Customer Reviews

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Top Pressure Cooker 7.4-Quart

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This pressure cooker is probably the best on the market and a perfect size for a family. But, watch what you are purchasing, there are 2 separate types of lids on the Duromatic pressure cooker. This is the superior lid as it is easier to see the pressure, and turn it down to appropriate settings-fast release, slow release, with minimal effort. The other Kuhn Rikon's are awesome too. As far as I can tell, they are the same, with the exception of the lid/release. If you have the extra money, this is worth it--especially if you are a beginner. I regret that I bought the duromatic set without realizing the difference in the lids. I guess on the bright side, it means that I have pressure cookers in different sizes now.

If you are nervous about pressure cooking, there are awesome books out there to help lead the way-including pressuring cooking for dummies. My favorite is Miss Vickies Book of Pressure Cooker recipes, also found on amazon. She also has a website that offers a lot of free information as well as free recipes (although some have a small charge).

So, cook your food faster, save energy, retain more nutrients, and serve delicious homemade meals that seem like you have spent all day in the kitchen.

I grew up watching my mother use a pressure cooker with a balancing weight on the lid - and constantly terrified that it was going to explode.

It has taken me 20 years to get over that fear - and after doing a lot of research, I finally bought a Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker. As a working mother with two young children, I have NO IDEA how anyone survives without a pressure cooker. I use mine almost every day. Unlike a slow cooker, I'm not worried about whether my house is burning down because I left the slow cooker .... cooking.

I started with spareribs, which after 15 minutes tasted like they had been braised for 3 hours. Then I moved on to risotto, which after 6 minutes is delicious, creamy, and tastes like I slaved over the stove stirring it constantly for an hour. I have also made soups, which are quick and easy.

The pot is easy to use, easy to clean, and safe. Rather than wasting gas/electricity simmering a dish for hours, it's finished in literally a fraction of the time. And it doesn't sound like an airplane's landing in your kitchen.

This is by far the wisest kitchen appliance purchase I have ever made.

I use this pot at least once a week, particularly for risottos (try a butternut squash version!) and tougher cuts of meat, which cook to fork-tenderness in a trice. It's also fantastic for cooking dry beans (try the heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo) -- no need to soak overnight.

You have to keep an eye on the pressure indicator, but over time you learn how to adjust the burner to maintain high (but not too high) pressure for the recipe time. You can't really walk away from the kitchen, but then the cooking times are pretty brief.

Lorna Sass' cookbooks -- Cooking under Pressure and Pressure Perfect: Two Hour Taste in Twenty Minutes Using Your Pressure Cooker -- are invaluable. I haven't had a bum recipe yet.

I also have a smaller Fagor model, but I prefer the larger size as well as the simpler Kuhn-Rikon controls. For lots of dishes, you're not supposed to fill the cooker more than halfway, so anything smaller than four quarts is often too small, and the bigger size can handle everything.

My wife recently mentioned that most people have pressure cookers. I don't know about that... but, now that we bought this Kuhn Rikon 7.4 quart pot, I have to say that I am very impressed and I feel I've been strangely uninformed all these years about the capabilities of a pressure cooker.

I've organized my thoughts into two categories: pressure cooking in general, and this Kuhn Rikon product specifically.

Regarding the magic of pressure cooking, we've tried a variety of items, including mashed potatoes, ribs and one-pot meals. They turned out very well. They were quick. They were simple. The pot cleaned up easily. The flavors seemed to be more "sophisticated" than I've typically produced on the stove. The flavors were all blended together as if they'd been simmering for hours. All in a matter of minutes. Pressure cooking authors Lorna Sass and Vickie Smith each offer pretty good cookbooks with plenty of good advice and recipes to newbies like myself.

One thing I would point out... I was skeptical about cooking something in a mere 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 minutes. And in a way, I was right. The cooking times associated with pressure cooking refer to the time once pressure has been reached. For me, on our gas stovetop at fairly high heat (I never use the highest setting), it takes about 10 minutes plus to get "pressurized". Then, after the cooking time has elapsed, you have to take the time for the pot to depressurize. This pressure reduction can take just a few minutes to about fifteen, depending on the method used. So, it is true you can throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot, close the lid and be completely done in a half hour, but I wouldn't tell anyone that dinner will be ready in eight minutes as you secure the lid and turn up the burner!

Now, my thoughts on the Kuhn Rikon 7.4 qt cooker... At first, before I understood the product, there were two things that bothered me. I have resolved both issues without having to contact Kuhn Rikon customer service. First, on the cosmetic side, the brand label was all bumpy and wavy. I thought something this expensive should be perfect and I couldn't bring myself to accept that the label wasn't applied with care. It turns out that the problem was with a plastic, transparent, static cling protector over the label. Once I figured this out and removed what amounts to packaging, the label was beautiful.

Secondly, when I tested the product with a few cups of water, I couldn't get the cooker to come to pressure until I tinkered with the pressure gauge. After 29 minutes of heating, the pot just sat there with steam released from the lid. After spending time reviewing the owner's manual, I decided to dissemble the pressure valve and reassemble it. That's when I noticed that the valve's screw (which allows you to dissemble and clean food out of the valve) was loose. I tightened this screw, the cooker works flawlessly, and I now know how to easily clean the valve if I should ever have to.

Beyond my first two "newby" problems, I have to say that this product is very simple to use. A clear gauge tells you when you reach either a middle pressure or high pressure, the lid is secured and removed easily, the parts are easy to clean and probably because of quality design and materials, I haven't had any scalding/burnt food issues. The relief valve apparatus works well, allowing you to simply turn the top knob and it depressurizes on its own without any heat on hand or arm. No holding under tap water in the sink. It appears to be built for many years of use and claims that Kuhn Rikon is the jewel of pressure cookers just might be true.

I wondered about what size would be best. I am glad I have this size. It isn't unreasonably large. It is tall enough that no food has reached anywhere near the top. Just steam. So... cleaning is easy, and I am very sensitive to difficult cleaning chores after preparing a meal.

Overall, I have to say that I wish I had had this years ago. I think it will revolutionize cooking in our home. I always thought the microwave was the best tool to increase speed over conventional cooking, but pressure cooking seems to produce better results. I highly recommend this product, it is well worth the seemingly high price.

This is a TIME MACHINE!!! Imagine corn on the cob cooked to perfection in three minutes or whole large beets done to fork tender in eight or large Mexican squash in two minutes. You get the picture. Along with the ability to cook veggies and meats in record time what I like best about this cooker is how quickly it will rise to full (15lb )pressure -10 min - and do its' thing and then with a slight turn of the knob on the lid drop the pressure down to stop the cooking and let the lid come off in as little as five minutes. Amazing!

Built like a jeweled piece of art it almost looks out of place in our kitchen. And the precision of the fit and finish is a joy to behold. The Rikon is easy to use and staright forward in its' design.

Some details and do's and don'ts are needed here to qualify my review: First off if you're uncertain which Rikon to buy- either this 7.4qt model or the 5qt - definately go with the 7.4qt. It's not that much heavier and the extra capacity will allow you to, for instance, cook NINE ears of corn at a time ( stacking them like logs )and by using those expandable metal steamer baskets you can stack whole beets, squash, carrots, you name it by simply filling one basket and setting another on top of the first. Throw in a few pats of butter before you cook and the pressure puhes the butter flavor into the veggies. For squash add a little Seasoning Salt and it too will be pressure-cooked in. The possibilities are endless.

To help guide me with the cooking I bought the Miss Vickies Big Book of pressure Cooker recipes when I bought the Rikon. This one book is invaluable for making the most of your cooker. It has charts for cooking times and everything you need to know about cooking great meals. The recipes ( the corned beef and cabbage is a family favorite ) are simple and easy.

A few things learned from experience:
1)If recipes call for some browning to be done to say, chicken, before you pressure cook, it's best to brown in a different pan and add the food to the Rikon. Browning in the Rikon and then pressure cooking the food means a heavy duty scrubbing and clean-up afterwards. Use the Rikon for pressure cooking- not browning.
2) Before you attach the lid to the body spray a little vegatable oil on the seal and then wipe with a paper towel. This will insure a good seal and will also prolong the life of the seal. And when storing the Rikon place the lid seal-side up on the body to prevent distortion. It would also pay to order a new seal when you order your Rikon for future replacement( they cost about $20 ).
3) Be gentle when you clean the exterior of the Rikon as it will scratch easily. The inside will clean-up very easily as long as you haven't browned something. Make use of plastic scrubbers on the inside. And be extra careful how you handle the lid. It's very sturdy but will distort if dropped I'm sure and there goes your ability to get pressure.

So to recap: Yes the Rikon is an expensive kitchen tool. Is it worth it? Absolutely. You will smile everytime you think about using it. How many other tools in your kitchen arsenal bring on that reaction? Buy a couple expandable stainless steamer baskets ( a must ) to utilize the extra capacity of the cooker. Buy the 'Miss Vickie Cook Book' and an extra seal and get ready to have some fun in the kitchen. But beware: You will have to find a use for all the extra time you suddenly have on your hands.

I purchased this pressure cooker because I bought a 21 quart All American pressure canner that's so big and heavy my wife told me that I could have it for my canning jobs, but she wanted something more manageable in size and weight. Can't say I blame her.

The reviews on the Kuhn Rikon seemed to be generally very favorable. A number of comments were made on the price (you can literally buy 4 or 5 Presto's for the price of one of these), but to me it doesn't make sense to go cheap on a product that will have several quarts of more-than-boiling hot food in it under high pressure on your stove. And you in the same room.

Here's my thoughts....

1) Who doesn't like Swiss-made quality? The Swiss aren't known for making anything cheap or shoddy that I'm aware of.
2) I like how the lid lines up and locks down easily. (My old Miro that recently bit the dust was not so easy to use.)
3) The regulator couldn't be easier. There's no regulator weight to misplace or possibly put on at the wrong setting. Just watch for either one or two red lines as the regulator rises up as pressure builds. Most foods cook best at the two-line setting, which is equal to 15 psi. The lower setting is mostly for rice, some meats, and a few other foods that my foam or spatter.
4) If you need to vent the pressure after the cooking cycle ends, you just lift and turn the regulator and vent either slowly or more quickly. (That was a lot easier and safer than having to pick up the really hot weight on most pressure cookers.)
5) It's a beautiful finish on the steel pan and lid.
6) The warranty seems solid. 10 years, but not including seals, which is one thing that can really cost you over the years if you don't take care of them. I've found that just washing, drying, and occasionally putting a little cooking oil on the seals between uses will triple it's life.

I found this on a website for [...] including shipping. That's 25 to 50 bucks less than most sites (actually seemed to average [...].)

I'm just getting into pressure cooking. My first dish in this was a Great Northern bean and sausage soup, with fresh bell pepper, spinach, and herbs from my organic garden. I soaked the beans 4 hours, and the cooking time was 7 minutes at pressure, but the pan sat at least 15 minutes as the pressure naturally released. Man, was it good.

So again, it's definitely a high-end product, but I figure if I use it regularly and probably never have to replace it, it's really a bargain.

"You can get good or you can get cheap. Choose one."

I GREW UP ON PRESSURE COOKERS. MY 20 YEAR OLD PRESTO WAS STILL FINE ON MY OLD WEDGEWOOD, BUT WE MOVED TO A GLASS TOP THAT REQUIRED SOMETHING WITH AN ACTUAL FLAT BOTTOM. THE KUHN IS AWESOME -- PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MORE THAN 4 ARTICHOKES, LARGE ENOUGH TO SAFELY COOK BEANS IN, ETC. VERY HAPPY WITH THE PURCHASE. I USE IT ALMOST DAILY.

Wow. I needed to buy a pressure cooker and started my research reading all the reiews on Amazon from the Presto to Kuhn Rikon models. There is a saying that you get what you pay for: and this could not be truer. I make a lot of soup that normally takes over 2.5 hours of cooking time. And with the pressure cooker: it took all of 30 minutes to cook and then it took another 10 minutes for the de-pressurization process. Like many other newbies, I wonder why I waited so long. At the price level, it is much higher than other brands, but the cooking process was so quiet that I couldnt dream of paying less for a noisy run-way experience! Although the de-pressurization process was a little louder, but it was good to hear as you know it was working.

The model is built with several pressure release points and even if you had the heat on too high and thus creating higher pressure - you will HEAR the decompression sound to alert you to take down the flame. Yes, we have professional stoves that have rather high BTU: it did not take long for our first alert! Once you take the heat down, the sound goes within a minute.

I do recommend that 7Qt as you cannot fill the cooker to the brim (and you dont need to any more as there is little loss of liquid with a pressure cooker!). I might buy a 4-5 Qt one next to cooker smaller meals. The potenital is huge now for me as I often avoid made stews due to the time it took to cook. And a lover of baked potatoes, this new cooker is changing my life for the better.

One pointer: I found the instruction books not great for the top pressure model. What I learn was that you need to bring the food to a boil/heat AND THEN put the lid on (the heat/steam is required to create the pressure). Only then does the red line 1 and 2 make any sense. Otherwise, there is no pressure and all you see is 'steam' coming out of the top valve and the top button does not move up to the respective red lines 1 and 2. I spoke with customer service and an additional piece of advice is to 'tighten' gentle the screw on the inside lid (go clockwise until you feel a snug retort - dont over do it otherwise you could damage another piece)

Very easy to clean the rubber ring and definately rub it with some cooking oil after it drys before storing the cooker away. It was pretty easy to use once you play with it. I am very pleased I bought this model and any anxiety I had for buying a more expensive brand had slipped away (quietly). A very green product.

While the customer service at Kuhn Rikon is friendly I have to say they are inept at dealing with problems. After owning one of these pressure cookers for a few months the gasket blew. I never had any problems prior to this just one day it didn't hold pressure. I sent the Pot in, it took about a month for it to come back. Upon receiving my pot with a fixed gasket I noticed an unsightly dent on the bottom. I called right away and the customer service representative said someone else would have to call me back. I received a call several hours later that said, "no problem send the pot in and we will replace it." I sent the pot in, 2 + weeks passed and I noticed it still hadn't been returned. I called and was told the new pot was heading out that day and I would receive it that monday. Monday arrived and I received the exact same pot with a note stating that the dent could not have happened due to any malfeasance on their part. I called and told the entire story to Rudy Keller himself only to be shut down. He told me no one on his staff would have ever promised to replace the pot. I explained to him I would have never sent it had I not been promised a new pot. needless to say I am without a new pot, nor will I ever be with a new Kuhn Rikon pot after this 5 week debacle.

We got this about a month ago, and have used it several times.

The device is well constructed, safe, with multiple safety mechanisms in place, and is very tight. It doesn't seem to lose much water at all..

We are pleased with this and plan on getting a lot of use out of it.