Those are all electric pressure cookers. My first PC was an electric one; it got me interested in pressure cooking. Switched to a stovetop unit shortly thereafter and I never looked back. I haven't used my electric PC ever since.

Electric PC's do have the advantage of 'set it and forget it', as R. Popeil might say, but I find the versatility and control of the stovetop PC to outweigh whatever convenience the electric models offer. YMMV.

Good question for the forum out there: all you folks with electric PC's and regular PC's, which do you find most useful?

That's all well and good, but I wouldn't accept a gift of an electric pressure cooker if someone gave me one. The writer mentioned the use of PCs on Top Chef and other cooking shows, but what they actually used were stove top models. The stove tops take less time to cook, use less energy, and don't have fuses or operating chips that can go bad. My little stainless 4 qt. Presto stove top with the jiggle top will long outlast any electric programable model....I'll bet.

JMO,
Teresa

I have a vintage (which still works faithfully) 1970's era 22 qt Mirro stove top, and a vintage but less old 12 qt Mirro stove top - I can in both and occasionally cook in the 12 qt.

And I just recently bought the Fagor multi purpose cooker, pressure, steam, slow, and with a browning function. So far I love it, but again, it's new and there hasn't been time for the novelty to wear off. The dimensions of this cooker allow for it to just fit on a 12" deep shelf and the cupboard door will close, one of my shopping criteria because the other pressure cooker/canners are stored in my basement when not in use....I wanted something close and convenient.

It's done a great job with everything I've tried so far - I haven't used the rice steaming mode. It comes to pressure in just about 5 minutes, so faster than both stove top. Easy to clean, quiet. Attractive stainless design. I'm finding it doesn't transfer any heat through the bottom and little from the sides, I can use it directly on my counter top even when browning, slide it to the side and feel no warmth where it had been sitting.

Where I hope it will be an energy saver is with giving my oven a break - I do more comfort foods this time of year, swiss steaks, stews, roasts - and while I don't know how the electricity might compare to a range burner, it's got to be less than my oven :)

I was shopping for a slow cooker to replace my aging (really aging) West Bend, the process took a turn and I ended up buying the multi-purpose Fagor. Happy so far!

Just learned to make rice in my pressure cooker--a vintage 6qt Presto. Not really a time saver but the rice turns out great and THE thing I love about it...NO mess. No sticky goo all over the stove top from the rice pot bubbling over and no sticky pot to clean up. Only the stainless steel bowl that holds the rice & water inside the pressure cooker and it's a snap to clean. I can cook three cups of dried rice inside the bowl inside a six qt cooker.