were cooking poultry and eggs, each mentioned by 13.8% of respondents; beef, 5.7%; pork, 3.8%, and baking bread, 0.8%. According to it, consumers use pressure cookers most often to reheat leftovers and heat drinks; defrost frozen food prepared at home, and heat side dishes and snacks.