HAWKINSFutura Pressure Cookers (Stainless steel, 4 Litre Induction)

I purchased this cooker because I plan to transition to induction cooking very soon. I've used Hawkins cookers in the past and found them to be of good quality. However, this cooker has a serious defect that other reviewers have also mentioned - it leaks steam from the rim. I didn't notice this defect the first couple of times I used it. But I started noticing it during subsequent use. I returned the cooker and Amazon accepted my return even though the return date had passed. Thank you Amazon for providing excellent customer support.

I bought this last year and already started problem with the whistle, there is a leakage of steam where the rubber gasket and the steam is escaping and food is not getting cooked or getting burned because the steam is leaking. I really wish Amazon takes the action of the faulty product. Not sure if I can return?

The media could not be loaded. It is heavy, but not much heavier than the similarly sized aluminum version. (2.6 kg vs 2.3 kg for the aluminum version).Watch where you are pointing it when you are releasing pressure, the steam goes quite a distance horizontally.Cleaning:While more dishwasher-safe than the aluminum version, the manual still doesn’t recommend doing so because of the plastic handles. With other pressure cookers, I always worry I will slip while cleaning and the weight will fall into the sink’s disposal. The extra handle on the weight makes it more difficult for that to happen. Remember to clean the underside of the rim - out of sight, out of mind.If you plan on using the included recipe booklet or recipes from Hawkin’s excellent website, they are sized for the 5 Liter cooker. Easier to just get the larger model than multiply everything by 4/5 or stuff it all into the cooker.

Cooker just leaks .. don't buy

This is our family's second Futura, the first one was a 3L non-induction model purchased a few decades ago. Since we are used to cooking in Futuras, this was instantly familiar, but lighter and with a wider mouth to allow ease of the initial saute. A decent upgrade over the older one, which has been half-destroyed by our cook, who often forgets to add water.Just like the older one, this does not 'whistle'. The whole point of a pressure cooker is to allow fast cooking at lower fuel usage, by way of maintaining a constant pressure inside the vessel. The common practice of counting 'whistles' is erroneous and redundant. Pressure cooking is about pressure and time, so once it reaches full pressure you need to back down the burner to simmer and let it sit for the length of time the ingredients needs to cook (usually a function of weight, with some exceptions, notably pulses and grains). By constantly releasing pressure, you use more fuel, need more fluid and waste more fuel. Pressure cooker steam release is not an indicator of any sort. This is regardless of what kind of pressure cooker you are using.The steel surface makes for easy cleaning, and the induction base makes it quite versatile. Since it's brand new, the fit is tight and it reaches full pressure very quickly. As the seals get softer it will improve a bit. My first run with a mutton curry went swimmingly, and I know this will last a few decades like its predecessor.