Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-20

Summary

The complaints owners raise are about maintenance and ergonomics, not breakdowns: a sealing ring that shrinks and lets the cover leak, a single 15 psi setting that makes you tune the burner yourself, a thin tri-clad base that can scorch food, and a weighted regulator that hisses and rattles through the whole cook. Running costs are close to nothing, since there is no electricity, no fuel and no subscription, and the only recurring spend is a sealing ring and overpressure plug every couple of years that the 12-year warranty does not cover. Around $100 it is a good buy for anyone comfortable managing a burner, while above about $120 the quieter spring-valve cookers are the better spend.

Common problems and fixes

Scorching on a thin base — the tri-clad base is thin enough that food can scorch if the cooker stays on the burner too long or runs with too little liquid. Keep the liquid level up and shorten the cook. [5][4]
The regulator hisses and rattles the whole time — the weighted rocking design is noisy by design rather than a defect, and it is the main ergonomic difference against a spring-valve cooker. If the noise bothers you, that class of cooker costs roughly three times as much. [2][6][7]
It is a cooker, not a canner — Presto’s own canning guidance and third-party guides say the 01362 is not a tested pressure canner and must not be used for low-acid canning. If that is what you need it for, buy a tested pressure canner instead. [1][2][7]
Overfilling is the fastest route to trouble — the manual caps fill at two-thirds, and half for foaming or expanding foods, and rules out pressure frying with oil. The cover lock stops you opening it under pressure, but it will not save a badly filled pot. [2]
The air vent and cover lock gasket cracks — the manual tells you to replace this small rubber gasket when it cracks, and Presto sells it as a genuine part. [2]

Parts and consumables

Overpressure plug — goes with the ring on the same schedule, and the 12-year warranty excludes it along with the sealing ring. [2][3]
Pressure regulator — a genuine replacement is available from Presto for a weighted regulator that no longer rocks properly. [2][9]
Air vent and cover lock gasket — the small rubber gasket the manual tells you to replace if it cracks. [2]
Colander cover (09986) and stainless steamer basket (85650) — optional accessories Presto sells separately for the cooker. [1][15]
Genuine parts only — Presto pushes its own parts over look-alikes, and the warranty is voided if the regulator, ring or plug is replaced with a non-genuine part. [2][3]

Yearly running cost

Close to nothing. The 01362 has no electronics, so it draws no electricity and needs no fuel or subscription; the energy cost is only your stove burner, and Presto’s older datasheet claims savings of 59%, 61%, 54%, 81% and 78% against an electric oven across sample dishes, which is a manufacturer figure rather than a measurement. The only recurring spend is the sealing ring and overpressure plug, to be replaced at least every two years, plus occasionally a pressure regulator or an air vent gasket. [2][3][17]

When it is a good buy

Prices checked October 2026: Presto sells the 01362 direct at $102.99 with free shipping, and MAC’s Hardware, Target and Ace Hardware list it at $99.99. Around $100 it is a sound buy for someone who wants a durable stovetop cooker and is happy to manage a burner; it still holds up between $100 and $120, and above that you are looking at quieter spring-valve cookers such as Kuhn Rikon or Fissler, which cost roughly three times as much. Everything Kitchens lists the near-identical 01365 at $79.99; that is a different model with a menu guide on the handle, so check the stock number 01362 on the base. If you want set-and-forget cooking, an electric multicooker fits better, and if you need to can low-acid food, buy a tested pressure canner. One caution when reading roundups: Wirecutter’s stovetop guide tested an 8-quart Presto as its budget pick, not this 6-quart model. [1][9][10][11][12][13][15][18]