This pressure cooker is our first one and our first time to cook with one. We used one of the recipes printed in the user's manual, Herbed Chicken. The recipe calls for basil, celery, oregano, parsley, onions, and garlic, along with other readily available ingredients. Total time for the meal to be ready from food preparation, to the pressure cooker building up to pressure, with the actual cooking time was about 15 minutes.