Consumer Reports On Instant Pots

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Face-Off: Instant Pot vs. Crock Pot Multi-Cooker | Consumer Reports

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How We Researched & Tested

To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key featureslike ease of use, material, or pricein addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. Our team also incorporated their own personal experiences testing products in their own lives. We then used these insights from our research and testing to assign a star rating from one to five to certain products on the list.

Instant Pot Accessories That Are Worth It

Price: From $63. Buy at:, Best Buy, and Target.The air-fryer lid combines two of the most popular countertop appliancesmulti-cookers and air fryersinto a cooker that can do it all. The lid fits on top of the Instant Pot, turning it into a mini convection oven that adds roasting, baking, broiling, reheating, and dehydrating functions to the multi-cookers already long list of programs. But while it saves you from buying yet another space-hogging appliance, its not exactly compact: Its 11 inches wide and 7 inches tall. And its not compatible with all Instant Pot models, so be sure to check here before you buy.

The lid comes with an air-fryer basket that you slip into the Instant Pots stainless steel inner pot. The downside is that the 3.5-quart basket is quite small. It may not make sense for large families, but its just right for couples or people cooking for one, or if youre willing to do multiple batches.

Though you need the basket to crisp up fries, you can use the air-fryer lid with just the Instant Pots stainless steel pot to brown and bake. I pressure-cooked a whole chicken in the stainless steel pot and swapped out the lid for the air-fryer lid to crisp up the skin. The result was a tender, juicy chicken with golden-brown skin.

Read Also: How To Sterilize Instant Pot

Can You Make Bread In An Instant Pot

An Instant Pot doesnt have the hot, dry environment thats typically used for baking standard loaves of bread. However, there are specialty types of baked goods, like steamed buns, that can be cooked in an Instant Pot. Its also possible to bake cakes, but they will have a different exterior and texture since they will be steamed rather than baked. However, for the models of Instant Pot that can hold a precise low temperature of about 90 degrees, the Instant Pot can be used for proofing bread dough.

Instant Pot Vs Euro Cuisine Ym100 Yogurt Maker

Best Electric Pressure Cookers

Test result: Its a tie.

Both of these devices made delicious plain yogurt, in a fermentation process that takes at least 8 hours. The seven glass jars in the Euro Cuisine, $40, make 42 ounces total. The Instant Pots process is slightly more involvedrequiring you to heat milk to a specified temperature and then let it cool to a certain temperature before adding the yogurt starterbut it can turn out more yogurt at a time. We made 128 ounces, a full gallon.

Also Check: How Do You Natural Release Instant Pot

Accessories For Your Instant Pot

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ST. LOUIS Multi-cooker sales continue to be hot. These countertop cookers that can take the place of a rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, and pressure cooker are everywhere.

And now you can get accessories that expand their cooking duties even more. Consumer Reports checked them out.

The accessories that CR checked out are made by Instant Pot, but most of them can be used with other multi-cookers as long as they fit in the inner pot.

You can get silicone or metal egg racks to cook eggs, but CR experts used a metal one for two-tiered cooking.

A pressure-cooked whole chicken might be juicy but it wont be brown unless you use an air fryer lid. It turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer that can roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate. But its compatible only with certain Instant Pot models.

Using the springform cake pan accessory, CR testers found that a multi-cooker can produce a better cheesecake than an oven. The moist cooking environment is ideal for it and other custardy desserts. And the pan fits perfectly in the pot.

CR pros called the silicone steam rack a game changer. Accessories like the springform pan and the steamer basket lock onto the Instant Pot and stay above the water. Handles help you safely lift and lower dishes into the pot.

And CR says that one of the easiest ways to up your multi-cooker game is to get a separate silicone ring for the lids for making desserts. It keeps flavors from transferring from meats and stews.

What Is An Instant Pot And Why Is Everyone Obsessed With It

Imagine having a slow cooker that also functions as a pressure cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer, and a yogurt maker. Thats the Instant Pot. Its simply an electric pot that lets you cook fast or slow. People love it because its a convenient, time-saving device that lets them quickly cook dinner without having to keep an eye on the stove.

Read Also: How To Boil Egg In Instant Pot

Yes For A Quick Hands

With the Instant Pot, you can set and forget staples like meat, grains, and veggies even from frozen.

A slow cooker offers the same appeal, but the Instant Pot will drastically shorten cooking time of soups, sauces, and other dishes that would traditionally require a long simmer. It may even deliver better texture and flavor for certain types of foods.

The Instant Pots performance for whipping up healthy staples quickly could be especially useful if youre on a low-sodium, keto, or paleo diet , or if you need to get one course cooking while you prep another.

How To Select Your New Instantpot

Instant Pot Vs. The World | Consumer Reports

There are two main factors to keep in mind when selecting which Instant Pot will work for you: 1. How many people do you need to cook for? 2. What do you want to use your Instant Pot for?

In our reviews, the first highlight we feature is how many people each Instant Pot model can comfortably feed. The number of people is directly tied to how many quarts of food the Instant Pot can hold. If you live by yourself or there are only 2-3 people in your household but you like having leftovers keep that in mind too! It might be a good idea to go for one of the larger Instant Pots so you can enjoy the yummy batch of chili you made for a couple of days or if you want to share some with your next-door neighbor.

Second, depending on what you want to use your Instant Pot for, take a look under our reviews about all the different ways you can use your Instant Pot. Many can be used as a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, to sauté, yogurt maker, cake maker or warmer. With so many ways to use an instant pot make sure the brand or model you are interested in can do everything you want it to do.

Also Check: How Long To Cook Boston Butt In Instant Pot

Consumer Reports Tests Best Pressure Cookers For Summer Meals

Consumer Reports tests best pressure cookers for summer meals: Nydia Han reports during Action News at 4:30 p.m. on June 3, 2019.

Fans have been flocking to the Instant Pot for a few years, but now there’s a new generation of these pressure cooking multi-cookers and they’re not just for preparing cold weather comfort foods.

Consumer Reports cooked up a storm to see which models can take the pressure off of your summer entertaining and also simmer, sizzle and steam the best.

Pressure cooking ribs will help to tenderize them. When they’re done in the cooker, pop them on the grill to sear and smoke.

Need deviled eggs for a crowd? No problem because pressure cooked eggs are simple to peel. But which device can tackle your whole “summer barbecue”?

“First there was Instant Pot and then along came all these other multi-cookers, which can cost like from $70 to $250 a pop. So that’s why we set out to learn how they perform,” said Perry Santanachote, Consumer Reports Home Editor.

Consumer Reports tested multi-cookers – checking out features like steaming, sauteing, slow-cooking and pressure cooking – by making port ribs, chili with dried beans, lots of vegetables and white rice.

Five models got excellent ratings for pressure cooking, and a few had some special talents.

The six quart Instant Pot Max has a sous vide feature that will turn out moist meats and fish. It did a very good job making rice.

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Read Also: How Much Pasta Can You Cook In Instant Pot

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.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot

Instant Pot warning: This model is overheating and melting, company ...

Yes. There are a number of recipes devoted to cooking all kinds of foods from their frozen state in an Instant Pot. For some recipes, a little extra time is required to fully cook the meat, but in other cases the extra time required to come up to pressure is enough extra time to completely cook the food.

Read Also: How To Steam Asparagus In Instant Pot

Other Stovetop Pressure Cookers We Tested

$259.95 at

With a strong and sturdy stainless steel pot and a lid that easily locks into place, we were big fans of the Vitaquick. For one, its large blue pressure indicator is easy to see, with two white ring markings: one ring means its at low pressure, two means its at high pressure. Other great features: a removable handle that makes cleaning a snap , clear measuring markings on the inside of the pot that mean you dont need to dirty extra dishes, and a handy helper handle to carry it without fear of dropping the thing. The materials are high quality and we appreciated the added safety feature of a lid with a button that turns green and clicks when its locked into place. We also really liked the steam release function in the handle that requires just the push of a button to begin rapid release, and that it comes with a lifetime warranty. So what kept it from winning? The Kuhn Rikon did just a bit better job on the risotto and costs a little less. But the Vitaquick was a very close runner-up.

$299.95 at

$69.84 at

Course Instant Pot Barbecue

  • Use large, tough cuts of meat for your Instant Pot. Pork shoulder is a great pick for pulled pork sandwiches.

  • Add some nutrition to your barbecue with some tender, steamed artichokes.

  • Side dishes like corn on the cob can be made in the Instant Pot while you man the grill.

  • For mac and cheese or pasta salad, make the noodles in the Instant Cooker first, then add the cheese.

  • Whip up a dessert in your Instant Pot the night before, from cheesecake to cobbler.

  • You May Like: Instant Pot Free Recipe App

    What Size Should I Get

    The 6-quart Instant Pot is the most popular size by far, and its the one we recommend for most folks. It offers plenty of capacity for weeknight dinners, soups and stews, a pot of beans, or even a whole chicken, yet it doesnt take up a crazy amount of counter or shelf space.

    But the choice is entirely up to you, and it depends on your cooking habits and available storage space. The Instant Pot Duo also comes in a 3-quart Mini size and an 8-quart size, whereas the Instant Pot Pro comes only in 6- and 8-quart sizes.

    The 3-quart Mini version is a good option for one or two people or for folks with limited kitchen storage. But the appropriately named Mini has a tiny pressure-cooking capacity that tops out at 2 quarts. For foods that expand when they cook, such as beans and grains, the total volume cant exceed 1½ quarts.

    If you cook for a lot of people or frequently make stock or broth, consider the 8-quart size. The hulking 8-quart Instant Pot will take up as much space on your countertop as a dish rack , but it can yield almost 1 gallon of stock.

    Why You Should Trust Us

    Consumer Report: Instant Pot Accessories

    Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton has spent her entire career in the culinary industry and has covered electric and stovetop pressure cookers for Wirecutter since 2016. For the original version of this guide, she interviewed pressure-cooking experts Lorna Sass, author of Cooking Under Pressure, and Mike Vrobel, author of the blog Dad Cooks Dinner. In 2020, Lesley tested the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus against our picks.

    For the 2019 and 2021 updates, staff writer Anna Perling spent more than 30 hours cooking beans, onions, cakes, butter chicken, rice, and risotto in pressure cookers, as well as air frying two whole chickens, french fries, and mozzarella sticks in new and notable cookers. She also consulted Hip Pressure Cooking, The Veggie Queen, Serious Eats, and Miss Vickie Pressure Cooker Times for guidance.

    Recommended Reading: What To Cook In The Instant Pot

    Which Instant Pot Accessories Are Worth It

    We tried 10 of them to see which ones are game changersand which are a waste of space

    One of the selling points of an Instant Pot multi-cooker is that it saves space by replacing a number of other countertop appliancesslow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker.

    What no one tells you is that in order to make the most of your Instant Pot, youll need a bunch of accessories that will clutter your cabinets.

    But which ones are actually worth the money and storage space? We bought 10 of these accessories so that I could test them at home to see which ones boost my Instant Pot gamewhich Ive been honing for eight years nowand which ones languish alongside my other kitchen outcasts.

    Below are the details on the accessories that would make a great gift for yourself and your loved ones, plus two that you should skip.

    What Is Instant Pot

    The Instant Pot is a brand of multicookers. It is electronically controlled and combines the functions of slow cookers and pressure cookers. The brand promotes itself as a 6-in-1 appliance that does everything from boiling water to preparing food. It can cook everything from eggs to stews and is sold as an excellent addition to your kitchen.

    The Instant Pots display screen lets you know what program is currently in use and how long it will take to cook your food. It also comes in a range of colours, including black, red, and blue. In an age of smart technology, it is no wonder that consumers are turning to a device that has a user-friendly interface. A well-designed user interface can help a consumer choose the correct programs and ensure that they are getting the best results.

    Whether your food is a liquid or a starch, the natural pressure release function is crucial for cooking the food. This function allows the steam to gradually escape the pot and release the cooking pressure. This allows more nutrients and flavors to be retained. However, it is important to follow the recipe carefully because the residual heat may overcook your food.

    Recommended Reading: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot

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