Thought I'd do an update. We ended up with the Nesco 6-quart electric pressure cooker. After reading a ton of reviews, I figured I'd give it a try.
We did a pot roast yesterday for dinner. OMGoodness! Delicious! I had used a nice 4-pound boneless chuck that I seasoned my own way and browned well in the cooker (yes, you can brown meat in this model). I added my red wine and beef broth (that I had from the freezer and defrosted in the microwave). Then I adjusted the lid (and that did take me awhile to figure it out) and set it for 40 minutes on High. Once the cooker reached pressure, it started counting down. 40 minutes later, it beeped and switched to Warm. I used the quick release, opened the lid, added the onions, potatoes, and carrots. Put the lid back on (did it quicker this time), set the timer for 7 minutes and hit Start. Seven minutes later? We had dinner! A pot roast, complete with a bit of gravy (that I made in the cooker from a roux of butter and flour and the drippings) in less than one hour. I'm serious....I was impressed. So was Rick.
Easy to clean. The removable pot inside the cooker is nonstick and, even though you can't put it in the dishwasher, it cleaned very easily with a bit of dishwashing liquid and my dish cloth. OH, and the electric cord is not connected to the cooker; you plug it into the cooker when you want to use it. Not a problem there.
I'd say my biggest problem was trying to get the lid on. It took me awhile the first time....to get it level and sealed. The second time, it went much easier. Once it was on, I had no trouble; it didn't come loose or anything. Oh, and I really like the quick release mechanism, so I don't have to wait for the pressure to come down. I simply moved the weight from Seal to Vent and the cooker started to vent steam right away. It only took about 30 seconds for the pressure to come down and I was easily able to get the lid off, add the vegetables to the roast and put the lid back on to cook again. If you want to, though, you can let the pressure come down naturally, but I don't know how long it takes as I've not done that yet.
Next on my list is a recipe for pressure cooked mac and cheese.....in seven minutes (plus time to come up to pressure). I can see using this sometimes when we need a relatively quick dinner. And my MIL has already asked me if she can borrow it to experiment with it, too.
Calico2222, I believe you had wondered about the electric pressure cooker, too. We like it. Keep in mind, it's only the first time I've used it. But I was happy with it yesterday. I'll keep using it and if I run into any problems, I'll update.
We did a pot roast yesterday for dinner. OMGoodness! Delicious! I had used a nice 4-pound boneless chuck that I seasoned my own way and browned well in the cooker (yes, you can brown meat in this model). I added my red wine and beef broth (that I had from the freezer and defrosted in the microwave). Then I adjusted the lid (and that did take me awhile to figure it out) and set it for 40 minutes on High. Once the cooker reached pressure, it started counting down. 40 minutes later, it beeped and switched to Warm. I used the quick release, opened the lid, added the onions, potatoes, and carrots. Put the lid back on (did it quicker this time), set the timer for 7 minutes and hit Start. Seven minutes later? We had dinner! A pot roast, complete with a bit of gravy (that I made in the cooker from a roux of butter and flour and the drippings) in less than one hour. I'm serious....I was impressed. So was Rick.
Easy to clean. The removable pot inside the cooker is nonstick and, even though you can't put it in the dishwasher, it cleaned very easily with a bit of dishwashing liquid and my dish cloth. OH, and the electric cord is not connected to the cooker; you plug it into the cooker when you want to use it. Not a problem there.
I'd say my biggest problem was trying to get the lid on. It took me awhile the first time....to get it level and sealed. The second time, it went much easier. Once it was on, I had no trouble; it didn't come loose or anything. Oh, and I really like the quick release mechanism, so I don't have to wait for the pressure to come down. I simply moved the weight from Seal to Vent and the cooker started to vent steam right away. It only took about 30 seconds for the pressure to come down and I was easily able to get the lid off, add the vegetables to the roast and put the lid back on to cook again. If you want to, though, you can let the pressure come down naturally, but I don't know how long it takes as I've not done that yet.
Next on my list is a recipe for pressure cooked mac and cheese.....in seven minutes (plus time to come up to pressure). I can see using this sometimes when we need a relatively quick dinner. And my MIL has already asked me if she can borrow it to experiment with it, too.
Calico2222, I believe you had wondered about the electric pressure cooker, too. We like it. Keep in mind, it's only the first time I've used it. But I was happy with it yesterday. I'll keep using it and if I run into any problems, I'll update.