I have an aluminum Presto 8 quart pressure cooker that I've owned for 5 years and I use it a lot. Being an empty nest'r I felt a smaller cooker would better fit my needs and use less energy. While the stainless is a bit more expensive I felt since I do use my cooker regularly the cost was justified. Pressure cooking is the best way to prepare all-in-one meals using a lot less energy and often in less than half the time.. A win win in my opinion.