I'm looking for something in which I can boil 5-6 pounds of pasta at a time. What size would you recommend? Thanks in advance.
767771
I use mine for brewing about 7 to 8 gallons of "beer" at a time. Thats all liquid. I would base your amount of water required to boil that much pasta at a time by this. I could probably fit another gallon in my pot with no worry of boil over, if it was closely watched. Hope this helps
767772
I have the 60QT pot it is great. I am 66 years old still do lots of canning could not do with out it. i didnt go bigger would take lots of heat and time bringing to boil. It fits the burner just right. I even used it on Gas burner you cant go wrong they stand behind the product. contact me if need to enjoy. GAC
1853417
It would depend on how much pasta you want to cook. If 1-2 servings, yes, I've actually done that with mine. But once the water level gets too high in the bottom, you end up sort of boiling/steaming what's in the top. I suppose it wouldn't make that much of a difference, but when I like my veggies lightly steamed, I use very little water. A larger version of this would do more servings nicely I'm sure!
1354333
I only have the skillet sized one, and have given three to relatives as presents. I love it too! It cooks about 3 times faster than my larger Fagor pressure cooker, and is absolutely perfect for cooking smaller quantities since it's just my husband and I. It's fine for entrees for four people, and soups and stews for six or so. Less water because it's smaller. I hope this helps.
133921
This was my question too, as I was looking for an insert/colander that would fit the stock-pot I have. Why buy another complete set if this strainer/steamer basket would serve the same purpose? I've found that this works just fine for cooking pasta and then draining it. You just need to use a potholder to grab the handle. I was tired of pouring cooked pasta into a separate colander placed inside the sink. I haven't tried using it to cook extremely thin spaghetti, but I prefer thicker pastas, especially bucatini.
2133320
Try the alcohol stove. You can make it in about fifteen minutes with just two aluminum cans. I used to used canister stoves on my ultralight journeys, but if you're only boiling water for the most part, they are so light. You can't even buy them. Just Google penny stove if you wanna give it a try
1657603
I cook pasta for me and my son, with some leftovers. I think it would be okay with smaller amounts of water and pasta, I say go for it. I love the easy drain design, use it for browning ground beef and pouring the grease off as well as for pasta.
1652164
hi, i use my all clad 6 quart stock for boiling pasta and boiling potatoes. i am sure this pot would work just fine for braising.
1384938
I really love my Cuisinart MSC-600. My husband and I live in our 5th wheel and it is the BEST for us. If you are just buying it just to brown foods that might be a good expensive. I bought it forthe slow cooker and love everything else it does. Our oven makes the trailer really hot when not in winter, so I use the cooker for everything, it steams beautifully and the browning is great. Good luck!
93286
I just purchased a Calphalon one - admittedly more expensive - but it's heavy (which is good for heat conductivity) and works like a charm. I think if you only need one, get a 12-inch one, which oddly enough, feels like it's the same size to this one.
1363100
Ok, as someone who uses a glass-top stove to pressure can I can say a few things on the matter. 1) to the person above who is weighing (sorry about the pun!) Mirro vs Preso- they weigh about the same and therefore pose the same risk to your stovetop whether or not the box has a warning label, so its a moot point. 1.a) Mirro and Presto canners don't weigh any more than any other aluminum pot- the weight comes from the full jars of vegetables you are canning. If you already can with a water bath (or make large batches of soup), you've already weight tested your stove as much as you need to. Perhaps you could incur damage with fatigue, but it doesn't seem likely. Maybe old ceramic stove tops were more fragile, but mine is a 5 year old GE Profile- certainly not very fancy, but the worst damage I've done to it is sugar burns (and those buff out). 2) All-American canners are a different animal. They are awesomely and fearfully made. I long to own one. They weight quite a lot in their own right, and then you add water and cans. However, see above comment on water baths. Water is what, 8lbs/gallon? I've probably unintentionally load-tested my stove to 80lbs or more. 2.a) That said, my Mom cans with a very large All-American canner on a GE profile glass-top range, also about 4 years old. She has had no problems, and plans to continue. 3) In conclusion, you must make your own decision on what you want to do and risk, however, I've never had any problems. P.S. What happened to your tomatoes? I've never had any problems water canning them. Maybe I can help?
637063
My first Cuisinart was a classic 7 cup - I had it for several years and gave it to a daughter when I later upgraded to a 11 cup model. It was nice, but really too large. My latest/current Cuisinart is a 7-cup and the size is perfect for me. I have several disks and use it all the time. However, if you like to create breads or pizza crusts I would say go for the 9-cup model, but for general home kitchen usage the 7 cup processor works best for me.
1241929
the same , my wife loves it. we have pasta more now because, no pots no strainer. the other brand is 27.00 and the woe\rks the same
1493313
I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Thin Spagetti and was only able to fit two in. I've never had a problem with cooked pasta leaking through and the water drains nicely. I still love it, it hanging on a hook inside my cabinet taking up no space!!
2201005
We just cook a pound at a time. Don't have to break the spaghetti. We are only 2 people. I am sure you could cook more but 1 lb does great.
816885
The 3 qt. meets most of my needs. I like it because it also fits inside my 5 qt pan in a pinch and can serve as a steamer. I also have a larger colander that gets used primarily for large quantities of pasta for draining, but that's about the only time it gets used.
1879337
Yes, my husband loves to take the big spaghetti pot and cook a whole pound of pasta. It does take awhile for the water to boil but it does a great job of it. I just cooked spaghetti tonight and it was delicious. This is a great product and I highly recommend it.
614875
This pot would cook pasta just fine if cooking for no more than two people. It is a little small for a large amount of pasta. I use my pot more for pot roast, stew and soups. It is a great pot.