Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I came across this item at Walmart for 79 dollars and was so intrigued by the possibilities of what it claimed it could do. We have a busy lifestyle with work and 2 grandbabies that live with us. I loved the idea that we could take meat out of the freezer and have a meal ready in no time and conserve vitamins and nutrients at the same time. What could be more perfect for a busy chaotic family than that? And for the price I went ahead and bought it. I was so excited to use it I took it right home and prepared some herbed chicken and vegetables. Although I was really disappointed in the lack of good written material (instructions and recipes), I was delighted with the outcome of the meal. However, I had to recook the meal again for a second time because it was undercooked the first go round. Like I said, there was a lack of good instructions in the manual, especially with regard to timing for weight based protocols for meat. But I was anxious to try again with a beef pot roast. This time I was very upset because I could not get the lid on right despite pushing down harder on the lid when turning, like the manual said. It never would go on right and the pressure inside the pot caused the lid to blow off about 3 times. I'm not an idiot, and I followed the instructions to a T! Needless to say the meat was dry and took extra long to cook, plus the vegetables at the bottom were burnt and stuck to the bottom. We had some hungry folks trying to eat at 9 o clock that night. But I thought what the heck, I'll give it another try. Maybe the 3rd time will be a charm. I decided on the red beans and rice recipe that came with the pressure cooker. I even went ahead and soaked the beans for several hours even though the claims were that this step was not necessary. Here's what happened. This time the lid went on fairly well and I heard the click like you're supposed to. The cooking started up without a hitch, and the house smelled so good. At first. Then all of a sudden, for no reason, the unit just died. We tried unplugging it and waiting ten minutes and plugging it back in. Nothing. It was dead. I had to finish cooking everything on top of the stove. And after a couple of hours and lots of hungry people, including guests, we got to eat. The next morning I plugged it in and it was still dead as a doornail. You can imagine my disappointment in that what was supposed to make my life easier actually made my life more complicated. I ended up having to take it back to Walmart and get a complete refund. Sorry to have to tell you folks this but do NOT buy this product. Great concept, Poor design and workmanship. Lots of flashy buttons and whistles, but a very poor product. Save yourself the headache!