Hawkins
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Home & Commercial Kitchens
Hawkins pressure cookers are widely used for preparing dal, beans, lentils, rice, curries, meats, vegetables, and other foods that benefit from pressure cooking. From smaller household and light-duty kitchen sizes to large-capacity cookers designed for restaurants, hotels, canteens, schools, hospitals, and other foodservice operations, Hawkins offers pressure cookers for a wide range of cooking volumes.
At Nishi Enterprise, our Hawkins collection includes Hawkins Classic aluminum pressure cookers and larger Hawkins Big Boy aluminum pressure cookers in capacities ranging from 4 liters through 22 liters.
The current assortment includes 4, 5, 10, 12, 14, 18, and 22-liter models, giving customers options for everyday cooking as well as larger-batch restaurant and institutional food preparation.
For additional brands and sizes, browse our complete Pressure Cooker collection.
About Hawkins Pressure Cookers
Hawkins is a well-known name in pressure cooking, particularly in Indian and South Asian kitchens where pressure cookers are regularly used for lentils, beans, rice, vegetables, curries, and other everyday foods.
The Hawkins products in this collection use aluminum construction and are divided into two primary ranges: the Classic line and the higher-capacity Big Boy line.
Choosing between them largely comes down to how much food you need to prepare in one batch.
Hawkins Classic Pressure Cookers
The Hawkins Classic pressure cooker is the traditional pressure cooker range represented in the smaller and medium capacities in this collection.
Nishi currently carries Hawkins Classic aluminum pressure cookers in 4, 5, 10, and 12-liter sizes.
The Classic models use an inside-fitting lid and Hawkins' pressure regulation system along with stay-cool handles and a shielded safety valve arrangement.
These sizes can work for home kitchens, smaller foodservice operations, restaurant prep, and other applications where a very large commercial cooker is not necessary.
Hawkins Big Boy Pressure Cookers
The Hawkins Big Boy pressure cooker line is designed around larger batch sizes.
Nishi currently carries the Big Boy line in 14, 18, and 22-liter capacities.
These larger cookers are particularly relevant to restaurants, hotels, canteens, schools, hospitals, institutional kitchens, catering operations, and other facilities preparing food in greater volume.
The 18 and 22-liter Big Boy models include additional side lifting handles to help with handling the larger cooker body.
Hawkins Classic vs. Hawkins Big Boy
The primary difference is capacity and intended scale of use.
Hawkins Classic models in this collection range from 4 to 12 liters and are appropriate when the kitchen is preparing smaller or medium batches.
Hawkins Big Boy models begin at 14 liters and extend to 22 liters, making them more appropriate for larger-volume food preparation.
A restaurant may even keep both lines, using smaller cookers for individual recipes and larger Big Boy units when preparing foods in bulk.
4-Liter Hawkins Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins 4 Liter Aluminum Pressure Cooker is the smallest size currently represented in the Hawkins collection.
This compact capacity can work well for smaller households, lighter restaurant preparation, or foods that are made in relatively modest batches.
Because it occupies less burner and storage space than the larger models, it can also be useful when a kitchen wants a dedicated cooker for a specific recipe.
5-Liter Hawkins Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins Classic 5 Liter Pressure Cooker provides slightly more capacity while retaining the familiar Hawkins Classic design.
A 5-liter cooker can be a practical middle size for home cooking or smaller foodservice batches of dal, beans, rice, vegetables, and similar foods.
10-Liter Hawkins Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins 10 Liter Aluminum Pressure Cooker moves into a much larger capacity than typical household pressure cookers.
This size can be useful for larger families, caterers preparing smaller event batches, restaurants, and other kitchens that want greater volume without moving immediately into the Big Boy range.
12-Liter Hawkins Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins 12 Liter Aluminum Pressure Cooker is the largest Hawkins Classic model currently carried in this collection.
It provides a useful bridge between the smaller Classic cookers and the higher-capacity Big Boy pressure cooker line.
For restaurant kitchens that regularly need larger batches but do not need an 18 or 22-liter cooker, the 12-liter size can be worth considering.
14-Liter Hawkins Big Boy Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins 14 Liter Big Boy Aluminum Pressure Cooker is the first size in the larger Big Boy range represented in this collection.
It is designed for larger quantities and can suit restaurants, hotels, canteens, and institutional kitchens that need more capacity than the Hawkins Classic line provides.
18-Liter Hawkins Big Boy Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins 18 Liter Big Boy Aluminum Pressure Cooker provides significantly more batch capacity for commercial and institutional preparation.
The larger cooker includes side lifting handles in addition to the main pressure cooker handle system, reflecting the additional size of the vessel.
This capacity can be useful for busy restaurants, catering kitchens, cafeterias, and other operations producing substantial quantities of the same food.
22-Liter Hawkins Big Boy Pressure Cooker
The Hawkins Big Boy 22 Liter Aluminum Pressure Cooker is the largest Hawkins pressure cooker currently represented in this collection.
At this capacity, the cooker is best suited to customers who genuinely need large-batch production rather than simply wanting extra room.
Restaurants, hotels, caterers, institutional kitchens, temples, and community foodservice operations may find this size useful when preparing foods for large groups.
What Size Hawkins Pressure Cooker Do You Need?
The best pressure cooker size depends on the amount of food normally prepared at one time.
A small household or limited prep task may only require a 4 or 5-liter cooker.
Restaurants and larger households may prefer 10 or 12 liters.
High-volume kitchens should look toward the 14, 18, and 22-liter Big Boy models when the quantity being prepared justifies the additional capacity.
It is generally better to select a cooker based on typical batch volume rather than automatically choosing the largest available size.
Hawkins Pressure Cooker Size Guide
The current Hawkins lineup at Nishi includes:
- 4 Liter - Hawkins Classic
- 5 Liter - Hawkins Classic
- 10 Liter - Hawkins Classic
- 12 Liter - Hawkins Classic
- 14 Liter - Hawkins Big Boy
- 18 Liter - Hawkins Big Boy
- 22 Liter - Hawkins Big Boy
This range makes it easier to match the cooker to a specific type of kitchen rather than treating all pressure cookers as interchangeable.
Aluminum Hawkins Pressure Cookers
The Hawkins pressure cookers in this collection use aluminum construction.
Aluminum cookware is commonly used throughout Indian kitchens and can be particularly practical when cookware becomes larger because it keeps the vessel lighter than many comparable heavy stainless steel designs.
The Hawkins Classic products are made with commercially pure aluminum and use a polished exterior with a matte-finish interior and base.
Why Aluminum Is Common in Indian Kitchens
Aluminum cookware has a long history in both home and professional Indian cooking.
It is relatively lightweight, conducts heat efficiently, and can be manufactured into large cooking vessels without making them unnecessarily difficult to handle.
This becomes especially noticeable when comparing large 14, 18, or 22-liter cookware.
For a more detailed comparison of materials, read our Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker Guide.
Inside-Fitting Hawkins Pressure Cooker Lids
The Hawkins Classic line uses an inside-fitting lid.
This means the lid fits inside the opening of the cooker rather than clamping around the outside edge in the style used by some other pressure cooker designs.
Customers who are accustomed to Hawkins pressure cookers will recognize this traditional operating format.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for closing, opening, filling, and operating any pressure cooker.
Hawkins Pressure Regulation
The Hawkins Classic line uses a pressure regulating system designed to control pressure during cooking.
Pressure cookers should always be used according to the specific manufacturer's instructions, particularly regarding fill limits, liquids, venting, gasket condition, and opening procedures.
Do not treat operating instructions for one cooker as interchangeable with another model or brand.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Dal
Pressure cookers are particularly associated with preparing dal and lentils in Indian kitchens.
Pressure cooking can reduce the time required to soften lentils compared with conventional uncovered cooking, making it useful for both home and restaurant preparation.
The appropriate Hawkins size depends on how much dal the kitchen prepares in each batch.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Rajma
Beans such as rajma are another common application for pressure cooking.
Restaurants preparing rajma in larger quantities may find 10, 12, or Big Boy pressure cookers more practical than small residential sizes.
Cooking procedures, soaking, liquid levels, and pressure times should follow the recipe and Hawkins operating instructions appropriate to the specific cooker.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Chole
Chickpeas used for chole can also be prepared using a pressure cooker.
For Indian restaurants where chole is a high-volume menu item, a larger cooker can allow more of the base ingredient to be prepared during one production cycle.
The correct capacity depends on how many portions the restaurant normally needs rather than simply the overall size of the operation.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Rice
Depending on the recipe and kitchen method, Hawkins pressure cookers can also be used for rice preparation.
Smaller sizes can work for home and limited batches, while larger units can provide more capacity for foodservice preparation.
Restaurants should follow the appropriate recipe and manufacturer directions for the rice variety and cooker being used.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Meat & Curry Preparation
Pressure cookers can be used for a range of meat and curry preparations where pressure cooking is part of the recipe.
This can be especially helpful for restaurants producing dishes that otherwise require extended cooking to soften ingredients.
Kitchen staff should select cooker capacity according to batch volume and maintain appropriate fill levels for the specific food being prepared.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Indian Restaurants
Indian restaurants may use several pressure cookers at the same time for different preparations.
A smaller cooker might handle a specialty recipe while a larger 10 or 12-liter model prepares dal or beans in greater volume.
Restaurants with particularly large batch requirements can move into the Hawkins Big Boy line.
Hawkins Big Boy for Restaurants
The Big Boy range is particularly relevant to commercial kitchens because the available capacities begin where many normal household pressure cooker ranges end.
The 14, 18, and 22-liter options allow restaurants to scale pressure cooking according to production requirements.
Before selecting one of these larger models, make sure the kitchen has a suitable cooking surface and enough room to safely work around the cooker.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Catering
Catering kitchens often need to prepare much larger quantities than a restaurant serving individual tables.
A Hawkins Big Boy pressure cooker can be useful when one event requires substantial amounts of lentils, beans, curries, vegetables, or other pressure-cooked foods.
A caterer may still want several cooker sizes so smaller events do not require using a 22-liter vessel for every recipe.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Hotels
Hotels may prepare food for restaurants, banquets, staff cafeterias, room service, and catered functions.
This creates a wide range of batch sizes, making multiple pressure cooker capacities useful.
Smaller Classic models can serve limited prep, while Big Boy units can support banquet and institutional-scale production.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Schools & Colleges
School and college kitchens preparing food for many people may benefit from larger commercial pressure cookers where pressure cooking fits the menu.
The Hawkins Big Boy range is specifically oriented toward environments where larger food quantities need to be prepared.
Facilities should choose equipment according to actual kitchen volume and local operational requirements.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Hospitals
Hospital and institutional kitchens often work with large production volumes and structured meal schedules.
High-capacity pressure cookers can support bulk preparation where they are appropriate for the facility's recipes and kitchen procedures.
As with any institutional cooking equipment, the selected capacity should fit the facility's production workflow and staff training.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Canteens
Factory, office, school, government, and institutional canteens may regularly prepare food for large groups at one time.
The 14, 18, and 22-liter Hawkins Big Boy models are particularly relevant to this type of high-volume food preparation.
Hawkins Pressure Cookers for Temples & Community Kitchens
Temples, gurudwaras, community kitchens, and other organizations serving large groups may also require cookware beyond conventional household capacities.
Large Hawkins pressure cookers can become one part of a broader Indian cookware setup that includes patilas, stock pots, lagans, kadais, and other large cooking vessels.
Pressure Cooker vs. Stock Pot
A pressure cooker and a stock pot serve different cooking methods.
A pressure cooker is sealed during pressure cooking and operates according to its designed pressure-control system.
A conventional stock pot is open or covered with a non-pressure lid and is better suited to recipes where cooks need continuous access for stirring, reducing, adding ingredients, or monitoring the food.
Browse our Commercial Stock Pots for traditional large-pot cooking.
Pressure Cooker vs. Patila
A patila is a large open cooking vessel commonly used in Indian kitchens for curry, gravy, rice, dal, and large-batch preparation.
Unlike a pressure cooker, it does not seal and cook under pressure.
Restaurants often keep both because some recipes benefit from pressure cooking while others need the open access of a large patila.
Browse our Commercial Patilas for large open cooking pots.
Pressure Cooker vs. Lagan
A lagan is a wide, shallow Indian cooking vessel, making it fundamentally different from a pressure cooker.
Lagans provide a broad cooking surface and are used for recipes where the cook needs direct access to the food throughout preparation.
For wide commercial Indian cookware, explore our Lagan collection.
Pressure Cooker vs. Kadai
A kadai uses an open, curved cooking surface and is suited to frying, sautéing, curries, and other cooking techniques depending on the recipe.
A pressure cooker instead uses a sealed cooking environment.
Indian restaurants generally need a mix of cookware rather than choosing one type for every dish.
Browse our Kadai & Wok collection for additional Indian cooking vessels.
How Many Pressure Cookers Does an Indian Restaurant Need?
There is no universal number.
A restaurant with only a few pressure-cooked recipes may need one or two main sizes.
A high-volume Indian kitchen might keep multiple cookers so dal, beans, meat, and other foods can be prepared independently without waiting for one cooker to become available.
Using several sizes can also be more practical than using the largest Big Boy cooker for every batch.
Choosing Between 4, 5, 10 & 12 Liter Hawkins Cookers
For smaller preparation, start with the 4 and 5-liter Hawkins Classic sizes.
If the kitchen routinely prepares substantially larger quantities, the 10 or 12-liter Classic models provide more capacity without moving to the commercial-scale Big Boy range.
The 12-liter model is particularly useful as the largest option in the current Hawkins Classic assortment at Nishi.
Choosing Between 14, 18 & 22 Liter Hawkins Big Boy Cookers
The Big Boy decision should be based primarily on actual batch volume.
The 14-liter model is the most compact of the Big Boy options currently offered.
The 18-liter model gives larger restaurants and caterers significantly more capacity.
The 22-liter cooker provides the greatest volume in the current Hawkins assortment and is best reserved for operations that can make practical use of its size.
Consider Cooker Weight When Choosing a Size
Cookware becomes substantially heavier as both vessel size and food volume increase.
This is especially important with 18 and 22-liter pressure cookers.
Plan where the cooker will be filled, used, emptied, and cleaned instead of assuming employees will regularly carry a fully loaded large cooker around the kitchen.
Check Your Cooking Surface
Large pressure cookers require enough cooking-surface space for the base of the vessel.
The Hawkins products in this collection are recommended for gas stove use according to their current product information.
Before ordering, confirm that your cooking equipment and burner arrangement are appropriate for the exact pressure cooker model.
Pressure Cooker Safety
Pressure cookers should always be operated according to the manufacturer's instructions.
That includes guidance for maximum fill levels, liquid requirements, pressure regulation, venting, opening, cleaning, gasket inspection, and replacement components.
Never force open a pressure cooker or attempt to modify its pressure-control or safety components.
Pressure Cooker Gaskets & Components
Gaskets, pressure regulators, valves, and other components are functional parts of the pressure cooker system and should be maintained according to Hawkins instructions.
If a replacement part is required, verify that it is compatible with the exact Hawkins model and capacity rather than assuming pressure cooker parts are universal.
Cleaning Hawkins Aluminum Pressure Cookers
Follow Hawkins care instructions for the specific cooker.
Pressure-control components and vent passages should be kept clean and maintained properly, while the cooker body should be cleaned in a manner appropriate for aluminum cookware.
Routine inspection is especially important in restaurant kitchens where the cooker may be used repeatedly throughout the week.
Building an Indian Restaurant Cookware Collection
A Hawkins pressure cooker works best as one part of a broader commercial cookware setup.
An Indian kitchen may also need Patilas for large open-batch cooking, Lagans for wide shallow preparations, Kadais & Woks, and Stock Pots.
Using multiple cookware styles allows the kitchen to match the vessel to the cooking technique instead of trying to prepare every dish in the same type of pot.
Hawkins & Indian Cookware
Pressure cookers are an important part of many Indian kitchens, but they represent only one category of equipment needed for a complete restaurant.
Browse our Indian Cookware collection for additional restaurant pots, kadais, lagans, deghs, and specialty cookware.
Shop Hawkins Pressure Cookers
Nishi Enterprise carries Hawkins pressure cookers, Hawkins Classic pressure cookers, Hawkins Big Boy pressure cookers, aluminum pressure cookers, Indian pressure cookers, and large commercial pressure cookers for homes, restaurants, caterers, hotels, canteens, schools, hospitals, institutions, and community kitchens.
Our current Hawkins assortment includes Classic aluminum pressure cookers in 4, 5, 10, and 12-liter sizes along with Big Boy pressure cookers in 14, 18, and 22-liter capacities.
Whether you need a compact Hawkins cooker for everyday dal and bean preparation or a large-capacity Big Boy model for restaurant and institutional batches, explore the collection above to compare capacities and choose the model that best fits your kitchen.