Best Instant Pot For 2 People

Should I Get The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid

The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid is sold and is compatible with 6-quart Instant models that dont already have air-frying capability . The Air Fryer Lid comes with a fry basket and other accessories and allows you to air-fry straight from your pressure cooker. In addition to air-frying, the Air Fryer Lid adds broiling, baking, roasting, reheating, and dehydrating functionality to compatible machines.

Instant Pot Duo Gourmet

Exclusively available at Costco since its introduction in 2020, the Instant Pot Duo Gourmet is very similar to the Instant Pot Duo Plus. The Duo Gourmet has a slightly different control panel that includes a sous vide button and comes with more accessories . Oh, and theres that sweet Costco member pricing too. Unlike the Duo Plus which is available in three sizes, the Duo Gourmet is only available in the 6-quart size.

Built-in smart programs: 15Functions: Pressure-cooking, slow-cooking, steaming, sautéing, rice-cooking, yogurt-making, sous videcooking, food-warming, sterilizingSizes available: 6-quart Instant Pot

Which Model Is Better For Me

Now that were at the final conclusions section, let me tell you a bit about my view when it comes to these two Instant Pots. First, I want to highlight that I like them both – each product has its own features, and its great users have that many options.

On the other hand, it can also get confusing if you dont understand the differences. After all, they sort of look the same and cook food using steam pressure, right?

Well, if you look closely, there are differences, and Im here to highlight them.

As such:

Choose the Duo Nova if

• You are a beginner at cooking with an electric pressure cooker
• You prefer the simpler-looking control panel
• You dont want to invest too much

Choose the Duo Plus if

• You want access to more advanced cooking functions
• You can handle the larger control panel
• You want to try cooking Sous Vide
• You dont mind the slightly bigger price

In the end, the conclusion is rather simple: if you are a beginner and dont want to dive in too deep into the world of electric pressure cookers, I recommend starting with the Nova. On the other hand, if youre experienced or simply want more advanced functions, try the Duo Plus. Both products have great features and will help reduce kitchen clutter and messiness.

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Breville Fast Slow Pro Pressure Cooker

Brevilles Fast Slow Pro Pressure Cooker has knobs that allow you to manually adjust the appliances pressure level and cook time, or you can choose from pre-programed cook settings like pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sear, sauté and more. It has a 6-quart capacity and comes with a steamer basket and trivet. The pressure cooker also features an LCD screen that shows cook time, heat time and other updates throughout the cooking process.

Is It Worth Buying A Pressure Cooker

Heat cannot escape, so the cooking temperature is maintained with minimal energy input. A pressure cooker saves 90 percent of the energy used to boil a pot on the hob. Some foods are perfect to cook under these hot and steamy conditions: a meat stock, for instance, takes advantage of all the pressure cookers benefits.

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Which Instant Pot To Buy

by Shelley · May contain affiliate links

~ There are so many factors to consider in sorting out which Instant Pot to buy â lots of combinations of sizes and functions! I dont know about you, but my head started to spin a little when I was sifting through all the possibilities, trying to figure out the best Instant Pot for my own family. Im sharing what I learned in all my research, with the hopes that itll be a useful Instant Pot buying guide for you and maybe save you a bit of time in making your own decision! ~

⢠Updated November 29, 2018 to include Max, Smart WiFi, Viva, Lux colors and Nova Plus â¢

If youve been following along during our Instant Pot Month here at THK, then you know we started at the very, very beginning â holding hands as we journey together, off to Instant Pot bliss!

To begin with, we covered:

• What Is an Instant Pot?
• and What Can You Do with an Instant Pot?

For those of you who still havent made the leap into buying one, Ive been promising Id offer some advice â a little Instant Pot buyers guide.

I obsessed and researched for a long, long time before choosing my own Instant Pot , pictured below.

Then I went through it all again about a year later, when I bought my mom one as a birthday gift. After spending all that time weighing the options, I have a few insights that might help you decide which Instant Pot to buy to meet your own needs.

What Are The Best Instant Pot Accessories

The best Instant Pot accessories are items that will make your pot perform better and help your recipes come out tastier. But you also want additions that make cooking easier. Overall, when it comes to top-rated accessories, a good steamer basket is extremely important. While the Instant Pot comes with a trivet or steaming rack, its a good idea to get a larger and better one. For many recipes, like steamed veggies, most chicken recipes, eggs, and potatoes, you dont want your ingredients touching the water at the bottom. A larger steam basket allows you to expand your instant cooking repertoire without sacrificing the flavor of the food or making more work for yourself.

A glass lid is another smart accessory for your pot. Standard lids obscure your view of the food thats cooking. With a glass lid, when you slow cook or sauté, you can see inside of the pot without uncovering your food and disrupting the cooking process.

Baking accessories are another must for your Instant Pot, especially if you enjoy sweets. For example, a good springform pan or cupcake liners that fit into your pot make cooking and cleanup simpler. With the right baking accessories, you can easily follow recipes for cheesecake, brownies, lava cakes, and more.

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Can I Make My Favorite Standby Recipes In The Instant Pot

Yes, you can make your favorites in an Instant Pot, but it takes some tinkering. And you wont find a single formula that will flawlessly convert a standard recipe to the Instant Pot on the first try. We asked Melissa Clark for some tips. Since pressure cookers are sealed, Clark advised, you should reduce the amount of liquid if its a soup or a stew because youre not getting any evaporation. She added, Youre going to want to cut down on the salt. Since youre using less liquid in the beginning, hold back on the salt at the start, and adjust the seasoning at the end. If you use too much water and end up with a thin stew, dont panicto thicken, just simmer the sauce with the lid off.

Trial and error is how anyone becomes a betterand more confidentcook. Clark also reminds cooks to be kind to themselves: If youre adapting recipes for the Instant Pot, you just have to assume its not going to be perfect the first time around. And forgive yourself thats okay. Youll do things better the next time.

There Are So Many Modelswhich One Should I Get

When youre shopping for your first Instant Pot, the dizzying array of Instant Pot models can be a real source of confusion. Thankfully, in 2021 the brand discontinued many of its models and streamlined the series to five core ones .

We recommend the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart to most people. However, the Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart is also very good, if youre willing to pay extra for improved ease-of-use features, such as a bigger screen, a no-spin inner pot, and a slightly quieter steam release. The company also has a couple of other modelsthe Max and the Ultra, the latter of which is available only through certain retailers we dont recommend them mainly because we found that the Duo and Pro offered the best sets of features for their respective prices. Since 2020, Instant Pot has changed its offerings every few months, and prices have been fluctuating. Ultimately, the brand makes the best multicookers weve found in years of testing, and we think that if you find a model on sale, it will likely still serve you well. The differences between models come down to the extra features.

The only versions that have significant downsides, other than price, are the Duo Crisp and the Pro Crisp these two come with an additional air-fryer lid, which takes up a lot of extra space without adding a lot of extra functionality.

Instant Pot has a comparison chart on its website that shows the most important differences among the five models.

Recommended Reading: Instant Pot 8-qt Duo Crisp + Air Fryer

Why Sous Vide Is The Best

Sous vide is healthier.

Cooking with your Anova Precision Cooker requires less oil, fat, and salt than traditional cooking methods. Slow-cooking preserves more nutrients, and also makes them more accessible. It can help you accommodate special diets like Keto, Paleo, gluten-free, and more with no problem.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats

Donna Currie is a cookbook author and writer for The Spruce Eats. Having tested both the Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker and the Instant Pot Lux Mini 6-in-1 Pressure Cooker, she knows what to look for in an Instant Pot model: versatility, an intuitive design, and consistent results.

Also Check: How To Make Pinto Beans In The Instant Pot

Versatility And Special Features

What sets different models of Instant Pots apart from each other is the different features that they offer. While some Instant Pots just offer basic pressure cooker and saute functionality, others have modes for making specific foods or various cooking options, such as steaming. Other features include delayed cooking, keep warm settings, temperature controls, Alexa compatibility, remote cooking capabilities, high-altitude adjustments, sterilize features, air frying, and sous vide.

Clearly, there is no shortage of special features that this appliance can offer, so definitely prioritize which features are important to you and look for a model that offers them. Theres no need to buy an appliance that offers a laundry list of features if youre only looking to do basic pressure and slow cooking.

What Size Instant Pot Should You Buy

Instant pots are available in several sizes, ranging from 310 quarts .

Most recipes are designed for a 6-quart instant pot, which can make around 24 servings. This size can also fit larger foods, such as butternut squash.

However, if youre only cooking meals for one or planning to prepare mostly side dishes in your instant pot, a 3-quart model may be enough.

On the other hand, if youre meal prepping or making meals for a large family or household, youll want to opt for a larger size, such as an 8-quart instant pot.

Although it does require more space, the 8-quart instant pot can typically make enough food for at least 6 people.

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How To Know What Size Instant Pot To Buy

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Have you been considering buying an Instant Pot? The fact that you can put the food in, close the lid, push a couple of buttons, and then walk away, even out of the kitchen makes this a must-have appliance in todays kitchen. Its just so easy to use. But what size Instant Pot should you get?

Maybe you already own one and youre thinking of buying another one and youre not sure which size you should get. Well, I took the three main sizes of Instant Pots 8 qt., 6 qt., and 3 qt. and compared them to help you have a better idea of which one is right for you?

Is An Instant Pot Good For 2 People

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The Instant Pot Duo Mini is half the size of the DUO60, and its perfect for individuals, college students, and dorms, or just two people. Its also great for making side dishes while an entree is cooking in a larger Instant Pot.

What size Instant Pot is best for 2 people? Last but not least is the 3-quart Instant Pot , which is perfect for cooking for one or two people or keeping in a small kitchen.

What size Instant Pot is good for a family of 2? How Many People Are You Cooking For? As I delineated above, the 3-quart Instant Pots are targeted to cook for 1-2 people, the 5-quart and 6-quart models are intended for families of no more than about 4 people, and the 8-quart models are definitely best for larger families.

Is an Instant Pot good for one person? The main takeaway is that an Instant Pot is worth it for one person due to its versatility, compactness, and ease of cleaning! If you are buying an Instant Pot to cook for one person, we recommend getting the 6 Quart Instant Pot Duo.

Can you cook for two in an 8 quart Instant Pot? What is this? The 6 Quart and the 8 Quart are not too different. The 6 Quart says its good for four to six people, and the 8 Quart is for six plus or if you like to have leftovers or meal prep. Most people who already have an Instant Pot say they would prefer a bigger Instant Pot if they could get it.

Recommended Reading: How To Cook Vegetables In Instant Pot

Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer

This standout 11-in-1 pressure cooker was the first Instant Pot model to offer an air-frying function by way of a second air fryer lid. When youre done frying, you can simply switch back to the standard lid for pressure cooking, steaming, sautéing, and more. Like all Instant Pot models, this one comes with advanced safety features and access to a digital library of more than 1,000 Instant Pot recipes. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp even lets you broil, and until the Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer came along, this model was the Ninja Foodis fiercest competitor.

Built-in smart programs: 11Functions: Pressure-cooking, slow-cooking, air-frying, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, roasting, baking, broiling, dehydratingSizes available: 6- and 8-quart Instant Pots

Is An Instant Pot Worth The Money

Lets take a look at the instant pot and whether or not its worth the money. Depending on the time of year, and what kind of deal you can find, the average Instant Pot will set you back anywhere from $70 to $150.

While its not the cheapest kitchen appliance on the market, it does have multiple uses and can take the place of other expensive appliances you might need.

You can purchase a stove top pressure cooker or slow cooker for around $25. Does that mean the Instant Pot is overpriced, or something you shouldnt consider buying? I dont think so.

If you arent sure if youll actually use it, the Instant Pot may be a waste of money. On the other hand, youll end up using it quite a bit if you keep it on your counter and use it as your pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker.

Ive found that those who purchase an Instant Pot and then promptly put it in a cupboard and never look at it again are the ones who say its not worth it. The first step is always the hardest.

If you vow to use it at least once or twice when you first receive it, it will be an investment thats well worth it. After I used mine the first few times, I couldnt put it away. I was using it every day.

Look through some recipes, borrow a friends Instant Pot if possible, and see if this seems like the type of appliance that will work well for you and your lifestyle.

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What Can An Instant Pot Do

There are many uses for an Instant Pot. Its not just used for pressure cooking, although thats its primary function. You can also use it as a slow cooker and rice cooker, or to bake, make yogurt, and even do some canning. See the list below for a complete list of what the Instant Pot is capable of.

Some of the uses vary by model, so if youre set on doing one particular thing, youll want to make sure you get the appropriate model.

• Pressure cooker
• Sous Vide

Advantages Of An 8 Quart Instant Pot

This is all wonderful, and for many people, its all the cooker theyll ever want.

Whats the real benefit to consider bumping up to an 8 quart cooker, then?

One reason would definitely be if youre cooking for a larger group. Its not just the number of people, though.

Many parents will also know that teenage boys with hearty appetites might count for two average eaters.

Do the kids bring friends home for meals often? Do you like hosting dinner parties? If any of these apply to you, consider an 8 quart, even if only three people live in your house permanently.

Another good reason to consider upgrading to an 8 quart is if youve started doing batch cooking and making freezer meals.

If you want to prep enough chicken for several weeks worth of meals, consider that a 6 quart will likely be able to cook one chicken, while you could cook two at once in an 8 quart.

Know that it will take a fully loaded 8 quart instant pot a little longer to come up to cooking pressure than a 6 quart, but its still much faster than cooking two separate batches.

With a little time and thought, were sure youll find the perfect instant pot for your lifestyle.

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