Nesco American Harvest PC-6-25-30TPR 6-Quart Multifunction Digital Pressure Cooker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Nesco American Harvest PC-6-25-30TPR 6-Quart Multifunction Digital Pressure Cooker
Customer Review: Loved this so much I gave it to my sister-in-law
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent hours pondering Pressure cooking, reading the sites on the web and longing to try it so I bought a pot because the snobby pressure cooker authors disdained the digital and I was an absolutely terrible on the stove pressure cooker cook. Not having a family member that ever used a pressure cooker I have to do the trial and error and it was more trial and lots of error until I was ready to quit and then I thought - let the snooty web site cooks keep the stove top and the "digital can't be held under a faucet to do a fast release...." stuff and I bought the Nesco.
I loved it, right away I found out what I was doing wrong with the stove top pot (so I kept the stove pot). I made the most fantastic melt at the touch pork roast in this digital pot the very first time I used it. It was so nice to come home from the grocery store - toss a roast or other large hunk of meat in this pot and in an hour or two dinner (for a week if there is just one of you) was ready. And it was great dinner not microwave, reheat, flash thaw stuff.
You can brown your roast, add the seasonings, and pressure cook it all in the same pot or use the slow cooker function if you want to come home after work for a hot meal.
As a novice/beginner pressure cook I found this digital foray to be a great learning adventure and I understand more about on the stove cooking from using this digital - I have a better understanding of heating until the pressure reaches a certain point and what its supposed to sound like when cooking all because of this item, I recently have to move and couldn't pack my cooking appliances and rather than sell this I gave it to my sister-in-law so she could learn pressure cooking. Once I get settled I will be getting another
its just too handy and the meals you create are just so tasty.
Ups and downs -
cleaning the lid and the rubber seal can be awkward, and storage for those of us in apartments is limited but this item can be used as a pressure cooker and a slow cooker (and I have slipped between both functions on the same meal at times - very handy)
You can't use the quick release method of holding this pot under the facet to lower the pressure but then this product automatically reaches the desired pressure - cooks the required time and switches itself to warm so you don't have to be in the kitchen the whole time - great for families and a lot less worry about pressure pot explosions.
Oh and this item releases steam while cooking so you have to place it with the vent away from you cabinets, I used to turn it so the vent was near the outer edge of the counter.
Hope this helped
Customer Review: Excellent Purchase!
Summary: 5 Stars
Pressure cookers... when most people hear those words the first thing they recall is the urban legend on how one exploded spewing its boiling hot contents on walls, ceilings and nearby bystanders.
I have a different memory. Born in the days before the ubiquitous microwave, we used our pressure cooker on (at least) a weekly basis. My mother had an old Presto 4 qt model. From it came the most delicious soups, stews and that 60's cosmopolitan treat, chop suey . The Presto would hiss and spit and make its identifiable, swish-swish noise as it did its cooking magic. You see, the pressure cooker could cook in minutes what would normally take hours.
Several years back I bought a stove-top pressure cooker with the same type of rocking regulator and the same swish-swish sound. I have used that unit many times, but I have to admit that cooking with it has become a bit of a pain. As I aged I couldn't really hear if it was under the right pressure if I left the room so I was relegated to sitting in the kitchen until the pot had done it deed. Not horrible, but a bit inconvenient.
Enter the Nesco electric pressure cooker. It is a very sturdy pot with a washable/removable liner. It fits together like a precision machine and has a number of accessories including a measuring cup, rack and a spoon/spatula. Although it has a recipe/instruction book it is a bit on the thin side.
Using the unit is a snap. You dump the ingredients into the removable liner. Put the liner in the pot. Put the cover on the pot. Set the timer and...just walk away. The Nesco does the rest. No worries about too much or not enough heat. In fact the unit is mostly silent (just a little hiss). When it is all done cooking it shuts itself off. Amazing! Tonight I made chicken soup (no, not from a can). I put in some chicken parts, celery, carrots, green beans and an onion. I added some simple seasonings and liquid and set the timer for 12 minutes. That's it, and it tasted a lot better than even the most expensive store bought stuff.
The Nesco will let you brown your meat directly in the pot and it will also double as a slow cooker and steamer. It is so simple that even my pressure cooker phobic wife has asked me to show her how it works. Now that's an endorsement! Definitely a must buy if you want quick, nutritious and easy meals that taste a ton better then something "zapped." Don't forget, you control the quality of the ingredients and the amount of salt.
BTW, you can get excellent pressure cooker cookbooks at most book stores, including Amazon (no I don't work for them).
Customer Review: customer service poor
Summary: 2 Stars
UPDATE AT BOTTOM: Wow, is this a neat appliance. As a pressure cooker, it cooks food as nicely, and as quickly as my old, stainless stove-top model, but with several bonuses. Cleanup is much easier with the Nesco. It browns your meat without any sticking, so you can just toss your other ingredients right in after browning, and switch it to cook. No extra pan to wash. The nonstick pot, also, is much lighter, and washes out instantly vs the heavy ol'stove model that required soaking. Best of all, though, is how quiet it is! No babysitting the constant CH!CH!CH!CH! on the stove anymore. Set it, and it cooks in complete silence without another moment's thought, and no adjustments necessary. You could leave the house (it also has a timer to start cooking later if you wish). The Nesco is a slow cooker, as well. I have been so annoyed with how hot all the new slow cookers are. I've bought several brands trying to fnd a true "slow cooker". They all cook at nuclear heat, and every review of every new slow cooker says the same thing. The Nesco cooks nice and slow just like the old fashioned crock pots did. I love this cooker. The manual blows, though. How strange that the cooker is so well thought, but the quality control for the manual fell flat. It is contradictory, incomplete, and explains the buttons and timer wrong. The recipes are not appealing. Who cares. You'll love the Nesco cooker. It will replace your crock-pot and your stove-top pressure cooker. I've not tried it yet on steaming, but it might just replace the rice cooker and veg. steamer, too. Think of all the room in your cupboards, now.
Jan 2001: OK, my original cooker still works and I still like it, but I'm ticked!!! off!!! at Metal Ware customer service. We got one of these for my brother for Christmas, and it would not even power on. Customer service at Metal Ware Corp requires us to pay to get it shipped for repairs. 15 lbs and a BRAND NEW ITEM and I have to pay this ridiculous shipping fee on top of the very expensive purchase price. I no longer have warm fuzzies for the cooker since customer service is BAD.
Customer Review: My first Pressure Cooker
Summary: 5 Stars
Executive summary: I really like the cooker and highly recommend it to others.
I was visiting friends in Canada and my friend used a pressure cooker that she has had for about 20 years to cook potatoes, turnips and carrots in only 5 minutes! I thought this was great! My mother had never used a pressure cooker and wanted to give it a try. I first purchased a Mirro 8qt at a discount store for $40. I read the Safety Instructions and it said that I could not use the cooker on a glass top or ceramic smooth surface cooktop-whic is what I have-darn!
My partner suggested that I see if anyone makes an electric cooker. I checked Amazon and found two listed from Nesco and Cuisinart. Since this was my first, I chose the Nesco because it was less expensive. I read the reviews and was on the look out for dents in the body and brain dead circuit boards. It arrived in perfect condition. It arrived the next day (Amazon Prime $3.99 next day-I don't work for them) and on Saturday I prepared a 3lb beef rump roast in about an hour (prep time, browning and cooking) and my vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips and turnips) with only 5 minutes of cook time. And...I did it perfect the first time!
The most important and valuable information that I can give you is to be sure to read the safety warnings and operating instructions carefully, because you are cooking with hot pressurized steam. The locking pin will not permit you or others from taking the lid off while the cooker is at pressure, but you can really burn your hands or face when releasing the steam using the pressure release valve on the top. Always use a thick kitchen towel to protect your hands when releasing pressure.
It is easy to clean with the removable cooking pot inside. I forgot to mention that you can also use it as a slow cooker and a steamer, so my crock pot is on its way out to the garage.
I really like the cooker and highly recommend it to others.
Customer Review: Great Idea, Royal Ripoff --
Summary: 1 Stars
Bought my 3-in-1 to replace my manual pressure cooker, crock pot, and steamer. The concept is great, but the execution is lousy -- the pressure cooker did not work (the digital control apparently is messed up). So, no problem, the thing has a warranty, right? WRONG!!!! Following NESCO's instructions to a T, I wasted a week or two trying various things to get it to work, and when those efforts failed, I packed up the pressure cooker (non-functioning) and sent it back to NESCO. Per their instructions, I sent it insured. 10 days later, they call me up and tell me that it arrived damaged (apparently with a big dent). I say, no problem, just send me a new one (the thing NEVER worked and the warranty says they will replace it or repair it), and you can deal with the post office on getting the insurance to pay. Well, no, they don't do that; it's MY responsibility to deal with the post office and get the money back and meanwhile they can't do anything with the pot (can't fix it, won't replace it). At this point, I'm out the 100+ bucks I paid for the dang thing plus another 20 for shipping/insurance plus about 4 hours of my time plus three trips (so far) to the post office; guess if I do manage to collect on the insurance I can reinvest and hope the next one works. This has been absolutely THE WORST experience I have ever had with an item purchased ANYWHERE. Amazon sez I have to talk to the manufacturer, the mfr sez I have to talk to Amazon, the Post Office sez the folks holding the item (that would be NESCO) have to deal with getting the item replaced or repaired, and meanwhile I sit here 100 plus dollars poorer (not to mention the time and trouble) with bupkas to show for it. HORRENDOUS RIPOFF!!!!!