Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
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List Price: Our Price: $61.07 You Save: $57.93 (49%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $53.13 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Customer Review: My new pressure cooker
Summary: 4 Stars
Seems this product is sold in two different versions of packaging, one with a red box and one with a blue box. The only difference I could tell between the two is the included manual/recipe book. The red box issue comes with a larger recipe book than the blue box version. I could not tell if there was a difference of construction between the two version...if there is one. They are both made in China. I have also noticed this product is also sold under the De Longhi name.
The construction and finish of the product upon delivery was flawless. The cooker has so far performed as expected. However, cleaning with a brillo pad left small scratches on the bottom of the cooker. This is strange because I have several stainless steel commercial cookware and they are able to sustain a good amount of brillo pad action. We'll see what happens as I continue to use this, but this is a bit concerning. My last concern is the rubber gasket, and if I will be able to purchase this part several years from now should I need one.
I wish this thing came with a pressure gauge, because during use it is difficult to judge the difference between a slow to medium steady stream of steam. At this price range, purchasing a stainless steel cooker at this size with a gauge is almost impossible. I hope that some day presto can come up with an enhanced attachment replacement for this unit. I have not tried canning yet.
Customer Review: Quality Basic Pressure Cooker
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a solid, basic stainless pressure cooker, that is quite a bargain at the $41.45 price (or $33 something after the $25 off $125 kitchen purchases).
Advantages:
* Easy to use flip pressure regulator for quick release of pressure
* Only has 15 lbs pressure that is adequate for normal pressure cooking
* Has handles on both sides that makes the cooker easy to carry and stable when full.
* Stainless won't interact with food product such as tomatoes.
* 8 qt. capacity gives 4 qts of capacity when cooking foaming products such as beans or lentils.
* Easier to clean than some pressure cookers I have used.
Disadvantages:
* Only cooks at 15 lbs of pressure, where some recipes call for only 10 lbs and would have to be adjusted.
* Most canning is done at 10 lbs pressure at sealevel and up to 1000 ft elevation
* I respectfully disagree that this cooker is meant for canning. It could process 3 or 4 pints in a pinch, but a 23 qt pressure cooker is the canning workhorse and will hold 19 pts or 7 qts. The manual suggests not canning in it, and it doesn't have a canning trivet included.
* It is much lighter weight than older Presto models, so I don't know if it will last as long as the old ones did.
Overall, it is a great pressure cooker for most cooking, and is a very good value.
Customer Review: Excellent Product
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a nice size for a pressure cooker because I like to make baked beans, which tend to froth up. So there is a lot of room inside this cooker. It heats up fast and comes to pressure in just a couple of minutes. But I found that if I didn't align the handles perfectly it took longer to heat up and more steam would excape from the little pressure indicator. Once I figured out that I should align the handles perfectly, the little indicator pops up perfectly and no steam escapes, and it comes to pressure within one minute.
I also find that once it comes to pressure, I can turn my gas range to low and it keeps pressure the whole time. With my previous 6-quart Innova pressure cooker, it needed to be at medium heat to get the weight to rock, and that seems like a waste of energy to me.
I also like how you just turn the knob to release the steam. It's really convenient.
The cookbook is adquate. I have made the baked beans recipe and it was delicious. I also made the Jambalaya recipe but it was a bit too salty, but otherwise it was delicious.
I also had trouble making corn on the cob in my 6-quart Innova pressure cooker as it wasn't tall enough. This pressure cooker is larger and can accommodate several large ears of corn. The best corn on the cob is achieved when using a pressure cooker, and it only takes about 2-1/2 minutes!
Customer Review: Wonderful Product!
Summary: 5 Stars
The pressure cooker is great. I use it at least 3 or 4 times per week. It's so fast and cooks everything so tender and good. Last night, I cooked a 31/2 lb. pork sirloin roast and saurkraut and it only took 55 minutes. The 8 quart is a great size, even for only 2 people. I wouldn't go any smaller. Plus I like the stainless steel vs. the aluminum ones, because they don't discolor as bad inside. I've got more use out of this pressure cooker than any other appliance in the kitchen, except maybe the microwave. I have cooked fresh corn on the cob in mine and it only takes approx. 3 minutes. It turns out excellent. I steam carrots and broccoli and they only take a minute or two. So tasty and still have their beautiful color. I highly recomend this product to anyone who wants to save time in the kitchen and cook delicious meals, eat healthy and save energy. I almost forgot. For those of you that like to fix a good ole pot of beans, but don't have the time. The pressure cooker is the answer. If you soak the beans,pinto for instance, the night before, you can fix them right before supper in about 3-6 minutes, depending on how soft you like them. They are delicious!!! This pressure cooker would be the ideal appliance for the working Mom who has to fix good meals in a hurry.Customer Review: New Favorite
Summary: 4 Stars
I was always scared of pressure cookers--too many childhood horror stories of exploding pot roasts. But with my schedule, I needed a way to do food fast--instead of fast food. I try to eat healthy, but leans meats and a lot of other good foods take time to cook. I tried this pressure cooker and loved it. It's a nice, heavy weight. Handles are thick, sturdy, and stay cool enough to touch with bare hands. They also make this pot easier to pick up and move around than ones I've looked at that are like big heavy saucepans with only one long handle. The lid is very easy to lock after doing it once or twice--and the design takes the guesswork out of knowing it's locked, which eased my mind and calmed my nerves when using it for the first time. I love the size, the weight, and the safety features. I also love taking a tough, lean cut of meat from frozen to fork-tender in 40 minutes--not 3-4 hours. I was amazed, and the only thing I'm not happy about is that it took me this long to get over my fear of pressure cookers. My mother is still afraid of them, but she's warming to the idea since I've had mine, so I plan on ordering a second one as a gift for Mother's Day.