The Fissler 6.5 qt pressure cooker is a thing of beauty. It's heavy, shiny and detailed to perfection. I did look at a Fagor at Macy's and wasn't impressed by the edges of the lid; it didn't seem that care was taken in the construction. Deciding to splurge on the Fissler because of the reputation of the company, I have no regrets. You can download the manual from their site if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the instructions and features.
If you've never used a pressure cooker before, remember the I Love Lucy episode where Ricky exploded the chicken and have concerns--don't worry. They have been rethought and reengineered to prevent such incidents. They are simply a pot with a locking lid. If you can drive a car, you can easily do this. There is a learning curve, mostly about time. Get a good cookbook on pressure cooking--anything by Lorna Sass will help--they all provide charts giving you an idea how long things will take to cook. Getting a Flame Tamer will also help--that's a round piece of cast iron that fits over the burner, you'll put the pressure cooker on top of that just to make sure the heat is even and the pot doesn't scorch.
If the idea of cooking foods in about 1/3 the usual amount time appeals to you, you need this.
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We just got this cooker and are very, very happy with it. Made in Germany, of 18/10 stainless steel and containing an aluminium layer in the base, this pressure cooker is sturdy and looks and feels well made. It's easy to use, and the instructions are simple and clear. It's a bit on the pricey end, however, you can find this cooker for a bit cheaper at other online retail stores, where coupons are offered (We got ours at stacks and stacks d-o-t c-o-m). If you're looking to invest in a pressure cooker that will last you a life time, this is definitely one to go with. The 6.5 quart (some places say 6.4) is perfect for cooking soups, stews and legumes (we eat lots of bean and legume dishes), for a family of 4.
Review Update: July 4, 2010
Just wanted to add a follow-up to the above review: After using the pressure cooker for more than half a year now, we are still really happy with its performance and durability. You can take apart virtually every piece of this cooker -that is, the handles, the plastic parts on the opposite sides of the handle responsible for monitoring the pressure, and the blue locking attachment on the handle top. This makes the necessary, periodic cleaning of these little areas far more accessible, keeping the whole unit clean and thus functioning properly. One minor quip I have, which has more to do with my area's hard water than the cooker itself, is that the inside of the cooker stains with use -but again, this happens to all my stainless steel pots and pans. Since our household keeps our cleaning chemical uses to the barest minimum, it takes quite a bit of elbow grease, vinegar and baking soda to keep the inside of the cooker nice looking. I just wanted to include this to tell prospective buyers that if you want the pressure cooker to keep its fantastic shine, be prepared to do some careful scrubbing and polishing! Depending on what one is making, the cooker may or may not be big enough for a family of four -we are a family of two, and this cooker suits us just fine. However, a larger family may find the larger cookers more useful, especially if you cook to keep leftovers for extra meals. To illustrate: this cooker can cook 4 or 5 cups of dried chickpeas, but if you're making a large pot of lentil soup right in the cooker, for example, it will probably give you 6 or 7 main servings.
I don't know what we were thinking all these years that we lived without this very useful piece. Hands down, if we had to buy a pressure cooker all over again, we'd certainly go with Fissler Blue Point. German engineering at its best!
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I bought a 6.5 qt. Fissler pc a few weeks ago and am really loving it. It's easy to use and clean. I researched whether to purchase a Kuhn Rikon or Fissler and decided I liked what people said about the Fissler better. I belong to a blog where people were discussing what they like about their pc's. I'm still experimenting with various receipes and also bought a couple Lorna Sass books to go along with the p. cooker. I was undecided what size of pc to purchase and am glad I didn't buy a bigger one, as it's good sized. What's good is that I can use it to make smaller portions as well with no difficulty.
Honest reviews on Fissler 021 644 06 000 Blue Point 6-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker
Beautiful appearance, but this pressure cooker arrived defective, never reaching high pressure, but leaking steam from valves. I can only speculate as to whether it was handled roughly in shipping or sat on a warehouse shelf too long. The pressure cooker has never worked properly and I bought it in January, 2012.
The only American Fissler service rep is in Los Angeles. Although the rep is very polite, I am extremely frustrated dealing with the lack of service on what I expected to be a premium product. Certainly a premium price.
Rather than send a replacement pressure cooker, I must deal with mailing the lid back and forth. Still waiting.
I now wish I had bought a cheaper pressure cooker (Fagor) in my own town where service or returns are much easier when necessary.
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This cooker is so convenient and easy to use. I purchased it for my new Wolf induction cooktop. Cleanup was a breeze. Highly recommend. Ordering and delivery was quick!
