Actually it is better than a slow cooker in almost every way. Things can be steamed in this where they cannot be steamed in a slow cooker. Things can be cooked in liquid, just like a slow cooker, but in 1/16th the time. Things that "foam up" like split peas cannot be made in a pressure cooker because the foam can block the steam vents. I have not been this excited about a kitchen utensil in a decade.