Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

I received the 4 qt version of this cooker a few days ago. I almost did not order it because of the negative reviews but, having canned/cooked with pressure cookers for over 60 years, I realized many of the negative reviews were written by folks who simply had no business messing with a pressure cooker!!!!!!There is absolutely nothing wrong with this cooker. It cost $40.00 so the stainless is not surgical quality but IT IS GOOD!!!! The "rusting screws" is simply pure non sense. The screws for the handles are stainless, too, BUT the locking washers with them ARE NOT!!!! So, it may be necessary to replace the lock washers along the line or simply get rid of them and occasionally "snug the dern screws"!! Don't use "lock tight" on the screws on the lid as that handle might need to be removed for maintenance in the future.The business about the handles coming loose is mentioned above. If, perhaps, someone initially over tightened them then that would completely flatten the lock washer and if you then backed the screw out the washer would no longer serve a useful purpose and the handles probably would, over time, loosen a bit. No big deal. Do not "gorilla" tighten them! Just firm, snug, secure ... all that is necessary.I used the 15 psi regulator that came with this unit and it works just fine if you are looking for 15 psi. I don't like to cook at 15 psi, I like 10 psi at my altitude of 750 ft msl. Therefore, I tried the Presto variable regulator, part number 50332, that I have for two other Presto pressure cookers and it works just fine on this one. This allows me to cook at either 5 or 10 psi and that makes a huge difference re: texture and quality on some foods. This part is available here on Amazon or at PCO.This is a small pressure cooker so most of the time it will be operating at the edge of acceptable operational limits. Therefore, in my view, it is not a good choice for a Newbie to pressure cooking!!!!!! Volumes must be kept within limits and HIGH heat must be used to activate the two safety devices, over pressure plug and interlocking mechanism, so THE MOMENT DESIRED PRESSURE IS REACHED, regulator is jiggling a little, THE HEAT MUST BE TURNED DOWN IMMEDIATELY!!!!! The first downward adjustment would be slight and then a moment later a little more and a couple of minutes after that a little more!!!! Sorry, if you are not willing to do these things to gain the advantages of pressure cooking then don't fool with the devices. Heat must be adjusted downward until a slight jiggle is maintained on the regulator. Heat is controlled by the pressure, NOT BY THE BURNER!!!!! The burner must simply provide the bare amount of heat necessary to bounce the jiggler for the pressure you have selected.Bottom line, this is a fine device. It has three safety systems that must be maintained. The over pressure plug, the vent tube and the interlocking mechanism and seal must be kept clean and must be attended after each use!! Do not give one of these cookers to someone who is not able to follow instructions, not capable of remembering to turn down the heat, or, someone who is not willing to CLEAN THEIR TOOLS AFTER EACH USE!!!!Many of the negative reviews posted here are pure rubbish from a science perspective. Overfilled, over heated, under maintained pressure cookers are not apt to kill anyone but they can make a variety of messes!!!!! All this can be avoided by taking time to understand the basic physics involved in this wonderful cooking option.Again, small pressure cookers are not, in my view, a good choice for the novice. A 6 or 8 qt. unit is more apt to be used at safer loading levels and that is why I am pushing this point!Replacement parts are available for this and other pressure cookers at Amazon and at PCO, Pressure Cooker Outlet! I don't work for either but I enjoy doing business with both!!!!

I bought this cooker 6 months ago from amazon for $35, and frankly, although the reviews I read on this product all said that it's great, I was very skeptical about the $35 price tag and was not expecting much. On top of that, both my mother and my mother-in-law warned me that cheap pressure cookers are dangerous, and I *must* buy something more expensive for safety reasons. I am just very glad that they were both wrong!This is definitely one of the best purchases I have made on amazon. I still cannot believe they sell this for $35! The pot does not feel cheap at all. It has very sturdy handles, and a thick, heavy bottom, which holds in heat well. I like this pan so much that sometimes I use it instead of my skillet to sautee meat, because of the deeper pot + the cover, less cleaning up for me :-)I love making soup and stock, but it usually takes up so much of my time when the stock is simmering. With this pressure cooker, I can make a meat-fall-off-the-bone soup in an hour!Some might find this pot to be a little on the small side, but this pot works great for my wife and I. Although we have guests over regularly, I find the capacity of the pot to be very good. I would guess that this pot would work well for up to a 4-person family.Pros:=====- Cheap, at $35, it's hard to beat- Sturdy, I was afraid that the plastic handles would break easily, but they are in fact quite strong- Stainless steel makes it great for browning meat pieces for stew or stock, and it heats up fast and holds heat well.- Safe, you cannot open it when it's pressurized.- Dish washer safe, though I prefer to wash it by hand.Cons:=====- The handle can be tricky to hold with one hand. My hands are small, and when you've closed the top, the handle is kind of big. Luckily, I don't need to do this very often, and when I need to move it around, I just use both handles.- The top cap can be tricky to clean. I usually soak it in hot soapy water, and then clean it thoroughly with Q-tip.Watch outs:===========- The handle curves in a way that it catches any dripping liquid, I've hurt myself once when I wasn't careful at opening the cover.- Do *NOT* remove the cap while it's blowing! The steam from inside is extremely hot and as soon as you remove the cap, the hot steam will shoot up faster than you can move your hand(s) away.Tips:=====- I keep some water bottles in my freezer, and when I need to cool this off in a hurry, I can make a bath of cold water in my sink, put the hot pot inside, and throw the froze water bottles in. This usually cools it down very fast, great when I want to refrigerate it overnight to skim off the fat, and didn't want to wait too long for it to cool down.