I've been using my 8-quart pressure cooker for about two years now. I waited to post a review until I had some experience with it.
Hands down, this is the BEST addition to my kitchen in 39 years of cooking. Not only does it cook food faster, it cooks it better. Foods are more flavorful, roasts are more tender. You can even cook them from frozen. It's not the best way, but in a pinch, it will do.
I have been using it for making bone broth, and it is amazing. When I'm done cooking it (in one hour, not twelve), the bones crumble. You could feed them to a dog. And the broths are amazingly flavorful.
Here are a few things I've learned:
1. If your pot stops steaming, or the steam slows way down, turn off the heat, vent off and investigate. So far paying attention to this has saved me from burning several dishes because I did not add in enough liquid for the amount of time I needed to cook, and once unnecessarily, but still worth investigating. This CAN mean that the vents are blocked, and pressure is building. Even though there is a safety valve, using it is still dangerous, and always a cleaning disaster. This has never happened to me, but it's happened to others which you can read about in the unsatisfied customer reviews.
2. If you are cooking something for a long time, use the basket. This will raise your food just a wee bit off the bottom of the pan, and prevent burning and sticking.
3. When removing the lid, tip it away from you, and make sure your face isn't over the pot.
4. When using a ceramic-top stove, bring it to temp on high, but then reduce the temperature to the lowest temp that will continue the pot steaming steadily. On my stove that means starting it at ten, but turning it down to between 5 and 6. This will help preserve the liquid in your pot and prevent burning, particularly if you are making a soup or cooking dry beans or pasta (in soup).
I've been cooking for 39 years, since I was a small child. Growing up, we never had a pressure cooker, and I had some vague notion that they were dangerous. And it's true. Respect your pressure cooker. Pay attention to it if it stops talking. Don't try to open it until the little metal valve drops. Always check the holes in the lid before use to make sure they are clear. Replace your gasket and plug if they look worn, and every couple of years whether they need it or not.
Other complaints I've seen are that it is very difficult to open and close. That is true. Especially when I was first using it. I was also challenged by lining it up just correctly. There is an arrow on the lid that is probably supposed to direct me to line it up with something, but I have no idea what. I've looked all over the outside, and I can't find anything. I've developed the knack, and the learning curve was longer than I care to admit.
There were also a couple of times where I could not get it to close. I just had to completely take off the lid and start over. I think it had something to do with the lock valve and after a couple of tries, it just went on like it always does.
Putting on the lid has also gotten easier with age, and I have no idea if it's because it was just "tighter" when it was new, and has eased, or if I've just figured it out. Put a little oil on the gasket once it a while. It helps.
That's about it. If you're hesitant, I'd encourage you to give it a go. Not only is cooking faster and easier, it's also tastier!
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