****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Possibly the best Amazon purchase for me this year!Instant Pot was too big for my small kitchen and heavy for me to schlep on and off the counter. But I still wanted to pressure cook to save money (in energy bills) and save time too. So, I went old-school and bought this Hawkins 3L tall pressure cooker.There is an invaluable video by a youtuber (search "Hawkins Pressure Cooker Test") that helped me get comfortable with its operation and to understand this cooker, which works differently than the Presto cooker my mom used when I was growing up.Unlike like Mom's, the weight doesn't jiggle. It releases pressure ("whistle" some call it, but it isn't a whistle sound) all at once, regularly but otherwise is silent. Like the Instant Pot, there is a slow release and quick release. Slow release continues cooking for a while even after you turn off the heat which is my choice to reduce energy consumption.Like Mom's old pressure cooker, it is made heavy. But since it's small, it is easy to lift to clean and put away. It has an interesting lid. It doesn't use the locking mechanism like Presto that rubs the gasket. It is an ingenious design really. But it might take a couple or three tries to understand how it fits on. See that video.You know what else I like a lot? Unlike the Instant Pot, this cooker will last and last and last. Buy a new gasket now and then, possibly a new safety valve, and this literally could last generations. Also since this is made in India where they do a lot of home cooking and energy saving, I know that I'm in good company with lots of others who rely upon this pot.I've cooked beans half a dozen times since I got it and they turn out better than the ones in the can -- firm but still tender, and tastier too. Here's my "recipe" for cooking chickpeas in this cooker:* 1 cup of dry chickpeas soaked 24 hours in 4 cups of water. Drain water, and rinse chickpeas.* Put the plumped chickpeas with 2 1/2 cups of fresh water in cooker.* Safety! Before putting on the cooker lid, take off the weight and make sure you can see through the hole to confirm it is not obstructed. Check the gasket to make sure it doesn't have any wear and that it is in its grooves. Put back on weight, put on lid at 90 degree angle, bring it so the two handles match up, and then it will almost find the perfect seal spot itself. Lock the handles together.* Heat on high until the first "whistle." You might see some foam also be released (that's normal for beans) but you should not see any steam released around the edges of the lid, only steam and possibly some foam escaping at the weight.* Count how many whistle releases you get the first couple of minutes. Three or Four per minute is good. If you get more than that, reduce the heat until in that range of releases.* Cook for 20 minutes, timed from that first pressure release. Turn off heat, allow slow release for 15 minutes to finish up the cooking.* Safety! Lift up weight (I use a knife -- don't use your hands! It could be very hot) to see that all the pressure has been released, or to release it if it isn't. After 15 minutes, mine is always fully released.* Chickpeas are ready to eat. =)
