Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker: Is it Any Good?

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Is there anything Emeril can’t do? He’s wowed us for years with his culinary marvels and entertaining shows, and now he’s going to help you craft world-class recipes at home with the Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker. There are several models to choose from, such as the Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Plus, that we’ll be sure to cover.

However, while Emeril himself is great, are his pressure cookers good enough for the job? This is a competitive market that’s currently dominated by Instant Pot and Ninja. While The Emeril Lagasse Power 360 Air Fryer was one of the best we reviewed, will his electric pressure cooker be just as good? Or, are you better off getting an Instant Pot? Read on and find out.

Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Features

There was probably a time when a pressure cooker was only a pressure cooker, but those days are long gone. Now everyone wants one that replaces at least a dozen appliances. Don’t worry, because that’s exactly what the Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Air Fryer does. It effectively replicates the functions of 12 appliances with its two lids.

There are several different versions of this pressure cooker, but all of them currently have these same features, so we won’t separate them here. The functions are:

Air Fry
Pressure Cook
Bake
Slow Cooker
Sous Vide
Rice Cooker
Canning
Steamer
Saute Pan
Yogurt Maker
Grill
Roast

That’s an impressive list by anyone’s standards. Some of these are the standard features you expect, like pressure cook, roast, and grill, while others are specialized like yogurt making, air frying, and canning. This gives you a good list of appliances that you can work with no matter your appetite.

Most of these appliances have around eight to ten features, so having a dozen gives the Emeril Everyday Pressure Cooker an edge against the competition.

Check Price: Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 8qt ->

What Can it Cook?

Did you see the list above? We’d have a much easier time saying what it can’t cook. It can make any recipe you can imagine, but let’s talk about what it does best.

Everyone is looking for air fryers now, and the Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Air Fryer doesn’t disappoint. This can cook crispy, delicious food battered, breaded, or without any coating with ease. It tastes nearly identical to deep frying, but has significantly less calories. While chicken is probably the most common thing to air fry, you can also air fry onion rings, fries, beef, fish, and anything else you can think of.

The slow cooker cooks food low and slow so it melts off the bone. This makes even the biggest, toughest pieces of meat mouthwateringly tender. The saute and grill features can cook any meat or vegetable you like, and the bake features allows you to make cakes.

Honestly, you can make just about any Emeril Lagasse pressure cooker recipes with this. It’s simple to use and works on nearly any type of food. Perhaps the only limitation is its size, which we’ll explore soon.

On top of that, there are 44 presets that make cooking even easier. These automatically set the best time and temp for meat, vegetables, sweets, and more.

Check Price: Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 6qt ->

Different Models

As part of our Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker review, we found that there are several different models available for purchase. Unlike some other brands, where there are massive differences between them, the differences seem fairly tame with this brand. That being said, let’s cover the various models and briefly talk about what they offer.

The different models include:

Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Plus 6 Quart
The Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Plus 8 Quart
Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 6qt with 5 accessories
The Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 8qt with ceramic pot
Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 8qt with 5 accessories

You will sometimes see Emeril Lagasse Everyday Pressure Cooker used as well, but that’s the same as the last three models.

So, what’s the difference? While the word “Plus” might make you think that it’s better, the truth is that it’s an older model. That means that some iterations lack some features (be sure to check for the dual lids to get all 12 features), and are often somewhat weaker. We’ll cover this more later, but there’s a slight difference in power.

Since the Plus models are older, they are sometimes harder to get, but they also tend to be less expensive. If you’re looking for nearly all the same features and a similar level of power, then they might be perfect for you.

If you’re looking for the strongest model then, then the Emeril Everyday is probably best. It comes in two sizes, but one of them is different from the others. There is an 8qt model with a ceramic pot. The others come with stainless steel cooking pots. Ceramic is noted for being a safe and effective nonstick material, but it can scratch (just like any other coating). If you want your food to easily slide off the pot, then you might want to consider the ceramic model.

Check Price: Emeril Lagasse Plus Pressure Cooker ->

Size and Capacity

Our Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Air Fryer reviews found that there are currently two sizes available. You can choose between either a 6 quart or 8 quart model. The 8 quart tends to be easier to find, but both are available for your needs.

So, which one is best for you? Both are fine for families. The Emeril Lagasse 6-qt. Pressure Cooker Air Fryer allows you to cook enough for six people on average. Now these are modest estimates, so hungrier families might find that only four or five people are satisfied. This is good for smaller families who want to make special meals.

The Emeril Lagasse 8-qt. Pressure Cooker Air Fryer is better for bigger families and hungrier people. You should have no problem feeding at least seven people and up to ten, so you can even host some small parties and cater it entirely with this Emeril Lagasse Pressure Air Fryer.

Both sizes are great and these happen to be the two most popular sizes in general for this appliance. If you want something bigger, then the Instant Pot Duo Nova 10qt might be ideal, while the Instant Pot Mini might be better for those who need a smaller 3qt model.

Power and Temperature

As we discussed above, there is a small difference in power between the models here. It’s not massive, but we’re going to discuss that along with how these models compare to other pressure cookers.

First, what’s their temperature range? Our Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker reviews found that both models have the same temperature range between 85-400F. You want at least 400 degrees for air frying, so this is a necessity for high-heat cooking like that. You can manually set the temperature with the easy control panel.

The wattage for Emeril Lagasse Plus models is 1450W while the modern Emeril Everyday Pressure Air Fryer is 1550W. It’s a small difference, but this means that the newer model is able to reach the desired temperature faster. It also has an easier time maintaining that temperature throughout the cooking process. However, 100W isn’t the biggest difference, so both are fairly equal.

So, how does this compare to other pressure cookers?

The absolute lowest temperature you should choose is 350, but if it has air frying then it needs at least 400. Some people feel that 450 is better as it makes the food somewhat crispier. The Emeril pressure cooker delivers when it comes to crispy food, but if you want crispier, then consider a pressure cooker that reaches 450 degrees.

When it comes to power, you’ll find that both 1450W and 1550W are great. Affordable models are typically around 1000W, which is OK, but it might struggle at higher temperatures and quantities. Good pressure cookers start around 1200W and the best ones are around 1400W and up, so both are good for any recipe.

Build Quality

The Emeril Everyday Air Fryer Pressure Cooker is built to last. Most models have a stainless steel inner cooking pot (except the ceramic model listed above). These pots won’t chip, corrode, or suffer any damage for many years. Plus, they are dishwasher safe. The appliance itself is made from stainless steel, so it can take a beating.

The control panel is simple to use. Just push a button for the function you want, adjust the time and temperature with the analog buttons, and you’re good to go. It’s easy and made for simplicity. Whether you’re an experienced home cook or this is your first time making any recipes, you’ll find this pressure cooker does all the heavy lifting for you.

In short, this appliance is made for heavy-duty work and will last for many years. Give it a try and you’ll see just how great it is.

How to Use Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker?

Many people are asking: how do I use my Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker? Don’t worry, it’s very easy, especially by pressure cooker standards. Start with the lid. One is meant for pressure cooking, slow cooking, roasting, and so on while the other is meant for air frying and other select features. Choose the right lid for the job.

Load your food into the inner cooking pot and then select the function. The control panel is simple. Choose between functions like Slow Cook, Grill, or Saute. Pop the lid onto the appliance, choose either one of the 44 presets or manually set the time and temperature, and wait until the food is done.

Emeril Lagasse Pressure Air Fryer Accessories

What Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker accessories do you get? Don’t worry, there are plenty and they are wonderful. Not only that, but they are about the same for all the models, so the Emeril Lagasse Air Fryer Pressure Cooker 8 qt accessories are the same as the 6qt model or even the Plus accessories.

The Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker Air Fryer accessories include:

Pressure Cooking Lid
Air Fryer Lid
Steamer/Air Fryer Basket
Multi-Purpose Roasting/Air Frying Rack
Glass Lid
Stainless Steel Cooking Pot
Ladle
Measuring Cup
Emeril Lagasse recipe book (for pressure cooking, air frying, and more)

Once again, a very impressive lineup of accessories. Few appliances can stand up to this. That Emeril really delivers the goods here.

Check Price: Emeril Lagasse Pressure Cooker 6qt ->

Check Price: Emeril Lagasse Plus Pressure Cooker 6qt ->