Why America’s Test Kitchen Calls the Fagor Duo the Best Buy for Stovetop Pressure Cookers

Byamazingfoodstv


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The Fagor Duo 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is a terrific value for its performance, and we highly recommend it for anyone who wants to cook food faster without sacrificing flavor. Our high-performance Best Buy pressure cooker is easy to operate, even if you’re new to pressure cooking.

*** Our editors proudly maintain an unassailable reputation as an unbiased and advertising-free cooking authority, and our objective reviews are strictly uninfluenced by product manufacturers, distributors, or retailers. ***

How did we put pressure cookers to the test?

Highest Temperature:
We measured the temperature inside the cooker under high pressure for 30 minutes and noted the peak temperature reached. Because temperature is directly related to pressure, this indicates the pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure generated by each cooker. Since recipes calling for “high pressure” are designed to cook at 15 psi, which is achieved at 250 degrees, pots that could reach 250 degrees were rated higher.

Cooking:
We prepared our pressure-cooker recipes for risotto, Boston baked beans, chicken stock, a meaty tomato sauce with pork, and beef stew, rating the dishes’ tastes and textures and the cookers’ steadiness of heating and evenness of browning (which we also checked by making crêpes).

Ease of Use:
We evaluated shape, size, weight, and handle comfort; the design of locking mechanisms, pressure indicators, and steam-release mechanisms; cleanup; and other features that enhance user-friendliness.

Evaporation Loss:
We added 2 pounds of water to each cooker, weighed the whole cooker with water inside, and boiled it at high pressure for 1 hour, checking the weight at 20, 40, and 60 minutes to determine the amount of water that had evaporated. Cookers with lower evaporation levels rated higher.

America’s Test Kitchen is the most-watched cooking show on public television—up to 2 million viewers watch each episode. The show is filmed in the test kitchen of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, located just outside Boston.

Each episode features recipes we’ve carefully developed to make sure they work every time. Christopher Kimball and the test cooks solve everyday cooking problems, test equipment so you never have to waste money on things that don’t work, and taste supermarket ingredients to save you time in the store. It’s a common-sense, practical approach you won’t find on other cooking shows.

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47 Comments

  1. I've had my 6 qt. Fagor Duo since 2009 and it is a work horse, just like they say in the video. A few years ago I purchased a 4 qt. Fagor so that I could cook grains in that one while doing the main dish in the other. I just can't bring myself to buy an Instant Pot. Not when these simple, heavy duty pots last so long and have so many uses. Their super power is their simplicity.

  4. I've used the Fagor as well as the Fissler pressure cookers, and the Fissler is by far the better cooker. It was also rated as the best by Test Kitchen, but since Fagor was cheaper, it got the best buy title. I can say that the Fagor definitely feels much cheaper, both in the metal parts as well as the plastic parts. What I really didn't like about the Fagor was that when the little yellow button pops up, it just means that it was beginning to build pressure. It did not mean that it had reached the proper pressure. For that, you have to listen to the pot, and when it begins to hiss, then you turn down the heat. With the Fissler, the pressure indicator slowly rises (it just pops up on Fagor) and when you see two bars (Or the green ring on fancier models), it's come to pressure. Also, the yellow pop up indicator on Fagor is much harder to see, since it doesn't rise above the surface of the plastic handle. If money is tight, I think Fagor is a good buy, but if you really want a truly great cooker, spend a little more and get a Fissler. It's really the Mercedes of pressure cookers. Also check out this video from the Test Kitchen, where they also explain why the Fissler is the best. You can actually see the difference in quality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv25Kx0dKBU&t=367s

  7. I think I got a dud. It was a gift for my wife. She didn't open it right away but once she did, I realized that the steam valve dial wasn't functioning as it should. It remains in the steam release position and is not even aligned properly. This is a very dangerous position for the dial to remain in because it's constantly releasing steam at high pressures. And, the moisture is leaving the pot much too early, causing whatever is in it to burn easily. Very frustrating. Any advice!?

  10. Obviously the Fagor is not an option any longer, so is the Zavor Duo a good cooker in the similar price range? I am a bit concerned that I read a mention that the Zavor wont quite get to the 250F target temp range. Are current Zavor owners ok with this cooker?

  21. I make stock at least once a week with this model. 4-5 pounds of chicken backs combined with trotters/hocks/chicken feet/pork necks/etc plus aromatics. Boil and skim, high pressure 2 hours, sieve to remove solids, refrigerate overnight, defat, portion, and freeze. If making demi-glace, use beef bones, reduce, and season, then portion and freeze. This regular practice has completely transformed my cooking, because good homemade stock is liquid gold that provides the base for all soups and stews, hydrates grains, and fortifies pan sauces.

  23. I've had a Presto 6 qt. for 12 years. Fagor has nothing on this. It has redundant pressure valves and all the other features. Available in S. Steel and Aluminum. Great booklet with recipes and cooking time tables for all foods. Parts plentiful online. Love mine. MIght get a 8 qt. one of these days for corn on the cob!

  24. This is from an email I received today from America’s Test Kitchen:

    Our former Best Buy stovetop pressure cooker, the Fagor Duo, was discontinued when the Spanish manufacturer went out of business. However, the U.S. branch became a separate company called Zavor and is producing the same cooker. We purchased it and put it through its paces, using all the same tests. The new pot has minor improvements: The settings, handle lock, maximum fill line, and the spot where you align lid and pot to seal the cooker are all more clearly marked. Its cooking surface is slightly narrower and it didn’t reach as high a temperature as the previous model, but we had no difficulty with cooking and browning food. The rebranded model by Zavor is our new Best Buy. We recommend following the manual’s instruction to put vegetable oil on the gasket, which makes it easier to get a tight seal under pressure and to help the lid slide smoothly.

  27. Please know : Fagor has gone out of business so it is challenging to find parts. I cannot find a lower handle for my Fagor duo, which makes it useless. Do not buy Fagor based on this review, as I did. The handle is easily broken. 🙁

  28. OK … Searched the internet HIGH and LOW and there are NO Fagor pressure cookers to be found(except used ones on Ebay)! It would be a GREAT idea if maybe y'all could do a new and improved video on this one. 🙂 I REALLY need a good reliable pressure canner and trust you guys test results. Thanks!

  36. Love this power pressure cooker!>>>ur2.pl/1035 It dose everything it clams it will do! have used it to do chicken, vegies, used it to can fish! it is fun to try new use's for this unit ! food comes out with so much more flavar, you will love using it! And most important it shiped on time and that's always important to me living in Alaska!!

  37. ATK promotes FGagor pressure cookers because they have a strategic partnership with Fagor to mutually self promote each other. Look for the You Tube Video on this, FACT. The funny thing is that when they show Pressure cookers that supposedly have narrow bases saying some have bases as small as 6" they show their TOP CHOICE Pressure Cooker, the Fissler Vitaquick. A pricey unit that was superior. The Fagor is good, at it's price point but not the best. Generally ATK denounces pots that have bases that are smaller than the outer diameter of the cookware having sides that bulge out around from the base as this can allow flames to burn food on the sides. For Fagor they simply brush aside their previous rules for buying cookware because they have a deal with Fagor. Granted, you dont generally use high flames for pressure cookers except for when doing initial browning or searing of food. I have this strange idea that the pot should work well for all uses it's intended for, regardless of strategic partnerships you are not supposed to know about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toLO_nu9vww&t=84s

  38. I have a number of PCs, including the one shown here. Often the latch doesn't function on the first try or two but always does eventually. It's nice and works well. Usually, however, I reach for a inexpensive Manttra from India that uses a simple weight to maintain pressure. I like being able to look through the steam vent to be sure it's clear before cooking. Can't do this with Fagors or similar spring valve types without taking the spring valve off the top.

  40. I have the Fagor Duo 10 quart and as one commenter mentioned it does drip, but it's just a little bit–maybe a teaspoon to a tablespoon at most. I use it a lot and was thinking about adding a second one. I've had this one for a year.

  43. I read the reviews and watched a few videos. So this Fagor duo is suppose to be one of the best that you can get. So I got the 4 & 8 qt set. So why is it there are so few people posting video's ? One would think if this is one of the best there would be tons of videos. Ya know people showing all kinds of quick and great tasting meals. There are several vidoes on how to make a pot roast. Which is great but I did not shell out all this money for just a pot roast. I see a ton of videos on these electric types. And they costed a lot less. All types of meals and a group that offers classes in how to cook in them. Someone told me to just follow there example an it should work. So I tried to make Spaghetti. I made one hell of a mess. It stuck to the bottom of the pot and burnt. I had one hell of time cleaning the thing. One other thing they say corn on the cobb will cook in 3 to 5 min. I found if I let it cook 12 to 15 min. it is better. But nothing beats the taste of corn on the cobb off grill/ smoker.

  45. 14% of the reviews of this cooker= Amazon say the the pressure valve breaks and, in some cases, spews the hot item being cooked all over the kitchen. That doesn't sound like a pressure cooker that I would buy!

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