See the lowest price listing I’ve found on Amazon:
Rating: 3.6 Reviewed by Susan
Every month, more people search for reviews on the Power Pressure Cooker XL than any other brand. Is it really that great, or did it just gain all that interest from being on TV? In fact it has some very satisfied owners, but before you buy be sure you read About the Warranty below.
This model is a 6 quart pressure cooker with a number of pre-set modes and a removable cooking pot that is non-stick coated. It has a “Canning/Preserving” mode and even includes a canning guide, but see the section About Food Safety in this review to understand why you probably don’t want to use this or any other multi-cooker for canning.
Read our complete Power Pressure Cooker XL review below.
Table of Contents (click a topic to skip ahead)
Features
- 6 Qt. Capacity
- Brushed Stainless Steel Housing
- Removable, Non-Stick Coated Cooking Pot
- 24 Hour Delay Timer
- 7 Pre-Set Cooking Modes
- Auto Keep-Warm Mode
- 6 Built-in Safety Features
- 60 Day Limited Warranty
About the Warranty
Buyer beware: While you’ll certainly find a lot of owners who are quite satisfied with their PPC Power Pressure Cooker, to me that 60 day warranty is a concern. If a company won’t guarantee its product for at least the first year, is that a reflection of their confidence in its longevity? What’s worse is that according to the manual and the website for this pressure cooker, if you do have problems you must ship the cooker to them at your expense AND include a check or money order for $24.95 to cover the return shipping. That applies from day one, so even if you receive a defective unit, one that is brand new and doesn’t work out of the box, you will pay around $50 in shipping costs in order to get the company to honor their replacement warranty.
If that’s a deal breaker for you, check out your other options:
See all models in our Electric Pressure Cooker Comparison Chart.Don’t miss our review of the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W, or
click here to see the Instant Pot on Amazon.
Otherwise, please read on for more details about this Power Pressure model.
As you can see from the list above, the Power Pressure Cooker XL has a delay timer, keep-warm mode, and most other features of comparable models. It’s designed to be quite versatile, as evidenced by all the pre-set cooking modes:
- Canning/Preserving – IMPORTANT: See About Food Safety
- Soup/Stew
- Slow Cook
- Rice/Risotto
- Beans/Lentils
- Fish/Vegetables Steam
- Chicken/Meat
About Food Safety
None of the other leading brands of pressure cookers even suggest that they are suitable for canning, but the Power Pressure Cooker XL actually has a “Canning/Preserving” option on the control panel. It also includes a canning guide, and the manufacturer provides this information on the product website’s FAQ page:
Question: Are the Power Cookers able to be used for canning?
Answer: Yes, the units reach 80-kPa/11.6 psi, which is the required pressure for canning.
However, before you try canning, be sure to read “Can I Can in a Multi-Cooker?”, an article with information from the National Center for Home Canning and Preserving which states in part:
“Even if there are referrals to the National Center for HFP in the instructions for canning in the manufacturer’s directions, we do not currently support the use of the USDA canning processes in electric, multi-cooker appliances.”
See more at this NCHFP page or go here to read about Botulism.
Power Pressure Cooker XL Review continued…
The digital control panel is easy to understand and to use. When you select a cooking mode, the default time for that mode will appear on the control panel, but if need be you have the option to increase that time. At the end of a cooking cycle the unit will automatically switch to the Keep-Warm mode.
The owner’s manual includes charts with settings for common foods, as well as a few tips for getting the best results, but it’s only a general guide. For recipes and more detailed information about successful pressure cooking you’ll need to search the web or perhaps invest in a good cookbook written specifically for pressure cookers.
Built-in safety features include a Lid Safety Device that prevents pressure build-up if lid is not properly closed; pressure and temperature sensor controls; back-up safety release valve to release pressure in case of temperature/pressure sensor malfunction; clog resistant feature to help keep steam release port clear; spring-loaded safety pressure release (another back-up in case other safety features fail); and a temperature cut-off device that automatically shuts down the cooker if it overheats.
The inner cooking pot and unit lid are immersible for cleaning. The manual says to wash the inner pot by hand, but the website says it is dishwasher safe (not the lid, just the pot).
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Size and Capacity
Exterior Dimensions: 12.5″ x 14″ x 12.5″
Weight: 9 pounds
Interior Capacity: 6 Quarts – will hold up to 4 pint-size, wide mouth jars
What’s Included
- Steamer tray
- Measuring cup and ladel
- User Manual & Cooking/Canning Guide
The version of the Power Pressure Cooker XL that has been so highly advertised on TV comes with a chopper. If you buy this model from Amazon, it does not include that chopper.
For the record, you can get the model that includes the chopper if you buy from the Power Pressure Cooker website, but you’ll pay about $10 more for it plus another $29 or $30 for shipping. Here’s a hint: you can get a little chopper just like that real cheap on Amazon!
(Back to Top)Optional Accessories
There is a Canning Rack that is only available directly from the sales page for this product. It’s not expensive, about $10, but before you consider canning don’t miss the information above under About Food Safety.
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Customer Reviews
Based on Amazon alone, the rating on this model might not look too bad. However, there are some 1,400 more reviews on other sites, and if you average them all together the rating sinks even lower to only 3.6
The vast majority of the poor ratings are related to broken cookers and bad customer service. There are quite a number of reports that the machine stopped working after only a few months or even only a few uses. Many of those unfortunate buyers were not aware that even if the breakdown or malfunction occurred during the 60 day warranty period, a replacement is only available if you pay shipping both ways.
A few cases of untimely breakdowns is not all that unusual. Quality control isn’t perfect even at some of the best manufacturers. With the Power Pressure Cooker though, the number of complaints about broken units is too significant to ignore. It seems that if you are lucky and receive a unit that works well you may be very pleased with it. If not, just know in advance that those shipping costs for getting a replacement are on you, and even that option expires after 60 days.
That said, 48% of owners rated this pressure cooker a 5 star product. That’s right at 900 satisfied customers, so it obviously works just fine for a lot of folks. They give it high praise for being easy to use and doing a good job cooking juicy meats, tender ribs, both white and brown rice, tender vegetables and a variety of other foods.
(Back to Top)Pros
- Simple control panel, easy to operate
- Built-in safety controls and safety backup features
- Produces good results cooking a variety of foods
Cons
- Company claims about canning may be questionable
- High rate of unit failure early on
- Very short warranty
- Any warranty claim requires excessive shipping costs
Power Pressure Cooker XL Review: Summary
The PPC Power Pressure Cooker XL is well known because it’s been so highly promoted on TV infomercials. It has proven to be a good model for about half of those who have purchased it, but there are also a significant number of very unhappy buyers. The warranty period is very short, and if you receive a defective unit you could almost buy a new one for what the two-way shipping will cost you. If you’d really like to try this unit, this is one time you might be better off not ordering online. Your best bet might be to get in the car and go to Bed Bath & Beyond, or locate it at some other local retailer where you know it can be returned if it doesn’t work. Before you check out, be sure you understand the store’s return policy.
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May we suggest …
Read our review of the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
(with an average rating of 4.7 stars from well over 4,000 owners!)Or click the link below to see it on Amazon:
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W, Stainless Steel Cooking Pot and Exterior, Latest 3rd Generation TechnologyOr see more choices here: Electric Pressure Cooker Comparison Chart
nicole says
May 16, 2017 at 11:33 pmMessage :
My grandmother purchased a power pressure cooker xl for me as a gift for my birthday . She passed away befor I even took it out of the box. When I finally got around to trying it I found that the power cord was not included.
I contacted customer service and informed them of my dilemma and was told I would have to pay $10.00 plus s&h for a cord. The person on the phone did not speak very good english and was very hard to understand.
Decided to send an email wishing for better service. No luck . They will not send me a cord with out payment. What kind of company does that. Ive had things like this happen in the past with other products. Things happen in mass production and most companys fix the problem by sending you the missing piece. This company flatly refusing to fix the problem smells fishy to me I will necer purchase another product from them in my life time and I plan on taking my problem to social media to warn as many people as I can.
Horrible horrible customer service. STAY AWAY.
God forbid you have any problems with this product. This very exspensive product i might add.