(This is not a paid review nor was it gifted to me - I bought this myself.)
A couple weeks ago I posted that I had to buy a new electric pressure cooker. My old one from 2004 (?) was finally retired. (Well, I ended up dismantling it and throwing away the electric part of it but keeping the pot, strainer and trivet). That post listed a few options but I ultimately decided on the Cosori 7 in 1. I said I would update when it arrived and this is that update.
COSORI 7-in-1 Multifunctional Programmable Pressure Cooker, Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker with Stainless Steel Inner Pot, 6 Quart
Literally right out of the box (I ordered it from Amazon) - it looked great. Had I not researched it ahead of time, I would have thought the menu buttons (poultry, rice, slow cook, etc.) were able to be pushed in as active buttons but I knew from my research they were just printed on as an easy on-the-appliance referral menu.
You choose the settings by referring to the menu buttons and then use the + and - to choose the option you want from the menu or choose 'manual' and set the cook time.
I loved my old electric pressure cooker but I could not order a new one of that brand as they are no longer in business. The new Cosori was similar but you can see the difference in the size of the pot. I have the 6 quart size but as you can see, it's a bit smaller than my previous pressure cooker.
There is one reason I really wanted the pots to be the same size and that is the awesome strainer and trivet I saved from my old pressure cooker that the Cosori did not come with. And.... it fits!!!!!!
Because the bottom of pressure cooker is so hot, you often can have burnt foods; for example, potatoes. Sometimes the potatoes touching the bottom would burn a bit or just become hard. By using the trivet and strainer pot the foods like potatoes would all cook evenly. Luckily my pieces fit perfect so I wouldn't have to spend another $15-20 to buy these optional items.
Safety: This is not your Grandmother's (or mother's) pressure cooker. It's not a stove top pressure cooker that you have to babysit - watch closely - and adjust the pressure yourself. It's entirely self-contained and has built in safety features so you aren't going to end up with chicken blown up all over your kitchen (which did happen to my Mom once in the early 1980's with her old, traditional style pressure cooker.)
- Lid Lock Safety - prevents the lid from being opened while the cooker is pressurized.
- Anti-Clog Protection - keeps food particles from blocking the pressure release valve.
- Pressure Limiter - ensures pressure is kept within safe operating levels.
- Temperature Controller - ensures food is evenly cooked, but not burned.
- Excess Temperature Monitor - cuts power to temperature fuse if internal temperature exceeds safety limits.
- Excessive Pressure Protection - internally releases pressure to avoid hazardous situations.
- Pressure Auto-Control Guard always keeps pressure in a safe range.
- Electrical Current Monitor - automatically turns off pressure cooker if the current exceeds safe operational levels.
- Lid Position Monitor - prevents the pressure cooker from operating if the lid is improperly positioned.
Here it is plugged in and starting to warm up with our first 'trial' dinner; my spicy chicken and pasta dish. Unfortunately my Cosori package did not come with a recipe book and the instructions are rather poorly written. I am completely comfortable cooking in it right off the bat as I've used an electric pressure cooker for years now, however in my research I found a lot of people posted about how upset they were there were no recipes, nor were the instructions very helpful for those just buying their first electric pressure cooker.
There are plenty of recipe books available online and recipes available online for you to use and easily adapt to whatever brand pressure cooker you own (Cosori, Instant Pot, etc.).
I researched on Amazon that the Cosori comes with a couple different 'packages' - one of which includes a recipe book. Mine came with a measure cup for the water and 2 plastic utensils. Still another one has a trivet included. My readers can judge which version works best for their needs.
COSORI 7-in-1 Multifunctional Programmable Pressure Cooker, Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker with Glass Lid, Extra Sealing Ring and Recipe Book, 6 Quart/1000W
I've used my Cosori a couple times already this week and it's been awesome. I have no regrets and I love the saute' feature so I can brown the meats before adding the rest of the ingredients and cooking the meal. It also has a delay feature to cook 'later' so it's done at the right time and it's built-in feature of going into warming mode after it finishes cooking ensures your food stays hot until you can get to it.
