Customer Reviews

Fagor Splendid 10-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is an excellent pressure cooker at an excellent price. I do feel they should have included a trivet and metal plate. All of the accessories are extra.

I ordered the canning rack which holds 4 pints. I don't believe it would be wise to try to can quarts in this one, but the directions were not clear. In fact, I would have given this a much higher rating if they were, but I had trouble figuring out how to use it...and one does want to follow directions where a pressure cooker is concerned. They kept referring to to pressures, hi and low. I finally realized the 6 qt model has both but not the 10 and the directions were applicable to each model. The 10 quart pressures at 15 lbs....FAST!

I once had Fagor 6 qt model and the metal was heavier than this one. However, the upside is that it is easier to lift up to pour things from it which is a plus if you're elderly as I am.

I really like they way this cooks; fast, easy to clean. It's beautifully designed pan.

There are numerous uses for non-pressure cooking too. Big enough for a stock pot, cooking spagetting for a crowd, etc etc.

I haven't canned with it. However, I plan on making a big pot of soup and canning what's left.

One reviewer mentioned that you can't fill it over 2/3 full. That is true of ANY pressure cooker. So if you are debating between a 6 quart or a 10 quart, go for the 10 quart.

There are additional accessories for this..canning rack, bucket insert (for spaghetti, etc.) I recommend getting the lid for non-pressured food and keep the pressure lid for pressure.

I don't think you will be disappointed with this product.

I've had this for 7 years after writing the above review. I've canned lots of pints of soup, tuna, etc. and none have ever spoiled.

If you can't afford a lot of pans, this one is a must have.

I have wanted a pressure cooker for some time, and recently received this one as a gift. I have used it a number of times since getting it, and it is becoming my favorite cooking utensil. Since getting it, I have cooked:
- beans (less than 25 minutes to perfect texture with NO presoaking)
- chicken (25 minutes to fall-of-the bone tenderness)
- roast (the most tender, juicy and best tasting my family has eaten)

A 10-quart cooker may be somewhat larger than many people think they need. I love the large size because I can cook for family or for company and don't have to worry about not having enough room. This is a simple to use, easy to clean way to have delicious food for a family in a hurry. From taking a chiken out of the refrigerator to dinner on the table is often less than 40 minutes. While this is also true of other pressure cookers, the Fagor Splendid cooker has easy to use locking mechanisms, and it's simple design makes it reliable and easy to clean.

A couple of suggestions: Read the instructions. While this cooker is simple to use and clean, the instructions contain a number of very useful hints. Had I read the instructions beforehand, my first dish would have been less of a hassle than it was. Second, buy accessories. This pot is just a pot - no trivet, no basket, no spoons, nothing else. To do serious pressure cooking, you need some of these other utensils.

A final comment: you won't get better for this price. I recommend this for any serious cook who has limited time.

This has been an amazing addition to my kitchen! I've used it for numerous stocks and stews, I've made beautiful batches of coq au vin, I've even used it for shortcutting the cooking required for molé. Everything's turned out wonderfully, and I always get plenty of complements from my wife and kids.

Everything about the unit is a joy. The heavy bottom is terrific when browning up meats and vegetables for cooking. The lid's latch is easy to work. The valve assembly comes apart quite easily for thorough cleaning, and I've even taken the lid assembly completely apart to get back into the various nooks and crannies.

This cooker gets frequent use around here and has always been up to the task. I love it!

Having cooked with pressure cookers regularly and successfully for decades, I am very experienced in maintaining and cooking with a variety of pressure cookers.

I treated myself to a stainless steel Fagor - my first Fagor (I liked the idea of the built in pressure device). Immediately I noticed slight burning in one small part, but I put up with it, and just had to use more elbow grease there whenever I cleaned. Then about a year later, after following one of their recipes, my cooker burnt out (interesting that this happened to another in comments too). This resulted in the dial melting - and of course a very messy pot - i.e. an unusable pressure cooker. Later, Fagor had the cheek to imply that the pot had failed because I had kept it in such a state! In trying to clean the pot, we noticed what seemed to be a through-and-through defect in the stainless steel - in the same place as the burn spot. It has been over 3 weeks since updating them on the latest find, yet they have remained silent, shunning me.

At least one of the recipes in the Fagor manual calls for the addition of honey AND ketchup. This is the recipe that saw the downfall of my pressure cooker. It is of interest that Snow White comments that these are a no-no in pressure cooking. You'd think that users are safe if they follow the manufacturer's instructions! However, Fagor have refused to admit any failure on the part of their recipes, or pressure cooker.

The company does not stand by its "10 Yr Warranty Fully Guaranteed Product". I photo documented the issues and sent them to Fagor - including Fagor's President (who never bothered to respond). They eventually offered a new lid ... but with a dangerous pot, it's not worth risking it. Clearly they do not care about customer satisfaction or safety, and do not see value in building up goodwill.

Stay clear of this company and its products!
(I cooked for decades with Prestige with no problems.)

I'm hoping this review will allow me to rate it zero, otherwise I will have to give it an overly generous '1'.

Fagor makes fine pressure cookers, and this is no exception. I gave this to myself for Christmas, and have already used it several times, with excellent results. There is nothing difficult about this pressure cooker. Read the manual, and be sure you understand how to engage the pressure lock, and how to set the pressure valve for pressure. Watch the DVD that is included, and you're good to go. I will say one thing about the DVD: the demonstrators in the video say to start timing when the yellow pin pops up. This is not correct. The yellow pin indicates that there is SOME pressure, but it does not necessarily mean there is FULL pressure. You will know there is FULL pressure when there is a steady stream of steam emitting from the pressure valve on the handle. This is when you start cooking time, and also reduce burner heat to the lowest setting that will still keep stable pressure, with just a whisper or puff of steam at intervals of 10 or so seconds.

I bought this Jan. 04 and have used it quite a bit. At first I was nervous having never used a pressure cooker (we've all heard horror stories) but it cannot be opened while there is still pressure inside. With this cooker, I can take a 4 pound half frozen pot roast to table ready in 2 1/2 hours! I have also made soups and stews in it. You need to keep the liquid level lower so that it doesn't boil up and clog the steam vent. Not really a problem, you can add more water later for the same effect. You can also can in it, but it does not come with supplies for it, so I haven't tried it yet. Could I live with out it? Probably, but I have a feeling, the more I use it, the less I will think I can!

I have had this product for about a month now and am very pleased with it. Cooking times tend to take longer than mentioned in the accompanying books, but still are considerably faster than conventional stove top cooking. I can also cook things that I used to have to do a lot more advanced planning for. I like that I can take meat out of the freezer, partially thaw it enough to brown the outside in the oven, then throw it in the pressure cooker to finish it...and with the same result I get from hours in a crock pot, but with much less time.

I have even baked (steamed) bread in it. Worked great and makes bread with virtually no crust.

Edit (March 2, 2010)

It's been almost a year now since I bought this and am still very happy with it. it gets used probably twice a week. Makes fantastic chili. Cooks brown rice and lentils way faster than regular stovetop cooking. Fantastic for beans. Makes killer potato soup (or potato soup to die for...whatever...very good stuff). I even cooked a ham in it. Also works well for cooking millet and other grains. I can cook whole wheat berries in it in about 20-30 minutes, depending on how firm I want them to be.

The only thing I have run into is that when the little yellow button pops up, it may not quite be up to pressure yet. Give it a few more seconds. This is on an electric stove using the "two burner" method for lowering the temperature once pressure is reached. I have found that sometimes, if I move the cooker to the lower temperature burner too soon, it loses pressure, whereas if I wait just a bit, then move it, it maintians proper pressure.

It also works great for hard boiling eggs. I put them in, cover with water, bring it to pressure, give it a minute or so, then just take it off the burner and let the pressure come down naturally. Once the pressure drops, eggs are done perfectly.

Further Edit (December 13, 2010)
Pressure cooker is still going strong, still seeing a lot of use. I have found that the best way to do this is using a single burner. When the button pops up, just turn down the burner, even tho it is an electric coil type burner, by the time the burner drops to an acceptable level of heat, the PC is at pressure. I dunno as this would work with a smaller cooker.

I've had stuff scorch a couple of times, mostly anything with lots of tomato sauce, so I've learned to be a bit more careful with that.

The gasket is still good. I quit oiling it and it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference, however, I would say that the gasket is getting stiffer and it is probably time for a replacement.

One really nifty thing I discovered (which may not be an original thing), is what I call "pressure smoking". I put some chicken in this thing on a trivet and used an entire 4 oz bottle of liquid smoke for the cooking fluid. WOW! Very yummy chicken. Fork tender and smoke flavored.

Since they live in Denver at altitude, I thought this would be a great addition to their newly renovated kitchen--with an induction cooktop. Daughter reported in January that it had been used every single day since unwrapping at Christmas. They are both involved in the high end restaurant business and intense foodies/cooks/gardeners. With work schedules, it isn't always possible to have long cooking times for food.
The larger size of this one was chosen in order to accomodate the possibility of cooking short ribs, lamb shanks, and larger pieces of meat. It has more than met expectations.
I wish that more product specifications would say whether it was induction cooking useable.

We have the 10 quart splendind model, and wanted to get one for my mom as a present because we like it so much. The first one arrived damaged (long handle on the pot was broken off), and now the second one arrived damaged (support handle on the pot was broken off). I have no complaints about the product, just the condition of the product upon arrival.

This Fagor was very well made and I'm sure would do the job if you only needed to pressure cook/can on HIGH.
There is no way to adjust the cooking from 5psi, 10psi...only 15psi. Was not explained fully in the description.