Customer Reviews

Presto 06006 Kitchen Kettle Electric Multi-Cooker and Fryer

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This unit is similar to the one I have (old style 06000), so I have included my review here as well.

I bought one at Walmart last year. I use it pretty often, but mostly for making popcorn. Turn temp to 350, put a couple-three tablespoons of peanut oil in the bottom, and then when the oil heats up throw in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of popcorn. Put the cover on and keep the pot moving while the corn pops. When the corn has just about stopped popping, turn the heat off and pour the popcorn into a bowl. Butter, salt and eat. YUM!

I've deep-fried scallops in it, steamed vegetables, cooked rice, made soup and even baked potatoes. The thing works great! I wasn't going to write a review until I saw Alton Brown talk some trash about it on Good Eats. I got pretty defensive about my humble Presto cooker! He was doing a silly episode about "man food" like corn dogs and thin, square hamburgers. Well, when Mr. Brown was explaining how to fry the corn dogs he said (while holding a Presto mutlti-cooker) that a pot with an heating element on the outside of the bottom wasn't a good idea because first the element had to heat the pot and then it had to heat up the oil. Too slow. After that he displayed three home-use rectangular fryers with immersion type heating elements. He said they were also better because they each had cooking baskets and break-away magnetic cords. He picked the one with the digital controls, while implying that this was somehow better than the manual rotary temp control.

I don't know if A. B. gets paid for product placement on his show, but I really thought he was being disingenuous regarding the Presto "pot." First of all, about the heating element on the bottom of the Presto cooker: During the frying demonstration, Mr. Brown had some text placed over the screen that said that if you didn't have a special electric fryer, that a pot on the stove-top would work fine. Isn't that interesting? What the heck is a pot on the stove, but just a heating element on the outside of a pot that heats up the pot and then the oil inside? That's exactly what he was criticizing the Presto kettle about. What gives? Secondly, the Presto cooker DOES TOO have a magnetic break-away electric cord to keep the unit from tipping when the cord is yanked by accident. Also, the Presto cooker DOES TOO come with a frying-steaming basket, which Brown implied it didn't have. Nya, nya, nya! See, I can be just as immature as Alton Brown!

I don't know if the rectangular fryers are really better, but I'm sure they cost a lot more. My Presto cooker was $26.85 at Walmart. I keep it in a lower cabinet - it doesn't take up much space there. I pull it out when I need it. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and simple. When we go to Maine in August, I'm allowed to take only one of my counter-top appliances. So, I just take the Presto cooker with me. Normally, I cook steel cut oats in a small bowl, sitting in water, in a slow cooker (a bain marie - sort of - found the idea here [link deleted]) I can do the same thing with the Presto cooker. And I have a pot with me on vacation that I can do so much more with.

One last thing. With my slow cooker I use a plug-in timer called a Rival Smart-Part. But it's not rated to control the wattage of the Presto multi-cooker. I found a heavy-duty programmable digital timer that I use to turn the Presto cooker off and on automatically. This device really allows me to use the Presto cooker like a slow cooker, without over-cooking stews and such when I am out of the house all day. The Presto multi-cooker is a terrific appliance! Buy one now, and don't believe everything you see on TV!

Flash Update! Here is another reason to buy a Presto multi-cooker: I'm making a beef stew with red wine tonight. What a mess browning the stew beef! I have a 3 quart Wagner cast-iron chicken fryer, and this is what I used to brown the beef chuck cubes. These days the meat hasn't been aged much, and so it is very difficult to brown properly. I managed to do it in batches, but the stove-top got pretty messy by the time I was done. I put the browned meat, vegetables, and garlic into the Presto cooker ( I made sure to deglaze the chicken fryer with wine and include all the tasty bits) and continued to cook the stew. And then I could proceed to clean up the stove-top while the beef stew simmered away in a different part of the kitchen. I am very pleased not to have to clean up all that oil splatter after dinner!

We were missing our old Fry Daddy so we went to get a new one but wound up with this model 06006 make sure to check as there are several variants. The lid helps keep splatter to a minimum. The included basket cleans up easily and is large enough to accommodate servings for two. We've since steamed vegi's including squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and it works like a charm. The real selling point is that this model has a sealed heating element so you can stick it in the dishwasher or wash it in the sink under water THANK YOU PRESTO! Would recommend it to anyone.

I've had mine sine either 1997 or 1998. Thereabout. Right now as I write, I'm frying some fish and the result has always been as it was when I first bought it. I'm looking for a replacement basket because someone, whom I let use my deep fryer for a party, lost my basket. That was 11 years ago. I've been frying without the basket since then and it's the same result. Now I want to get a new basket, not a new fryer. For as long it works, I will continue to use it. So expect me back in 15 years.

After a frustrating experience using this cooker last night, I came to amazon looking looking for a replacement and now feel compelled to write a review.

I wanted to get a fryer to use for light and infrequent kitchen deep frying. This unit seemed like a good deal since it also doubles as slow cooker so I took a chance. The first (and last) frying event did not go well. I tried to fry some breaded vegetables but the cooker could not keep up. In other words, I'd add like 3 items to the pot and the cooker could not bring the temp. of the oil back up. Well, that's ok, I've still got a slow cooker right?

Wrong. I tried to slow cook some beans last night...this thing can not maintain a simmer. Here's the deal, the thing is made of aluminum...just a terrible material to use for a slow cooker. Aluminum is an extremely responsive conductor but does not store heat so you are at the mercy of the cooker's heating element cycle; your cooker is always too hot or too cold to maintain a basic simmer.

You set it at 200 and you get boiling so you turn the temp. down the tiniest amount possible and you get nothing (because the element is now off. But just leave that temp. alone and wait a minute or two, that's right! it'll start boiling again when the element cycles back (for 20 seconds or so), then back to nothing. It will not simmer, only boil intermittently.

So for all this things touted uses, you get a warming device that will boil your food for 20 seconds every 2 minutes and something that will boil water rather quickly. I recommend passing.

I purchased this intending to use it as a deep fryer (but have found uses for so much more), and it works beautifully! When comparing it to deep fryers in the same price range I found smaller less convenient products. This measures just over 5 quarts filled to the brim. A Fry Daddy at this price is 4 cups or 1 quart, which fits enough food for half a person. Not having to fry in batches with this is wonderful and the diameter around the bottom makes it easy to fry things in a small amount of oil (such as chicken fried steak)while keeping a more constant high temp than you could on a stovetop NOT using cast iron. I have also had zero issues with splattering.

Apart from frying this has turned into a life saver almost nightly. I only have one large burner on my stove so making something such as pasta with alfredo from scratch was a long process as I could not boil pasta and render the sauce at the same time. But with this electric pot I can cook my pasta in it while I'm making the sauce instead of one then the other. Also the water comes to a boil quite quickly.

Another thing this is wonderful for is as a smaller slow cooker (as opposed to the 6 quart varieties). I have yet to use it on anything with meat. But for making pasta sauce, soup or chili that needs to simmer for hours it works wonderfully. Especially if you're using your crockpot for something else. Also great for warm beverages like hot cider for a party etc.

The one included accessory, the metal basket, was also surprisingly useful. I thought the basket would not be too useful because of it's size but it holds more than you'd think. 16 oz of penne fits wonderfully and because you can lift and drain all in the same place you save on having to drain in a separate area as well as having to lift the hot pot. Also the handy dandy clip on the side allows you to keep it out of the water but not have to find some place to put the cooked pasta. Spaghetti also fits in the basket you just need to make sure you put it in properly so the pasta can be submerged.

I have yet to use this for steaming veggies or cooking rice, I have made couscous in it but that's basically fool proof. I also look forward to using this for roasting and cooking other meat similar to in a crock pot.

Long story short if I wasn't in love with acquiring small kitchen appliances this would be the one I'd marry. You could easily live with just this one item for life, no wandering eyes, and because of the non-stick it basically does the dishes for you. What more could you ask for?

I really wanted to give this little fryer a good review. It's the perfect size for 1 or 2 people, it looks good and clean up is a snap. The problem is that mine just will not get hot enough. Although it has 400 degrees marked on the knob, it barely touches 350. I have checked it with 2 different thermometers. Many foods need to enter the oil at 375. When I put even a few fries in at 350, it immediately drops to 325 or less and everything comes out soggy. Maybe I just got a lemon but sorry, it's going back.

I've owned this fryer since late 1990's, using it 1-4 times/month. [I see that the current version has a different cover vs. my older version which has a pyrex-type glass lid. It doesn't matter to me, since the lid isn't recommended for use when deep frying.] I prefer using a screen splatter shield (not included)which I think is better protection against oil splatters. I also place the unit on a large lipped pizza pan under my range hood--that arrangement works well for dissipating frying odor. Thermostat goes to 400 degrees in 20 minutes, and the higher max temperature suits my purpose better when frying chicken or egg rolls . Absolutely easy to clean since it's immersible (Remove the cord before dunking the unit in soapy water.)The cord isn't a pesky magnetic type, so no chance of accidental disconnection. No worries about possibly jamming the rotating basket, since it doesn't have one. You can use the enclosed fry basket or loosely fry using a large straining spoon (not included). I also don't miss an oil drain spigot....simply let the oil cool, place a coffee filter in a big metal funnel, and drain the oil back to its original container (Yes, it's a slow drip, so I come back to it about 4 times to refill the funnel and the resulting oil doesn't show food particles.) I only use this unit for frying, but it also can be used as a steamer, slow cooker and cooking kettle. I've tried other fryers but always come back to this simple, reliable one.

This little fryer isn't anything fancy but it's perfect for me and my husband. It holds up to 8 cups of oil and has a temperature control knob which is the main reason I bought it. I know deep frying isn't the best way to eat, but my two favorite food groups are grease and salt so I indulge from time to time! It has a break away cord for safety, so if you bump the cord it just falls out instead of dragging the fryer off the counter with it. It's super easy to clean, like washing a bowl. The only thing I don't like about it is the basket seems rather cheaply made.(i was cheap back and deducted a star for it) My kitchen is small so the fryer is easy to tuck away as it's not overly cumbersome.

The family loves it!As soon as we purchased it from Wal-mart,it was put into service.Our decision was made from reviews on Amazon here,so I'd like to thank you folks for the array of help you've given me.I'd recommend this item to anyone looking for something like this,as we were looking for a deep fat fryer for a family of 3 and it works out great.

There are so many things about the Presto Kitchen Kettle that made it the perfect appliance for me (and hopefully a lot of people out there).

1. Lots of uses: The best part about the kettle is how many small appliances and gadgets it can replace. As a newlywed and as someone who has never had their own place before (not to mention a complete novice in the kitchen), it was awesome to spend $24 on ONE thing that can do so much.

2. Dishwasher safe: I had only planned on using this as a deep fryer and just leaving the oil in there 24/7 to avoid the hassle of cleaning it, but when I read the instructions and realized you could just stick it in the dishwasher after removing the heat control and cord, I got so excited. I even called Presto to double check if I had to remove the legs, handles, or heating element before washing it. Nope. It's just too easy to let it cool, pour the oil into a jar, and stick it in the dishwasher. Then, I'm free to use it to steam veggies or boil some pasta.

3. Safety features: The cord is magnetized and basically eliminates the risk of tripping over the cord, having a child tug on it, or, in my case, having your cat wrestling with it and bringing a pot full of oil down on herself. In addition to the magnetic cord, the kettle is heavy and the legs are no-skid so when the cat decides she wants to push something off a counter top or table top, it won't be the oil-filled kettle.

My only complaint is that the glass lid isn't notched so you can't cover the kettle while the basket is in it which is inconvenient if you would like to store it with oil inside for any period of time. Other than that, it has far surpassed what I expected, especially for the cost. Since I have a TINY budget and an even smaller kitchen, I have to pick and choose my cooking gadgets wisely. I also have to constantly consider whether or not my cat can cause trouble or get hurt around whatever I purchase for the house. It's nice to not have to lock her up in the bedroom when I cook with this. I couldn't have made a better purchase.