Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

2 Malfunctioning (and one damaged) 8 qt Duo units were shipped to me. Not until they sent me one from different stock did I get a properly functioning one. LOOK OUT for faulty steam release valve/handles. If you have the steam release handle pointing to the “sealing” position, steam should NOT be escaping from it while you do the “water test” and the pot comes up to pressure, or while it is cooking at pressure. You should only be having steam escape out of that valve when you turn it toward “venting.” This is seperate from the pink float valve. It is normal for some steam to escape from the pink float valve until it pops up & the pot comes to pressure. If the steam only stops coming out of the steam release valve/handle by pushing it past the spot marked “sealing,” where it feels like it’s NOT supposed to go, or if it keeps coming out no matter what you do, then learn from me: YOU have a DEFECTIVE one! When I talked with the Instant Pot technical support with my last one, they told me to turn it off, unplug it, and not attempt to use it again. I ordered mine during the pre-holiday/ Black Friday sales (Nov 2017). The first I was shipped came badly dented in (probably shipping damage since the outside box was bashed in, too.) The next two I was sent were BOTH defective. It wasn’t until I requested I be sent a replacement from different stock, that I got a properly functioning one! I’m so relieved to finally have a functioning one as of today, January 29th, 2018, two months later! 4th time’s the charm, I guess? Seriously, it took them sending me 4 Instant Pots, and a lot of headache & my time before I got a properly functioning one. I will say, that they did at least cover the shipping (as was Amazon’s responsibility since it was an Amazon fulfilled order) for all the replacements, and did even over-night ship one of the times (the third pot...by the fourth, I got the sense the customer service person suspected it was MY fault, so they seemed less eager to help. I do have pictures & proof of the problematic units they shipped me, and verification that it was NOT user error or my fault. I’m just so relieved that my 4th one works so I don’t have to deal with this anymore!) So, Quality Control Issues. IF you get a functioning unit, these really are nice. Seems everyone around me has one & loves them. I may not have figured out that my second unit was defective, if it hadn’t been for me brining it to a group get-together where two other friends cooked the exact same recipe (with no problem) in their Instant Pots, while mine malfunctioned with it because of the defective steam release valve/handle, which caused the subsequent “burn” code when trying to come up to pressure. I had suspected it might be defective before, but was having a hard time ruling out novice user error, or bad recipes, etc. Pictures: 1) First one came dented in. 2 & 3) pictures from one of the units with defective steam release valve, in case Instant Pot sees this and wants that info. to help correct manufacturing/quality control problem. 4) Shows manual saying that the problem indicates “pressure control fails”and to “contact support.” Also shows where I wrote ticket number from my call with Instant Pot technical support. If I knew how to post videos, I have video of what it looks & sounds like doing the “water test” with the defective steam release valve. Basically, it noisily spits steam and water out the steam release valve, even when it is in “sealing” position. Hope my very bad luck helps things go better for someone else, especially if there are any other defective units still getting shipped to people!