Modern pressure cookers with a rocker only are calibrated at 5 lbs, according to a friend of mine (canning guru Dean Crabtree, who runs a canning blog on Yahoo.) They're fine for food, but not enough for canning (that needs to be around 10#, I think).

I have the book from my mother's 50-year-old pressure cooker, where it talks about pounds on the gauge. And I remember talking to mom about this - she couldn't understand how modern cookers didn't have a pressure gauge. It's because they are standardized.

I have gotten the hang of braised meat, which is slow cooking in low liquid in a covered pan. Pressure comes close, but isn't the same, so pressure cooking is for those times when you don't have several hours for the meat to be perfect.

SRS