The Power Pressure Cooker XL is an entry-level electric pressure cooker. Here you will find everything you need to know about using the Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to make recipes in the Power XL pressure cooker. So I decided it was time to buy one and make a How to Use XL Pressure Cooker so I could better answer the questions. It has been sold for several years at QVC, and Costco has started selling an 8-quart Power Pressure Cooker XL pressure cooker for around $89.
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/pressurecookingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Power-Pressure-Cooker-How-To-Use.jpg" alt="The XL pressure cooker is
one of the best-selling electric pressure cookers on the market. Here” /> Using the XL
Multi-Cooker electric pressure cooker
The first question is usually which button should I use?
All buttons on the pressure cooker cook the same except for the canning button. So no matter which button you use, choose the button with the cooking time closest to the time in the recipe.
Power Pressure Cooker XL buttons:
- Fish / Veg / Steam – 2 minutes cooking time, use the cooking time selector to set to 4 or 10 minutes. This is the shortest cooking time available in the Power Poter XL Beans/Lentils pressure cooker
- The manual suggests using 6 minutes for white rice, 18 minutes for brown rice, and 25 minutes for wild rice. Soup/Stew: 10 minutes cooking time, use the cooking time selector to set to 30 or 60 minutes.
- Meat/Chicken : Cooking time of 15 minutes, use the cooking time selector to set to 40 or 60 minutes.
– 5 minutes cooking time, use the cooking time selector to adjust to 15 or 30 minutes. Rice/Risotto: 6 minutes cooking time, use the cooking time selector to set it to 18 or 25 minutes.
To adjust the preset times listed above, use the time adjustment button to add time. You can’t reduce the time. If you need less time, use one of the buttons with less time – fish is the shortest cooking time. You need to press the time adjustment button immediately after pressing the snap cook button you want to use.
All of these pressure cook buttons cook at 7.2 psi, which is considered the upper end of the low pressure in the instant cooker. However, Power Pressure Cooker XL users report that they don’t have to increase cooking time when cooking Pressure Cooking Today recipes that are cooked at high pressure.
My husband cooks a lot of pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs and agreed that the time to cook the eggs was the same in the XL pressure cooker in the rice setting and in the instant cooker using high pressure and the manual button: 6 minutes with a natural release of 6 minutes. The Power Pressure Cooker XL takes longer to reach the pressure, which may be what makes up for the lower psi.
So when I’m cooking my electric pressure cooker recipes in the Power Pressure Cooker XL, don’t add extra cooking time because of the difference in psi. You can always add extra food if necessary after the initial cooking time, but you don’t want to overcook the food.
Power Pressure Cooker XL Additional
- Buttons: Canning: The canning button is cooked to 12 psi, which is high pressure in the instant pot. If you prefer, you can do all your pressure cooking using the canning button if you are pressure cooking for more than 10 minutes. You can set the time to 45 and 120 minutes. The power pressure cooker manual does not recommend pressure canning if you are at an altitude above 2,000 feet. However, a division of the USDA warned consumers against pressure canning in digital (electric) pressure cookers. Canning in hot water bath is safe.
- Slow Cooker: 2 hours cook time, use the cook time selector to set to 6 hours or 12 hours. Slow cooking cooks between 174-199°F, which would be equivalent to a traditional slow cooker.
- Keep Warm / Cancel button – Use this button to cancel a function or turn off your pressure cooker. When the pressure cooking time is up, it will automatically switch to Keep Warm.
- Delay Timer: Allows you to set the pressure cooker to start cooking later in the day.
The
second question is how can I sauté or brown on the Power Pressure Cooker XL? The
Power pressure cooker does not have a stir-fry button, but recommends using the pressure cooker buttons without the lid on. Since the meat/chicken button has the longest cooking time, it is a good choice for sautéing and browning. (It has been reported that the new models now have a sauté button!)
Releasing pressure. The symbols on the pressure valve are really easy to understand on the Power Pressure Cooker XL. Align the image of the coming steam with the triangle to quickly release the pressure: the open position. Align the circle and the two triangles for pressure cooking, the locked position.
You can learn more about how to release pressure in my quick release or natural pressure release post.
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/pressurecookingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Power-Pressure-Cooker-How-To-Use-3.jpg" alt="The lid of the Power Pressure Cooker XL pressure cooker has an outer lid and an inner liner with a gasket
.” /> The Power Pressure Cooker XL lid has an outer lid and an inner liner
with a gasket. When cleaning the lid, be sure to remove and clean the liner: use the traction tab to separate the liner and gasket from the lid. Also remove the gasket from the liner and wash it.
When you put the liner and gasket back on the lid, make sure the traction tab is visible.
<img src="https://i2.wp.com/pressurecookingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Power-Pressure-Cooker-Review-2.jpg" alt="The 8-quart XL power pressure cooker I bought at Costco came with a trivet, steam tray, bucket, and measuring cup
.” /> The 8-quart XL power pressure cooker I bought at Costco came with a trivet, steam tray, bucket
, and
measuring cup
.
You can view the Power Pressure Cooker XL manual for more information and to order spare parts on their website.
There are a few things I don’t like about the Power Pressure Cooker XL.
– It doesn’t have a stir-fry or brown button, and it doesn’t tell you when the pot is hot and ready to sauté. Both the Instant Pot and the Fagor warn you when it’s hot. Since I’m generally impatient, this is a feature I really appreciate, so I don’t add food too soon. (Newer models have a Skip button!)
– There is not one less button to subtract time. You need to choose the button with the nearest time and add time.
– I prefer a stainless steel pot because you can scrub it and you don’t have to worry about scratching the finish.
Despite the downsides, I think the Power XL pressure cooker is a good value for an 8-quart pressure cooker for just $89.
My niece recently bought the Power XL pressure cooker at Costco and has fallen in love with it and pressure cooking. There is also a Facebook group, Pressure Cooking Fun, and many members of the group use and love the Power Pressure Cooker XL. It also gets good reviews on Amazon.
So if you are looking for an 8-quart electric pressure cooker at a more affordable price, the Power pressure cooker may be right for you.
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