Chef's Design 4.8-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker

• Tempered Glass Cover
• 4.5 liter/4.8 quart capacity
• Steamer Basket
• Trivet/Stand
• English/Spanish Instruction Recipe Manual Included

Amazon.com Review:
Everyone is looking for fast and healthy meal solutions these days, and the tried and true pressure cooker is still one of the speediest, most energy efficient, and low-fat ways to cook. This model from Chef's Design promises to cook food up to four times faster than other methods while using up to 40-percent less energy. And, with its lid locked on tight, this pressure cooker retains food's vital minerals and vitamins while producing flavorful meals. The cooker is made of brilliantly polished 18/10 stainless steel and has an encapsulated base made from an aluminum/steel alloy to promote even cooking and to allow use with any type of cooktop: gas, electric, ceramic, or induction. This 4-4/5-quart size cooks large portions of lentils or rice to feed to a big family or freeze for later. But lest folks think that pressure cookers are only for making vegetarian foods, the included recipe guide sets the record straight with complete instructions on how to cook delicious carnivorous treats, such as herb-roasted chicken or meatball stew. For operation, the lid easily twists into place and secures with a safety lock. A valve on top of the handle emits steam when the pressure cooker's contents begin to heat up, signaling that the heat should be lowered and kept at a simmer for the duration of cooking. Two interchangeable valves are packaged with this cooker for regular or high pressure cooking. Four independent safety systems regulate the pressure and prevent the cooker from exploding throughout the kitchen. Included with this cooker is a perforated stainless-steel steamer basket for steaming fish or poaching fruit, a stainless-steel trivet for elevating the basket, and a steel rod for cleaning the valves. Additionally, the cooker comes with a vented tempered glass lid so it can be used as a regular stockpot. The manufacturer provides a 10-year limited warranty on this pressure cooker. --Cristina Vaamonde

Excellent quiet pressure cooker:
I am really pleased with this pressure cooker. I was a bit timid about buying this since I've only used the old models before, the ones with loud whistles that sound like steam engines. This one has multiple safety feature, very quiet, easy to clean, and come with a second lid and steam racket if you want other things. It also comes with a booklet with some recipes and instructional/safety manual. The only very minor complaints I have is that the stupid yellow sticker on lid is a bit annoying and I never really fully removed that. But overall I'm really happy with this, and I can't imagine cooking curry without pressure cooker anymore.

Easy, durable and multifunctional:
I would reccomend this product 100%. I also like the second lid that comes with it. Only used it a couple times so far but seems durable too.

Be Prepared to Return It:
I can't review the actual product because both of these pressure cookers that I've ordered have arrived with a part broken in the handle. It was the identical part in the identical place on the handle. It was probably caused by the fact that the lid of the pressure cooker was placed on top of the pressure cooker instead of being packaged separately. Interestingly, the see-through lid was packaged in a separate box inside the main box. Amazon handled the replacement in a very timely manner, and I was not charged shipping for either the replacement or the return. The 2nd one is going back, and I'm not going to risk having a 3rd one sent. In September, 2006, I originally ordered the Fagor Duo Combi Pressure Cooker Set. It, too, arrived with a broken handle. In all cases, I would attribute the problems to poor packaging. I'd love to get a pressure cooker to try, but I'm going to have to buy one from a local store where I can inspect the product immediately. Unfortunately, I have had to rate the product as a 1. In actual use, it may be a 5-star product, but I'll never know. I guess I'm concerned about something that will be under "pressure" when it can't even seem to stand up to being shipped.

So far so good:
I have had my 4.5 liter pressure cooker for about a week. I think it looks very good. The metal on the lid and sides is thinner than it was on my last pressure cooker, but maybe that doesn't matter for cooking and safety. It may be just fine. The nearly impossible to remove sticker has been replaced by an O so easy to remove sticker. My first cooking attempt in my new cooker was the lentil soup in the instruction book. Some success, some failure. Maybe I over reached. It will take awhile to learn how to adjust the heat for this cooker. The cooker preformed well and cleaned up pretty easy. I am looking forward to trying something else.