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Review on Power Pressure Cooker XL 8 Quart: Digital Non-Stick Stainless Steel Steam Slow Cooker and Canner – The Ultimate Kitchen Essential by Choice Maynard

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great product - if you buy from the right place.

Before I begin my review I would like to say that I did not purchase my Power XL pressure cooker from Revain but thank them for using the same items they did bought somewhere else, have it checked . . I come to Revain every time I want to research a product and I usually shop here but not this time. However, I have noticed a lot of negative customer service reviews about Power Pressure Cooker. This has been bugging me since I placed my order. I read a lady's review that she bought hers from Bed, Bath and Beyond for the same price so I canceled my order and just picked one up at my local BBB last night. I've fried chicken in it before and I love it! There are instructions, only very small ones in the manual. They ask you to essentially "season" the pot and rubber liner by filling it 2/3 full with water and setting it to canning. I did and I confess I was a little apprehensive about how long it would take to reach the high pressure point. (The directions said it could take up to 17 minutes, but it was closer to 25) for that first half. It finally completed the canning cycle and I left it alone until this morning. Eager to try, I got up about 30 minutes earlier than usual; I decided to roast the chicken. I used a whole 4 lb chicken but followed the cookbook directions for 3-2 lb chicken. I poured oil in the pan, pressed the chicken/meat button, seasoned the chicken and by the time I put the chicken in to brown it was already sizzling. It took about 5 minutes to roast the bird. Then I canceled the chicken/meat program and although she didn't mention it, I added about 1/2 cup of water because I wanted some more to make soup later. Cover, press the soup/stew button and set the time for 30 minutes. I waited a few minutes to see how long it would take for the pressure to build up and with food inside it was only a few minutes. I left to get ready for work and when I came back 40 minutes later it was in "warm up" mode. I made sure the air was out and opened the lid. The smell that hit me was amazing. And just like in the ad, the chicken literally fell off the bone. So tender, juicy and full of flavor! I can't wait for dinner. I'm testing the canning feature tonight and will be making chicken soup (which I'm making with the chicken and broth I made this morning) so my husband can make homemade chicken stew for work. Morning. feed hot. I think it will just take a bit of trial and error. There are very few recipes in the booklet, but there are plenty on the web. If you can I suggest buying from your local store or Revain. When I called to cancel an order with the Power Pressure Cooker I could actually see what all the complaints were about. They were very pushy and what should have been a simple 1-2 minute call took around 7 minutes. I really recommend this stove as I can see how much easier it will make things. I mean, gosh, I've fried chicken before work with little to no cleaning other than the pot! UPDATE - after longer use: STILL AMAZING. So far I've made Mac and Cheese (to die for!), Roasted Pork with Honey Dijon Sauce, Whole Chicken, Steak. Yes, steak and roast beef. Everything went better than I expected. I'll admit it was weird cooking the ribeye in liquid in a pressure cooker and I probably won't do it again with an expensive cut, but my spice flavor was deep in the middle. Big. I have only good things to say about this device.

Pros
  • Great for a small home
Cons
  • Questionable purchase for the elderly