Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

According to reviews, the Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is a good choice for budget-conscious consumers, especially if you just need a pressure cooker to whip up basic recipes. It's not as well designed as more expensive pressure cookers, but its pressure indicators and quick pressure release make it easy to use. It comes with a stainless-steel steamer basket and a 12-year limited warranty. Owners say you need to watch food carefully as it browns, in order to prevent scorching. You also need to use caution when handling the pan, because the stay-cool handle, which reviewers say is too short, can become hot to the touch. Despite these flaws, most owners are satisfied with the Presto 6-Quart pressure cooker and say it's a great value. If you can spend more, reviewers say the Fagor Duo 8-Quart (*Est. $90) is more solidly made and has the flexibility of two pressure settings.

We read the best review of the Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker in Cook's Illustrated magazine, where it was put through a series of four rigorous tests along with five other models. For candid owner opinions about this cooker, we turned to Amazon.com, where this cooker has accumulated nearly 200 reviews.