Cuisinart Pressure Cooker vs Power Pressure Cooker XL
Multi-function pressure cookers can offer excellent value for money, but they can also be expensive, so it is an important decision. The trouble is that if you are new to pressure cooking as so many people are, it can become challenging to decide which one to buy. With this in mind, we check out the Cuisinart Pressure Cooker vs Power Pressure Cooker XL to find out which one is best out of these two great looking appliances.
Cuisinart Pressure Cooker
The Cuisinart Pressure Cooker is a very serious-looking pressure cooker. Unlike many multi-function models, it does not have a flashy control pad interface with an array of buttons for different functions. Instead, all this is done via a menu button, which then shows up your choices on the digital display. Whether or not you find this easy to use will come down to personal preferences.
You have two pressure cooking settings; high and low. The Cuisinart also has a browning, sauté and simmer feature which you carry out without the lid. For pressure cooking, you can cook just about anything, but you are not provided with preset options such as beans, rice, meat, or soups.
Instead, the Cuisinart is aimed at cooks who know what they are doing rather than new users who just want a semi-automatic way to press a button and have the food cooked 30 minutes later.
The Cuisinart may not be as foolproof as many other multi-function appliances on the market. In our opinion, this pressure cooker is targeted at people who like to cook and can adapt a recipe for pressure cooking. New users may struggle with it.
The Cuisinart is not flashy, and you can’t use it for yogurt making, or as a slow cooker. This pressure cooker is solely a pressure cooker, and for this function, it does exceptionally well. After all, pressure cooking is hugely versatile and fast, and in our opinion, many people do not tend to use their appliances for other functions. We have yet to meet anyone who has made yogurt, for example.
Customer opinion is generally favorable. Many people have bought this as an updated model after using a stovetop pressure cooker. Others have high brand loyalty and have used Cuisinart pressure cookers for years. Many people say the customer services department is helpful.
The construction overall looks good. The pan is advertised as non-stick, but unlike many other pressure cooker models, customers have not had any issues with this coming off in the food.
Pros
- Very reputable brand
- Some great customer feedback
- Ideal for cooks and fans of pressure cooking
Cons
- Not as easy to use as many other appliances. New cooks may struggle with using it
- You can only use it as a pressure cooker.
- Only available in 6 qt size
Power Pressure Cooker XL
The Power Pressure Cooker XL is available in three sizes; the 6 qt, 8 qt, or the mighty 10 qt, and apart from the sizes, the models are pretty much identical. Confusingly they are all called XL — the trademarked name of the company rather than any reference to the size.
According to the advertisement, the Power Pressure Cooker does power cooking thanks to its incredible flavor fusion technology, which traps steam inside the pot. This is a flowery description of how any pressure cooker works, so although it sounds impressive, remember that all pressure cookers (even the old fashioned stovetop models) could be described in the same way.
That said, it looks pretty good. The control display looks easy to navigate, and there are some great functions. The pressure cooking mode looks easy thanks to some preset buttons such as meat, beans/lentils, and rice/risotto. There are a timer/delay and a warming function. The sauté button is conveniently placed in the center for easy access. There is a vegetable/steam function, and you can use the Power Pressure Cooker XL as a slow cooker and as a canner.
The canning function is an excellent feature. Not all pressure cookers can be used for canning, so this function does set the Pressure Cooker XL apart from many others on the market.
The Pressure Cooker XL has all the usual built-in safety functions and is dishwasher friendly. However, despite the stainless steel construction of the outer body, the inner pot is not as impressive. This is coated with non-stick Teflon, and many customers have had issues with this coming off in the food.
In our opinion, this is a significant drawback with the Pressure Cooker XL. Also, many users have reported technical problems such as not heating up and the valve dropping off, all of which spoils an otherwise good-looking appliance. Although a year’s warranty is provided, many customers have struggled to obtain a refund or return from the company.
Pros
- Looks easy to use
- Can be used for canning
- Built-in safety features
Cons
- Numerous customer complaints
- Teflon coated inner pot
- Although there is a year’s warranty, many customers have struggled to obtain refund/replacement
In conclusion
We admit to being slightly disappointed by the Power Pressure Cooker XL. Although this multi-function appliance offers a wide range of cooking functions, including canning and does look easy to use, there are many customer complaints about it not working or the Teflon flaking off in the food. Besides, customers have struggled to contact customer services regarding the warranty.
By contrast, we do like the Cuisinart Pressure. This no-nonsense pressure cooker only operates as a pressure cooker, along with open-lid functions such as sauté, brown and simmer. Although it doesn’t provide one-touch preset options for specific recipes, you can cook just about anything in it. If you are already used to using a pressure cooker, you will probably love it, but it might not be the best choice for new users.
So when it comes to deciding between Cuisinart Pressure Cooker vs Power Pressure Cooker XL on balance, we would probably go for the Cuisinart just because we think it seems longer lasting and more reliable.
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