Amazon Basics 23 in 1 Multi-Purpose Electric Steamer, Pressure Cooker, 5.5 Litre, 1000 W, Brushed Stainless Steel, now with downloadable Free Recipe Book (UK plug)

 

I bvought this model as a John Lewis own brand at 60, as others have said instructions appalling, but after experimenting & particularly buying the rootitoot books its a breeze, brilliant thing.

 

Really love how you can just bung everything in, wait a few minutes and you have a meal! Literally looked at instruction manual once, which is pointless, because it’s the worst manual I’ve come across, so I look to YouTube and kind of figured it out for myself! It’s fairly easy to clean, you can take the pot out and clean it and you can wipe down the lid and around the seal! Overall so far it’s great and a good purchase!

 

This is my second one just because the first one dropped and was dented. It is very quiet not noisy, have only used it for kidney beans and to do oxtail in.

 

So glad I got this. Works perfectly and I’m enjoying a new way of cooking.

 

Good to have. Cooks rice to perfection, veg and potatoes spot on and when you’ve finished, it’s easy to clean.

 

Easy to use , foods taste great , and easy to clea

 

Absolutely in love with it. As soon as I got it I did a soup and it was amazing. Would definitely recommend

 

Firstly I agree with many that the instructions that come with the product are terrible. While they tell you how to operate the machine they give little insight into how to cook anything. The cookbook that is free as a download helps but with a little research on the net I found a complete list of foods and cooking times.
I have used a stove top pressure cooker for over 30 years and a slow cooker for just as long but thought save some space and time and replace both with this item. It is quiet easy to use following the simple instructions but you will need some common sense to make full use of it. Simple rule you need at least 2 cups (supplied) of water or other liquid to make the steam and a good silicone trivet to help you get things out is helpful. You can pick up cheap ones on the net or as I did use the one from my stove top cooker. If cooking anything with meat in do that first to nearly fully cooked then add the rest of the ingredients and cook again to be perfect, I use it for stew and it is great and I can make enough to freeze also. Good size pot on a par with my stove top model about 6 litres. Apart from the lack of any real instructions this is a good quality item sturdy and not as bulky as others I looked at Tefal but that was at least another 9 cm taller and would not fit in any of my kitchen cupboards. When you look at the price and see that it is comparable to a slow cooker it is great value for money with the additional functions. ( seems to be on a special offer at the moment not sure how long that will last.) Try the steam function for vegetables and the brown rice setting they work great. Tip brown rice 2 cups of rice (thoroughly washed) add 2.5 cups of water hit the buttons for brown rice leave it alone and eat the result. One other tip if you want to speed up everything add boiling water to the pot not cold cuts the time down by a lot as the steam is generated quicker. Spend some time playing with the manual controls to get your preferences and this will give you great results. My slow cooker has gone to the charity shop.

 

As so many before me have said, the instructions for using this are worthless. The online cook book isn’t much good either. Until you start cooking you have no idea how long it’s going to take. Seriously, Amazon need to do something about this because this is actually a cracking addition to the kitchen and I love it!

I have obtained recipes online from various sources and have used them to make chilli, cook a gammon joint, cook a one-pot brisket of beef meal, curry, potatoes, vegetables and many more. I also slow cooked a beef casserole all with excellent results. The flavours seem to be accentuated and apart from slow cooking, the time taken to cook is significantly reduced. I love this all purpose cooker. I have bought a little notebook to write down the things I’ve made and the settings and timings for future reference. Once you get used to it, it really is great though quite perplexing to begin with.

It’s easy to clean and I believe the bowl can be put in the dishwasher though I always wash it by hand. Make sure you clean the seal really well each time as it can trap the cooking smells as I discovered after making curry. I would definitely recommend this as it’s so versatile, cuts down cooking times and holds the flavours so well.

 

Sometimes the sealing knob doesnt lock properly, but with a couple of tries it always works. Overall is a good product. I would have liked that when I select a menu it ahows also the remaining time but it doesn’t happen. It shows only the program selected for the whole duration, no ETA.

 

The product does not come with guide book and cook book. When I order it was written guide book and cook book included. Please send my cookbook and guide book to me .Thank you

 

Great bit of kit, use it all the time. Well worth the money

 

It is a lot easier to clean and has less components see the video or photos. The lid has only the silicon rubber gasket which makes disassembling and cleaning lots easier and less problems. the materials are stronger and feel more robust than the other Pressure King Pro.

 

“”every home should have one””, “”this takes cooking to another level !!”, “If you are a lover of great food you will wonder why you did not purchase this product before!!”, “”I know this product is called an Amazon basic but believe me when I say there is nothing basic about my purchase from Amazon!!”, “My mother would have killed to own this product!!””, “I can cooked a dinner for four in thirty minutes!!!””, “”(Thirty minutes)???”,””saves money on bills , “the food is better for you as the flavours are locked in under pressure??””, “”What more can anyone ask for!!””.

 

I bought this pressure cooker for my wife. After her Dyson V11, it’s her next favourite gadget. Although the accompanying book is a waste of looking at, she has cooked amazing dishes using the web for ideas. It does everything she wants it to do, including using it as a slow cooker. Brilliant.

 

Good product, only problem is it states a free cookbook, but never received one

 

Great product but don’t believe the part about the free recipe book as it doesn’t come with it and when you try to speak to customer services they aren’t interested

 

This is almost the same as instant pot. It has more functions than instant pot. The only thing we find a bit annoying is that it alarms when you open the lid when it is running, even in “keeping warm” mood. We understand this is good for safety. We just have to manually turn it off before opening the lid.

 

I love this cooker now I have found out how to use it !!! Thank heavens for Youtube videos for the Instant Pot. I failed to read comments from other users about the lack of information before I ordered it. I was just looking for a slow cooker that heated food first. This does so much more. It is well priced and versatile. It holds enough for a large casserole for two to three people.
I bought a trivet and steamer etc. kit pack through Amazon and you really need them. The best recipe books on Amazon were Easy Good Food Pressure Cooker Favourites (BBC ) and, best for information, Instant Pot 600 healthy and Flavorful recipes for beginners. I cannot give this a 5 star because of the lack of user instructions which is a shame as it is a good machine

 

Dazzled my Boston based daughter with the unit. Quick to reach pressure. Programmed cooking selection was spot on. Easy to clean. Virtually all recipes found on internet have been easy to match to the device. Great VALUE FOR MONEY.

 

Good instructions. You just need to experiment a little with cooking times and programmes. I use the sautee function very often to enhance flavours before cooking. Fairly safe to use. Timer only starts once full pressure is achieved, hence not useful for my style of cooking.

 

very useful as cutting cooking time by more than 80%.
but needs to cook a little bit more to bring out the flavour of the meat as it only soften it!

 

Great buy. Cooks everything beautifully. Finally able to cook my oxtail and beef to perfectio

 

I made lamb soup and I must say the flavours that it came with was too good. I have used manual pressure cooker for years and have made soups in it but this cookers flavours came out excellent. My veg rice came out too mushy so have to use manual setting of 5 minutes. Used the steamer function for Indian Idily and was good as the mould fitted very well. Lots of recipes on you tube by the Americans, they call it Instant pot. You can also use two small stainless steel pots to cook two different items like rice and lentils together. Instruction booklet needs to be looked at seriously as they are not easy nor clear to use. See on you tube how to do that before you try though. Good luck and be cautious while using it.

 

What can I say this is a great buy made a lamb curry with potatoes in 20 mints tasted so good meat soft and tender was very impressed and have used it to make a whole chicken good enough for a family and space saving easy to use saves time and will be used over and over again in the week

 

I have an almost identical programmable pressure cooker which cost me twice as much!
This was a gift for my daughter- her review follows

I’ve never used a pressure cooker before and I am suitable impressed.

The manual looks huge but actually is quite straightforward and it’s written in around 6 languages so I just kept the English section. There are lots of settings on the cooker but it’s very simple to follow.

I made a risotto today in less than half the time it would take to make on the stove. I also made rice the other day and it was just so easy, quick and simple. I love the fact there is a delayed timer and also that it automatically keeps it warm for you so if you’re out and about it can be ready and warm when you get home. Great when you work full time and have a two year old.

It’s a good size and really easy to clean. I can’t wait to keep using it to cook in.

It says ‘amazon basics’ as though it’s a cheaper machine but can’t see what they’ve skimped on.

We are of the same mind – convenient and easy to use, safe, as quick or as slow as you want.
No recipes but all you do is use any recipe and select the programme for the relevant contents
Great product and currently at a great price.

 

This product has a non stick coated cooking pot inside a very easy to keep clean enclosure with a simple touch panel control system on the front that will allow you full control of the cooking process. Although this is ‘Amazon Basics’ branded it is almost identical to the highly popular ‘Instant Pot’ and to me seems almost identical- it certainly does the same things to the same level of performance.
Basically, you can put the ingredients inside for a casserole and leave it whilst you are out at work and come home to a wonderfully slow cooked meal. On the reverse, you can forget to put it on slow cooking, fill the pot again with ingredients and turn it on to pressure mode and what would probably cook slowly in 12 hours will be complete in less than 2 hours – and that’s with ingredients for a big family. In pressure mode, the product has to heat up the fluid inside to develop a head of steam after which it starts cooking. Again a typical casserole will take an hour to cook under pressure but taste like you cooked it for 12 hours. Getting pressurised will take about half an hour and, de pressuring will bring your overall cook time to just under 2 hours, but the food tastes wonderful.
There is a delay timer so that you can set it to start cooking after you have left the house, and pre-programmes for all kinds of cooking , like chilli, curry, soup, meat, poultry and even rice.
Frankly, for most of the year you can use this as your main device for cooking your dinner for a whole family and you will have lots of options of what to make. After cooking it will simply keep the food warm for your consumption! This is a well engineered product that delivers the goods.

Here are a couple of things that I have tried to great success from the whole family – Beef Bourguignon and Brazilian Pork and bean Casserole – I scored extra points with both of these dishes. I could have tried more but have been back and done them both again to demand!!

This is a superb product that is a pressure cooker and a slow cooker all in one electronically controlled box. It will always result in great tasting food and keep you going most of the year (until it is too hot to face anything but salads!)

I thoroughly endorse this product as an absolute winner!

 

It is very many years since I have owned or used a pressure cooker, and look back to the iconic Prestige “Hi-Dome” cooker as one that was used several times a week when I was much younger.

So I have approached this much newer and sophisticated appliance with definite interest, and I must say I am very impressed with the clear development in this technology. Far more versatile than the older, perhaps less stable models in terms of getting to temperature and maintaining pressure effectively, I have quickly got to using this successfully a few times. To be used as a slow cooker is also a big bonus, and the fact that it is electric rather than merely to be placed on the hob ensures a much safer and easier rise to the right temperature.

I do have a few recipe books for using a pressure cooker, and it is a bit disappointing that there is not a recipe book included – just a few basic ideas to get the pressure cooker novice started would be a useful small addition.

My main gripe is the extremely small instruction book, where for me the many details are hard to see, let alone read. I have had to scan it into my computer to enlarge it, and print it off so that I can read it properly.

I probably won’t be using the pre-programmed function, as I would rather rely on my own taste and experience in establishing cooking times, but I can see the benefits once again if the buyer is new to working out cooking times as new recipes are tried out.

Overall a very sturdy and quite attractive design that is easy to use after one or two attempts. Once again, the Amazon Basics range has come up trumps, so very recommended.

 

This is a handsome looking pressure cooker. It takes the guesswork out of ‘How long do I cook this for?’ as it is programmable.
However, it puts the guesswork into, what do I cook (if you’ve never had a pressure cooker before) what steps do I follow? There is no step by step guide.
There is a thick booklet (cos it’s in lots of languages) that says things like Once plugged in and lid properly closed, press Menu, then press + to scroll to P03 for vegetables (for example). That’s it. How much liquid to use or a step by step set of instructions …no…nada…nil.
So after buying this buy yourself a decent pressure cooker cookbook (I went for the BBC good food one) and a trivet, which will come in handy for some stuff. Oh and a steamer for veg.
I have only done braised red cabbage. It took 20 or so minutes. It only counts down the last 5 minutes. I don’t know how long the programmes take. Then it goes into keep warm mode. You don’t half get a fright when you move the pressure button to release the steam so keep face and hands well away. Cabbage was tasty and well cooked.
It has a saut function which will be handy. You use this with no lid on. So you can put it on saut, add some oil and brown your meats for casseroles and veg too. Saut will also be good after cooking, for bubbling up any liquid to thicken it slightly.
It will do lots of programmes – meat, veg, soup, white rice, brown rice, curries. chilli etc.
It has a slow cook button. Does this mean it is a slow cooker too? Who knows!
You can also ignore programming it and do things manually, where you select the time and whether you want high, medium or low pressure. Which foods go on which pressure I haven’t a clue.
If you have used them before you and know recipes and steps this, I’d say, is a good buy. For us newbies buy a book and a trivet and try out the simple recipes first.
(I notice in the blurb above isays t ‘comes with a recipe book’ so possibly these early testers missed out and those buying later on will get one.)
…….I’ve done rice pudding (need to use saut button after lid is off to boil up the liquid to thicken it also this needs to be released on slow pressure as milk splutters out with steam. You live and learn.) Lemon pork, potatoes for mashing and tumsh (Scots word for neeps which is Scots for turnip which is a swede in England and other far flung places) also to mash and everything turns out great. Have not yet used slow cooker button. I think this is what would be called an Instant Pot as it does so many things.
Very pleased with it.