I have had no problems with the pressure cooker so far. The six quart size is big enough for a whole chicken. The package comes with a few recipes which are a good starting point, especially since cooking times for different kinds of meat are provided.My main issue is that all the ingredients in a recipe will be cooked for the same amount of time, so that some of them will be overcooked. A workaround is suggested. Items like vegetables which take less time to cook than the main meal cooking in the pressure cooker, can be prepared seprately in the normal way, and then added to the rest of the meal. A few minutes of cooking will then blend in the flavors.