Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I actually have the 6 liter or 6.5 quart stainless steel version of this pressure cooker, which is no longer listed for some reason. I narrowed my choices down to the Hawkins and the Kuhn Rikon brands, since they had the best reviews with the least negatives like usability and durability problems. I've had a number of medium quality pressure cookers in the past that failed from falling apart or wearing out their o-ring seals every year, so I wanted a quality one this time. The Kuhn Rikon was about $200, so I bought the Hawkins, which I am happy with.
It's very popular in India, probably because it lasts forever and it's very energy efficient. Once it reaches full pressure I drop the heat from 10 down to a 3. It also uses almost no water, so you can use a minimum of liquid without it going dry on you. It is also safe in case of overpressure. If you do mess up and blow it up, it will release pressure below the handle, so you won't get injured or make a mess of your ceiling. It is very easy/convenient to use and it has a five year warranty, which you aren't likely to use. It appears very rugged. It has a thick completely flat bottom for even cooking on any cooking surface including flat top electric stoves.
There are some potential negatives. It does have a very narrow diameter for it's size because it is tall and narrow. It also has a lip at the top that reduces the usable width and bowls you can insert for cooking to 6.5 inches wide on my 6 liter cooker. I have a small pyrex bowl that fits perfectly for very modest size portions. If you expect to use larger bowls, you'll be disappointed. You also lose a few inches of volume at the top because you have to insert the lid at a steep angle inside the top before seating it underneath the top lip by design. You shouldn't be filling the pressure cooker more than 2/3 full anyway for safety reasons on any pressure cooker, though. You won't have much luck ordering special parts or inserts. The USA Hawkins support doesn't know anything about it. You'll have to go through India. The top lip does make it impossible to completely dry out by hanging upside down, but you can just shake it a little to get most of the water out and let the rest evaporate in the cupboard. There was a big hole in the box it arrived in but the pressure cooker was undamaged. The book manual is very cheaply made and some pages fell out of it immediately upon first opening but these complaints are minor.
I'm very happy with it since I was looking for an easy to use and very reliable stainless steel pressure cooker without paying a fortune.
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Hawkins 10 Liter Stainless Steel Cooker
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