Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Premium Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 12L (28cm) with Side Handles - Perfect for Home Cooking, Meal Prep & Restaurant Use

To be perfectly up front, I recently purchased this and have only used it twice so far. My out of box impression was quality, and more quality. The top and bottom sections are heavy SS with an aluminum disk to soak up and transfer heat on the bottom. The handles are attached with stainless steel screws from the inside of the lid and outside on the base. They appear to be very sturdy and easy to replace if damaged. I've not experienced the hot handle issue after a 40 minute cook but don't have any burners with flames capable of reaching outside of the base. Yes, like others, I'm less than impressed with the 3 pronged plastic clip that holds the collar/steam deflector to the lid. I just plan on being careful to not set it on anything upside down.In use, this thing absolutely rocks! It seems to heat up and come to pressure more quickly than my old 4 qt. aluminum Presto grandma hand me down. Coming to pressure and staying there, I'm hard pressed to see much, if any, steam escaping from the vent so I'm inclined to believe that as little as 1/2 cup of water would do the trick as long as one keeps the pressure under control with the second ring showing but not fully extended and venting. The one size fits all manual states the minimum is 50ml of water or about 2oz but I'm not willing to risk this purchase by cutting it that close. I would say if you have a tendency to walk away with the pressure indicator fully extended and venting steam, maybe you need an electric pot anyway. I've tried the cold water release which works fine and doesn't seem to stress anything, natural, quick (by pressing down the indicator), and super quick (undocumented but by fully pulling UP the stem).I was initially concerned that I'd bought something only suitable for making huge quantities or canning but the 11" diameter allows full contact browning of whole chuck roasts and large amounts of vegetables that would otherwise need to be done in batches or with continual stirring in smaller cookers. The big diameter also allows full flame fast reductions of liquids or thickening for gravies. Yet, this still manages to come to pressure quickly on my normal 30" gas range and stays there with very little flame. If you are a petite person or have strength or pain issues handling larger pots, this 12qt model may not be for you. For me, I'm very happy and no longer considering buying a smaller companion PC.