Customer Reviews

Magefesa Practika Plus Stainless Steel 6.3-Quart Super Fast Pressure Cooker

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

 

 

A friend who has a Magefesa introduced us to pressure cooking. We did lots of research on the different brands and this is the one to buy. Perfect size, very well made, easy to use controls and great results.
You will need a good cook book also. The one by Lorna Sass has the best recipes....."Cooking Under Pressure".

I've been learning to use this pressure cooker -- my first -- and am finding that trial and error is better than relying on the "Instructive & Warranty" manual.

The manual, the manual, the manual. While the manual will keep you from blowing yourself up -- and the cooker has safety features coming out the nozzle -- it doesn't guide you to success right out of the gate.

After you put the lid on and apply heat, the manual says to turn down the heat as soon as steam starts to escape from the valve on the lid, but that's too early. That little red thingie (which the manual calls the "Red Pressure sensor") eventually pops up a bit, with an audible click. THEN you turn down the heat and start the timer. If you turn the heat down too low, the internal pressure will collapse, the Red Pressure sensor lowers, and you have to spend another 3 or 4 minutes getting the pressure back up before it starts to cook properly.

The manual has a list of foods (on page 3) that shouldn't be cooked in a pressure cooker, as they can "foam, froth and sputte [sic], and clog the pressure release device." Pay attention to this list. These foods were the problem with a lot of first-generation pressure cookers that exploded so memorably into urban folklore 35 years ago.

If you're a first-time pressure cooker using a standard (non electric) model, Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes will give you recipes and much better guidance on how to use your pressure cooker. The MissVicki website also has info on racks and trivets, which are used to lift the food a bit off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't scorch. This Magefesa Practika Plus set did not include a rack, but these are inexpensive and can be purchased at housewares stores.

Believe me, as a technical writer I certainly share the pain about that dreadful manual. Still, it seems like a good pressure cooker, and I bet I'll get used to using it. Eventually. And maybe Magefesa will get a clue and revise the manual to be useful to native speakers. That one easy fix could raise this pressure cooker to all-star quality.

The instruction booklet was little help in figuring out how the pressure valve should be operated. The cooker works fine, but we learned by trial and error.

In 1993 I saw an article in a ladies magazine by Lorna Sass about pressure cooking etc. I remember my mother using one with success........and friends in Europe who did wonderful tough chuck roast delights.

I inquired about how to get a pressure cooker etc and what did she recommend. She said the Magefesa was the Mercedes of pressure cookers. Bought one for $125 at the time which was an amazing amount for a cooking pot. It is still as bright and shiny as new and has never let me down. I have several of Lorna's cookbooks (and others)to choose from. Now we have the internet.........

I wish that pressure cookers would catch on. It is one of those things that you
have to use regularly or you forget that you have it.

I agree that the directions are terrible and leave much to the imagination.

This is a good unit but we purchased it at Costco for $50 which was cheaper than Amazon. I like the safety features of the unit. The manual is the not the best translation but I find it adequate. Perhaps they have updated since some of the earlier comments. The annoying thing for me is that many of the recipes call for the trivet and yet it is not supplied. I went to the company website where one can be purchased for $15 but the purchase process does not appear to provide a secure link so I did not order. I sent a message to the company through the webpage and 5 days later have not received a response. I went out and bought one of adjustable steamer baskets for $8 and that seems to work just fine.

If you remember (or don't) about the old time pressure cookers, then this one is light years ahead of those. This is safe, FAST, and energy efficient cooking at it's best. I would recommend Miss Vicki's pressure cooker book sold also at Amazon to go with this. Well worth it. This cooker seems to be about the right size for 3-4 people and is high quality and will last a long long time. In Europe they use these all the time since cooking fuels are expensive. For my family, it's just a great time saver and makes delicious and nutritious food.

I live at 6800 feet, so cooking with a pressure cooker really makes things go much better. My first was a Mirro jiggle top, but after a year of use I decided I wanted one with many more features. This one is everything I had hoped for and more. I would recommend it to any one wanting to get into pressure cooking. I found Miss Vicki's cookbook to be very informative and explains all the features on this unit.

The Magesfesta Practika Plus Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is the best of all pressure cookers that I've every owned and used.

I simply would not know how to cook without a pressure cooker. I love this one!!!

I received the Magefesa Practika Pressure Cooker as a gift, and what a wonderful gift it is. Brown Rice cooks in 12 minutes, beans, after soaking overnight, in 8 minutes. Root vegetables cook speedily, and nutrients are retained far better than in steaming. I am enjoying soups, chili, and all sorts of vegetable dishes from the pressure cooker. Saute onions in the open cooker, add the rest of your ingredients, and in almost no time, dinner is ready. We are on a vegetarian diet right now, but you can cook all sorts of meat and chicken in a pressure cooker too. I really enjoy standing by the stove, after cooking a dish for 5 minutes on high heat, then removing it from the heat and watching the steam escape as the meal finishes. This would make a welcome addition to many kitchens!