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: Excellent Appliance
Summary: 5 Stars
While I am an experienced and accomplished amateur cook, I had never tried pressure cooking until reading a recent article in Cooking Light. This is a fabulous cooking technique, and the Presto cooker is an excellent cooking appliance. It is very strong and durable, with a pressure valve that allows the quick release of pressure without running the pot under cold water. My first recipe was a curried cauliflower, sweet potato and chick pea dish that was the easiest fantastic dish I've created in years. Chuck a whole cauliflower into the pot, add the other ingredients, flip on the lid, turn on the fire and 15 minutes later these disparate ingredients combine to form a wonderfully fragrant, unusual and delicious dish. I now cook up several dishes in the pressure cooker over the weekend and we eat them all week.
I have no negative comments whatsoever about the Presto cooker, except it is a little tricky to twist the top on. It works extremely well, is an attractive appliance that is easy to clean. If you are considering buying a pressure cooker, run, don't walk, to the Buy button on Amazon and you will be enjoying this wonder pot within 3 days!
Customer Review: Great product
Summary: 5 Stars
I knew that I wanted a Presto stainless steel pressure cooker because it has been so well rated. However, I struggled determining what size to get. Amazon sells the 4, 6, and 8 quart cooker. I am a single guy and thought that maybe the 8 quart was going to be too big but then did not want to get the 4 or 6 and be limited to what I could cook.
So I decided to get the 8 quart, and it turned out to be the perfect size. As you might be aware, for most foods, one should not fill the pot past the halfway mark. I like cooking chicken soup, chicken stew, turkey legs, beans, etc. Well, once I finish adding the meat, vegetables, and water, the pot is almost approaching the halfway mark. The size is also perfect for storing food in the fridge. When I am done cooking, I leave the leftovers in the pot and place the pot in the fridge. The next day, I can easily reheat the food right in the pot.
As for the pressure cooker itself, it works great. It cooks food fast and preserves all the food flavors. The pot is well made. The outer stainless steel surface is beautiful. Overall, this is just a great product.
Customer Review: Worth the price, be brave and try it out
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife insisted on getting a pressure cooker, I just didn't see a use for it. Finally gave in and tried it out.
1st use - Red Bean & taro sweet soup - usually red beans has to soak in water for about 6-8 hours, and cook for about 2 hours. We did the cooking without soaking the beans, pressure cook for 10 minutes with slow cool down. WOW, it was perfect, the beans cooked thoroughly.
2nd time - Black glutinous rice w/ coconut milk - this type of rice is extremely difficult to cook, takes forever. 24-36 hours of presoak, and couple hours in the rice cooker. I've never sucessfully cooked it before, this time with the pressure cooker, it was SUCCESS!! This is a heavenly dessert, my diet is completely thrown out the window.
Why you have to be brave? When we started using it, really don't know what we were doing. Accidentally poked the rubber lid while pressure was building and it shot up and stem blew out like crazy, thought it was going to blow up. lol Had to read the instructions carefully before using it. After 1 use, you'll get the idea, most items takes 10-15 min to cook and slow cool down.
Customer Review: Boy! Have things changed!
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife had been asking for a while for a new pressure cooker. I was used to the old Presto style with the long handles on the one side and the miniature hockey puck pressure regulator that hissed and rattled like a manic rattle snake. But when this one arrived I was surprised to find things had definitely changed.
Handles were the first surprise. There are two of them, one of them on each side, large enough to enable the safe lifting/handling of the pot. Also opening and closing the pot could be done one handed (a major issue for me). Also the stainless steel the pot is made of has a high polish to it so it looks good, too. (Shiny!)
The next surprise was the regulator. It has a couple of springs in it that effectively clips the regulator to the nipple. It won't 'blow' (or fall) off the pot as the old ones did at Mom's house. It also wasn't as noisy or rattly. It still produced a nice, tender beef round roast quickly as the old pots did so I suppose that was the whole idea in the first place. Easy to clean and maintain, looks good, and, of course, it works great. What else could you expect from Presto!
Customer Review: Fantastic but not for high altitude canning
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used a Presto pressure cooker for years. Pressure cookers help to cook many foods quickly. Moving to a town where the altitude is about 3,500 feet, I discovered that beans were difficult to cook through without a pressure cooker. Also, because we had a new stove with a smooth top, we needed a larger pressure cooker to match the size of the heating element. Before I had an aluminium cooker. This is simply a great cooker at a great price for what you are getting. The release for the pressure is easy to use and safe. The bottom which is extra thick, prevents scotching. I think everybody should own a pressure cooker for flavor, speed, and it is the "green thing" to do as it uses less resources to accomplish the same end. Of the differing sizes, this is a great size to own. If you wish to cook rice, you will need to have a suitable bowl, but this cooker is large enough that a large stainless bowl will easily fit inside! I don't think you can go wrong with this finely made cookware. A warning is in order for those planning to use this pressure cooker for canning. It is not designed for canning at high altitudes.