Pressure cookers¹⁾ can be extremely useful in a campervan. They can:

• save fuel - because cooking times are often dramatically reduced. Dry beans can be cooked in ~30mins at pressure.
• save water / reduce humidity - a pressure cooker vents less steam than a standard covered pot
• save money on ingredients - even cheap/tough cuts of meat come out tender.
• save time - pressure cook dry beans in about 1/2 hour with no prior soaking
• replace other items - the base can be your large pot. The base + lid can be your covered large pot.²⁾

Note that since the vessel is pressurized during cooking one cannot easily add ingredients or stir the food while cooking.

Pressure cookers are widely available at thrift shops for very little money. The most common type with a weight³⁾ (“rocker”) to regulate pressure⁴⁾ is less complicated and more sturdy than the rarer types with dials or gauges. Be sure the thrift store weight-regulated cooker comes with the weight, as they can cost $10 or more. Most used pressure cookers are due for a gasket set, also about $10. Google the model number stamped into the bottom of the cooker to find the correct gasket.

Dial-gauge pressure cookers are not recommended because:

• require regular calibration at an extension service or similar,
• require more attention to cooking temp,⁵⁾, and;
• the dials are less sturdy than weights in our “rolling earthquakes”.

Pressure canning is one way to get shelf-stable foodstuffs that do not require refrigeration.

If you want to use the pressure vessel for low-acidity (pressure) canning, the National Center for Home Preservation (NCHFP) recommends using a canner that can hold at least 4 quart jars.⁶⁾

Canning jars can also do double duty as drinking cups, and the ones marked with measurements can act as measuring cups. Insulated coozies for mason jars can make them easier to handle.

Countertop cookers run on 110v, whether from shore power or large inverter. Cooking with battery power may require a bank that can handle a lot of current, like lithium or AGM.

Instant pots are popular with 'dwellers who have access to copious amounts of power. For example, instant pots are often found where folks are already using induction cooktops instead of propane or who are successfully running microwaves.

Instant pots pull 900-1000w on average (over 80A at 12v).

See pressure cookers above for the old fashioned way to cook under pressure.