Customer Reviews

WMF Perfect Plus 6-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I received a Perfect-Plus pressure cooker as a Christmas gift. I have used it several times a week since then, because it is so fun to use & experiment with. I have been interested in cooking with a pressure cooker for a while - but was intimidated by them.

I was given a 4.5 quart cooker, which was too small for some of the recipes in the recipe book that comes with the cooker. I exchanged it for a 6.5 quart cooker, and that has been a useful size.

The Perfect Plus is incredibly easy to use. It has a very clear pressure gauge that makes it easy to adjust to medium & high pressure. It does not make any noise. It is very easy to release the pressure gently, without letting out a blast of steam.

I have let the cooker get too hot a few times. It makes a clearly audible "hooting" noise, and you just remove it from the heat.

It is heavy and seems very well made. The handle clicks on, making it very easy to take apart and clean. I have not used any other pressure cookers, but it is hard for me to imagine that they are any easier to use. The Perfect-Plus is a great pressure cooker, and very simple to use.

For a long time, I had a traditional alluminum pressure cooker that was given by my mother. It has the weight thing on top and when the pressure builds up, that thing is just bouncing up and down making all kinds of noise every few seconds. And alluminum is not good for cooking anyway. I looked at several choices including Kuhn Rikon and others that have stainless steel models. Then I chose this one over the Kuhn Rikon (the other final candidate) for the look, quality and easy to clean. It's much cleaner looking than others. The control is concealed and the lid is smooth all around. I was still surprised at how well it is made when I received it. The mirror finish does make it standout in our kitchen in a good way. It's easy to clean especially with that quick release handle. The helper handle is definitely a plus for less strong arms. We have cooked many meals with it and absolutely love it. Also, its rubber seal ring is much heavy duty then some other ones I looked, one less thing to worry I guess. It will take your cooking experience to another easy and joyable level.

I purchased this item last year. At first I was extremely pleased, but after less than a year the TransTherm base separated from the pot. Since was still under manufacturer's warranty and I had always used it according to manufacturer's instructions, I contacted WMF America. I contacted them several times via email, but only got the run around. Finally I contacted them by phone, only to be told by the customer service rep that this rarely happens and when it does it is rarely covered by their warranty. However, if I wanted to ship it to them, they would be happy to look at it and then tell me they would not cover it. I contacted the CEO of the American division and never received any response at all. How disappointing. They clearly do not excel in customer service and do not stand behind their warranty.

Having used rocker-top pressure cookers all my life, I bought the WMF Perfect Plus for durability and safety. It's heavy. The stainless steel pot with lid weighs 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilos) empty. I would be surprised if it could warp under any circumstances, as the TransTherm base is 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. It can be used on gas, electric, induction and glass-ceramic stovetops. The pot is 7 3/8 (18 3/4 cm) inches tall and 8 3/4 inch (22 1/4 cm) in diameter, not including the rim. I preferred these dimensions to the skinnier Kuhn-Rikon, which I also considered. The cooker has a 6.5 quart capacity, even though the box says 6.5 liters. The handle and loop handle on the opposite side are both coated with plastic and don't get hot.

When you're ready to cook, seal the cooker by lining up the handle and pushing the regulator on the handle to "locked" position. As pressure builds up, the black rubber valve on top of the lid seals off, and the circular cooking indicator on the handle rises to reveal a yellow, then 2 orange, rings. Adjust heat until 1 orange ring, for low pressure cooking, or 2 orange rings, for regular pressure, are visible. There are suggestions in the instruction book as to which pressure level to use. Generally, they recommend level 1 for most fruits, vegetables, and fish and level 2 for everything else. If pressure rises too high, a little steam escapes through the end of the handle (not the end you're holding).

The valve takes longer to seal than my old rocker-tops did. But once it seals, the cooker is eerily quiet. Not being alerted to the pressure by a noisy rocker takes some getting used to. I have to watch this pot to know when the pressure has built up sufficiently or too much. But the handle will not allow me to open the cooker with full pressure inside. You can, however, manually release the pressure by slowly pushing the regulator to the "open" position. I don't know how long the sealing ring lasts, as I haven't had to replace it yet. It looks more durable than my old rubber rings. The cooker comes with a basket-style steamer insert. The handle can be removed easily for cleaning. I've been very pleased with the WMF cooker, though I still haven't gotten used to the silence.

The WMF pressure cooker sets the standard for ease of handling, longetivity (also of all rubber rings), value for money and contribution to more healthy eating habits.
The ergonomic design with the two handles makes you pick up the fullest loaded pan thus improving safety and stability.
There are two pressures indicated on the pressure marker to cook with: medium pressure and high pressure. Upon the marker popping out to the relevant ring you turn down the heat. Potatoes take about 6 minutes to cook on high.
The tall pressure cookers have inserts (with and without holes in their bottom) so that you can cook the meat at the bottom, an insert with potatoes is followed by one or two other inserts with veggies. Dinner is ready in about 15 to 20 minutes on medium pressure.
The cheapest, toughest beef turns to butter in anywhere from 30minutes to 45minutes on high.
If you live in the mountains at an altitude the pressure builds up just as fast.

I am so glad I bought this cooker. For almost 50 years I waited for my mother to launch her WWII era cooker into low earth orbit and was scared to death of the darned thing. Probably because of all the dire warnings I got at an impressionable age.
This WMG 6.5 Qt unit is a beauty but more importantly it is simple to use and a dream to clean. I bought the optional glass lid and that makes the prep a lot easier. I cook 6-7 meals at a time on the weekend and this is the greatest time saver I could have imagined. The results are exceptional!
I obsessed over this and the comparable Kuhn Rikon model. I am sure they are both good but the deciding factor for me was the ease of cleaning. Overall I couldn't be happier!

I've never used a pressure cooker before. I had scary memories of a clanking, hissing monster in a German cook's kitchen. But the monster brought forth the best soup I'd ever tried, in very short order.
So I bit the bullet this year and after careful consideration of the alternatives, bought the WMF cooker. I've used their stainless and know them to be good.
This is one of the best kitchen aids I've ever purchased. It's easy to use, easy to clean, and it is preternaturally quiet. I watched fascinated as a small hiss from the front of the pot was abruptly cut off as a tiny ball bearing blocked the valve. Then a very large and easy to read indicator rose out of the handle to indicate pressure. Most of the barley soup was cooked with the flame actually off, since the well made and insulated pot didn't need a constant flame to maintain pressure. So I made a terrific soup in 20 minutes and didn't use a lot of energy to do so.
After the soup was finished I immediately gave away a very large steamer with an insert that weighed three pounds more; the WMF is such a high quality pot that it's possible to use it in the other capacities such as boiling and steaming foodstuffs. I think that I will get the alternative lid so that it's easier to do this.
The WMF cooker is a terrific buy. The 6.5 quart size is just right, too; large but not overpowering.

This pressure cooker is as close to perfect as one could imagine. My previous experience with pressure cookers was with the type that had a rocker on top. I was always afraid that the thing would explode. This pressure cooker, however, has eliminated all of those fears. My husband, who is an engineer, has even commented on how well designed and how well made this pressure cooker is. The 6.5 quart size is perfect as well. Anything smaller would be too small; anything larger would be too large. Bottom line, I could not be happier.

The removable handle is the best. It makes cleaning that way it should be. And the fully sealed pressure system, with gauge, take less energy than the old "rocker style" I grew up with. Wonderfully simple, bring the thing up to pressure, and then just put it on the lowest burner setting (doesn't take much to keep pressure).

I purchased one of these last year from The Viking Store and enjoyed it until the valve broke. I found the part listed online but the manufacturer, WMF, will not respond to my inquiries about how to purchase one. I was surprised that the Viking store would not even attempt to help me find a part or look into warranty info.

That's the last time I buy a "premium" product from the Viking store expecting it to last or have some support.


Pat