FINALLY, the artichokes are tender. That's all I care about, really. Add water per the instructions, add the artichokes, bring up to the second line. Now here is the tricky part, sort of look at the pretty picture, The lines are suppose to be even with the top of the ring so you have to bend over to get it lined up. If you are use to the cheap ones that leak steam like crazy, this one will surprise you. Very little steam comes out. Enjoy. Oh and be sure to read the instructions about the first time use.

It's a little large for a 3 family, but otherwise it's wonderful product. Easy to clean, and to use. Our first one is still working after 6 years, just needing a new gasket and valve replacement towards the end of the 5 year.

After many years of using a cheap pressure cooker with a simple rocker top, I grabbed this when I saw an "open box" return available at a significant discount. Lucky me, it still had the sticker on it and was obviously never used! The cookbook was missing but I have cookbooks. It's a beautiful pot with a bottom approximately twice as thick as my cheap pan. The quality difference is noticeable. I prefer short handles for storage ease and do not have any difficulty with using them. Very, very pleased with this purchase!

I bought this because the wall street journal had a story of a famous cook mentioning this was the best.
I've had it a few years and it worked okay, however it has slowly stopped steaming food properly, so I cleaned it and it made no difference, and the thought of having to go to all that trouble of sending it back it too much for me.
I had a 25 year old simple pressure cooker I threw out because I thought this would be better. As far as the cooking it was the same. So sorry I threw out the old one cause that would still be working.

First impression: I seem to remember the bobble-top pressure cooker from my childhood being built like a tank - pieces cast out of solid blocks of metal. Reviews of this item gave me an impression of indestructibility, and I expected something similar to what I had known before. Instead, the primary construction of the 5 litre version I selected seems to be heavy sheet stainless steel stamped into shape. Rechecking the pictures I'd seen online and comparing to what I received reassured me the item is legitimate and that my memory and anticipation were off-base, clearing me to enjoy the clean design and simple, durable elegance of the unit. My first test was successful, with high pressure being gained in a very few minutes, and maintained with the burner turned nearly off. I'm looking forward to many years of healthy and efficient cooking, and will update this review once enough cooking has found its way "under my belt."

Note regarding size: I most often cook just for two, so I chose the 5 litre version as an "in between" size which seemed appropriate for our needs. The unit holds just over 5 litres of water when it is filled up almost to the top - which you would never do while actually cooking. Be sure to observe the manufacturer's warning not to overfill the vessel, which will typically be at or below the 1/2 to 2/3 full range. These volumes are conveniently marked on the inside.