Customer Reviews

Fagor 8-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker with Steamer Basket

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I use to own an electric pressure cooker, and after many scorched meals, decided to try a stove-top model. It was the best move I could have made! 18/10 stainless, surrounding aluminum on the bottom has kept every meal scorch-free. I feel completely safe using this pressure cooker. It locks easily, and the dial indicating if the pot is at pressure and if it is at high or low pressure is fool-proof. There is nothing complicated about using this pressure cooker. I just can't say enough about this pot. I have cooked professionally, and I have cooked for many years. I would not be exaggerating if I told you that this is the best-loved piece of cookware that I own. Fagor has produced an outstanding product.

I had a Kuhn Rikon and still have a Presto pressure cooker. I got rid of the Kuhn Rikon. I love the Fagor Duo. The Kuhn Rikon design is a real pain if you have an electric stove. It is probably almost acceptable if you have a gas stove. The Fagor models work equally well on either type stove. Also, along the same lines, the Fagor and the Presto designs are much more forgiving. You better plan on watching a Kuhn Rikon very closely -- especially on an electric stove -- but also on a gas range. It can get to an over pressure situation easily. Granted you will likely just blow out part of your gasket (the safety measure) if you get distracted. Who needs that? You better have an eagle eye and fast reactions to maintain a reasonably constant pressure inside your cooker with an electric stove.

You do lose some steam with a Fagor though typically much less than with a Presto model. (You lose nearly no vapor with a Kuhn Rikon -- that is about their only big selling point in my book.) The Fagor model uses a compressed spring to regulate pressure. The Presto uses a weight on top of a vent pipe -- this combination is called a jiggler valve -- to regulate pressure. To regulate pressure with a Kuhn Rikon you basically watch a rising spring loaded pressure indicator and adjust the heat as needed. Gas heat is more quickly adjustable than electric. You have to either hope for the best as you crank the heat up and down with an electric stove or play hop scotch between a too hot and a too cold burner. On the Fagor Duo there are two spring compression settings. You can cook at 8 psig or 15 psig. 15 psig is the normal setting used for most pressure cooking. For delicate foods, like fish, or if you are in no particular rush the 8 psig setting will come in handy.

Bottom line is I like the Fagor the best of the three pressure cookers I discussed, next I like the Presto. The Kuhn Rikon is built like a tank and it is an interesting design. I just don't like it as well as the Fagor's and I am a both a mechanical engineer and I cook for a hobby. I'd like to think my opinion is an informed one.

About eight years ago I purchased the Fagor Duo 8-quart pressure cooker and have loved using it since my purchase. The pan is made of heavy duty stainless steel which cooks evenly and foods come out tasting like they are supposed to. No off tastes just well prepared food.

Once the pressure cooker reaches pressurization the cooker quietly cooks a tasty meal in minutes. Once in awhile you may hear a slight hiss but that's about it.

And finally, I think Fagor uses a standardized gasket for almost all of their pressure cookers. You can check with Fagor to confirm this.

Another plus is the ability to rapidly depressurize the cooker by turning the the knob to steam release. No more taking the pressure cooker to the sink to run water over the pan to quickly release the pressure.

I've cooked pot roasts, porcupine meatballs, soups, stews, ribs, and even rice pudding in my Fagor pressure cooker. All turned out great!

Just got this pressure cooker a few weeks ago and we love it! Solid, well-built, easy to use/clean--if you're looking for a top-quality pressure cooker at a reasonable price, this is the one to buy!

We purchased a Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker from Amazon about a year ago for $48.99. We were looking for a decent stainless steel pressure cooker without spending a ton of money. While the Presto is reasonably well made and you certainly can't argue with the price, in our opinion the Fagor Duo is 5 times the cooker at less than twice the price of the Presto. We're really sold on pressure cookers (the flavor, the time savings, etc) so much so that we decided to do our research and get a quality pressure cooker this time even though it would cost more. After a lot of research, we decided on the Fagor Duo.

First, I'd like to address some complaints about this item mentioned by some other reviewers here. I truly believe that many complaints come from people who didn't read and/or didn't understand the owner's manual, and trust me, when cooking with a pressure cooker you NEED to read the manual!!

For example, someone mentioned that it was hard to tell when this unit came up to pressure, and I couldn't disagree more! There is a plastic yellow rod built right into the handle that pops up about 3/8" when the unit develops the desired pressure, plus, with mine any hissing from escaping steam also stops once the proper pressure is achieved. I find this style of pressure indicator MUCH easier to use than the old "rocker-top" style cookers. Additionally, once pressure is achieved and you reduce the cooking temperature, the Fagor Duo maintains pressure MUCH better than our Presto rocker-top pressure cooker--in fact our Presto cooker was so finicky in this regard (you have to verrrrry slowly reduce the temperature or else the rocker stops rocking and you have to increase the temperature again.....) that we decided to get one of the newer style pressure cookers like the Fagor.

Someone else complained about putting the lid on wrong and having it jam. First of all, it's EXTREMELY difficult to put the lid on wrong--Fagor even engraves a mark on the lid of this pressure cooker that you line up with the handle to ensure easy and proper locking of the lid every time. In fact, that was another thing we didn't like about our Presto 6-quart pressure cooker--lining up the locking notches on the lid on was always a bit of a struggle, but the Fagor Duo model makes putting on the lid very simple. Again, reading the owner's manual (or watching the included Fagor instructional DVD) is VERY IMPORTANT!

Some of the features that we like the best are: The Fagor Duo is much wider at the base than the Presto cooker which is not only more stable, but also gives you more surface area for browning meats prior to pressure cooking. The Fagor Duo comes with a nice stainless steel steamer basket, an informative instructional DVD on pressure cooking, a well thought out and comprehensive owner's manual, AND a nice recipe book that includes over 50 recipes! It also has a very handy steam release valve built into the cooker lid that allows you to quickly vent the pressure (in order to open the lid after cooking is complete) without having to lug the heavy pot over to the sink to run cold water on it, or wait the 5-10 minutes for the pressure to drop by itself. There's also two pressure settings (thus the name "Duo") so that you can cook/steam delicate foods like veggies, fish, etc at a lower pressure.

All in all we couldn't be happier with the Fagor Duo. We considered a Kuhn 8 quart pressure cooker, but the $200 price tag for the Kuhn combined with the great reviews for the Fagor Duo make our decision easy.

If you're new to pressure cooking, don't make the same mistake we did by buying a lesser unit to save money, just bite the bullet and get the Fagor. With it's build quality and 10 year warranty it should give you many, many years of great service!

Length:: 2:01 Mins

The pressure cooker caught my eye after watching Iron Chef. I too wanted to cook faster with awesome results. This pressure cooker does that. I am amazed by the variety and possibilities the device has opened up to me. Potato Soup in five minutes, chicken stock in under 20 and stuff cabbages that are out of this world; all brimming with big flavor.

My recommendation is to buy it. I could not substantiate handles breaking or any failings from a cooking or manufacturing stand point. The pot is solid. It is super easy to use and seems as safe as any other pot. Check out the vid review to see it for yourself.

Verdict: BUY

This is an excellent Fagor product. I'm not sure what the other reviewer really meant when saying the lid jammed, but the lid is supposed to be turned to the left to close, not to the right. The handle on the lid and the handle on the pot is supposed to meet and then you know it's closed because you hear an audible click as it locks in place. I suppose if you try to force the lid to the right it will jam, but why would you want to do that?

Anyway, there are 2 pressure settings, one for low, and one for high. The high is used when you don't have a lot of time. The instructions are clear in the booklet, and most meals will cook in less than an hour. It does take getting used to especially if you've never used a pressure cooker before, like me. But I love how quickly the meat gets soft, especially since I usually don't start thinking about dinner until late in the afternoon.

This is a very nice, heavy-weight 18/10 Stainless Steel cooker, not the thin aluminum types like "Presto". You're getting a well-made, quality pressure cooker with Fagor.

We purchased this cooker based on the recommendation of a Cooks Illustrated review, and we have not been disappointed at all! The 10qt capacity is just what we need for big soups, and the 2-level pressure system offers good flexibility in terms of cooking times and tenderness. We made a fabulous, tender and juicy braised short rib dish in less than 2 hours from start to table- not a bad deal!

2008 Update: We still use this cooker and are still very happy with it! Just don't overfill or you will be picking herbs out of the pressure spout :-) I have also posted a review on TrustedOnes.com (http://www.trustedones.com/listing/view/bbSzZgRY8r3yXhaocbDfzs)

I LOVE this cooker!!! It saves me time, work, money, nutrients, cooks 3-10 times faster. You can put food in even if not defrosted [although microwaves help that issue]. They make the best stews, soups, sweet and sour ribs, chili, puddings, cheese cakes etc. You can buy a really inexpensive cut of meat, put in your spices, some water and wine, and in less than 20 minutes it is fork tender. Whenever I have a recipe that calls for cooked chicken [like enchiladas], I buy the less expensive whole chicken, put it in the cooker and in 15-20 minutes it is falling-off-the-bone tender.

This one comes with a double locking system and two levels of pressure; one for veggies and grains; the other for more dense foods like dry beans, meats or squash. I would never be without one again. I'm going to order the companion 6 quart that Fagor makes for those larger meats and veggies!

I purchased the Fagor Duo 8-Quart Pressure Cooker on the recommendation of a friend I respect. I made a glorious stew the first time I used it. The second time, I tried to make rice, using the instructions in the booklet. I sat next to the stove, timing how long it would take to come to pressure (information I insert in recipes). I waited and waited. Turns out the orange pressure indicator had melted. This, on the second use of the cooker.

I called the 1-800 number listed in the booklet that comes with the pressure cooker. When I told my story to the woman who answered, she said she'd send me a new part (to replace the part requires disassembling the handle using a Philips Head screw driver) as a one time courtesy. From now on, I'd have to purchase a replacement part.

I said, What about the ten-year warranty. She said that was only on the metal parts of the pressure cooker, not on the handle, not on the pressure indicator. Having a ten-year warranty for metal is like having a ten-year warranty for a rock -- it's a relatively useless warranty.

The first woman I spoke to suggested that it was my fault -- that I'd had the flame beneath the pot on too high. I have a gas stove, and their instructions say to place the cooker over high heat. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She had the same story -- handle, etc., not under warranty. She said this doesn't happen very often. But it happened to me the second time I used the pot, following their directions.

Good customer service? Maybe. If I was running the show, I would have asked me to send back the pot so their engineers could determine if it malfunctioned. I would have sent me a new pot. But no.... So, buyer beware.

note -- I purchased the combo which including this cooker, so I am repeating my review here.

Fagor is the least expensive brand that I am aware of which also has the 'modern' features desirable in pressure cookers. To learn more about pressure cookers and what is desirable go to missvickie.com (a non-commercial site devoted to pressure cooker enthusiasts.) Some of these features deal with safety, e.g. you don't have to worry about plugging the steam escape with Fagor. Fagor cookers also reach a pressure of 15psi (which is important.) Unless a brand advertises that they do reach 15psi, assume that they don't. I suggest getting an extra gasket when you buy the item as you will need one at one point (they don't last forever). I must also compliment the company on its service. I bought this item, and sent in a rebate form (for a free stock pot). They sent me a nice paella pan by mistake. I was satisfied, however I called them to make sure that there was no mistake. They answered the phone right away (without the common maze of annoyingly slow and complex menu options that leave you screaming.) The woman I talked to was very personable. This woman check on what happened, called me back, and told me that they would also send the stock pot to me, and for me to go ahead and keep the paella pan.