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Cuisinart CPC-600N1 Review

A capable cooker that lacks any differentiating features
Cuisinart CPC-600N1
Credit: Cuisinart
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Price:   $100 List | $100 at Amazon
Pros:  Good pressure cooking performance, relatively easy to clean
Cons:  Interface is a bit clunky, fewer cooking presets than average
Manufacturer:   Cuisinart
By Michelle Powell and Max Mutter  ⋅  Sep 8, 2020
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66
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#9 of 11
  • User Friendliness - 35% 5
  • Cooking Performance - 30% 8
  • Ease of Cleaning - 25% 7
  • Cooking Features - 10% 7

Our Verdict

The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart functions quite well overall. It made good food in our tests, proved to be relatively easy to clean, and offers a useful set of cooking features. However, it lacks any sort of lid storage solution, and we found its interface slightly more difficult to navigate than most others. Though these complaints are relatively minor, they still push the Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart fairly far down on our recommendation list.

Compare to Similar Products

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Cuisinart CPC-600N1
This Product
Cuisinart CPC-600N1
Awards  Top Pick Award Editors' Choice Award   
Price $100 List
$99.95 at Amazon		$80 List
$59.92 at Amazon		$100 List
$99.95 at Amazon		$130 List$100 List
$79.00 at Amazon
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Pros Good pressure cooking performance, relatively easy to cleanPerfect size for meals for 1 or 2, easy to clean, good pressure cooking performance, doesn't need much counter spaceUser friendly, easy to clean, reasonably priced, pressure release buttonUser friendly, easy to clean, large LCD screenUser friendly, easy to clean, reasonably priced
Cons Interface is a bit clunky, fewer cooking presets than averageToo small for family meals, meat just shy of perfectly tenderMeat slightly less tender than some other modelsMore expensive than its equally capable siblingMarginally less tender meat than the Breville
Bottom Line Meets a standard level of performance but doesn't stand out from the rest of the fieldAll the convenience and performance of larger models in a more compact packageOffers all the useful bells and whistles one could want while remaining simple and easy to useA great product, but not enough of an improvement over its predecessor to justify the extra cost for most peopleCombination of great performance and middle-of-the-road price makes this the a great option for the vast majority of people
Rating Categories Cuisinart CPC-600N1 Instant Pot DUO Mini Instant Pot DUO Nova Instant Pot DUO... Instant Pot DUO60
User Friendliness (35%)
5
9
9
8
8
Cooking Performance (30%)
8
8
8
8
8
Ease Of Cleaning (25%)
7
7
7
7
7
Cooking Features (10%)
7
8
8
9
8
Specs Cuisinart CPC-600N1 Instant Pot DUO Mini Instant Pot DUO Nova Instant Pot DUO... Instant Pot DUO60
Pot Material Nonstick Stainless Steel Stainless Steel Stainless Steel Stainless Steel
Saute Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Capacity 6 quart 3 quart 6 quart 6 quart 6 quart

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart is a fairly standard pressure cooker that fails to separate itself from the pack in any way.

Performance Comparison


Credit: Laura Casner

User Friendliness


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart keeps things fairly spartan when it comes to its interface. While this makes things simple, it also means a lot more button pushing in order to get to your desired settings. For example, you'll have to press and hold the time button while the timer slowly scrolls up and then let go once you hit your desired time. You'll also have to press the menu button repeatedly to cycle through the cooking functions. Additionally, the LED screen that displays all this information is relatively small.


While these things certainly aren't deal breakers and you'll likely get used to the control panel's idiosyncrasies after just a few meals, it is a hurdle that you don't have to clear with most other models on the market.

The CPC-600N1's interface is simple but sometimes difficult to...
The CPC-600N1's interface is simple but sometimes difficult to discern.
Credit: Laura Casner

Cooking Performance


Pressure cooking is an inherently consistent cooking method — as long as a cooker can achieve the proper pressure and temperature the results are likely to be fairly consistent. As such the Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart performed very similarly to most of the other models we tested.


In our tests the Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart treated to fluffy rice, tender meat, and its saute function was able to handle everything from mushrooms to carrots. We did find some models that were able to make meat taste just a bit more tender, but overall the Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart will likely pass anyone's personal taste test.

We enjoyed all of the meals we made with the CPC-600N1.
We enjoyed all of the meals we made with the CPC-600N1.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Cleaning


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart keeps its design relatively simple and presents few cleaning challenges.


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart utilizes a two piece lid, which makes cleaning its gasket easier but does take longer to dry. The nonstick cooking pot stays clean even when you saute a bit too long, requiring just a quick scrub.

Unfortunately the CPC-600N1's handles don't double as lid holders.
Unfortunately the CPC-600N1's handles don't double as lid holders.
Credit: Laura Casner

Cooking Features


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart is relatively light on cooking features, meaning you'll likely have to manually punch in settings for many meals.


A Full List of The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart's Cooking Functions


Manual Pressure Cooking, Browning, Saute, Simmer

Value


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart lists for a fairly standard price. While we wouldn't call this a poor value, there are multiple other models on the market that cook just as well and are just as easy to clean, plus offer more features and are easier to use, that cost the same amount or even less. Therefore, we feel that there are plenty of better ways to spend your money if you're looking for a pressure cooker.

Conclusion


The Cuisinart CPC-600N1 6 Quart performs well overall, but fails to differentiate itself in a field of very similar products. This, in conjunction with some minor ease of use issues, make it one of our least favorite models.

— Michelle Powell and Max Mutter