Customer Reviews

Maxim NT5 Programmable Pressure Cooker

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

 

 

After burning an unremovable layer of charcoal onto my regular top of the range pressure cooker, I decided to shop for one with a non-stick interior. Amazon is the only place I found the Maxim pressure cooker and it offered much more than just the non-stick feature I was looking for! It is a stand alone counter top unit so I don't tie up one of my cooktop elements or heat up the kitchen when using it. Not only is the cooking vessel non-stick...it removes from the pressure cooker completely and I can just cover leftovers right in the pot and store them in the fridge. It cleans extremely easily as well. More great features...I didn't think the electronic timing aspect would be that useful but it is great. I can't forget about the food and let it overcook. The browning function is also wonderful. I tried the spaghetti sauce recipe in their booklet, browning the hamburger right in the pressure cooker, then adding the sauce ingredients and pressure cooking...best sauce I've ever made. Even more great things....it's quieter, much less steam produced from the valve on most recipes. The quick release valve is very safe, no burned fingers because you just press a button once and let go, but it can be messy, much better to let the steam dissipate naturally. Now for the drawbacks. The cord is made short for safety but it is TOO short. I could not turn the unit around sideways on my counter so I could raise the lid or keep steam from rising under the upper cabinets. It's large size makes storage a problem. Recipes which have a lot of liquid like soup can make a big mess when too much steam is produced but perhaps I did something wrong. The removeable cookpot is only a 5 quart size so a large or ungainly shaped roast is out of the question. Still the positives far outway the negatives and I am quite happy with the Maxim and give it 4 stars....and 5 stars to Amazon for having this hard to find item at a good price!

After I suffered serious burns from a range-top pressure cooker opened too early, my husband urged me to stop using a pressure cooker. Unwilling to do that, I looked for a new model. This one is great. It is easy to program, use, and clean, with a heavy, nonstick (really nonstick) pot. It doubles as a rice cooker with a timer. (Note, however, that the timer function works with the rice cooker, but not with the pressure cooker! Wish it worked for both!) I have a 9 month old baby and this appliance is very handy for steaming foods (like baby carrots) soft enough for a little one with few teeth to eat. The main drawback of this item is that it is really quite enormous. Takes up a ton of space on the counter top, though the pot's capacity isn't all that big.

I purchased my Electric Pressure cooker a year and a half ago. I was elated at the features and its working. And told everyone about it. It has broken and no longer releases the steam, and the overlow leaks everywhere. I have to use a fork to release the pressure and the food no longer cooks, and when the pressure is released it spurts out all over the pressure cooker. We treated it like a baby, cleaning it every time after using. And we are heartbrokem as we paid over ... and after the warrenty expired it broke. I had a old fashioned cooker for 20 years and other than changing the gaskets it always worked, but I am afraid of them, and was very happy to get a electric one. But now in a delima as we just lost [money] and want a good one, but will have to look elsewhere. I called the repair people and the cost is more than we can pay and could use to buy another.Very sad....Eunice Mellinkoff

I ordered this for mother's day and have used it every day since it arrived. My husband has been teasing me, "So are you going to take the pressure cooker to bed?"

First of all, we are a vegetarian household, second of all I am scared of the stove top Pressure Cookers, this is becuase I've seen one do the explosion thing and because we have two small ones wandering around the kitchen. So though it was a BIG splurge I wanted a stand alone with a brain. I am so gald I ordered it, I just made the most amazing hummus from scratch in no time, from dry beans to practically melting on the spoon in less than an hour (including warm up and cool down) . I've made amazing mashed potatos, risotto and a black bean chili that everyone kept snacking on all night. It is almost flawless in design, impossible to screw up, and fun to experiment with. My only caveat would be that 4 quarts is awfully small, esp with the steamer rack taking up the first few inches of room. We knew this buying it and decided that if we loved it, we would get a larger one when the kids start eating more, for two adults and two wee ones there is plenty of space. also my cheesecake was a flop but that may have been my fault. Last thing, get Lorna Sass's book The Pressured Cook, wow, there are some good recipes and great ideas.

This is a very well designed unit. The browning feature is very important. The capacity is very significant. I only wish that you could set it for a longer cooking time, for roasts and such. The cord wrap is also a bit odd, a self retracting cord would have been better. Still, an excellent unit...

Just a single guy who wants to avoid the time involved in cooking, but still loves great healthy food (get a wife, right?). This is a single pot solution that really saves time--doesn't require so many dishes and pans and ensuining cleaning. It's fairly automated, so I don't have to tend the stove. Fast too, so that I don't have prepare meals days in advance.

Meals are more nutritious too, and some of the dishes I've made are terrific. I usually make a potful and eat leftovers for a couple of days. Using this method, I carefully calculated time involved versus going to restaurants (requires traveling time, not as comfortable, difficult to eliminate ingridents such as salt, and pricey), other methods of cooking (too much stove tending time), microwaving (requires special knowledge or prepared foods) and partying (make a potful and invite guests over). Total time involved in preparation and eating is only slightly more than going to restaurants.

This is a great machine - my husband bought it for me for Christmas and I was intimidated by it's enormous stature, but I decided to try it out. It cooked the most tender, tastey roast in no time at all! My major beef with it is that the small leaflet cookbook/directions that come with it has a cherry cheesecake recipe that calls for an 8 inch pan - well I prepared the cheesecake and found that my 8 inch pan did not fit in the cooker. I went and bought 3 more pans all 8 inch and none of them fit! Needless to say - don't make any of there recipes without checking to see if your pans fit inside! Other than that - great item!

The fact that it is electronically controlled means you don't have to watch it. Not only does it cook very speedily but you don't have to watch it while it cooks. It also cleans up very nicely and fast. We have limited counter space and leave it on the counter because we use it very often, maybe 10x a week. Very cool for making food soft enough for infant food, (about 2 min).

Dec 2001 update, We have used this thing so much that keyspan gas said we didn't even use any gas for our stove. 0 therms! It saves energy too. You can use in the summer and it generates no detectable heat to the kitchen. I believe it's is cheap to run even though electricity is more expensive than gas. The pot is insuluated and all the timer means it only runs as long as necessary.

I purchased my Electric Pressure cooker a year and a half ago. I was elated at the features and its working. And told everyone about it. It has broken and no longer releases the steam, and the overlow leaks everywhere. I have to use a fork to release the pressure and the food no longer cooks, and when the pressure is released it spurts out all over the pressure cooker. We treated it like a baby, cleaning it every time after using. And we are heartbrokem as we paid [price]and after the warrenty expired it broke. I had a old fashioned cooker for 20 years and other than changing the gaskets it always worked, but I am afraid of them, and was very happy to get a electric one. But now in a delima as we just lost [price] and want a good one, but will have to look elsewhere. I called the repair people and the cost is more than we can pay and could use to buy another.Very sad....Eunice Mellinkoff

IF ANYONE HAS A PRODUCT MANUAL FOR THIS PRODUCT AND WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I REALLY NEED THE MANUAL. GOT A GREAT DEAL ON THE PRODUCT...BUT THE MANUAL WAS NOT IN THE BOX. imjaquie@yahoo.com