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Home appliances
A cooker is a 10-year purchase decided by three things: the metal, whether the base works on your stove, and how easily you can buy a replacement gasket in your town.
Quick answer
Triply base for even heat distribution.
Stainless steel 304 grade, 3–5 L size.
Induction-compatible base if needed.
Replaceable gasket and safety valve.
In the shop
Read these off your phone at the counter. The answer tells you more than the price tag.
1.“Is this ISI marked, and is it induction compatible?”
A good answer: ISI mark visible on the body. Safety here is not a place to save ₹200 (≈$2.40).
2.“Are gaskets and safety valves available locally, and at what price?”
A good answer: A yes plus a price. A cooker with no spares is a two-year cooker.
A few questions about your situation, not about the product.
Add one short need not covered above.
Answer all 2 questions to see the spec sheet to shop with.
Every new appliance already carries a brand warranty. An extended plan or AMC only adds value where it covers the parts that actually fail, with on-site service in your city — so read the cover, not the discount.
Ask these five questions
Usually not covered
Rule of thumb: a plan is rarely worth it if it costs more than ~15% of the product price, if the item is cheap to repair locally, or if the brand's own service network in your city is already strong.
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Buy it locally
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The body metal. Triply is steel-aluminium-steel sandwich.
Why it matters
Aluminium heats fastest and is cheapest; stainless doesn't react with tomato/tamarind; triply gives even heat without hot spots.
What to check
Plain stainless without a thick sandwich base scorches dal at the centre.
Where the lid seats.
Why it matters
Inner-lid cookers are safer and easier to open; outer-lid cookers have a wider mouth for rice and larger volumes.
What to check
Inner-lid gaskets are cheaper and more widely available.
A magnetic base that works on induction cooktops.
Why it matters
Pure aluminium won't work on induction at all.
What to check
Test with a fridge magnet — it should stick firmly to the base.
Cookers can only be filled two-thirds (or half for dal/rice that foams).
Why it matters
A '3 L' cooker cooks about 1.5 L of dal safely.
What to check
For a family of 4, 5 L is the practical everyday size.
Pressure regulator weight, gasket-release safety and the certification.
Why it matters
This is the one kitchen item where certification is genuinely a safety matter.
What to check
Look for mark IS 2347 and a visible secondary safety valve.
Basic aluminium outer-lid cookers to triply stainless steel with safety valves.