The Contura has a unique body with rounded sides for easier stirring better visibility and easy removal of food. For difficult dishes which require a lot of stirring the Contura is the ideal cooker. Each Hawkins Contura features an inside-fitting lid. This design is inherently safer than conventional cookers. Thus Hawkins Contura pressure cooker is pressure-locked for safety like a jetliner door! It has improved pressure regulator which saves more fuel. The safety valve is located under the lid handle bar so that when it operates the steam is safely deflected downwards. The gasket has minimum exposure to steam inside the cooker does not rub every time the product is opened and closed so lasts longer. Stay-cool handles. Fixed sturdy pivot does not put pressure on the plastic handles as it is a part of the metal handle itself. Thus handles last longer. Recommended for use on gas stoves.