Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Customer Review: "update: Made like JUNK" OMG! Has changed the way I cook!
Summary: 1 Stars
UPDATE: After using this product for less then a year it has become unstable, unsafe, & I had to recycle it. The bolts keeping the handles on started leaking and not allowing enough pressure to make the seal so it leaked every where. If you plan to use yours alot get a better one. I think I may upgrade to an electric one as having it always take a burner top is a pain when I can plug it in somewhere else in the kitchen (or Deck).
I don't have a ton of time and will update this review later with more tech info. I just have to proclaim how great this is. I never pressured cooked anything but meat in huge BBQ store type pressure cookers (that's their secret, pressure cook then mark & glaze on the grill).
This is as revolutionary to me as the induction grill. Both together and you have a quick diner.
So far I have made fall apart chicken for oriental chicken salad. Soy Chicken with veggies. Brisket BBQ style, Left over brisket stew, Fall stew (parsnips, potatoes, carrots, ginger, squash, garlic,etc), Squash leek risotto, squash leek soup, chicken w/ frozen edamame & frozen peas/carrots on brown rice, lentil soups, lentil under Filet Mignon, and about 15 other great dishes.
All dishes were made in one pot or one pot & one bowl. When you cook most rices & beans you put them in another bowl (stainless or glass) with foil tightly over it then put it in on top of the steamer casket they provide. Some I dropped in rock frozen, some veggies I left whole. Not one thing including the beans took more then 30 minutes.
Few words of advice. Follow the basic rules, if it says let it cool on it's own then let it & always have enough liquid in it.(beer works great & the little cheap six pack of white wines). Also cook 1min longer then directions say. 2 minutes if over 15min recipe. Start timing your recipe when you have a constant steam and time precisely.
Basically find a recipe in the book and use it as a base for anything you want to make. I have made some great recipes (my fall stew) by follow a beef stew recipe in the direction book. I have yet to Google a pressure cooker recipe.
Remember that some recipe books use different pressures as different pots have different pressures. So use your book as a guideline or make sure whatever pressure cooker recipe you use is meant for 15lbs like this pot.
I use this on top of my induction cook top and it makes cooking 3 times as fast & I can control the steam perfectly.
As a man I love this style of cooking and my wife loves that I have cooked all but 1 night since I got it around Xmas. We have never eaten healthier and are using cheap cuts of meat & cheap in season fresh local veggies. (The frozen stuff was a test to see if a busy mom could make a great dinner from frozen with no effort or more then 30 minutes). I literally cut a few things toss them in, lock the top, hit the timer and sit down. One sitcom later I open it to have a meal that makes me feel healthy & full! Usually I have enough left over for my wife & I to have lunch the next day!
If this wasn't meant for a busy mom or single person I don't know what in the kitchen is.
Customer Review: Poor quality metal
Summary: 1 Stars
Firstly, I have never provided feedback for any of my purchases, but I found this item warrants one.
Before making my purchase decision I read through quite a few of the negative reviews, and seeing how there were so many positive reviews (many of which I also read), I didn't give much credence to the few reviews mentioning staining (and even rust). All I can say is after 2 uses, the inside bottom of my pot became stained and discolored, requiring an SOS pad to clean (which didn't even do that well). Food also had grey staining on it. Here is a summary of what I did:
I used the cooker twice, cooking up 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts in chicken broth, onions, garlic, and 7 or 8 dried Barkers extra hot chiles. Once done, I threw the breasts in the refrigerator for later shredding (for taco, enchilada,and burrito meat). Washed and rinsed out the pot, and then used it to cook up 2 pounds of black beans. After the beans were done, I rinsed out the pot and soaked in hot soapy water (Dawn).
A couple hours later I went to shred the chicken breasts, only to find half of them with some grey stains on them. When I got to final cleaning of the pot, I used a scrubber sponge, then rinsed and dried. I later noticed there was still considerable staining on the inside botttom of the pot, so I grabbed an SOS pad to clean it. Didn't quite do the trick, still had most of the staining/ discoloration.
So if you've read this far, most are probably saying 'big deal'. You're right, it IS a big deal, and here is why:
1996, I won't mention the make, but I bought a high quality 10 piece set of stainless steel cookware for $400 (I only mention price to convey that the set is not some 'cheapie'). Instructions for cleaning? Wash with a non abrasive sponge (I use a Dobie sponge) and soapy water, rinse, and dry, or if needed, let soak in hot soapy water first. Now get this, this cookware is now 15 years old, the only cleaning I've done is as mentioned above, and not one piece is as stained/ discolored as the pressure cooker pot. Don't get me wrong, my good cookware does have a couple discolorations on each pot and pan, but nowhere near like this prssure cooker got in ONE day. BTW, I've used the same recipe in my other cookware .. NEVER a problem.
I don't know if the pressure cooker I got just happen to have had bad quality control on the metal being used, but being the product is made in China ... I just don't feel good about it. And get this, before I noticed the stains on the chicken breasts, I ate a couple bites just to see how the meat tasted. Yep, I could taste a bit of a 'bite' in the meat. Maybe it's just a mental thing, but here it is about 6 hours later, and for the last couple hours I could swear I've had a strange metalish after taste in my mouth.
Customer Review: I was expecting more.
Summary: 3 Stars
This was my first pressure cooker. I saw a video of someone using a smaller one where the valve rocks and decided to buy one.
It looked great when it arrived but the user's manual could have been so much better since they have been making these things for decades! With the different valve I was unsure how far down to set the temperature since this valve isn't designed to rock. I went to their website and it is as useful as the user manual. I tried to search the internet for videos of some using this very same cooker and valve but nothing. I think this company is going kicking and screaming towards technology since they under utilize their site. I under cooked a whole chicken and then burnt the Butternut squash trying to figure out what they meant by how much steam it should look like coming out since the valve doesn't rock.
I did find missvickie.com who has tons more info on cooking times and liquid amounts. How is it this woman can provide so much information and Presto can't? Big fail. I noticed that she doesn't promote Presto but it's competitors.
Can someone tell management at Presto that today you need to support the products on your website? I then email Presto for help and I get this lame response. She explains that no they have no videos and doesn't offer advise either. Then she gives me two lame links to videos and I watch them. OMG she was clueless. The video shows the same pressure cooker but the demonstration stops just as they turn the heat on and then they cut to after it is done. Doesn't even show the cooker in action. It is appalling how these companies provide customer service.
It is a good thing that Presto has such little competition and have relied on this much too long. I would not buy the Fagor since the rating were so poor. If I could afford it I would buy the expensive Kuhn Rikon and there are plenty of videos of that I came across looking for a video for this Presto model.
I also have a hard time getting the lid on this one as well. You have to look for the arrows on the handle and line it up with the arrow on the lid. Sometimes you still have to fiddle with it. It is also difficult to slide tight and to open so if you do have problems like arthritis or are not that strong then this cooker will be something you will use less and less of.
I was thinking about buying a 6 qt one to go with this bigger one at the time I bought this cooker and not so sure anymore. That is definitely on hold.
I have done roasts in this cooker but there is little room for veggies. It may save time but really can not take the place of a dutch oven where you can cook many vegetables at the same time to infuse the flavors.
Presto's site looks like a hodge podge of stuff they sell and looks more like a site for "As seen on TV" products.
Customer Review: You Don't Need a Microwave-You Need a Pressure Cooker!
Summary: 5 Stars
There was a huge box under the Christmas tree for me from my husband. As I opened it, I said, "Oh. A pressure cooker. I didn't know I wanted one." But I really did!
I wondered what my husband was trying to do? Make me into June Cleaver? Pressure cookers were so 1950's with pearls, high heels and a small waist dress with an underlayer of crinoline. Not what this feminist, professional tech-innovator related to. But I get it now!
See June Cleaver was ALSO a independent woman. While Ward thought she was cooking and slaving all day over a stove, she was likely golfing or drinking martini's with her gal-pals. She could be home by 4:30 pm and have an amazing dinner on the table by 5:30. SERIOUSLY! There is no technique involved in pressure cooking. Throw the ingredients in--maybe you brown something for a few minutes--and in 5 to 40 minutes, depending on the recipe, there is magic that happens and a great meal is born.
Use it for tomato sauce that tastes like it was cooking for 10 hours (but you cooked for 45 minutes including chopping), risotto that you don't have to slavishy stir, chicken and lentils you pop in the pot and miraculously a North African stew is spawned, SuperBowl chili in 15 minutes. Oh, and BBQ ribs that fall off the bone in 40. I wouldn't have believed it either.
This PRESTO pressure cooker cleans up fast and has made dozens of great dinners since Christmas. The design is basically a heavy pot with a special lid. Just be careful to take care of the release valve, i.e. don't let it go down the garbage disposal or lose it. The 8 qt is more versatile than the 6 qt. I wouldn't go with the smaller size since when you are cooking rice or beans you need the room. Also, don't get one you plug in. It's not a gadget but a stovetop pot.
Oh, and your 1950's fears of it blowing up? There are a number of failsafes on this cooker so it will release before it blows.
I have been waxing on and on about this pot since Christmas. Some of my colleagues have taken my evangelization to heart and we are all converts to pressure cooking. For someone who doesn't get home from work until 6:30 or 7, it's a gift to throw stuff in the pot and feed the houseful of teenage boys (and husband) an excellent meal by 8. No more carryout! [and BTW, I think I know why my husband bought it since he uses it. I guess he was the one who wanted one!]
Customer Review: Great for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
Naturally, a $200 pressure cooker will be better but you don't have to spend that much. The Presto 8 quart is the perfect size for me. I would not want anything smaller. I might cook one ear of corn but no problem. I just put the supplied spacer rack in the pot, add one cup of water, add the corn and cook under pressure for about 3 or 4 minutes. I then turn off the gas, manually release the pressure and remove the corn with some metal tongs. Add a little butter and enjoy.
The advantage is time but mostly energy consumption. The amount of energy used to get the job done is remarkably less.
My first Presto had rust around the inner rim. Apparently the rust proof coating did not apply properly during manufacture. I contacted Presto and they replaced it. The replacement has a good coating and no rust. The more expensive pressure cookers probably have a better grade of metal where the Presto only has a stainless steel coating on a cheaper metal. I guess it is similar to solid gold or gold plated. If they both look the same and work the same then why pay more?
You need to stay near the cooker until it reaches pressure. Once familiar with it I can venture away once the stove burner is set to maintain proper temperature and pressure. The sound of the escaping steam is sufficient for me. It would be nice if it would whistle so I could venture further from the kitchen during heat up.
I am fascinated with pressure cookers in how they increase the atmospheric pressure by 50% and speed up cooking and save energy. I would like to see more recipes for pressure cookers. The book that comes with this cooker is OK but the recipes are not the best. They are simple and adequate. The bean soup recipe was a disaster for me. The chicken soup was acceptable.
If you are new to pressure cookers, try corn on the cob, if it is in season. For future efforts do not over fill the cooker and make sure the recipe has enough fluids to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Avoid the recipes where people tend to go out on a limb to be different. I made chicken soup where Italian sausage was used so spice it up. Very bad.
Experiment. Have fun. Have some backup food for the microwave if you make a mistake.