Presto Pressure Cooker Review
The Presto Pressure Cooker is one of the most popular kitchen appliances. A lot of cooks love it, and there are many reasons behind this.
Aside from its great features, this pressure cooker comes at a very affordable price. While it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that you’ll find in a more expensive model of a pressure cooker, most users will tell you that this pressure cooker has truly exceeded their expectations.
With a cooking capacity of 6 quarts, the Presto Electric Pressure Cooker 2141 is enough to feed your entire family. Furthermore, this cooking device can be programmed manually and has 19 cooking presets, allowing you to cook a wide range of meals. Some of its functions include cooking in low or high pressure, browning, slow cooking, and sautéing.
After the cooker completes its cooking cycle, it will immediately switch to the “Keep Warm” mode. If you read the reviews written for this pressure cooker, you’ll find that many customers are very satisfied with it.
But is this the right pressure cooker for you? Read this review to find out.
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Features of the Presto Pressure Cooker
- Has a cooking capacity of 6 quarts
- Comes with removable cooking pot with a nonstick surface
- The cooking pot is dishwasher safe
- Fully programmable and comes with 19 cooking presets
- Will automatically switch to Keep Warm mode after cooking
- Can also be used as a slow cooker
- Digital Controls and LED Display
- Comes with 8 built-in safety features
- Covered with 1-year limited warranty
Every cook knows that the best electric pressure cooker out there is the Instant Pot. But how does the Presto Pressure Cooker differ from an Instant Pot?
First of all, the Presto Pressure Cooker doesn’t come with a delay timer, although this feature is not really necessary. Besides, it’s not really safe for any meat and other foods to leave on the cooker overnight.
In addition, the Presto Pressure Cooker doesn’t come with a stainless-steel cooking pot, so this won’t be an option even if you’re willing to pay more. Instead, what you will get is a metal pan that has a nonstick coating. It’s dishwasher safe and can be cleaned very easily.
Some cooks also appreciate the fact that this pan is lightweight and can, therefore, be handled very easily. But for those who have concerns about using a pan with nonstick coatings, then this pressure may not work well for you.
However, average users are happy with their Presto Electric Pressure Cooker. It does a great job of cooking a wide range of foods.
Below are some of the most commonly used presets:
- Beans
- Desserts
- Fish
- Meat – chops and ribs
- Meat – roast
- Multigrain
- Poultry
- Rice
- Soup
- Stew
- Vegetables – high and low
It’s worth noting that the Presto Pressure Cooker can be set to cook veggies for “zero” minutes. What this means is that once the appropriate pressure is reached, it will stop heating. Thus, your veggies won’t end up overcooked.
Among the built-in safety features of the Presto Pressure Cooker is that it comes with a cover locking mechanism. This allows pressure to build inside the cooker for as long as the cover is securely closed. The cover locking mechanism also prevents the cover from getting opened until such time that the pressure reaches a safe level.
But just like with using any kitchen appliances, the level of safety will mainly depend upon the user. Regardless of the brand or model of pressure cooker that you will buy, you must read the instructions well before using and make sure you follow these instructions to ensure safety.
Aside from the detailed instructions on how to use the cooker, the instruction booklet that you’ll get also features 25 different recipes. There are also timetables to help you get started with using the cooker. While the instruction booklet cannot be considered a complete cookbook, it’s truly very useful. In fact, first-time users of pressure cookers can greatly benefit from it.
Remember that the maximum pressure required for pressure-cooking will vary depending on the cooker’s brand and model. And this factor can also affect the overall cooking time. Depending on the recipe you are cooking, you can refer to the booklet as a reference for the overall cooking time required.
Extra Accessories
As of now, there are no accessories that are specifically made for the Presto Cooker 2141. However, getting a pair of pinch mitts will be a nice addition.
One of the challenges that you’ll encounter when using the pressure cooker for the first time is in removing the hot cooking pot. Thus, the pinch mitts would be a great help. You’ll find different types of pinch mitts in the market. The best ones are made of silicone. They work great and won’t cost a lot.
What Do Customers Say?
The Presto Pressure Cooker is one of the best-rated kitchen appliances online. It’s rare to find complaints about this pressure cooker. Most of the complaints to do with the delay in shipping & delivery and not due to the product itself.
Of the more than 100 reviews online, there were a few complaints about the unit not working well in the first few months of usage. But since the manufacturer is covering the product with a one-year limited warranty, getting it replaced should not be a problem. Also, it’s clear that the company is reading product reviews and have been responding to them.
Some customers find that the overall quality of the Presto Pressure Cooker cannot compete with the Instant Pot. But when it comes to the price, the Instant Pot is significantly more expensive compared to the Presto cooker, which explains the difference in the quality.
It’s also worth noting that the interior portion of the cooking pot isn’t made of stainless steel. Instead, the pot is made of metal with nonstick coating. Some people prefer this to the stainless-steel pot since it’s lightweight and can be handled pretty easily.
On one review, the customer mentioned that the cooker’s searing function doesn’t seem to produce enough heat. But in many reviews, customers have nothing but only good words for the cooker’s searing function. Many customers also love the fact that the Presto Pressure Cooker is very user-friendly and versatile enough to let you cook a wide range of meals.
You can use it for cooking in low or high pressure, and it comes with multiple presets. Most of the users are satisfied with the results. In fact, it easily transforms frozen foods to ready to eat meals.
Pros
- Includes nonstick cooking pot that’s lightweight and easy to clean
- Comes with a lid-lock feature and other built-in safety features
- Has 19 presets and can be manually programmed
- Versatile cooker with great results
- Cheaper than other leading brands
- Covered with a 1-year limited warranty
Cons
- The cooking pot is not made of stainless steel
- Overall quality is slightly lower compared to leading brands
- Doesn’t come with a delay timer feature
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Conclusion
The Presto Pressure Cooker is definitely a good bargain to buy when compared to the more expensive brands of pressure cookers. However, you cannot expect the quality to be the same as the expensive models.
Nevertheless, it functions just as great. It has a generous cooking capacity of 6 quarts and comes with all the important features that you would expect from a pressure cooker.
If you’ve been thinking of buying a pressure cooker, but you’re on a tight budget, the Presto Pressure Cooker is what you should get.
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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
