I have owned a pressure cooker ALLL My married life... 43 yrs...I still have my mother's... over 60 yrs old.. and I use it...I am excited about the new pressure cooker... it is more efficient than my relic.. I can't imagine making beef stew, chicken soup, pot roast... spagetti sauce! without it!!  I can plan my meals at the last minute and have dinner on the table within an hour... sometime half hour.  If I were on a deserted island and could only have ONE pot... it would be my pressure cooker... you can fry without the lid... and cook with or without the pressure...