Cuisinart CPC-600 Pressure Cooker

I received this for Christmas 20008 and have been using it for almost 10 months. Before I received this I found pressure cookers too much work and too dangerous to use. This appliance removes those… problems. However, this appliance is not without a quirk of its own--i.e. you must make sure the float valve is clean and free moving before you start cooking or the appliance will shut off before it finishes cooking. Keep the float valve clean and you'll love your pressure cooker.

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I bought this on August 29, 2009. I found the exterior non-stick layer on the bottom of the cooking pot started to peel off after I used for three times. I also saw stains on the bottom of the outer body… (peeled non-stick layer). So I took the pictures and email them to the custom service. However, I was requested to send the pot back at my own cost, and I also should be responsible for the return shipping. I think the pictures I took were clear enough for the replacement, especially considering the problem came out within less than one month of purchasing. Their strategy is to wear out your patience and then take advantage of it. So disgusting!

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The first couple of times I used this, it was great. Since then the little pop up valve won't pop up, at least for a long time. All the while there is a lot of steam escaping around the valve. The… instructions that come with this thing are worthless. The troubleshooting section says the solution to this problem...well, they actually don't tell you how to fix it, but they say it's a problem with the push rod hanging up the little pop up valve. Unless you have X-ray vision and can see thru metal, it's impossible to say how this causes the hang up and what the solution might be. Do you push the rod in, or let it be extended to the exterior more. Those are your only two options. Do you hold the rod to the extended position while you clamp on the lid? Impossible to say. The result of all this is that steam escapes for awhile and sometimes the popup happens (once all the liquid has escaped and your food has now boiled, making it impossible to judge how long to now cook it). Sometimes it boils like that forever and you never do get an effective seal. You can't tell whether it's going to work on any given occasion or not. I find myself using the word "impossible" a lot here, and that is the single best description of this product. I wish I hadn't bought it. I also invested in several cookbooks (good ones!) and that is a waste as well, since you need a pressure cooker to make pressure cooked food. When you pay this much for a product, it's reasonable to expect a decent manual and something that works!

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I have been using this pressure cooker for over a year now and I LOVE it. I've used the old pressure cookers...presto..mirro...canners and 4-6 qt cookers for 50 years...but I LOVE this new Cuisinart. Main… reason I love it...it is pretty fool proof so far as accidentally walking off and forgetting your cooking and scorching things. This auto kicks into a warm mode at end of programmed cooking time so that problem is solved! It is also less scarey to the younger folk that heard about NaNa's pot of beans blowing up. LOL. Seriously, I've personally never had a OLD or new pressure cooker blow up in 50 years. This electric pressure cooker just can't accidently get too hot and blow because of the safty features. It is VERY easy to learn how to use the electric control settings. It gives you many options such as saute, brown or use it basically as a slow cooker (you do have to do a bit of experimenting to use it as a slow cooker). This baby came into it's own last holiday. I was too tired to mess with pressuring the turkey carcass after dinner for soup then having to figure out how to find room for the broth, etc overnight. I cut carcass in half..stuffed into pressure cooker...set it to pressure at low for a short time period...let it auto kick into warm/simmer mode and went to bed. Got up to a "slow cooker" full of broth and just went to making a hearty stew for the young-uns lunch. Worked GREAT. Only issue I have is that I doubt this cooker will last as long as the traditional stovetop cookers have simply because of the design, electronics and inside non-stick pot. Despite this issue...I think it is a great choice for folks new and old to have in their kitchen if you have the space. Needs less water added to cooker since this baby does not evaporate liquid like the older cookers do. I don't understand why there is a lag of 1-3 months for Amazon to ship this item...I'd have bought another one for a X-mas gift for a son TODAY if I knew I would get it before XMAS. The one I have I got with my credit card reward points SOOOO I didn't mind a short wait to get it. I still plan to buy one for my son...just not going to plan for a Xmas arrival. LOL! I certainly would not recommend giving away your old stove top cooker since ya just can't expect this electric one to last 20-30 years like the old ones will...but it hopefully will last many years.

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