Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 3 L Review

The default alarm clock on a Sunday, the star of every Indian kitchen – a trustworthy pressure cooker. Well, can you blame us? Not only does a pressure cooker reduce cooking time, but can also help retain nutrients in comparison to open-pan cooking.

One of the brands that most Indian homes trust when it comes to pressure cookers is Hawkins. We used the 3 Litre Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker by Hawkins in our test kitchen for over 3 months to check it for various aspects. We discuss the price, design details, ease of usage and much more in our Hawkins Pressure Cooker Stainless Steel 3 Litre review.

The Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker comes in various sizes starting from 1.2 litres and going up till 8 litres. We picked the 3 Litre (Wide) pressure cooker variant for our review.

Here is all that you need to know –

1. Packaging

The Hawkins Pressure Cooker comes in a sturdy carton. The contents of the carton include – 

• Pressure Cooker with lid, rubber gasket and whistle (vent weight)
• Cookbook with 32 tested recipes and operating instructions.
• Guarantee card (5 years). The guarantee is against defects in material and workmanship. Safety valves, gasket and plastic handles are not covered.
• Hawkins authorised service centre directory

2. Material

The Hawkins Pressure Cooker is made using stainless steel. The bottom has a core of 5.8 mm thick aluminium sandwiched between two sheets of stainless steel.

3. Compatibility

The Hawkins Pressure Cooker (HSS3W) is flat-bottomed and compatible with gas stove, induction, electric, ceramic, and halogen cooktops.

4. Cooker Weight

Total weight of the cooker – 1.784 Kg

Weight of the whistle – 78 gm

5. Safety Parameters

There are two safety features in this cooker – 

• Pressure Locked Safety Lid – The lid cannot be opened until the pressure inside the cooker reduces to a safe level.
• Automatic Safety Valve – The safety valve ensures that the excess pressure is released and the food/steam are safely deflected downwards. 

6. Price

The 3-Litre Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is priced at Rs 3000/-. 

Our Hawkins pressure cooker stainless steel review is based upon multiple tests and trials conducted on the vessel. We used the pressure cooker for over three months and cooked a variety of dishes like – 

• Rice
• Rajma
• Arhar dal
• Moong-arhar dal mix
• Brown rice pulao
• Boiled potatoes
• Boiled boneless chicken with chana dal for kebabs

Cookbooks that come with bigger utensils are often ignored and tossed aside. We wanted to see if it made any difference in regard to cooking time when we follow the recipe ratios mentioned in the book. For our testing phase, the water-pulse/rice ratio was kept as advised in the cookbook.

What we noticed – As compared to our own measurements and ratios, the food cooked faster when we followed the instructions given in the cookbook. The whistle is sharp and clear. The inner lid is easy to operate and the handle is cool to touch.

Is it easy to clean? Yes! We cleaned it by hand and in a dishwasher (Bosch dishwasher). It is easy to clean by hand and all the turmeric stains come off easily. You don’t have to scrub it too hard. We cleaned the lid, whistle and the body in the dishwasher. While the stainless steel body of the cooker cleaned well, the lid did not. The strip of metal connecting the whistle and handle started to fade after just 1 wash.

The cooktops we used it on – Gas stove and induction.

We recommend that that the cooker should be used on a small burner/medium flame. When used on a big burner, the base turned black very quickly. This did not happen when used on a smaller burner.

Did it work well on an induction cooktop? Yes. We did not face any issue while using this on an induction cooktop.

Do note that separators cannot be used in this cooker.

Features

• The 3-Litre Hawkins Pressure Cooker is priced at Rs 3000/-.
• Weight of the cooker is 1.784 Kg.
• Weight of the whistle is 78 gm.
• The cooker has a safety valve and a rubber gasket.
• Comes with a 5-year warranty on material defects and workmanship.
• Can be used on gas stove, induction, ceramic, electric and halogen cooktops.

Pros

• The handles are cool to touch.
• The cooker is easy to clean by hand. Tough turmeric stains are also easy to wash away.
• The whistle is clear and sharp.
• Inner lid is easier to operate.
• Thick, flat-bottom.

Cons

• The lid is not dishwasher safe. It is recommended you clean it by hand.

Best Suited For

This 3-litre pressure cooker is best suited for small families of 3-5 people. This is also for people who want quicker methods of cooking without losing out on the nutrients and flavor.

Here are some interesting FAQs on the Hawkins stainless steel pressure cooker.

1. Is the Hawkins stainless steel pressure cooker easy to use?

Yes. The inner lid makes it easy to use and handle. The whistle is sharp and clear. The handle is cool to touch.

2. What is the price of the Hawkins stainless steel pressure cooker 3 litre? 

The MRP of the Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker is Rs 3000/-.

3. Which material is the Hawkins stainless steel Pressure cooker made of?

The Hawkins Pressure Cooker is made with stainless steel. The handle grip is plastic. The ‘18-8’ on the cooker signifies that the stainless steel contains 185 chromium and 8% nickel. This is said to have better anti-corrosion resistance and withstand the acids found in many foods.

4. What is the lid type of this pressure cooker?

The Hawkins Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker (HSS3W) has an inner lid.

5. What is the difference between Hawkins stainless steel and Hawkins stainless steel contura?

The model that we purchased and reviewed is flat-bottomed, and has a wide mouth with a straight outer body. The contura model has a curved body. 

Please note that when we review appliances and utensils in our test kitchen, we ensure to keep using the product even after the official review process is over. In case we have any new updates and fresh insights, we update the article.

The Hawkins Pressure Cooker (3-litre, Stainless steel) has an inner lid which makes it easy to operate. The clear, sharp whistle and the quick cooking of multiple foods makes it an ideal utensil in the kitchen. During that peak morning rush, when you’re juggling a lot of household chores, gaining a few extra minutes can make a lot of difference. 

Do you use a pressure cooker? Which brand do you use and are you satisfied with the brand you purchased? Let us know more in the comment section below.