Hawkins Classic 5L Aluminum Pressure Cooker - Silver | Fast & Safe Cooking for Soups, Stews, and Rice | Ideal for Home Kitchens & Camping

My grandparents have always used a pressure cook for raw peanuts and, as a kid, seeing that thing tick and steam away on the stove always scared the heck out of me. Needless to say, I stayed far from the kitchen when peanuts were on the stove. Fast forward 25 years- this vegan got tired of waiting 45 minutes for brown rice, 1 hour for wheat berries, and sometimes 2 hours for a pot of beans to cook. Ugh- total time drain. Then, after reading a few recipes toting how a pressure cooker renders beans soft and edible in 10 minutes I figured it might be time to put my fears aside.I love this cooker and it might have been one of the better choices for this amateur. It is easy for me to understand, easy to operate, and it doesn't hiss, tick, or blow huge amounts of steam the entire cooking time. I find the lipped edge a little annoying, but it isn't difficult to get the last few grains or beans out of the cooker.I made a batch of brown and wild rice in less than 30 minutes and a pound of soaked navy beans were cooked to complete perfection in less than 20 minutes- unbelievable! I like that I can allow the rice to depressurize normally and quick release the beans without having to run water over the cooker.Overall, the pieces are sturdy and seem like they will withstand constant use for a long time; the rubber gasket can be replaced; accessories are available right here on Amazon.That's right....my first inside lid cooker lasted 70 years...dropped lid and concerned it might be damaged...found they are no longer made in Connecticut but India....like the heavy aluminum pan and the safety of an inside sealing lid....I wont outlive this one!I’ve used it for about 3 times so far and it didn’t leak. I had 2 other brands in the past which would leak the liquid. Loving this one so far!I purchased this after looking around for a "whistling" pressure cooker because the Indian recipes I found didn't have times built in and I didn't want to try and figure out how to cook Indian in a traditional pressure cooker. This came with a large book of recipes, which was an added bonus.I tested this cooker out with water and it definitely doesn't "whistle." I might have peed a little bit when it released pressure for the first time. I was expecting something like a tea kettle whistle for a few seconds...but instead, got the sound like I just pulled the release valve on an air compressor. So - be aware that the first time you try it out, it's not exactly a whistle.I am quite pleased with the construction of the cooker and the price. It seems like a good design that will bring me a lot of happiness in making Indian food!Needed another pressure cooker since my Fagor stopped holding pressure. Read the review and decided on the Hawkins. Glad I did.First thing I noticed about the Hawkins was that who ever was the designer really knew his stuff. Instead of using heavy lids, locking mechanisms and pressure regulators, the Hawkins uses an elliptical lid which pressure locks the device and a weight to regulate pressure. Like all good engineering solutions, it's simple, elegant and effective.And with hand tools I can do my own repairs, which I could not do with the Fagor.So how does the Hawkins cook? Very good indeed.Last night made a split pea soup in 45 minutes. And this morning a corned beef brisket in 40 minutes. Both turned out fine.Hearty recommendation!Lid Handle seems weak. It works marvelous, my only concern is the lid handle is thin and kind of too loose. I’ve cooked with this type of lid before with no problem because of sturdy handle , anyway when I use this pressure cooker it hasn’t given any problem .We received ahead of promised time and immediately put it to use. The base is flat so that helps keep it stable on all type of heating surfaces. It is big enough for 6 persons. The handle fits nicely and operation is exactly as expected. Washing is not a problem. We are not going to put it in the dishwasher though. That will take all shine off and make it look horrible.I have been using a pressure cooker for cooking since last 25 years or so (and have seen my mother use it since I can remember). So this gets high marks for being just what I expected.I love my traditional pressure cooker, cooks faster than the electric one, very good quality for a reasonable priceInitially, the cooker weight did not used to come down (after letting the steam out). This caused spilled starch/ water spilled all over. We had to push the weight slightly. But after 1 month use, the issue got sorted out automatically. I guess, Hawkins keep some extra tolerance for expansion (over time, due to heat or usage). Now, I do not have any complaint, and the cooker works flawlessly.The overall quality of the pressure cooker is good. However, the whistle somehow gets locked when it lifted by the pressure and does not come down on its own. One has to manually push the whistle, which is irritating!Very Simple to use , i bought it with embessy separator to cook rice daal , it takes hardly 30 min without any shortcuts , delievery was good but the manufacturer forgot to keep opposite side small handle , i will buy it from local shop btw , but the seller should remember it next time , otherwise all good i am satisfied.It is an excellent and proven product from Hawkins. We are the regular users of Hawkins Pressure Cookers for many decades. It provides a longer life and the worth for the money.I have been a lifelong fan of Hawkins & these pressure cookers last forever. But this piece was defective and I brought it all the way from India to USA only to find out that it's not creating any pressure hence the food is not getting cooked properly.