This is my 4th pressure cooker in as many months. I first bought a super cheap one to make beans for my Colombian exchange student, and was amazed at what a pressure cooker could do. The lid on that model was horrible and it became unusable within a week, but hey it was $10 new. That one had a rocker style release, which was a bit noisy and crazy, but was awesome in that you could "hear" when it went to pressure. Strike one. Next one, the Wolfgang Puck model off of Great Offer Stock. Started good, liked the electric set it and forget it, but it stopped working with only a few uses and past the return time by less than a month. That is a separate review, but avoid that model. I then bought a stock pot size of a Fagor and LOVED it! Hence, the purchase of this smaller model.
Let me start with how easy it is to get the gasket in and out and the lid on and off. No small feat mind you given my experience with the other models!! Very easy, and when you release the pressure it is managed well, unlike my cheap model spewing foulness up on my ceiling one day. Next, it comes to pressure quickly and cooks evenly- fantastic meals for my family in minutes! Clean up is also very simple. You can tell when this comes to pressure when a little part pops up, sorta like a pop up timer on a turkey, but on a smaller scale. This makes it quiet, although I feel like I should monitor it until this occurs to adjust the heat. Pressure cookers save a boat load of energy so you can feel good about it being a green choice. This bad boy seems to be very durable, and I am super harsh on kitchenware, and even I do not think I will mess this up. Recipes are critical to a good experience if you are new, and I would encourage you to purchase a good cook book- Lorna Sass is a good author that I can recommend either her Pressure Perfect (a great intro for beginners) or her One Pot version (my kind of cooking).
Examples of what i cook- unstuffed cabbage rolls literally from start to finish (including chopping) 15 minutes, pasta with homemade sauce in under 15, beef stroganoff (frozen meatballs for the meat) in less than 20, and all of these times include the time it takes to pull out the cookware, dice and dump ingredients in, cook, and serve. A working mom's angel! I also now make homemade chicken broth with excellent quality compared to what I used to buy and a whole lot cheaper. For the first time in my life I made pinto beans starting from the dried state, and it was wonderful. I am only just getting started with recipes, so you can imagine how much more you can do that I have not even started yet!