Before I begin my review, I want to state that I did not buy my Power Pressure Cooker XL on Amazon, but I do thank them for allowing people to review the same items purchased elsewhere. I come to Amazon any time I want to research a product and usually end up buying here, just not this time.
That being said, I noticed a lot of negative feedback about the customer service at the Power Pressure Cooker company. That worried me, as I had just placed my order. I read one woman's review that she went and bought hers at Bed, Bath and Beyond for the same price, so I cancelled my order and just went and picked one up at my local BBB last night. I already roasted a chicken in it and I love it!
The directions are there, just very small in the users manual. They ask you to, essentially, "season" the pot and the rubber gasket by filling it with water 2/3 full and setting it to the canning setting. I did that and I'll admit I was a little worried about how long it took to reach the pressurized point. (The instructions said it could take up to 17 minutes, but it was more like 25) for this first time out. It finally completed the canning cycle and I left it alone until this morning.
Eager to try it, I got up about 30 minutes earlier than normal; I decided to roast a chicken. I used a 4 lb whole chicken but followed the instructions in the cookbook for the 3 - 2lb chickens. I put the oil in the pot, hit the Chicken/Meat button, seasoned the chicken and by the time I put the chicken in to brown it, it was sizzling. It took about 5 minutes to brown the bird. Then cancelled the Chicken/Meat program and, even though it didn't say to do so, I added about a 1/2 cup of water because I wanted a little extra stock to make soup later. Put the lid on, pushed the Soup/Stew button and adjusted the time to 30 minutes. I waited a few minutes to see how long it took to pressurize and with the food in there, it was just a matter of a couple of minutes. I left to get ready for work and when I came back 40 minutes later, it was on the Keep Warm setting. I made sure all air was released and opened the lid. The smell that hit me was amazing. And, just like on the commercial, the chicken literally fell off the bone. So tender and juicy and full of flavor! I can hardly wait for lunch. Tonight I'm testing out the canning feature and am going to can some chicken soup (that I'm making from the chicken and stock I made this a.m.) so my hubby can have homemade chicken stew for work. Tomorrow... chuck roast. I think this will just take a little trial and error. There are very few recipes in the booklet, but there are lots online. If you can, I suggest buying from a local store or Amazon; when I called to cancel the order with Power Pressure Cooker I could really see what all the complaints were about. They were very pushy and what should have been an easy 1 - 2 minute phone call took about 7 minutes. I really recommend this cooker as I can see how much simpler it's going to make things. I mean heck, I roasted a chicken before work with virtually no clean up other than the pot!
UPDATE - after using for a while: STILL AWESOME. So far have made the Mac and Cheese (to die for!) a pork roast with honey Dijon sauce, whole chicken, steak... yes, a steak, and a beef pot roast. All came out better than I could have hoped for. I will admit it was strange to cook a rib eye in liquid in a pressure cooker, and I probably won't do it again with an expensive cut, but the flavor of my spices was deep into the middle... very good. I have nothing but good to say about this unit.
Prepare your favorite slow-cooked recipes 70% faster and make one-pot meals with a mere touch of a button with the Power Pressure Cooker XL. Features flavor infusion technology to lock in flavor and nutrients for delicious and healthy cooking results. Ideal for canning fruits, vegetables, and more. Features: 1-touch preset buttons, nonstick and dishwasher safe inner pot, safe lock lid with manual steam release, digital display panel, automatic keep warm mode, and built-in safety features. Capacity: 6 qt, Size. Holds 4 pt Wide Mouth Jars. Stainless Steel. Color: Silver/Black
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- Allows you to cook delicious, flavorful and healthier meals up to 70% faster than traditional cookware.
- Flavor infusion technology traps super heated steam inside the pot to force liquid and moisture into your food
- Digital display panel. Slow cooker function prepares your favorite slow-cooked recipes 10x fast
- Safe lock lid with manual steam release. Automatic keep warm mode. Large and sturdy lid arm handle. Capacity: 6 quarts
- Wipe clean brushed stainless steel housing. 1-year manufacturer's warranty
