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The orange valve on the top has clearly marked pressure levels for high and low pressure, steam quick release and pressure off. It's easy to see by the steam coming out of the valve when the cooker has achieved full pressure.
Product Description
T-fal
P2510736 Stainless Steel 6.3 Quart Pressure Cooker. Cook up to 70
percent faster than conventional cooking. Healthy and delicious in a
fraction of the time.
Solid Stainless Steel Construction
Durable
stainless steel construction provides lasting performance and is easy
to clean and maintain. The dishwasher safe body allows you to clean up
quickly. The replacement gasket X9010103 is available on Amazon.
Multi-Layer Base
Multi-layer
base delivers even heat distribution and prevents warping. The base is
suitable for all kinds of cooktops, including induction.
Steam Basket & Stand
Included are a steam basket and stand for multi-level and healthy cooking.
Variable control valve cooks at 10 or 15 PSI
It
features dual pressure setting for speed and convenience for you to
have a variety of choices. Variable steam release valve for added safety
and control.
Safe Opening and Closing System
Secure Locking System for easy opening and closing. The sturdy handle offers a secure and comfortable grip.
Product Features
- Variable control operating valve
- Suitable for all heat sources including induction
- Over pressure gasket release window
- Pressure indicator
- Safe opening and closing system
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Size: 6.3-Quart
- Color: Silver
- Brand: T-fal
- Model: 7114000441
- Fabric type: none
- Dimensions: 10.50" h x 11.50" w x 18.10" l,
Features
- Suitable for all heat sources including induction
- Over pressure gasket release window
- Pressure indicator and variable control operating valve
- Safe opening and closing system
- Replacement gasket model number: X9010103
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews234 of 245 people found the following review helpful.
A good choice for beginners
By PT Cruiser
This T-Fal Healthy Choice pressure cooker is a good choice for everyone, but for anyone who has never used a pressure cooker there are a lot of features that take the guesswork out of using this one. The orange valve on the top has clearly marked pressure levels for high and low pressure, steam quick release and pressure off. It's easy to see by the steam coming out of the valve when the cooker has achieved full pressure. With my first pressure cooker I wasn't always sure if pressure was up or if I had the top on correctly. This one is pretty foolproof and I like the two different pressure settings. It's easy to overcook delicate vegetables or really any green vegetable and end up with mush. Most fresh vegetables take only about 4 or 5 minutes, with the exception of artichokes which take about 14 minutes. (Isn't that great, no long cooking time!) The low pressure settling gives you a little more leeway on the time.
Don't be afraid of using a pressure cooker! Pressure cookers now days have so many safety valves and releases that you probably couldn't blow one up if you tried. I've been using them for years and the worst thing that ever happened was gunking up the bottom with burnt sugar when trying to make rice pudding and cooking it too long. (I now put the pudding ingredients in a bowl that fits in the cooker and set it on the stand. A little water in the bottom steams it under pressure.)
I use my pressure cooker several times a week and I use the pot without the top often as well because it's a nice size. I use it for cooking dry beans which I forgot to soak in about 20 to 25 minutes. Dry beans are a lot less expensive than canned and they taste so much better without the additives. It also cuts down on all the cans that have to be recycled so it's better for the environment. I use it to cook artichokes in about 14 minutes. We don't often eat meat but on St. Patrick's Day I can make falling-apart corned beef in about 45 minutes. I've cooked boneless chicken for about 30 minutes til it's like pulled chicken and added BBQ sauce. Tastes almost like pulled pork. Soups and chili can be cooked for half an hour or so and taste like they were simmering all day. Same with sauces.
The only complaint I have with this cooker is that there weren't a lot of instructions included. There's enough to be able to use it but it included only a short list of cooking times for a few foods. It wouldn't have taken much to add a few recipes with cooking times for people who are new to pressure cookers.
I want to add that cooking times are always approximate and the size of the hunk of meat or the age of the dried beans can affect the time. (Older ones take longer.) If in doubt you can always cook a little shorter time and then add some time if needed. I also will add some ingredients later and bring to pressure again. Like black bean soup with sherry, I add the sherry when I add the peeled and diced sweet potatoes after the beans are almost done. You find that you get the feel of how long foods take to cook after a while. I do a lot of experimenting and have only rarely have had something turn out really badly. If you use bouillon or broth to cook beans they come out really good. Adding herbs seems to infuse both beans and meat with their flavor.
The pressure cooker saves on electricity with my electric stove because once I get the pot up to pressure, I can turn the heat way way down and it will still hold the pressure. When releasing the pressure when you're done, be sure to stand back from the pressure valve. The steam is hot and it comes out fast at first. The dimensions of this cooker without the top are about 9.25 in diameter by 6.5 inches tall. (I always have a hard time picturing the size by the number of ounces or liters it holds.)
Since this pressure cooker doesn't come with recipes, here are a couple of books that I can recommend. The first comes in an inexpensive Kindle version: Vegetarian Pressure Cooker Recipe Book: 50 High Pressure Recipes for Busy People (See my review of 2/2/14) and this one has been updated, but the original has been around a long time: Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure and comes in both a hardcover and Kindle version.
158 of 167 people found the following review helpful.
Finally, a New Years resolution that saves you time!
By Chilehead Craig
So, as we start off this New Year, we made eating healthier one of the top priorities (as I'm sure many have). What always seemed to throw a wrench into the plan is the amount of TIME it takes to prepare everything! Well I'm happy to announce that, for once, there is a way to work towards such a goal and actually save time! Its called pressure cooking!
For those who know all about pressure cookers and are just looking for the operating pressures, I have good news for you! Unlike the previous version (the one with a red handle), the high pressure is now 14.5 psi and the low pressure is 10 psi per the manual. Previously, the max pressure was only 12 psi (low was 7 psi) and I know of at least one popular website that calls T-Fal out by name for having a lower than 'standard' 15 psi. I'd say 14.5 psi is pretty darn close! Theoretically, you should cook for 3.33% longer due to the 0.5 psi difference. That would be 1 minute for every 30 minutes. In reality, there are many other variables that make this negligible. Items that you cook for 30 minutes or more will usually have a larger time range anyway because of variables such as size and weight of the item (like a roast) and anything shorter than 30 minutes (most items) is a difference of literally seconds. I would be more concerned with the higher than 'standard' low pressure (as discussed further in my 'update' at the bottom).
For the rest of you who are new to pressure cooking, I found this model very easy to use. I did not encounter issues that others comment about on other cookers like difficulty of opening and closing or not being able to get up to full pressure. Everything is very well made and seemed to operate very straight forward and smooth. I will say that, being my first pressure cooker, it did take a little getting use to. I did not really know what to expect, but, now that I know a little more about it, I will point out a few things that come to mind to hopefully help demystify it a little:
- The manual says that for the first use, you should fill to the max line with water and cook at max pressure for 20 minutes and then do a quick release. I would do this as I think it helps to set up the valve. I say that because when heating up, the valve all of the sudden evacuated steam like a locomotive as if I had done a quick release, but I still had it set on the high setting. I was not expecting that so I immediately took it off the stove and ran cold water over the lid to cool it down. Upon inspection, the valve appeared OK, so I tried again. This time it gradually let some steam off and then maintained a lower stream that I would have expected the first time. I used it 4 times since and its gradual and operates as expected each time, so I think this was to somehow set it up. Either that or the valve was just stuck and some overpressure got it unstuck. Its still a good idea to do this to get familiar with it before actually trying to cook something.
- The pressure indication pin is located in the hole on the handle and will not allow the unit to pressurize unless you have the latch locked. When there is pressure, the pin will raise up to be flush with the top of the handle and its red so you can see it easier. Note that this does not mean that you are up to your pressure setting. You must visually/audibly have steam coming out of the top of the valve. All the pin tells you is that the unit is still under pressure and you should not open it.
- When you look at cook times, keep in mind that this is not the total time that you will be preparing an item. There is the time to reach full pressure and then the time to let it naturally release (if that's what the recipe calls for). So, for some black beans that I made, while the cook time was only 4-6 minutes, it took about 15 minutes to heat up and another 15 minutes to cool down. Granted, it would still take over 1 1/2 hours cooking them in an open pot, so I've still saved a ton of time and the beans turned out great!
For a great list of cooking times for a variety of things, check out the Hip Pressure Cooking web page (google "hip pressure cooking times") which will give you a great place to start for so many different items. Miss Vickie also has a great site with a lot of information.
As part of our resolution, we plan to cook a lot of beans. One side benefit that I discovered is that pressure cooking helps to deactivate the lectins in beans. Google lectins to read more about why you don't want to be consuming them, but it turns out that stove top cooking may not deactivate all of them and a slow cooker may not deactivate ANY of them! If you are a bean eater, pressure cooking is the way to go!
To clarify what you will be getting, the pot and lid is as pictured except my valve knob is orange (the pic at the time of review shows grey). You will also receive a steaming basket and stand. As I learn more about this wonderful new kitchen gadget, I'll come back to update this review. If anyone has any great knowledge or resources that you want to share about pressure cooking, please leave me a comment. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
UPDATE 1:
After using it a bit longer now, I've had a chance to try out the low pressure setting. This is best for vegetables and hard boiling eggs. When looking at cooking times for vegetables on 'low', they typically refer to a pressure of around 7-8 psi. With this low pressure setting being 10 psi, you should cook for a slightly shorter time (~20% less) so that your vegetables don't over cook since vegetables are particularly sensitive to cook times or they can become mushy. For doing eggs, I was concerned that 10 psi would be too high (on high setting of 15 psi, I've read the eggs could crack), but it turns out to work perfectly! I have never in my life pealed a boiled egg so easily! Just make sure there are no cracks already forming on any of the eggs. One of mine did, but I tried it anyway and it pushed the yolk out through the crack and it cooked to the outside of the shell! It was quite artistic, but not something I would eat.... haha! You should be able to fit a dozen eggs in the included basket, fill with water to below the basket (do not submerge), cook for 5 minutes and do a natural release. Back to more pressure cooking adventures!
UPDATE 2:
After 2 years of use (average once a week), its still going strong. Every now and then, I'll have to readjust the lid to get it to start pressurizing, but the gasket hasn't failed yet. In case you need to eventually replace the gasket, you can find it here: T-fal X90101 Seal Secure 5 Gasket. If you have a few extra bucks to spend, I'd recommend picking one up in case they no longer offer the gasket in the future. If the gasket goes and you cannot find a replacement, the pressure cooker becomes useless.
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97 of 108 people found the following review helpful.
Saves money, saves time, a vital step in getting healthy
By Bob Feeser
I also have the Presto pressure cooker and this T-Fal walks away with the prize. The Presto is about 15 dollars cheaper but when you put them side by side the T-Fal is the one everyone would go for; it is beautiful. The bottom looks like it is clad with a protective sandwich layer in between fully encased in stainless steel. The outside is polished to a level of gloss that is unmistakable quality. I also love the inside where the metal looks like it was turned instead of stamped. The large easy to move handle with the release mechanism is impressive as well
Those new to pressure cooking have concerns like I did about the thing hurting you. My grandmother had one that hurt her once. She used to love to pressure cook. The new lids won't come off if there is pressure inside. Many claim it is an absolutely safe way to cook, but when you read the directions they instruct you to make sure the safety valve is unclogged.
So with two manual on the stove pressure cookers like this one is you would think that I am pressure cooked out; not so. I'm dreaming of an electric too. With an electric you can program it to a set cooking time and forget it. They also have a keep it warm setting. With the stove top models it depends on you to be its brain. For example you need to set the heat to a higher setting in order to get the ball, or should I say the water rolling. :-) Then you need to tame it down to a lower setting for the longer cooking period, and of course know when to shut it off.
Those with the electrics have the stove tops too because not everything is a one pot meal. When preparing side dishes having stove tops provides a lot of flexibility. Currently the Instant Pot IP-LUX60 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6.33-Quart is the number one electric model here at Amazon.
I wanted to mention that I adhere to Dr Fuhrman's Eat for Health, and Eat to Live programs for getting weight off and staying healthy. In Eat to Live Dr Fuhrman mentions that beans are amongst the foods that you can eat all that you want. The problem with beans is that the canned variety almost inevitably comes loaded with salt. The way around that of course is dried beans that take overnight to soak, and even with that they take hours to cook. With a pressure cooker you can conveniently do that entire job in an hour. Rinse off the beans to clean them. Pick out any defective ones and look for anything that may have gotten into the bag like gravel or dirt. Place them in the pressure cooker and set it for a higher temperature. It will take 10 to 15 minutes to get up to full steam and then cook them for 25 minutes at full steam. After that shut off the heat source and let them simmer down for another 15 to 30 minutes and Wahlah, you have cooked beans. Cooking large quantities and freezing in smaller portions makes it even more convenient. Using beans when on a diet really makes a lot of things a lot more fun to eat.
Unless you are a pressure cooker expert you really need to take the time to read the directions. It has a lot of do's and don’ts on how to properly use this cooker. Too many to list here. Pressure cooking is only a little more complicated than placing a pot on a stove, but nevertheless there is more to it.
Another thing that can put people off is that any food that is just steamed lacks flavor unless you spice it up. Meats should be basted, or fried first with a little oil and herbs. The directions state that the bottom of this pot will turn brown after a while so get over it. The thing is so darn beautiful you want to put it behind glass but don't. It is a work tool. So by browning the meat in oil before you add your vegetables for example when making a stew you are capturing the flavors right in the pot. Finally adding the water, putting on the lid, and steam cooking it you wind up with a meal that is so tender it falls off of the bone and in a very short period of time.
All of this is a huge savings on the energy bill, and your valuable time. Not to mention that you can cook meals that are way more healthy and dietetic. If you just put everything in raw including meat you will know what steamed food looks like.
Of course soups and stews open up a lot of possibilities. Using stock with all sorts of things can make a quick meal for a hard working family, and not have to rely on processed foods which are loaded with salt, sugar, and God knows what else. Have you ever read the contents on some of that stuff? You need a chemical engineering degree just to understand it.
A lot of meals go well with brown rice which only takes 20 minutes instead of the usual 45. This is what I mean about saving energy. I used to slow cook my chicken in the oven, boneless, skinless chicken with some olive on rubbed on it, and a sprinkling of rosemary. I would put it in the oven at 275 for 2 and a half hours. Now I can cook it to the same state of falling apart with a fork in a quarter of that time.
I have several T-Fal products and none of them have failed me. This cooker looks like it will be in my kitchen for a long, long time. Good old fashioned utility. I do think I will expand to an electronic model for the flexibility and automation but I am always leery of electronics that are programmed to work in the long run. If you are new to pressure cooking, this is one of the good ones to get.
Highly recommended.
However, if you are going to buy an induction one for the first time, you may want to keep a few things in mind. nonstick cookware
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