Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker/Canner Get Reviews
Pressure cookers have experienced renewed popularity over the last several years because cooks have rediscovered what some cooks (particularly grandmas) have known for a long time–they’re really fast. And it’s easy to cook healthfully with pressure cookers, since the food retains so much more of its nutrients and flavor. Presto’s 8-quart stainless steel pressure cooker is a multi-purpose pot that can stand in as a conventional soup pot as well as perform the kitchen magic that pressure cookers are famous for. Chicken Cacciatore cooks in 8 minutes! And it’s big enough for home canning, too. (The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe method for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, and poultry.) This professional-quality stainless steel pressure cooker is a handy addition to any well-rounded set of kitchen tools.
The heavy-duty lid locks down during cooking; an inner sealing ring keeps the steam in. In addition to a pop-up pressure indicator and a simple steam release mechanism, there is an overpressure plug that will let off steam if it builds up excessively. This pressure cooker is useful for weeknight dinners or for any meal that needs to come together quickly. An accompanying booklet contains 75 recipes, ranging from basic soup stocks to stews and pot roasts–even desserts like Petite Pumpkin Custards! Tenderize lean cuts of beef or pork; or cook chicken, fish, or vegetables faster than you can in a microwave, and without losing moisture.
Main Features
Heavy-duty 8-quart stainless steel pressure cooker and canner
My new pressure cooker
Seems this product is sold in two different versions of packaging, one with a red box and one with a blue box. The only difference I could tell between the two is the included manual/recipe book. The red box issue comes with a larger recipe book than the blue box version. I could not tell if there was a difference of construction between the two version…if there is one. They are both made in China. I have also noticed this product is also sold under the De Longhi name.
The construction and finish of the product upon delivery was flawless. The cooker has so far performed as expected. However, cleaning with a brillo pad left small scratches on the bottom of the cooker. This is strange because I have several stainless steel commercial cookware and they are able to sustain a good amount of brillo pad action. We’ll see what happens as I continue to use this, but this is a bit concerning. My last concern is the rubber gasket, and if I will be able to purchase this part several years from now should I need one.
I wish this thing came with a pressure gauge, because during use it is difficult to judge the difference between a slow to medium steady stream of steam. At this price range, purchasing a stainless steel cooker at this size with a gauge is almost impossible. I hope that some day presto can come up with an enhanced attachment replacement for this unit. I have not tried canning yet.
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