Fagor Pressure Cooker – Pros and Cons

When it comes to pressure cookers, not many stand up to the extreme high quality and professional class of the Fagor pressure cooker.

Made of the super durable 18/10 blend of stainless steel, the bottom of this cooker is also coated in aluminum for extra ruggedness. These cookers come with easy-to-read instruction booklets that help you understand the built-in indicators. This makes the Fagor pressure cooker one of the most user-friendly models on the market today. Even if you’ve never cooked with a pressure cooker before, the Fagor’s plain instructions and simple usage meters makes preparation, cooking and cleanup a breeze.

What most people really seem to like about the Fagor cooker is the simplicity of the two-position design. The first position is for low pressure which is 8 psi. The second position is for high pressure cooking, or 15 psi. Further, the Fagor has a maximum (MAX) line which indicates that you have reached the recommended capacity inside the cooker, ensuring that there are no mishaps in your kitchen. It’s this type of commitment to safety (which we’ll talk more about in a bit) that makes Fagor such a popular choice with professional chefs and amateurs alike.

But while the simplicity of the design makes it easy to use, the company also recognizes the need for versatility in the kitchen. That’s why the Fagor pressure cooker comes in three distinct sizes: 6, 8 and 10 quarts. This means that whatever the size of your kitchen or need of your family, you can be sure that Fagor has you covered. Plus, the largest size (10 quart) also doubles as a pressure canner.

Using Your Fagor Pressure Cooker

As mentioned above, the simplicity of the Fagor is what attracts so many devoted chefs to this product. The lid locks into place once your cooker is loaded and then you simply raise the burner heat to high (or medium/high for electric stoves) and the cooker begins to build pressure. As the food inside cooks, the Fagor pressure cooker’s spring-loaded pressure indicator will rise, telling you the exact moment which the unit rises to the proper pressure.

After this happens, the heat is lowered to medium (or medium/low for electrics) and cooking commences. The Fagor has a built-in safety feature which regulates the amount of pressure inside the cooker without you having to do a thing. Then, when the food is ready, you simply release the pressure. The Fagor cooker is unique in that it has three ways in which you can do this:

The Natural-Release Method

For some meals such as stocks, sauces and certain meats, there is a need to continue the cooking process as the temperature drops naturally. This normally takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on the type and quantity of food in the cooker. The Fagor spring-loaded pressure indicator tells you when the pressure is naturally lowered completely.

The Cold-Water Release Method

Most of the food you’ll be cooking in your Fagor will require instantaneous pressure release so that the cooking ceases right away (so as not to result in overcooking). For this, simply run cold water over the Fagor unit’s special lid which cools the cooker and depressurizes it in a matter of seconds.

The Automatic-Release Method

For those who don’t want to fool with either method, the Fagor cooker has an automatic release setting. With the flick of a switch, your Fagor will quickly release the pressure from inside the cooker.

Fagor’s Extreme Safety Features

Fagor pressure cookers are all Underwriter Laboratory approved. This means that they pose no risk for explosion like other, inferior pressure cookers and are completely safe. The Fagor lids lock automatically when there is pressure inside the cooker and the unit will not pressurize if the lid is not locked in properly. Further, lids will not open until all the steam has dissipated and all the pressure safely release. This means that you will never get burned as with other pressure cookers. Plus, built-in safety valves prevent over-pressurization from ever occurring so there is no need to worry when using your Fagor unit.

Main Features

• Pressure indicator with distinct positions
• Removable timer/alarm with 100 minutes of timing capability
• Fully-automatic locking system
• Self-cleaning valve
• 10” Tempered Glass Lid
• Steamer basket for steaming foods without placing them directly into the cooking liquids (also functions as a grater)
• Trivet is simply placed on the bottom of the cooker, with the steamer basket on top of it.
• A DVD with information on pressure cooker basics
• A DVD recipe collection
• 10 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty

Pros of The Fagor Pressure Cooker

• The Fagor saves up to 70% of cooking time versus conventional cooking methods
• The easy load system makes cooking a breeze
• The Fagor cooker has three safety valves which allows excess pressure to release
• Fagor units are energy efficient

Cons of the Fagor Pressure Cooker

• Can only use peanut oil for pressure frying
• Cover must be washed by hand
• Unit is fairly expensive
• No frills

Sustainability

One unique thing about Fagor products is that they focus on using resources efficiently to save energy and the environment. But what this method of producing highly efficient products really does is save you money in the long run. By reducing energy and water usage (via automatic release valves), Fagor shows that they care about the future of this planet and what we leave to our future generations. Fagor is part of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department Of Energy’s Energy Star Program.