Presto 01341 4-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

The best Stainless steel pressure cooker! Make meals in minutes that taste like they took all day to cook! Works great on an induction stove too!

For some reason, I never thought of buying a pressure cooker during my 25 years as a vegetarian, but somehow a few weeks ago, I stumbled across some websites talking about how you can cook beans and grains in a fraction of the time. For example, cooking Lentils takes 3 to 5 minutes, according to the chart. Garbanzo's, one of the largest beans, can be cooked in 7 to 10 minutes! (provided you soak them overnight first). Grains are equally as impressive: Quinoa takes 1 minute; Brown Rice takes 10-12 minutes; and the longest time goes to Whole Wheat or Spelt, at 25-30 minutes. Anyone whose cooked these items in a pot on the stove knows that these times are hard to believe. So, I thought, not just for the time saved but also for the electricity saved, it would be worth the investment. So it arrived today, and I first tried a bowl of Quinoa. For a lot of the grains, they recommend putting them in a separate covered bowl with water added, and then placed inside the Cooker, which is then surrounded with a few cups of water for steam. There's a special rack that comes with this pot so you don't have to put the bowl right on the hot metal at the bottom of the pot. So I put the Quinoa in, put the lid on, and brought it to a boil. There's a little device at the top of the pot that rocks back and forth when the steam is at the right temperature, and then you turn the heat down just to keep it rocking. Once it starts rocking is when you start counting the time. So I brought it to that point, then timed off 2 minutes (the manual said only 1, but I wanted to be sure), then took it off the heat and let it cool completely down...which takes about 10 minutes. So, if you count that time, it's a bit longer than 1 minute, but still there is no energy being used for the 10 minutes it cools, so that is efficient. I then opened the pot and was greeted with a bowl of fluffy, well-cooked Quinoa, that was delicious. My next attempt was a Lentil curry to go over the Quinoa. I used the recipe that comes in the booklet with the pot. It worked wonderfully! I brought it to the pressure point, then cooked for 3 minutes at that level, then took it off the heat for about 10 minutes. It was done to perfection! My only disappointment is that I didn't discover this earlier. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this item. And the quality of the pot is excellent.

I learned of this brand 50 years ago. My mother cooked our dinners with it all the time. Into this day, it’s still reliable. It brings back when my mother used it way back when. You optimize the nutritional value of the food when it’s cooked under pressure. And it cooks the food very fast.

I bought this for my own birthday present a couple of years ago and just started to use it, in the 6 or so times I've used it--it works well. Vegetables are a breeze, potatoes cook in a reasonable amount of time, and if you time it right you will be able to cook different portions of your meal that will all end up in the pot at the end--leaving clean up to be one big pot (with a few pieces). I was unnecessarily hesitant to use it--wish Grandma had been around for me to ask how--that would have relieved some of my internal pressure! Recommend you read the book, and reread the section on the specific food you are about to cook. That will save unnecessary worry. Overall quality is good for a $75 kitchen appliance--you can pay quite a bit more in the store. If you are unfamiliar with pressure cookers take your time and talk to someone who has used them. I forgot to follow one of the warnings, and while the consequences were not dire, the food did not cook as quickly as expected. The direction was to put the rice or beans in a separate metal bowl in the pot to avoid bubbling up the starchy food and clogging the valves. Another way to deal with the frothing when you want the stew to cook together is cook your rice or beans first in the bowl, then pour the starch into the pot, and put your meat and vegetables on top being careful not to exceed the fill lines. That will keep the frothing down and cook everything. Given it is stainless steel you don't have to worry about it exploding, it feels sturdy and looks great. My one concern, and it is a foreseeable one rather than of immediate nature, is the handle--it is held to the pot by one screw, and if overtightened it will strip. A more solid stainless screw or even two would hold the handle more tightly without the concern for stripping. In short, I like the capability of making stews without using a crockpot running all day while I tend the vessels in the harbor, but the handle could be better. I would certainly buy this for a young couple's house warming present especially if you take the time to show the cook how to use it a couple of times. Looking forward to making a lentil stew with salt pork and beets next.

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 chose this pressure cooker because it's the only kind of pressure cooker I've had experience using, it is stainless steel (non reactive, heavy weight), it was less expensive than more modern incarnations of pressure cookers (electric countertop, stove non jiggle top), and the reviews and follow up comments were helpful in convincing me that this was a quality product. The reviews praise the quality construction of this cooker and I couldn't agree more. I have used both natural pressure release and the method to speed it up by sticking the cooker in the sink and running cold water from the faucet over it (it takes all of 20 seconds and doesn't have to be so complicated as making an ice bath for it in the sink). I have never seen any signs of the metal layers splitting, the pot warping, and there has been no denting from handling and washing. The 6-quart capacity is enough for me and my husband to have soup with some left over for lunch or another soup dinner, but not so much that we're sick of eating the same thing. If you are trying to decide whether to get a pressure cooker in general, I would encourage you to go for it. Most weeknights, I am too impatient to wait for time-intensive things like tomato sauce, stew meat, root veggies cut into chunks, lentils, risotto, or even just tender cabbage. Pressure cookers prepare these things quickly and make them taste like they've been cooking forever. Most of the pressure cooker recipes I use take 30-40 minutes total for prep and cook (I usually make soup in this cooker), so it's become a life saver when I come home from work late. If you already know you want a pressure cooker but are trying to decide what type to get, I would say that I don't mind the simplicity of this cooker. Normally the justification to get a product that is the "latest and greatest" is that you are certain it will get a lot of use so you might as well spend the extra money for extra features that possibly save you time. This basic model is fine for weekly use in my household. I am definitely curious about newer types of cookers, but personally wasn't ready to pay more money for something I wasn't sure I would need.

Great product.

This cooker has completely transformed my cooking experience! It heats up quickly and cooks food evenly every time. The different settings are intuitive, making it easy to prepare anything from rice and stews to steamed vegetables or soups. I especially love how easy it is to clean — the non-stick surface and removable parts make cleanup a breeze. The build quality feels solid, and it’s clear this is a durable appliance that will last for years.