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Hip Notes:
This pressue cooker has two settings: Setting 1 – 0,6 bar (8.7psi) and
Setting 2 – 1,0 bar (14.5psi). Though it says to “Fill the pot with food and/or liquid” and it does not list a minimum liquid requirement, we recommend ensuring there is at least 1 cup (250ml) of liquid in the pressure cooker to ensure that it can reach pressure. We contacted IKEA’s UK PR team to inform them of this oversight 10/30/2014.
Manufacturer Website: IKEA
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In the general safety advice on page 5 it states that the cooker should always have at least 0.25 Litres of liquid in it. It could certainly be more prominent though.
I will probably be passing by ikea next week I will try to remember to stop in and check out the pressure mechanism. The picture looks like it shows a spring though.
I dropped in on IKEA yesterday. Unfortunately these are still on a slow boat from China or wherever they are made. The ones for North America appear to be on the same slow boat. They are in stock in Rome though.
They have even removed them from the online catalogue here so they are still some way off. They were in the catalogue two weeks ago.
I haven’t worked-up to go to IKEA to look at the pressure cooker, yet. The whole trip is just too traumatic for our family.
There are two IKEAS in Rome and that’s still not enough to match their popularity. On the weekends they are over-run with so many people that you can barely see the furniture. We usually wait 1+ hours to drop the kids off at Smaland (and then we have to pick them up in an hour!) So, now we go to IKEA maybe once a year. We’ve gone in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve, twice already, and it’s magical: the kids get to go play right away and we can look at the furniture and gadgets without having to race through the store and jokey through the check-out lanes in a panic to pick-up the kids.
Ciao,
L
I know what you mean. I have spent more time than I like to admit struggling with IKEA. I have rebuilt my uncle’s kitchen twice (he flooded it the first time) and half my own with IKEA cupboards. I am a trained cabinet maker & cannot achieve their quality at anywhere near their prices. I can do a much better quality but at a prohibitive cost.
Then I discovered if I go midweek either at opening or near closing time it’s not too bad. I will keep an eye out on the online catalogue and advise if I finally get to see one. their price is crazy cheap, but with their buying power, the quality may be very good for the price. Sometimes it is. Sometimes not so much.
These have finally arrived in my local store. I bought one of each (4 and 6L).
I can confirm that the main pressure control is a spring controlled system rather than weight controlled.
The valve they describe as the “safety valve” is actually the lid interlock. Once pressure starts to build, it pops up preventing the lid from being opened. The over pressure relief valve (the one I would call a safety valve) is built into the main valve assembly. I haven’t pulled that to pieces yet, but I will.
So far I have just tested its (4L) ability to heat water. 1L measured into the pot. Brought to HIGH pressure, and held there for 15 Minutes. It loses steam continuously from the vent. That just seems to be the way it works. That means it uses a lot more water than my Kuhn Rikons, but on the other hand, it is much easier to set a stable pressure. Over the 15 minute test, it lost 150ml water. My 5L Kuhn Rikon lost 20ml during a similar test I did when it was new. From memory I think I ran it for an hour. But don’t quote me on that.
I had to set the gas noticeably higher to maintain pressure than I do on the KRs too. But hey. It’s a quarter of the price. That’s a lot of gas.
You turn a knob to set pressure. It starts to vent when pressure is reached. But there is also an indicator ring. I suspect you could dial high pressure and only come up to low pressure using the indicator and really cut down on water loss. It’s a shame it is not possible to do the same trick at high pressure. To release pressure quickly, you turn the same knob to the venting position. It is actually a continuously variable control, so you can release fast or slow, and for that matter set medium pressure if you want.
Greg, thanks for the report! You’ll be hard pressed to find a pressure cooker that needs as low of a heat-setting as your Kuhn Rikon (Fissler came close). Spring valve-cookers, albeit somewhat venting ones, are still a vast improvement over the old steam-pumping locomotive-type cookers IKEA was selling previously because those cookers needed medium/high heat to maintain pressure.
The price of these cookers is certainly attractive and I can see why you opted for the set! Any info on the packaging about where the cookers were made and the quality of the stainless steel?
Ciao,
L
Made in China.
Nothing about the Steel.
Magnetic on the base, but not on the sides.
I measured the steel at the rim to be 1.6mm
The base is 6mm thick, so given the thickness of the inner layer of steel, about a 3mm aluminium disc sandwiched inside the steel layers.
I have had a go at removing the main valve with the supplied tool. But I struggled. Typical “done up with a machine” issue. Once I get it off I will report back, but it may be after Christmas.
I have included a photo of the base info in case some of it makes more sense to you than it does to me. Apart from the pressure/size settings it seems to be mostly internal catalog numbers and approvals.
I actually bought them as a Christmas present for my (ex) son in law. My daughter took most of the cookware when she left. However I have been told from on high that I should only give him the one. That will be the 6L (And your book of course) even though he is living on his own at the moment. still the 6L is more versatile.
OK I got the control module off. It has three spring loaded buttons. From left to right in the photo. The first has a very strong spring behind it, and probably has to do with emergency over pressure release. The centre larger one pushes up the indicator button. The third has variable tension controlled by the knob on the top and controls the release of steam under normal conditions.
The second photo shows the IKEA in use at high pressure. As far as I can tell this amount of steam is considered normal. By comparison the third photo shows the KR at roughly the same pressure level. If you look really carefully you can see a few wisps of steam to the left of the knob.
The lighting was set to maximise the visibility of the steam plumes and is the same for both PCs I have played with contrast to maximise the visibility and resized for the wWeb. They are otherwiise unretouched.
This is an interesting photo. All three nubs appear to be indicators of some type – they are covered in silicone so they are only pushed according to the pressure inside – perhaps one locks the lid, while the other tells pressure. That the gum-drop shaped opening at the bottom of the photo, with one of the signals inside, might control the pressure release. I don’t see a “safety valve” as I’ve seen in other pressure cookers that would release pressure if the “nub” is pushed too far up (indicating too much internal pressure).
Ciao,
L
The lid locking mechanism is a separate control on the other side of the PC. See photo. It pushes a metal pin up through the handle making it impossible to open the lid without breaking the handle. The manual states it will also vent pressure if everything else fails. The manual also states that one of these three nubs controls an over pressure release valve. But I am reluctant to pull it apart further to find out just how it works.
Cheers Greg
PS I like the snow. Even though it is high summer here.
No need to pull it apart, I can tell from the holes in the stem that it’s a secondary back-up release valve! : )
Thanks for such beautiful detailed photos, Greg!
Ciao,
L
It only let me upload one photo. Sigh. Here is the second.
Sorry, the forums and comments use different programs to upload photos. : )
And Third…
I’ll try that again
Ciao Laura, first time poster and newcomer to pressure cooking.
Would you reccomend this PC to an absolute begginer? I really don’t feel confortable enough spending +160 euros on a Kuhn Rikon or WMF PC.
Basil, I don’t have any personal experience with this pressure cooker so I cannot really comment on whether this is something I would recommend.
However, the big secret between pressure cookers is: all pressure cookers pressure cook. The higher the price tag the more durable the cookware will be, the better materials it will have and the more bells & whistles.
It can’t hurt to try one of these if the alternative is not pressure cooking at all.
Ciao,
L
P.S. Be sure to look on e-bay, etc. for a lightly used high-quality cookers first. You might be able to get more for less by going the used route.
I gave a pair of these as chrstmas presents. The recipient has fallen in love with them and is now pressure cooking on an almost daily basis. He claims they are the single most important factor in driving him towards a healthier lifestyle as it is now faster to cook a healthy meal than to drive to “Maccas”.
While I don’t think they are up to the quality of my kuhn Rikons, they are definitely excellent value for money. The worst part is enduring the shopping “experience” at IKEA. To me, IKEA’s excellent returns policy makes this a no brainer. If you sign up for their free rewards scheme, you have a one year no questions asked return period.
I must admit that I would like to see Laura review these.
I have owned a WMF Perfect Pro 4.5 liter and now the IKEA Verdsetta 6l since my WMF broke. (Fell to the floor).
I am very disappointed by the IKEA one for three main reasons
– Cleaning. The manual says that no parts should go in the washing machine. The more expensive WMF had a releasable handle with all moving parts so that the lid itself (steel only) could to in the washer.
– In the best “Ikea style” there is even a tool you get with the pressure cooker to losen and clean a valve if it becomes clogged. I do not want to service my pressure cooker myself!
– It will not build up max pressure and let you decrese the effect on your stovetop and maintain it. To reach full pressure, my induction top needs to be at 7/10. It makes a lot of noise and blows out steam. With the more expensive WMF I could let max pressure build up and lower the effect to 2/3 out of 10 and still maintain max pressure. This is a huge disadvantage.
I absolutely regret buying this. Waste of money.
Glen, thanks for sharing your experience with the IKEA pressure cookers! Depending on what part of your pressure cooker broke (handle, pressure valve, etc.) you might be able to get a replacement piece. It’s worth a shot.
Ciao,
L
Hi Glenn and welcome,
I think the key here is that the WMF is more expensive.
I have Kuhn Rikon and much prefer it to the IKEA which I have also tried. However, I am also well aware that I can buy 8 IKEA PCs for the cost of ONE Kuhn Rikon. (Based on cost to me – your differential may be different) I do not expect the same performance from a Fiat Bambino that I would expect from a Lamborghini.
First post for me here. :-) I’ve owned the 6L version a few months, and it has really changed my cooking habits. I love the fact I can make perfect ribs in far less than an hour, bbq time and preparations included, and cook beans in a fraction of the time it normally would take.
So far (I’m soon turning 37), this is the only pressure cooker I have ever seen IRL, not to mention used. Pressure cookers are far more uncommon here in Finland as saunas are common. Virtually everyone has a sauna, but very few has a pressure cooker and I hardly know anyone who actually uses one.
That said, I cot addicted to pressure cooking almost instantly, although I don’t use it more than twice a week perhaps. This PC feels solid and safe to use, it gets the job done and is very, very easy to clean. However, it does let out quite a lot of steam on maximum pressure, and this issue has worsened over time, so that it now is rather difficult to achieve maximum pressure. Also, if I push down the pressure regulator, especially at the front (which I think should not really be possible), I can really minimize the amount of steam leaking out through the venting hole. This has been possible all the time, actually, and it has led me to believe the venting mechanism is not fully working properly. Yesterday I contacted IKEA regarding this issue, but I’m still waiting for an answer. Anyway, I hope I will get a replacement valve.
Regarding the IKEA quality generally, I think they mostly offer unbeatable value for money and overall a very good quality, especially if you avoid their cheapest products. IKEA buys such massive amounts that any contract producer can manage with far less margins than they can with other customers, and that keeps the prices down. This cooker is no exception I believe. It’s actually cheaper than a quality Hackman standard casserole of the same size.
Got a reply from Ikea. Without even providing a purchasing receipt, they said they’ll send me a completely new PC to my home address, as they don’t offer replacement valves. That’s great for me of course, but I hope they’ll look into the venting system and improves it in future versions of the product. All feedback to Ikea regarding the PC’s performance would speed up this updating process (as a hint to you readers here). :-)
That’s good customer-service-wise but bad ecologically. I’m surprised coming from a company that literally changed the way furniture is built to reduce greenhouse emissions. What are you supposed to do with the lid with the busted valve?
Ciao,
L
I fully agree. It was quite surprising to hear they didn’t have any spare valves. Maybe it has something to do with pressure cookers being so rare here in the Nordic countries including Sweden, Ikea’s home country. Or then maybe they don’t sell too many of these yet to financially justify a stock of spare parts. At least they don’t seem to keep too many of these on the shelves in the shops or even in stock at all. Out of curiosity, I checked the total stock in Sweden and Finland for the 6L version: 124 units in Sweden (9M citizens) and 31 in Finland (5,5M citizens). Not very many, I’d say. For comparison, there were approx. three times as many 3-seated white Ektorp sofas on stock in Finland…
Regarding the old PC, they told me to discard it or return it to the shop I bought it from. However, I truly despise creating waste by discarding things that still works, even though it doesn’t do that to full satisfaction. I think I’ll bring it to my summerhouse. :-) I might also disassemble the valve (it’s very easy to remove it from the lid with the supplied tool) and see if there is anything that could be done safely to fix the steam leakage. I already disassembled the valve once, and it wasn’t really rocket science to reassemble it either. Let’s see…
Time for an update.
I got my new replacement PC from Ikea a couple of days ago. However it seems to be rather similar to the old one except that this was now able to reach full pressure without too intensive steaming. The difference wasn’t huge, though. The problem seems to be the pressure setting knob that IMO should be manufactured with tighter tolerances to be fit more snugly in its place. It’s too loose now, when you can prevent the steaming by simply pressing the knob down on the front side, where the pressure regulating valve is located.
Having two of these now, I decided to mod the valve system slightly on the old lid. I disassembled the valve from the lid, removed the screw next to the overpressure (rear) safety valve (see Greg’s picture posted Dec 20, 2014 at 1:20AM), and turned the pressure setting knob until it came off. There is no other parts falling out at this point so one can easily do this and put it back. Next thing was to remove the front valve spring’s “hat”, the spring itself and the small plastic part in which the spring is located. The large pressure indicator in the middle is slightly in the way for doing this so you need to pull it up a bit to remove the parts, but otherwise they come off very easily.
Now for the mod: I prepared a tiny piece of wood, approx 1,5 mm thick with a diameter of approx, 6 mm, that fit snugly into the plastic spring “container” (better word for this, anyone?). Leaving it there on the bottom, I assembled all pieces back again on the valve in reverse order. (I actually tried with a thicker piece first, but it was a bit too thick).
Results:
+ Far less steam leakage (when the pressure level is set according to the pressure indicator rather than the rough marks at the knob),
+ It can reach slightly higher pressure than 1 bar (setting 2) if needed. I don’t see this being a risk though, as the PC’s safety valve is calibrated to release steam when the pressure is 2,6 bar (260 kPa, see the manual on page 4),
+ It requires significantly less heat/energy to keep up the set pressure level,
+/- Settings 1 and 2 on the virtually stepless pressure setting knob may result in a slightly higher pressure, but anyway the pressure indicator shows the real pressure level so this is not really an issue.
– Turning the knob to release all pressure leaves a slight residual pressure, due to the more tense spring (however this normal opening method wasn’t exactly fast before either…). Hence, you need to use the natural opening method by letting it cool down a bit by itself, or put it in the sink and flush water on top of the lid, to open it quickly.
I will likely do this (fully reversable) modification on the new PC too. Being a mechanical engineer who also design parts for pressure applications professionally, I don’t consider my mod unsafe in any way, although it slightly lowers the total safety margin if cooking at pressures exceeding 1 bar. That said, if anyone replicates this mod described above, that person does so solely on his/her own risk, knowing that it, if discovered, eliminates the product’s warranty. I do not take any responsibility for other peoples actions.
Just got me a VÄRDESÄTTA, but I just don’t get it… The manual says the steam should escape from the pressure regulator and that if it escapes from the safety opening it’s a malfunction. I don’t see where the pressure could escape on the pressure regulator. Somewhere between the dial and pressure indicator? The safety opening next to the pressure regulator would make perfect sense to release the gas, but the manual says it’s a malfunction… Is this thing broken?
Perhaps this video might help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlyNynLiYwg
It shows steam from the pressure release at the end. Sort of beside the regulator?
Another Finnish customer here. Bought a 4-liter one today (2016-04-16) from Ikea for 39.95 euro, after having read about the problems with too much venting, here and elsewhere on the internet. I can confirm that my unit, too, vented a lot of steam and could not keep the higher pressure unless the stove was on relatively high heat. I applied JazzBass’s modification to the vent spring and it’s now much better. The cooker can keep the pressure up with low heat and there’s much less steam coming out. It is still a bit noisy. For the mod, I cut little round pieces of plastic from a lid of an old food container and stuffed three of them in the spring holder piece. Figured food container plastic (probably polyethylene) should be fairly safe.
I’m new to pressure cooking and I was very impressed that the thing could cook dried soybeans in 20 minutes, without soaking. In a normal pot, it took me over two hours.
Risto: I would not use polyethylene for this mod as that plastic becomes relatively soft already at the temperatures at which the PC operates. Polypropylene is a better choice, but the best thermoplastic option among the common types would probably be polyamide, which most of the high temperature resistant black plastic utensils are made of. In one of my pc:s I’ve used a tiny piece of wood, and for the second one, one revolution of relatively thick steel wire (rautalanka). Both works well. (I design piping parts of polyethylene for pressure applications in my daily job, however never for temperatures above 40 deg C).
My two pc:s are very silent, if I’m only keeping the stove on low enough heat. Have you kept the air venting channel clean?
Having re-read your post Risto, it is quite likely to me that you have used PP for your mod, as most of these plastic food containers (e.g. by Orthex) are made of that material. If you put a piece of the same plastic on fire, and the fumes have a mild smell resembling stearine (as in candles), your material is likely PE. PP have a bit similar smell, but much stronger and sharper. (This is a common way which plastics are identified by professionals).
It might be wise to check the mod after a few uses, to ensure the piece stays intact.
Thanks for your reply. I did check the mod, and the plastic hasn’t melted and the spring hasn’t bitten into it. I has been used several times at high pressure. I think the plastic is ok. The container lid it came from is not Orthex, but similar. It’s not clear plastic, but translucent, and fairly pliable.
Re: noise – the vent is clean. At high pressure, there’s still a constant hiss of the steam, even though it’s much less steam than before. I’m fairly sensitive to noise, so maybe others wouldn’t wouldn’t consider it noisy.
I actually added a bit more of the material to the spring holder, and now I can get the cooker to stay at high pressure (two rings) with next to no venting and minimal noise. I guess my first version of the mod just didn’t have as much spring tension as yours. I’m pretty happy with it now. I do need to use cold water in a sink to release the pressure, but in my case, that’s ok, since it’s the 4 L cooker and it’s easy to handle in my sink, and I usually want a very quick release anyway.
Overall, it seems like a pretty silly quality flaw from Ikea. The cooker seems to be quite decent quality otherwise, but one spring ruins it, or rather, turns it into a DIY project. Maybe they just erred ridiculously far on the side of safety with the spring? (Then again, turning your kitchen into a steam bath is probably not all that safe either.)
Ok, one more update. I was using the cooker after testing the revised mod with just water, when the silicone gasket around the pressure controller (the larger piece of silicone, not one of the two round covers on the valve) started to leak noticeably more. I could press down the frame of the controller part and the leak would stop. The controller valve itself was ok, there was nothing leaking through it when it was set on “2” (high pressure), but steam was coming out past it under the frame of the controller. I took the thing apart, as per the instructions in the manual, a couple of times and tried different levels of tightness of the bolt. The surfaces were clean and nothing was damaged, but I just could not get it to seal any more.
At this point I’ve had enough. I took the mod out, cleaned the cooker and it is going back to Ikea tomorrow. To anyone looking at this cooker, I’d say don’t bother – the pressure control part is a bad design.
Hello,
I would like to replace the rubber seal for my pressure cooker. Do you know where I can find it?
I have searched at IKEa website and I could not find it.
Many thanks,
Juliana
Juliana, the manual says “When [a replacement gasket is] needed. Contact your nearest IKEA store/Customer service or visit http://www.ikea.com
for support.” They likely don’t list it in the main catalog and you’ll need to contact customer service for it.
Ciao,
L
Could you please post a message here if you manage to get the part from Ikea? I’m simply curious. My impression was that these cookers are considered disposable by them and they won’t have spare parts.
Mine leaked too much steam and I took it back to the store. To Ikea’s credit, they refunded me immediately and the guy at the counter was friendly. (I did go through their kitchen department on the way out and bough a new cutting board and some glass food storage boxes. I guess that’s why Ingvar Kamprad is worth 36 billion dollars – you always end up buying more stuff at Ikea than you thought, even if you went to return a leaking Chinese pressure cooker.)
I recently bought an IKEA VÄRDESÄTTA pressure cooker in the UK. I bought the smaller 4 litre cooker for £30 and I’m very impressed with the appearance of it. I’ve only used it to cook to chick peas and kidney beans so far, but it is very easy to use and does the job.
Despite the manual stating that you should contact IKEA when you need a new gasket I was suspicious that they might not actually be able to supply one. Sure enough, this is the reply that I got:
“Unfortunatley we are unable to order a new gasket for the 002.867.43 VÄRDESÄTTA pressure cooker as a spare part from our warehouse in Sweden as this part is already manufactured into the item when sent from our stockist.”
So it appears that these pressure cookers are regarded by IKEA as disposable items. Very disappointing.
Well, that’s disappointing, especially coming from a company that prides itself on reducing waste and energy use. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Ciao,
L
You can order it at the front desk in ikea.
After the initial confusion things seem to be alright. The manual is simply badly written and describes the function of the cooker wrong.
The cooker leaks some steam, but it’s nothing that would really effect the operation. Apparently they have some quality control issues and some leak too much. Mine doesn’t have any problems keeping the pressure at 3/6 heat on the stove. Haven’t tried lower settings.
As it happens, I was in IKEA the other day.
I noticed that the pressure cookers were back in stock.
However they are NOT the same.
The are still called Vardesatta, but the spring loaded pressure control has been replaced with a weight mechanism. It would appear that they are aware of the issues and have “fixed” them by going backwards. Sigh.
Greg, I could ask you if you could verify the replacement of the pressure valve by a weight mechanism. Does that solve the problem? Would the pressure cooker be more reliable and of better quality? I want to buy two and if that change improves its quality I would decide to buy them. Thanks for your time.
I’m on my second pressure cooker from IKEA. The rings of the pressure cooker regulator don’t raise up when the knob is turned onto 1 or 2… before or during cooking. I get worried with the amount of steam coming out the safety valve. Not sure whether it is safe to use…
Mon.don’t worry. Mine is that way as well. I have used
It for years.it limits what you can do with it. With my WMF I could have a stock going for hours. The IKEA cooks dry.
Ikea Spare Parts? NO !!!
I phoned Ikea customer support in Dubin, Ireland and asked for the availability and price of a gasket, the handle for the lid, the handle for the pot and the pressure setting valve on the lid. All standard replaceable parts – and available – for a Kuhn Rikon and, I hope for the Fagor I have. “Not available. No part numbers in the system. We can ask the manufacturer for them as a goodwill gesture”.
Having already replaced two consumable parts in a twelve year old Kuhn Rikon 6l TOP model and with the same parts needed again – the gasket and the rubber pressure release safety valve, and now the pressure indicator plastic – damaged by being dropped, imo it would not be worth buying the throw-away Ikea model.
Especially when the Fagor was a similar price – one third that of the Kuhn Rikon and has needed _zero_ parts at all in over 8 years.