Where I live, pressure cookers are easy to find, but almost all of them are from two brands: Premium and Rochedo.
Since I have never used a pressure cooker before, I have been asking a lot of different people a lot of questions about them before deciding what to buy, and I have found that the standard pressure for pressure cookers sold in the States is 15 PSI, but the Premium and Rochedo cookers are only 80KPA, which is 11.6 PSI.
Aside from longer cooking times (especially if I were to start out by using recipes from Americans whose times would be based upon 15 PSI), what else would I need to know about having only 11.6 PSI (I'm at sea level, BTW)? Should I not even consider the 11.6 PSI cookers and just wait until something 15 PSI is available here or I manage to get one from the States?
Most pressure cookers I've seen are polished aluminum, but some people have suggested getting stainless steel, instead. What are your opinions?
What would be the smallest pressure cooker in which I could cook a full chicken (for example) and what would be the biggest I should consider before it would no longer be practical for more frequent, personal (i.e. not restaurant or commercial) use?
Thanks!