I jumped into the pressure cooker craze via buying a Fagor Elite 6 quart. I am fully in love. Not only is it a great cooker, the pan is probably my best performing piece of cookware
On a treasure-hunting whim, I visited Value Village today and found a 6 liter Fagor Multi-rapid, which is apparently a circa late 90's PC. Inside the cooker was a pristine version the steamer and trivet I had considered ordering for a lot more than I would pay for this whole set! Joy! I had my fingers crossed that the cooker would work, but if not, I would happily use the steamer and trivet and the cooker itself could become a stock pot or be put back in my own Goodwill pile.
So on to testing the PC. I swapped in a new gasket, boiled some water, slid on the lid and gave the cooker a go....aaaaaand I can't decide if it works. Based on how much it spits, it appears to come to a fair degree of pressure but releases a fair amount of steam out of its handle compared to the Elite. It's not a crazy amount but more than the Elite. The yellow pressure indicator pin doesn't pop, so I am not sure if it's really getting pressure or if just any pressure it gains is being released. No pressure is escaping the gasket. It may be achieving a temp that is at least a tad better than just boiling a pot with a lid, but I don't know. It could very well be attaining a great amount of pressure, but again, I don't know.
I see a couple of people on this forum had these cookers in the 2000's and maybe still do. I'm wondering what the normal steam-releasing behavior of this cooker is, especially if you can compare it to a more modern cooker. Does it tend to release more steam than the more modern cookers do? I took the handle apart, and the yellow pin is actually a tri-color pin. Should all the pin colors be visible when pressure is attained? I'll call Fagor soon, but know that customer service in general can be hit or miss. I hope parts are available if I need them, but I'm not holding my breath.
If I find that the PCs behavior is normal, it spares me a customer service call. Any information is helpful. Thank you.
My first pressure cooker was a Fagor Multi-Rapid. This model has three pressure levels, depending on where you position the sliding lock. For high pressure, IIRC, the lock should slide all the way up to cover the three little triangles marked on the handle (which also houses the valve). The pressure indicator is a rod with three colored bands: yellow (top) for low pressure, orange (middle) for medium, and red (bottom) for high. At high pressure, all three bands should be visible. If the rod isn't rising, pressure isn't building in the pot. I always used mine at high pressure and don't recall it releasing an excessive amount of steam.
BTW, this model doesn't have automatic pressure release, which is one reason I eventually replaced it with one that does. The only quick way to reduce the pressure is to run cold water over the pot (being careful not to let any get into the valve). However, I liked it a lot otherwise, and it was an extremely sturdy piece of cookware. In fact, I still have it in storage - couldn't quite let it go!
I hope this helps ...
Thank you!
The pressure indicator rod doesn't seem to rise, but I cooked whole potatoes in it and they cooked at a pressure cooker pace. I'm guessing it means that pressure does build, but the rod mechanism no longer works, that the spring is broken or stretched or something. My strategy was to heat the pot on Medium-high until steam started coming out of the release valve, then turn to medium low to cook. Of course, this requires more babysitting than on my newer pot, but it seems to work.
I know what you mean about not letting it go. Even though I have a Fagor Elite of the same size, I still want to keep this one. It performs very well as a pot, if nothing else.
And thank you about the lack of automatic pressure release. That was definitely news. I actually tried moving the lever all the way to the unlocked setting and got a burst of steam that you wouldn't believe. I did this with a pot holder so my hand was spared. So maybe it does have something of a steam release, but it's really dangerous, LOL.
If the potatoes cooked in pressure-cooker time, then the pot certainly seems to be coming up to pressure. Still, it would be helpful to have a working indicator. If you haven't done so already, you could try taking the valve apart and cleaning the parts. (I did it on mine a few times, and it wasn't difficult.) Also, if it turns out there's a problem with the spring, you may be able to get another one somewhere.
Like you, I once tried quick-releasing the pressure by unlocking the cooker and had the same experience of steam blasting out - along with some of whatever I was cooking. Very disappointing!
Thanks! I did take the valve apart. I didn't see anything wrong, but it's hard to know what it should have looked like. I called Fagor, telling them that I've heard the cooker is discontinued, but maybe there's a new handle I could buy. They asked for pictures, which I haven't sent yet. I suspect they won't have a solution for me, but you never know!
I had the shme experience and may have found a solution. I also bought another gasket, thinking the old one is no good. But, even the new one had same issue. The yellow pin did not pop. So, I pulled back the valve to expose 1 Dot and turned the gas full on, expecting steam to escape from the exposed hole, but that did not happen. Instead all steam leakage stopped and the yellow pin popped up. This was the response needed. Now it held pressure and cooked basmati rice to perfection in 3 min. Post popped pin. Try that and see if yours works too. Good luck.
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...