Customer Reviews

Fagor Futuro 6 Quart Pressure Cooker

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am one of those people that has always liked the thought of "nutritional, home cooked" dinners. By the time I think about cooking the stews/roasts/whole chickens/etc. it is already too late in the day so there they sit in the freezer while I am running to the store for something quick. It's really sad to see beautiful, fresh stew vegetables (along with great intentions) go bad in the refrigerator. Well, NO MORE!!!!

If you are thinking about buying a pressure cooker, go for it! Mine came in the mail yesterday and I made Tortellini Stew last night - oh my gosh it was the most tender stew meat we've had in years. It was even better than sitting in the crock pot all day! I did not pressure cook the little tortellinis :) but everything else cooked so easily. I put the stew meat in with garlic, olive oil, tomato paste and about 2 cups of stock. That pressure cooked on high for 10 minutes. Then I released the pressure (my husband calls it "releasing the aromas" because it smelled soooo good) and added in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, spices, and more broth. I brought that up to low pressure and let it go for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, added in the tortellinis with the lid off for a couple minutes and we had a dinner in MINUTES that used to take literally HOURS!!!

I decided on the Fagor 10-quart futuro model for several reasons:

1. It's stainless steel. I don't like cooking with aluminum.
2. The 10-quart size is awesome and it is not too big. It's just right for my family of four because we like leftovers and have company for dinner often.
3. I like that this model is made in Spain rather than China.
4. I liked the steamer basket/grater that came with this.
5. The easy handles on the lid. I went back and forth on this one, but after using it am SO GLAD I went with this handle design. It will store nicely and it really is super easy.
6. The two pressure settings of 1 and 2. It will be nice having a lower pressure setting when I cook tender vegetables.

It was so intimidating that first go-round but it was so easy! You should see the steam fly out when released. It's amazing how the cooker can sit so quietly on the stove. I was not expecting the big rush of steam, so it made me jump the first time but these are totally safe and really make cooking fun and GOOD! I had no problems taking the lid off when the pressure came down. I was a little nervous about that, too, but it was no big deal whatsoever!

I received this model as a wedding gift and have never looked back. I was scared of pressure cooking - the burning of things, the exploding lids, the "is it done yet" questions. This pot has never failed me. I use it all the time to cook up legumes and veggies. No more store bought beans for our family. It cooks about 2 times as fast as my friend's cheap aluminum one, so it holds pressure well. The lid is easy to set up, the safety features don't get in the way, and as long as you remember to line up the marks on the lid with the ones on the handle, you will never have a problem. I've had it for over 2 years, use it very often and I'm yet to replace the gasket. Could not be happier.

I bought a Fagor 10 quart pressure cooker about 3 weeks ago and so far the only quibble I have, and it's not a big one, is that it could be a little easier for newbies to tell when the thing is up to its cooking pressure. The manual, and the video that came with the PC both say that it's up to pressure when the little yellow button pop up. That's not actually true. When the button pops up, that means that the pot is pressurized, not that it is up to 15 psi. It is up to full pressure when wisps of steam start coming out of the relief valve.

Today I made Lentil Soup with 10 minutes of cooking time. If I had started timing when the yellow button popped up the lentils would not have been done because it took (I'm guessing here, I didn't time this part) an extra 2 or 3 minutes from the point where the yellow indicator button popped up to when stream started coming out of the relief valve. If the steam is hissing out then you need to turn down the heat until wisps of steam gently escape.

I have an electric stove so there's that issue of "thermal inertia" where I make an adjustment to but it takes a short bit of time for it to respond. It is just the nature of the beast for electric ranges. A good tip from a PC cookbook said to use two burners, one to heat the PC up to pressure and a second burner turned on at the same time to a lower setting so all you have to do is move the PC from the high temperature burner to the lower temperature one.

I had an "El Cheapo" stainless steel old-style (first generation) PC and the setting on my stove for cooking was the letter "M" on the word Med. on the dial. With the Futuro all I need is the "m" on word Wm on the dial. This is a much lower setting. It is surprising how little energy is needed to maintain pressure with this PC.

The build quality is excellent - one reason I bought the Futuro is that this model is still made in Spain. I've had enough trouble with Made in China gear that I wasn't about to trust our well-being to Chinese quality control. (This is a whole other issue but I now look for alternatives to Chinese made items whenever possible). If they are willing to add a poisonous material (melamine) to milk to make it test higher in protein and kill a handful of babies and sicken thousands more how much could they care about me standing in front of a stainless steel pot pressurized to 15 psi? I shouldn't have to worry that my PC is an I.E.D.

(Taking a breath now)

The bottom of the pot is very thick and spreads the heat well. As I said earlier, I made Lentil Soup today and I realized as it was nearly done that I added the lentils first so they were sitting on the bottom of the pot and I added the other ingredients on top of them. I use highest heat setting to bring the PC up to pressure (an electric stove will boil a pot of water quicker than a gas stove) so it is a very high heat. I was worried that the beans might burn a bit because I'd forgotten to stir the ingredients before heating up to pressure. But when I emptied the pot there wasn't the slightest evidence of that. The soup is delicious!

I like the short handles on the Futuro, it is easier to store. The operating valve is simple to remove and clean and the silicone gasket is easy to remove and it makes no difference which side is up when replaced so there is one less thing I can screw up. I bought the glass lid for $10 from Amazon and now I've got a very high quality 10 qt. pot for non-PC usage.

A couple of days ago I made Pulled Pork for sandwiches from a 4.5 pound piece of boneless pork loin (lower fat, ya know) that turned out wonderfully in the PC. We're having that again tonight with a cup of Lentil Soup. This has changed the way we do much of our cooking.

I'm sorry if I'm burying the lead but the new generation of pressure cookers is very, very safe. They are nothing like the ones that your mothers or grandmothers had. I'm assuming that most people who are looking at these fairly expensive PCs already know quite a bit about them so you probably know that but I felt I should make the point for newbies.

Buy a couple of good PC cookbooks when you buy your PC and you'll get a ton of good advice about using them, including how to adapt your family's favorite recipes to the PC.

Good grief! Did I do 800+ words about my PC? I need an editor after only one margarita.

If you're looking for a PC you can't go wrong with the Fagor. Enjoy!

Love, love my pressure cooker! Cooks well and fast. Compatible with induction cooktop. Easy to wash. This size is for a small family. If your family is larger than three, you are better off with the 8-quart size. Instruction booklet is easy to read, really. Definitely worth every penny. Made in Spain.

I picked the futuro because I like the small footprint of the handles. I've had it about 6 months and was using it for beans, desserts (makes a great cheesecake and creme brulee!!), but kept finding that a lot of steam was coming out of the handle area and it was taking about 40% longer to cook to cook things then the recipe called for, so was not totally happy. One day I was reading through the instruction manual and saw instructions on how to tighten up the handles (take a phillips screwdriver and voila!). I checked, and one of my handles was very loose, so I tightened it up and now my Fagor works perfectly! So, if you get one and it doesn't seem to be working as it should, check for a loose handle. This is my first pressure cooker and I really love it! I checked out several pressure cookbooks from the library, but ended up buying The Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Toula Patsalis. Her cookbook is great if you like Mediterranean inspired food. I made her lamb meatballs last night - FABULOUS and cooked in only 5 minutes!!!!!

This is my third pressure cooker and the easiest so far .The food cooks well and the clean-up in no time .I would highly recommend it and especially the handles are compact enough that it does not take room to store.

I received my Fagor Pressure Cooker about 2 weeks ago, and absolutely love it!! It is beautiful, safe, and easy to use. Rice has always been problematic for me to prepare, either watery and underdone, or gummy. Now it comes out perfect every time. The foods I have prepared so far are much more flavorful prepared under pressure, and so much faster to prepare. I would highly recommend the Fagor for its high quality and ease of use. I have the 6 quart, and it is of ample size for preparing meals.

This stockpot pressure cooker is just the right size to cook one pound of beans or brown rice. Its two short handles are easier to work with and store. The self-locking lid is a nice feature.
I use this pressure cooker full-time. First with the glass lid to soak beans overnight, then to cook, then to store stews and soups with the glass lid in the refrigerator. The Fagor slogan, "the most important piece of cookware you'll own" is now true. Only the microwave gets more use.
I now would rather cook with this stockpot-type pressure cooker than a regular saucepan or skillet.

Love this cooker! I have always been afraid of pressure cooking. With this one, I am not afraid at all. This one makes it easy. I hunted for days for the "right" cooker for me, this one won! I have had for several months now and am very pleased!

I had an old stainless steel Presto for about 10 years and the sealing mechanisms started to fall apart. It served me well, but I had to replace the rubber gasket frequently. Four months ago I bought this 10 qt. Fagor Futuro stainless steel pressure cooker. I've used it 5 times and I feel it's going to last close to a lifetime and I love how it's mechanically designed.
It's made well, heats faster, cooks well, cleans easily, looks beautiful and is much quieter. It has the size, without taking the extra space. The gasket is made of a more durable material and is supposed to last a lot longer. For me, the expense was worth it; so for those who are looking to buy a very good, easy to use pressure cooker, this is it. I previously purchased a Cooks 8qt. anodized aluminum on sale and I returned it after using it 3 times...the rocker kept getting stuck, consequently it would lose all the water and start to burn the food.. It didn't work as well as my old Presto stainless. I suggest you pay the extra for stainless steel and if you're new to pressure cooking, this Fagor stainless will make you smile the first time you cook a couple extra large artichokes.

David, in San Diego