Nesco American Harvest PC-6-25-30TPR 6-Quart Multifunction Digital Pressure Cooker Review

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(More customer reviews)UPDATE AT BOTTOM: Wow, is this a neat appliance. As a pressure cooker, it cooks food as nicely, and as quickly as my old, stainless stove-top model, but with several bonuses. Cleanup is much easier with the Nesco. It browns your meat without any sticking, so you can just toss your other ingredients right in after browning, and switch it to cook. No extra pan to wash. The nonstick pot, also, is much lighter, and washes out instantly vs the heavy ol'stove model that required soaking. Best of all, though, is how quiet it is! No babysitting the constant CH!CH!CH!CH! on the stove anymore. Set it, and it cooks in complete silence without another moment's thought, and no adjustments necessary. You could leave the house (it also has a timer to start cooking later if you wish). The Nesco is a slow cooker, as well. I have been so annoyed with how hot all the new slow cookers are. I've bought several brands trying to fnd a true "slow cooker". They all cook at nuclear heat, and every review of every new slow cooker says the same thing. The Nesco cooks nice and slow just like the old fashioned crock pots did. I love this cooker. The manual blows, though. How strange that the cooker is so well thought, but the quality control for the manual fell flat. It is contradictory, incomplete, and explains the buttons and timer wrong. The recipes are not appealing. Who cares. You'll love the Nesco cooker. It will replace your crock-pot and your stove-top pressure cooker. I've not tried it yet on steaming, but it might just replace the rice cooker and veg. steamer, too. Think of all the room in your cupboards, now.
Jan 2001: OK, my original cooker still works and I still like it, but I'm ticked!!! off!!! at Metal Ware customer service. We got one of these for my brother for Christmas, and it would not even power on. Customer service at Metal Ware Corp requires us to pay to get it shipped for repairs. 15 lbs and a BRAND NEW ITEM and I have to pay this ridiculous shipping fee on top of the very expensive purchase price. I no longer have warm fuzzies for the cooker since customer service is BAD.

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A useful addition to any busy kitchen, this multifunctional electric cooker provides three handy functions in one. Use it to pressure cook, slow cook, or steam cook anything from long-grain rice, pot roast, and vegetable soup to curried chicken, chocolate cheesecake, and more. The versatile appliance provides a removable nonstick cooking chamber with a generous 6-quart capacity--perfect for making healthy homemade meals for the family or to take to a potluck or picnic. Its user-friendly digital control panel offers simple push-button operation and a variety of options. Choose from warm mode, steam mode, browning mode, and slow-cook mode (up to 9-1/2 hours), as well as two pressure settings when pressure cooking. Even more, the programmable digital timer can be set to delay cooking up to eight hours, which makes it possible to come home to dinner ready and waiting after a long day at the office. Other highlights include a stay-cool lid and handles; a locking cover; and safety steam release, which prevents the cover from being opened until pressure has reduced to a safe level. Accessories include a steaming rack for steam mode, a glass cover for browning mode, and an instruction manual/recipe book. Attractively housed in brushed stainless steel, the three-in-one combination cooker measures 12 by 12 by 18 inches.

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Cuisinart CPC-600 1000-Watt 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, Brushed Stainless and Matte Black Review

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(More customer reviews)First, I was a pressure cooker nut from before. I used my mother's 1930/40's Presto's until I couldn't get seals for them. When I saw this digital pressure cooker I bought it instantly. I loved it so much that I gave one to my daughter, my sis and my sis-in-law, (we're all foodies). I was cooking stuff I hadn't made in years. We ate like kings! All of a sudden, caput. I get online and search and right there on Amazon, Bobby Mac "Micronaut101" describes my very own problem! So no more trying to make the bloody thing work! I call the Cuisinart 800 number prepared to go the distance according to the reviews I've read and I describe my problem, how much I love the machine, how I've seen the problem reported on Amazon and therefore it's a known quality issue and I want a new machine. OK, she says, what's your address? No "did you send in a warranty" or anything else. Bingo, 7 - 10 days I'll have a new pressure cooker. How cool is that? Oh, and "We're sorry for the inconvenience. Have a great day." Yehaa! Let's hear it for Amazon and reviews!
[[editing review as of 6/4/09: pressure sensor wouldn't set pressure and pressure cooking wouldn't start. Cooker would get to boiling but pressure wouldn't lock the cooker and begin cooking. Little red button wouldn't come up to close opening. I would wiggle the button with a skewer or knife point to get it to pop up to close pressure hole. Hope this helps.]]
And I'm writing this so that others who may get one of those recalcitrant pressure cookers that slipped through the quality assurance check can know that they will get a new pressure cooker with the press of the number buttons. Cuisinart has decided to stand behind this one product, at least.
BTW, all of us are previous users of pressure cookers so we really appreciated the ability to sear the meat in the cooker. My family has used the Cuisinart cookbook for the pasta e Fagioli, Cuban Black Bean Soup, Chicken with Herb Dumplings and the "outstanding" Creamy Rice Pudding" And, in fact, the Rice pudding cooked so quickly that my sis didn't think it was done when the timer went off and over cooked it! Her second batch was superb. We also like Lorna Sass's "Cooking Under Pressure" and "Pressure Perfect"

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Reduce time spent in the kitchen preparing meals with the help of this 6-quart electric pressure cooker--it cuts cooking times up to 70-percent when compared to traditional stovetop cooking methods. The unit traps steam inside, which builds up pressure to create hotter temperatures, and its tight seal locks in heat, moisture, and flavor, as well as vitamins and minerals for exceptionally healthy, great-tasting meals like soup, chili, and other one-dish entrees. It also works well for cheesecake and custard, because dessert should never be left off the menu. The unit's push-button controls and easy-to-read digital display eliminate guesswork, while its precision digital thermostat regulates temperatures. Choose from preprogrammed settings for high- or low-pressure cooking, browning, simmering, sauteing, and warming. For safety, the cooker must be fully locked for pressure to build, and it will remain locked until the pressure inside drops to zero. Other highlights include a 99-minute timer with an LED countdown display, cool-touch side handles, and a nonstick cooking pot that cleans up easily by hand or in the dishwasher. A dishwasher-safe trivet also comes included. Housed in brushed stainless steel, the 1000-watt pressure cooker measures 12-1/5 by 12-1/5 by 13-1/5 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty.

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Breville BSC560XL Stainless-Steel 7-Quart Slow Cooker with EasySear Insert Review

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(More customer reviews)Would love to this a five star rating but mine cooks too hot. I just cooked my third roast over 3 lbs on low and it cooked in 3 hours. It is supposed to take 6 - 10 hours per the manufacturers instructions. It looks great and being able to sear in the same pan is a big advantage in my galley but the inability to really cook things on a low temperature is disappointing. No response from the manufacturer from their help desk.

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Equipped with a wrap-around heating element to ensure even cooking temperatures, this convenient slow cooker offers an extra-large 7-quart-capacity (6-1/2 liters) that comes in handy for dinner parties, holiday gatherings, or everyday meals with family and friends. The thoughtfully designed appliance offers simple, one-pot cooking with the help of its EasySear stovetop insert. Made of scratch-resistant, die-cast aluminum with a Quantanium nonstick coating, the removable insert functions as a premium piece of stand-alone cookware. Use it for searing on the stovetop, slow cooking in the slow cooker, or roasting in the oven. For example, the cooking vessel can be used to sear, saute, or brown ingredients on a gas or electric stovetop, then be returned to the cooker for a slow, simmering finish to enhance flavors. It can even be lifted out of the slow cooker for use as an elegant banquet-style serving piece.
Choose from three heat settings: "low" (5 to 10 hours), "high" (3 to 4 hours), or "dual" (4 to 8 hours between "low" and "high" heat). The "low" setting works well for gently simmering pot roasts, braises, and dishes with tougher cuts of meats for an extended period of time without over cooking or burning, while the "high" and "dual" settings work well for better cuts of meat and dishes with vegetables and grains like lentil soup or vegetable stew. Other highlights include a domed stainless-steel lid that can be used in the oven, removable silicone handle covers for safely transferring food from the stove to the cooker, a simple temperature-control dial, and a removable cord for serving at the table and compact storage. A stainless-steel roasting rack comes included. Elegantly housed in brushed stainless steel, the slow cooker measures approximately 18-1/4 by 11-1/2 by 9-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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Norpro Tin Heat Diffuser Review

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(More customer reviews)Maybe it's just me... but the stinky, smoking handle problem wasn't an issue with me at all. When the diffuser arrived I unwrapped it and, with a gentle tug, pulled off the wooden handle! It's not like I'm going to be moving it around while I'm cooking on it. The handle would just get in my way on the stovetop, anyway. Without the handle, it stores much easier, too.
These little tin diffusers aren't designed to be used with a burner that's turned all the way up to "high". You'll need a cast iron or solid aluminum one for that kind of heat. If you're just trying to reduce hot spots or using it with a ceramic Moroccan tagine, it's perfect.

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If you're cooking a delicate sauce, or melting chocolate, it's imperitave to use really low, gentle heat. This diffuser adds a layer of protection between the burner and the bottom of the pan, yet its perforations do allow heat to get through.

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Flame Tamer SIMMER Ring Aluminum HEAT Diffuser DISTRIBUTER gas stove top stovetop with Wood Handle Review

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(More customer reviews)Look at my discussion of the Norpro which I also own. 1) of COURSE the handle burns!!!! would you rather have a wooden smell for a bit, or burnt plastic for longer? and metal would make you get welders gloves -- the IDEA is to put it under your pot and LEAVE it there -- so really, there's little use for the handle. These products with the holes in them will keep water, even in the space age layered metals of today's pots, at a 'steep', below a simmer --- at a 'steep' -- which is wonderful. Yes they will rust - and if you go camping yes you will need to put it in a plastic bag -- EVERY pan has a 'hot spot' -- weather it's your great grandmothers Lodge or Cascade or Fireside or what ever Castiron, or if it's a $400 Kuhn-Rikhon pressure cooker -- this will make that 'hot spot' go away -- it will allow you to cook tomato sauce ALL DAY without having to stand there to stir it every so often, so you can go out to the garden, visit your neighbors, go shopping - and come home and take your WOODEN spoon and stir the pot.
I've tried many ways over the past 50 years to keep the handle on, and none has worked -- so don't fight it -- I have a pair of vice grips set for this, and the vice grips cost about $2 as a counter special at an auto parts store and should cost you maybe $5 at a hard ware store -- you only need he small one -- and that's to do the final little fraction of an inch push this way or that.
I didn't believe it, but these ARE hard to find -- when I was looking for some for my girlfriend last Valentines day -- I was saved by the bell because the local cooking supply/hardware store called in the order with half an hour to spare so they would arrive on time.
So-- the spray they use to make them all shiney will burn off -- and smell -- so do it before you cook -- both sides and get it hot -- the wooden handle will sooner or later burn off -- get used to it. It will turn black and rust -- but it's not IN your food, so it's like ditry dishes in your sink -- they don't change the color of your shirts in the laundry. and vice grips of pliers will help you make the final fractional inch adjustment that's not necessary except in your mind!
But when you think of all the vitamins, amino acids, poly-and phyto saccharides from your plants that are destroyed by boiling -- you can cook AND slowly leach out the chemicals into the water -- This and the other one with the holes on top are amazing --
Someone complained because these did their job - the paraphrase was "I put some water on to boil and it took 20 minutes rather than the regular X minutes -- it's so cheap, I'm just going to throw it in the back of my cupboard and forget about it.
so -- if you can stand the smell of metal preservative, and a wooden handle smoking (and eventually falling off) -- these are the most energy efficient items around your kitchen -- they put the hot stuff exactly where it belongs on the bottom of the pan, and don't soak up a lot of heat themselves, they allow it to pass through and do it's job.
So -- I'd suggest this over ANY other -- there was one that was star shaped and was really nothing more than a pot raiser -- put one open grate on top of another -- but the problem remains -- that 'hot spot' that every pan seems to have -- and you have taken for granted for so long you forget that it's there.
You can even use cheap one layer thick aluminum-- you an use a coffee can -- and cook in it without boiling the water over -- and if you do? turn up the flame, burn it clean -- let it cool, stack it with the others on the back burner so you can get to it -- and you are done cleaning -- LOOK MA! NO WATER!
I've used the cast iron ones -- and they are worth not much -- FIRST you heat the cast iron, THEN you heat the pot, and if too hot, you turn down the flame, but the cast iron is still hot and it keeps getting hotter until a bit AFTER you have turned it down -- it's like talking to Mars -- you can do it, but what you do NOW no one will know for 20 minutes.
With these - what you do now, happens now -- so you really CAN 'steep' with no problem and not worry about 'simmer' at all!
so -- these kinds will always be at home in my kitchen -- just like they were in grandmas and my great grandmothers -- my mothers, and mine -- burned beans? only when I gave most of mine away-- burned tomato sauce -- only when I gave them away -- otherwise -- set and forget as they say on late night TV - I sure would like to see this in stainless steel!


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When cooking a delicate sauce or melting chocolate, it's important to use low, gentle heat.This diffuser adds a layer of protection between the burner and the bottom of the pan, yet its perforations allow heat to get through. Protect your beautiful pots and pans with this clever gadget. Made of lightweight yet sturdy aluminum. Measures 12" and 8.5" wide. Hanging loop for easy storage. Reduces cleanup time.

Click here for more information about Flame Tamer SIMMER Ring Aluminum HEAT Diffuser DISTRIBUTER gas stove top stovetop with Wood Handle