Maybe its just that I am new to using a pressure cooker, but it is quite a bit of a struggle to fit the lid and everytime some food-water mixture does spray out on the first whistle. Are pressure cookers supposed to automatically let the steam out till the pressure equilibrates? I don't now but this one doesn't do that on its own. After the first whistle I have to switch off the fire and then every now and then I need to let some steam out till there is nothing left to come out and hence its safe to open the lid. No idea if this process could have had a better alternative!

The product is a sturdy one. Cooks reallly well. The only problem that I had is the one mentioned by other reviews too. It is that while cooking lentils the water boils over and sprays out unless you adjust to low flame as soon as the boiling begins. Which means I have to monitor the cooker till boiling initiates. The opening and closing of the lid had a learning curve but it works fantastic once you are through it. Recommend this over many other brands and is worth the money.

I have several larger high-end pressure cookers (Kuhn Rikon, Fissler, Instant Pot), that I love. However,
for daily use, I prefer the Futura 2 liter pressure cooker to cook small meals. It is well made, very easy to use/clean, and comes to pressure very quickly. I like the portion control of cooking small meals without tons of leftovers. I've made Pork Carnitas, Rice and Sausage, Arroz con Pollo,
Black Beans, Turkey Cutlets, Chicken Wings, and "Fried" Rice. Everything so far has come out
delicious. It comes with a nice recipe book, but I have not made any of the recipes because
I learned to cook without recipes; just by watching. Unlike my other pressure cookers, the gasket
for the Futura does not retain a strong food odor.

Some folks mentioned that they did not like the way the lid opens and closes. I just watched
a video on Youtube, practiced a little, and now it's second nature.

I really like this pressure cooker size and wish that the company would come out with a 2 Liter
version for Induction Cooktops.

This pressure cooker is a very high quality product and at a very reasonable price. I am amazed at the quality of the product and the convenience of using it. Since it is almost non-stick, cleaning it is also very easy. This product was far better than the $200 fagor futuro pressure cooker set that i had bought which ended up leaking steam. When I compare the two there is just no question on how far superior this pressure cooker is. This pressure cooker also conserves more energy and water than the classical Hawkins cookers as it doesn't go through the cycle of leaking a lot of steam every few minutes (the whistle). Once you hear the hiss of steam, you lower the heat and start the timing. For those who are trying to decide steel vs aluminum, I think its a no-brainer now that I have used a steam pressure cooker. Steel just doesn't cook evenly, even with the aluminum sandwiched at the base. I was so impressed that I ordered a second Hawkins futura pressure cooker to replace my old traditional aluminum pressure cooker.

Having used hawkins pressure cookers for more than a decade,I bought my first futura, as it is considered premium line of hawkins. After nearly five months of use the valve fused. I replaced it and then it worked for another six months or so and it happened again. I had never put it in dishwasher and always cooked on low heat. May be this model doesn't work in small size or the one I got is a dud! Very disappointing!