The Judge by Prestige Classic 25759 is a 2 litre stainless steel pressure cooker with an outer lid — the small everyday size that most kitchens reach for more often than the big one. Rice, dhal, steamed vegetables, a quick chicken or beef curry for two or three people, all done in a fraction of the time an open pot would take.

Stainless steel is the reason to choose this one over an aluminium cooker. It does not react with acidic food, so tomato, tamarind, lime and vinegar go in without any metallic taste or staining, and the interior stays bright instead of going chalky grey after a year. TTK Prestige builds it on a thick anti-bulge base that absorbs heat and holds it, which saves gas over a long cook and keeps the bottom flat rather than letting it belly out.

The base is induction compatible as well as gas compatible, which matters if you are cooking on a gas ring now but expect to move to an induction hob. Safety is handled mechanically and in layers: the pressure regulator weight sets and holds the working pressure, the gasket release system vents if pressure climbs too far, and the metallic safety plug fuses and releases as the final backstop. Nothing depends on electronics.

Handle it the way the manufacturer asks and it will last. Never fill it more than two-thirds full — the space above the food is what generates and holds steam. Do not force the lid open until the cooker has cooled and the pressure has dropped. Never run it dry on a hot burner, because dry heating is what fuses a safety plug and bulges a base. And it is not dishwasher safe: wash it by hand.

Two parts are consumable, not permanent. The sealing gasket and the metallic safety plug should be replaced after about a year of everyday use, with genuine Judge by Prestige parts. A tired gasket is the usual reason an older cooker stops holding pressure, and swapping it is a five-minute job rather than a reason to replace the cooker. In stock in Malé at Night Owl.