? Electric Pressure Cooker

Last post 03-16-2008 11:36 PM by suzycreamcheese_MI. 12 replies.
Page 1 of 1 (13 items)
Sort Posts: Previous Next
  • 01-12-2008 7:09 PM

    ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    I know there have been lots of post about the electric pressure cookers but I am still confused.  I would really like to purchase an oval one and have been looking at the 6qt Oval Cooks Essentials.  I really like that but after reading so many negative reviews I am very hesitant on buying one.  Do any of you have this and what are your thoughts?  Do you know of another oval one?  I have been surfing the web but I can't find any.  Do you know of other web sites that offer the oval cookers?  Thanks so much for your help.  I always know where to go before buying anything.  You haven't let me down.

  • 01-12-2008 7:47 PM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    I have the electric cooks essential pressure cooker. So far i have had no problems with it whatsoever (knock on wood)  I love it i can put my food in turn the timer on and forget about it. Once the pressure has been reached the timer starts on its own and keeps itself regulated.  Mine is oval and is great if you need to use something like a bread pan.  I put my steak in a bread pan placed on a trivet in the cooker and put bbq sauce on the steak, cover with foil, and put about 1 1/2 cups water in the bottom of the cooker and then cook about 20-25 min under high pressure. Tender and juicy steaks and i don't need to freeze over a grill in the middle of winter.   Good luck with your decision. 

    Angie

    I got mine at smartbargains.com for like $80!!!!  I don't know if they still have them but try looking at their selection.

  • 01-14-2008 5:35 AM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    QVC is the only seller of the Cooks Essentials brand, although it is identical to other 'designer chef' products manufacturered by Salton.  There may be a problem with obtaining replacement gaskets in future, but since this brand only has a 1 year warranty, that may not be an issue. Take care, those "negative reviews" should make you a tad suspicious about shelling out that much money.

     

    Check the psi settings carefully, Cooks Essentials has used a non-standard pressure... I think 13psi, but that has changed as new models are marketed. The standard is 15psi. This is important because  pressure cooker recipes, including those in my new cookbook -- LOL... I know, shameless plug -- have conformed to that common standard for almost a hundred years. Not that you can't do the math and try to make adjustments, but the extended cooking time can produce some disappointing results, not to mention that defeats the primary purposes of pressure cookery... speed, energy savings, and preserving nutrients. 

     

    Like all electric models, there are imitations, fewer safety features and the user has far less control options that restrict what recipes can be cooked. The owner's manual clearly states "... metal foil packages, or utensils must not be inserted in the appliance, as they may involve a risk of fire or electric shock... To reduce the risk of electric shock, cook only in the Removable Cooking Pot."  That pretty much eliminates a huge category of recipes that use all kinds of insert pans, which are common in many wonderful pressure cooker recipes.

     

    Have you looked at today's new, modern stovetop pressure cookers? They are nothing like the old fashioned variety you may remember from the past. These are not only top quality pieces of cookware that will last a lifetime, but they are totally reliable, goof-proof and very easy to use, and there are no limitations as to the recipes you want to cook.

     

     

    "Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." ~ Pericles (495-429 B.C.)
  • 01-17-2008 12:19 PM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

     

    I love my CE pressure cooker. The only people that I have seen having troubles seems to be people who brown in it, seem to blow the fuse. (Knocking on wood)

     

  • 01-19-2008 1:30 PM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    I have the oval Cook's Essentials and like it.  My first pressure cooker was not electric and those can be tricky.  I think like all else when it comes to cooking, you have to experiment a little and your first few tries might not be the best.  More liquid, less liquid, quick release, slow release (important for beef).  I've never had any problem with QVC taking something back, so you have little to lose.  I just wish there were more recipes directed at electric pressure cookers. 

  • 01-25-2008 2:42 AM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    I have a cooks essentials pressure cooker purchased from QVC yrs ago.  I absolutely love mine!  I would really like to have a new oval one but for now the one I have will have to do me.  I love the ease of it, just set the timer and walk away.  I wouldn't hesitate to purchase anything from QVC as I've never had any trouble returning anything.  They even pack the items with return labels to make it really easy to ship things back...just in case it doesn't work out for you.  Good luck!

  • 02-25-2008 10:00 PM In reply to

    • saywa
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 10-03-2002
    • Posts 3

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Have any simple recipes for us beginners?  I just got mine this week and the recipes w/ the CE 6qt are not as simple as I would like. Smile

  • 03-05-2008 9:10 PM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Hi!

       I would love to buy the Cook's Essential Pressure Cooker. I have many other of their pots and pans.

       But I'm of the Old Scvhool I guess. I remember hearingMom and Grandma say " Get Out Of The Kitchen, We're Using That Pressure Cooker, and It's Not Safe. " Are trhey safe now?

    Susan

  • 03-06-2008 12:48 AM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Susan, this isn't your momma's pressure cooker! They have many safety features built into them these days and are ultra safe! I love my Cook's Essential!

    ~~susie.

     

     

  • 03-06-2008 11:16 AM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Susie,

       Thanks ! The next time that is on, I'll look into buying one.

    Susan

  • 03-06-2008 11:16 AM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Susie,

       Thanks ! The next time that is on, I'll look into buying one.

    Susan

  • 03-16-2008 4:24 PM In reply to

    • Cj49
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 03-16-2008
    • Posts 1

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    Hi There,

    I just found this site, and actually joined just to answer this post!  Maybe Cook's Essentials are better than most electric pressure cookers, but my experience with an electric PC was not so good.  I started out with a Russell Hobbs, which looks very, very much like your Cooks Essentials.  It failed three times before they simply refunded my money.  It was a huge hassle--when you are expecting to have slow cooked flavor in 30 minutes, it's not so good when the cooking vessel fails and you have to figure out how to feed the hungry family.  Anyhow, I did learn one very important thing:  I loved pressure cooking.  So, I did some research and took my refund money and bought a Kuhn Rikon 7 liter pressure cooker.  I love it, it's so NOT grandma's pressure cooker, there are numerous safety features, and I can tell at a glance just what pressure I'm at.  I love that I don't have to stand there holding down the button--I can just lift the turn top and it vents on it's own.  It also comes up to pressure a lot faster than the electric one did.  I feel totally safe using it.  True, it is not totally automatic like the electric one was, but I like the added versatility, so I am OK with that.  I do corn on the cob in it in the summer on a rack--an inch of water in the bottom, 3 minutes at high, quick pressure release, and there's not a huge pot of steamy water to deal with when it's 90 outside.  Stew with slow cooked flavor in 30 minutes, a pot of pintos in 20.  I am sold.  It's true that having the electric model made me brave enough to try the stovetop model, so it did have it's use, but I like this a lot better. When chosing your PC, remember that you can only fill it half to 2/3 full, so get it bigger than you think you'll use.  Have fun, whether you get an electric one or a stovetop. 

    Good luck and happy cooking,

    Cj

  • 03-16-2008 11:36 PM In reply to

    Re: ? Electric Pressure Cooker

    I've only ever had one Russell Hobbs appliance, an electric mixer, and it failed after just a few times using it. I've never used a pressure cooker that wasn't electric and those non-electric ones seem a little more scarey, lol, but I know lots of people use them!

     

    Good luck with whatever you choose! I still vote for the CE 8 qt oval PC!

    ~~susie.

     

Page 1 of 1 (13 items)