Return of the pressure cooker: Sales of energy-saving gadgets rising

Return of the pressure cooker: Sales of energy-saving gadgets that our grandparents used are on the rise, retailers report

• Pressure cookers and heated blankets have made a comeback as bills soar
• John Lewis says purchases of pressure cookers are now up by 110 per cent 
• They use a combination of heat, steam, high pressure to tenderise cuts of meat
• Sales of slow cookers up as well as modern air fryers – up by some 176 per cent

They’ve been out of fashion for decades, but as bills soar, pressure cookers and heated blankets have made a comeback.

Retailers report that sales of the sort of energy-saving gadgets our grandparents used are on the rise.

John Lewis says purchases of pressure cookers are up by 110 per cent and slow cookers by 262 per cent. Sales of modern air fryers are also up by 176 per cent.

A fixture in the homes of earlier generations, pressure cookers use a combination of heat, steam and high pressure to tenderise cheap cuts of meat and cook meals faster than an oven or hob.

But anxiety about whether they were safe to use – and the advent of the microwave – made them fall out of favour. Simply opening up a scalding metal pan filled with high-pressure steam was something of a lottery – with many fearing the lid would explode across the kitchen.

John Lewis says purchases of pressure cookers are up by 110 per cent and slow cookers by 262 per cent. Pictured: Tefal Jamie Oliver Clipso pressure cooker at John Lewis

However, modern ones are far easier and safer to use and many have automated settings. The manufacturer Crockpot estimates that an electrical pressure cooker generally uses around 500W to cook an average stew in just 21 minutes, compared with 205 minutes to cook the same meal using around 3,000W in a conventional oven. 

Sales of electric blankets, thermal underwear, hot water bottles and insulated flasks are also soaring.

Research by the insurance firm Aviva predicts a 113 per cent increase by the end of the year in adults who own a ‘sleeved blanket’ that can be worn like a robe, while owners of electric blankets could be up by 89 per cent.

Ownership of vacuum flasks is predicted to increase by 44 per cent as an alternative to splashing out in coffee shops.

There is also expected to be a 33 per cent spike in sales of hot water bottles – and a suggestion that people could even be saving money by making their own clothes, with those owning sewing machines forecast to rise by 60 per cent.

Explaining the popularity of pressure cookers for hard-pressed modern homeowners, a John Lewis spokesman said: ‘The cooking method often used by our parents and grandparents to tenderise cheaper cuts of meat is once again popular as thrifty, time-poor cooks rediscover the time and fuel-saving benefits of these marvellous machines.’

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