In article <VXFNc.200375$Oq2.52147@attbi_s52>,
says...

> According to Barb, another great brand is the Magefesa, which she says was
> first choice, even over the K-R, in one of those consumer rating rags a few
> years back. Only problem is finding one. In two years I never could find
> one at a store or on the net. But, that was some time ago. Now they're
> starting to show up here and there. Here's one on ebay:
>
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=20 685
>
> Definitely a more sane price! 4L (liters) works out to 4.2qts.
>
> enjoy =D
> nb
>
Keep in mind that not all pressure cookers are created equal. These
cheaper Magefesa models are good, but they are lower-pressure models
that will cut cooking time "only" by about 1/3.

The higher-pressure and/or adjustable Magefesa units, like the "Rapid
II" model, can shorten cooking times by 1/2 or 2/3, which sometimes can
be significant. Of course they can also adjust down to lower pressure
if desired.

As mentioned, the problem with Magefesa is that it is hard to find. A
Cook's Wares used to carry them, but don't show them in recent catalogs.
A call to them may uncover a leftover unit, if they've actually stopped
carrying them. And if they no longer carry them, they may be willing to
say why they stopped. The Magefesas were less expensive than the
equivalent K-R units, but the quality was excellent.

FWIW, don't buy a small pressure cooker. A 4 qt. capacity is right at
the edge of usefulness, in my experience. Six qt. is a much more
versatile size, if you envision doing a variety of things like roasts,
veggies, one-pot meals, grains, etc. It's very unnerving (and messy) to
have your pot roast juices spewing all over the place when you vent an
undersized pressure cooker at the end of the cooking time...