Customer Reviews

Fagor "Elite" Pressure Cooker, 4-Quart

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've owned this pressure cooker for 6 months and I've already changed the gasket twice. Even with that, it doesn't hold pressure and often just lets out a burst of hot pressurized steam halfway through cooking. I wouldn't recommend this item to my worst enemy.

When I got my Fagor pressure cooker I was very pleased with how it worked and assumed my pressure cooking days were just beginning. I used it daily for about six months with no trouble other than cleaning. Then, without overheating or other accident, it developed a crack in the safety valve under the lid. It is made of some sort of weak pot metal. This is the valve which seals in the steam and raises the safety button. Unfortunately it cannot be purchased alone. You must buy the handle and other parts as a kit--all of which costs nearly as much as a new pressure cooker. I had expected nothing would need replacement but the gasket.
Between the weakness of the part and the lack of economical access to a replacement, I would say Fagor is selling a throw-away product, unfortunately, because it really does work well--at first.

I've used my Fagor elite pressure cooker(s), both the 4 qt and the 6 qt for years. As long as I keep the gasket clean and use a paper towel to add a little vegetable oil between uses, they get to pressure, hold the pressure and cook all the recipes I use really well. I also use it to cook food from my garden that we're blanched and frozen in the blanching liquid. With the 4 Qt I can take two quart bags of block hard frozen butter beans to perfectly cooked items in 9 minutes. Every time.