Power Cooker Pro 6qt

We've cooked a lot of different things since the Power Cooker Pro 6qt was added to our kitchen. One of the first things I cooked was beans since the hour long hot soak, then an hour or more to cook could be shortened down considerably. Honestly, even following the directions explicitly I still overcooked them.

We've gotten rid of all our crockpots since getting this. It's no joke, cooking with a pressure cooker cuts down the cook times dramatically. Instead of loading a slow cooker and letting it run most of the day, coming back later to put the food in containers and wash up, we are doing that ten to twenty minutes later. Controls are very basic, but you do have full control over cook time and the pressure if you want it.

There is no hot cooker slowly heating up the kitchen all day. A big bonus in the hot months. This model does have a slow cooker option, but we haven't used it yet. There is also a rice button, and that does work, don't vent the pressure right away if you're cooking brown rice. The flat disk is for steaming, it rests on the ridge halfway down the inner pot. The instructions say not to use it for pressure canning with the claim that it doesn't regulate the pressure accurately enough. It does so electronically and there is a lag between when power to the heating element is switched back on and it builds pressure back up. 

The power cord is pretty standard, recognize that port? The one that comes with it is pretty short. We haven't needed a longer one, but they are readily available nearly everywhere.

It is important to never overfill this cooker. That Max Fill line is for safety. If the valves in the lid get splashed the vent orifices could become clogged. This could result in a possible overpressure.

Steamer plate in place. A couple cups of water in the bottom and either put the lid on and use pressure, or just leave it venting. There are some things, like asparagus that steam really fast. The cooker would never have time to come up to pressure before it was done.

The seal just drops in behind a stainless ring. It doesn't take too much finagling to get it out or put back in for cleaning. Just be gentle so it doesn't tear. Yes it's loose, but it works just fine. The two fittings are safeties. The upper one is a removable guard over the vent you use to depressurize the cooker. The lower one is a pin that once steam begins to build, will rise up and block the latch to stop you from taking the lid off. It hisses and sputters then goes silent. The silicone washer blocks the small port. All of these things can be removed for cleaning, they're small parts.

The switch just lifts the weight so the cooker can vent when it's done cooking. This unit is electronic, don't cool it in the sink. Remember that sudden drops in pressure can make some food items pop. If you are impatient and vent right after cooking, remember the contents are above the normal boiling point. That's what pressure cooking allows, higher temperatures because you stop the water from boiling away. That doesn't mean food won't burn, I will not attempt lasagna in the pressure cooker again.

And there is the weight popped off. There is a spring clip that retains it so it doesn't get lost or blow off when you vent the pot. The small hole above that is the secondary safety. Don't block either of these. I do like to tent a towel over the vent when I release the pressure to help mitigate the steam that geysers forth.

Overall operation is dead simple. The controls on this one are overly simplistic and there are better ones on the market, most of which are far more expensive than this one which still does the job. The instructions are not all that clear. I recommend trying a few simple things before doing something complex. Like making soup stock. Remember it needs to make steam to get pressure, so always put a cup or two water in it minimum. The pot is non-stick, but the heating element is in direct contact with the bottom of the pot, thus you need to plan your recipe to avoid burning. Mine lives on the counter and gets used at least once a week.