Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker

by Kuhn Rikon

Product Features

• 5-quart saucepan-style pressure cooker made of 18/10 stainless steel; holds up to eight 1/2-pint or four 1-pint jars for canning
• Solid thermal aluminum sandwich in bottom for even browning and rapid heat absorption
• Five over-pressure safety systems; automatic locking system; spring-loaded precision valve
• Saves time and 70 percent of energy normally consumed while cooking
• Made in Switzerland; hand washing recommended; 10-year warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16.1 x 9.8 x 9 inches ; 6.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004R8ZE
• Item model number: 3342
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,761 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Beginning in the 1930s, two successive generations of busy cooks used pressure cookers to prepare family meals. The next generation, with memories of valves dancing and hissing on stovetops, snubbed pressure cookers. Now pressure cookers have come back, those old valves replaced by modern versions that ensure safety while delivering the speed, ease, and nutritional benefits of pressure cooking. Pressure cooking also saves 70 percent of the energy normally consumed while cooking.

This heavyweight, stainless-steel beauty is a fine example of contemporary engineering and style. Its mirror finish gleams, and its black handles--including a loop handle for two-handed lifting--stay cool. Pressure-cooking traps steam to heat foods at temperatures higher than boiling. An aluminum disk in the base, sandwiched by stainless steel, speeds the process even more through fast heat conductivity. It's safe on electric, gas, ceramic, and induction stovetops. Little water is required, so nutrients, flavor, and color are not boiled away. Vegetables emerge vibrantly colored from the steamer insert. Stews, soups, beans--even meat loaf, pork chops, and desserts such as bread pudding--come out tasty and nutritious. (A booklet containing dozens of recipes is included.) You can brown meats in the pot before the lid is locked on, or use the pot without the lid. The stem of the operating valve shows high and low pressure so you can adjust heat for different foods. After cooking, the pressure can be reduced slowly (just let the cooker sit for a while), normally (press the pressure indicator), or quickly (run tepid water on the lid's rim).

Safety measures abound: the lid twists onto the pot; a rubber gasket ensures a tight seal. A vent releases steam if pressure builds too high, as does a valve that also locks the lid when any pressure whatsoever is inside the cooker. Cleanup is a bit involved: hand wash the pot, gasket, and lid with a mild detergent, then lightly oil the gasket. Normally the valve is self-cleaning, but if food passes through it, disassembly is required. Minor cleaning inconvenience, though, should not overshadow the major convenience of pressure cooking. --Fred Brack

Product Description

Want to speed up your cooking time and reduce your energy bill at the same time? With Kuhn Rikon's Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker, you can do both. By using their pressure cooker to prepare everything from risotto to roasts to cheesecakes, you'll reduce your cooking time by one-third and your energy use by 70 percent! The Swiss-made, 5-liter pressure cooker is equipped with a special spring-loaded valve that eliminates every bit of the guesswork. The integral lid-locking system comes with 5 safety steam-release systems that pretty much eliminate mishaps once associated with pressure cookers. The 18/10 stainless steel cooker won't react to foods being cooked, and the solid thermal aluminum bottom promotes even browning and rapid heat absorption. The bottom pan is dishwasher safe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best pressure cooker I have used so far, March 9, 2004

By 

Pankaj SAXENA (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker (Kitchen)

I've gone through 4 or 5 pressure cookers in the last 10 years, and I think I've finally found one I like. I work full time (40-60 hours a week), and I like to cook, so the time saved by pressure cooking is important to me. I use the pressure cooker mostly for meat, potatoes, beans and lentils. Typically, meat cooks in about 1/3 the time it would take in a regular pot. Pressure cooked meat is very tender and flavorful, but you need some experience in matching the cooking time to the type of meat. You have to be careful not to overcook.

The construction and finish of this cooker are excellent. It is made of stainless steel, with a thick aluminum plate at the bottom to spread the heat. This is a useful feature. Typically, pressure cooking requires high heat initially to quickly build up steam pressure before you turn the heat down. That is when food can burn and stick to the bottom of the cooker. This cooker spreads heat very well. So long as you use the prescribed amount of water or other cooking liquid, this cooker will not burn food at the bottom.

There is a two-level steam pressure indicator on the lid. The cooker comes with two booklets containing recipes, and a very comprehensive list of recommended cooking times for all sorts of meats, poultry, vegetables, beans, etc. If you follow directions, the cooker does not whistle or otherwise make any objectionable sounds. I can barely hear it from 10 feet away. Of course, if you forget to turn down the heat after the cooker is up to full cooking pressure, it will release a loud burst of steam. This is a safety feature.

The cooker has a shield on top of the lid to direct any escaping steam downwards, so there is no danger of burning your hands.

Kuhn-Rikon recommends using nylon spatulas to maintain the mirror-like finish, but you'll find them sadly inadequate when, for example, browning meat. I use a heavy gauge steel Calphalon spatula and steel tongs. After several months, I can see minor scratch marks inside the cooker, but the outside is still bright and shiny! Anyway, cookware should be designed to take this kind of handling -- it is meant to be useful rather than decorative. Stainless steel is the best material to withstand normal levels of use and abuse, and this cooker handles it well.

Keep in mind that a pressure cooker can't be filled to the top when cooking. It should never be more than half or two-thirds full, so the 5 liter capacity translates to about 2.5-3.0 liters of usable capacity. If you cook large quantities, you might want to get a bigger model.

This is a relatively expensive cooker, but it is well worth the money.

110 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mom under pressure, May 3, 2000

By 

Meg K (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker (Kitchen)

As a mom of two active boys I need my Duromatic pressure cooker almost every day. Especially after swimming they are starving and want real food fast! A standard dish is my 7 mintues risotto.I just throw in whatever I can find in the fridge or follow the great recipe provided in the cookbook "Quick Cuisine" that comes with the cooker. For all of you out there who are afraid of pressure cookers I have this to say: This unit is a high tech and safe as your computer! It's so easy to use even my husband can do it. Some of my favorit dishes: Beef stew, BBQ pot roast, beets, corn on the cob (no boiling 10 gallons of water) potatos for mashed or salad, whole chicken in 20 minutes! Well you just have to try it out. This cooker is the best--my kids will tell you so.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything they said it is., April 15, 2003

By 

Jan L. Nadeau (Covert, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kuhn Rikon 3342 5-1/4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker (Kitchen)

I deliberately went searching for a modern pressure cooker, partly because every Vegan cookbook that I own considers it a "must have". I also have fond memories of the delicious meals that my Mom and Grandmother cooked in years past, but the older styles scared me with their sputtering and pressure releases. I was always somewhat afraid I would end up with pot roast on my ceiling... The Kuhn Rikon 5-Liter Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is a dream come true. The 5-Liter size is adequate for a small family or if cooking just for one or two people. It is easy to regulate the cooking pressure with the gauge on the top and the user guide is actually user-friendly! Pressure cooking foods is somewhat of an art, I believe, so it does take a little bit of getting used to if you are not familiar with using a pressure cooker. I, personally, have not owned one and so there is a bit of a learning curve. But the measurement and timing guides for different foods are comprehensive and very easily understandable. The foods I have cooked came out just as expected in much shorter amounts of time than regular cooking methods. Plus, I like the fact that nutrients are sealed in and foods retain their moisture. The stainless steel pot and cover clean up easily. The engineering and design are beautiful and I am totally happy with this cooker. It is a most welcome addition to my kitchen!