Back in the day, moms all had pressure cookers and made beef stews and pot roasts in them. These cookers are being rediscovered and are making a big comeback as they're not just for stew any more. Hundreds of new recipes are appearing and Amazon has some really good pressure cooker cookbooks available. We recently bought this Presto 4 qt. size (just for 2 of us) but larger sizes are available. Mom was right, they are FAST, make delicious food and will impress guests. They're not expensive - give this a try, you won't be disappointed.