Lagostina Pronto Pressure Cooker, 6 L
2.8
5
4
4
very pleased with this item
Got this pressure cooker on sale, and after some experimenting am very satisfied with its performance.
The experimenting is necessary because this cooker comes with 2 pressure valves, 7.35 psi and 11.8 psi. However, most recipes are intended for cookers with 15 psi ... so you will need to adjust the cooking time. Fortunately the manual provides charts with suggested cooking times for many common foods.
The low pressure valve is useful for cooking vegetables and fish, which normally turn to mush under high pressure.
Just to note that the model I purchased included a "bonus" steamer basket (stainless steel) which is quite handy.
March 6, 2011
Poor assembly, questionable design
I can't really comment on durability since I have only had it for 3 days, but I would like to start off by saying that the instructions are completely useless. There are not a lot of parts, but the terms "pressure control valve" and "pressure indicator" (which are the two main parts of interest when operating the thing) are used interchangeably, causing mass confusion. The first time I used it, steam was escaping from the pressure indicator area, and not from the pressure control valve, as it should. I had followed all the operating instructions, and read the troubleshooting, but it was still not right. The result was tough oxtail. The second time, I got more adventurous and looked at all the parts closely, disassembling the pressure control valve and learning how it works (the steam is supposed to shoot up the tube and push the valve body upwards to release the steam). It looked fine, but there was obviously not enough pressure to push it up previously. Then I saw the nut under the pressure indicator, got a wrench, and tightened it. This fixed the leakage problem I had, and upon pressure build up, the steam finally escaped through the pressure control valve, as it should. I then fiddled with the large handle, and found that this also affected the amount of steam escaping from the valve. That should not happen. I will keep this thing and try it a few more times. If there are any other problems, it is going straight back to Canadian Tire and I am buying a good pressure cooker elsewhere. At least I got it at half price ($79.99).
June 19, 2012
Poor quality seal
We bought this pressure cooker after many years of using other pressure cookers made by the same company. I started to notice the ribs I was cooking in the pot weren’t coming out as they have previously in other pressure cookers, so I started watching more closely the time I left the meat in the pot. I added a few minutes on a couple of different occasions and the same thing would happen. On about the 4th try I notices that the pressure relief valve was fully closed which would mean the little valve stem would be flush with the top of that part of the handle. Then I noticed steam coming out of the handle , the same side as the pressure relief valve. If I squeezed the handle I could change the amount of steam that was escaping from the pot. I then took it back to the store and they replaced it with a brand new one
We tried again with the band new 2nd pot and the first time we used it we found the same steam leak, in the same place so we returned it and got our money back.
I would not recommend this pressure cooker to anyone
September 11, 2011
Good performance, bad material
Got this two weeks ago. After I have the stewed pork cooked, I washed the cooker, I found out the inside base of the cooker was rusty. I tried to pad dry it with a dry cloth, the rust still there. After a week, I cooked some stewed beef. Also, after I washed it, I found out more rust there. The body of the cooker was still very shinny but the inside base was rusty (the more I cook, the more the rust will be there). Can anyone telll me do you have this problem? This cooker can cook very good food, but I concern about the rust.
March 12, 2011
