Instant Pot 3 Quart Size

Instant Pot Sizes By Models

The main Instant Pot series models are made in 3 sizes: 3 quarts, 6 quarts, and 8 quarts. There are a few Instant Pot models that are offered in 6 and/or 8 quart options. For example these are only available in the 6 quarts including the Max, Nova Plus, and Smart WiFi.

And the Duo Nova was available as a 10 quart and was the only model available at that size.

For the Instant Pots currently available, theyre available in the following sizes:

The Instant Pot Pro and Instant Pot Pro Plus were introduced in 2021 and other models were discontinued.

Related: Instant Pot Pro Crisp vs Duo Crisp: 7 Differences Compared

What Is The Instant Pot Burn Warning

The Instant Pot can alert you when the food inside is starting to burn, your screen will show the words BURN. Personally, I notice that I get the BURN error more when using the 8 quart recipes when I know the recipes have worked fine in the 6 quart.

This is a personal note, its something Ive experienced issues with. You might not see this issue but dont be surprised if you do!

Instant Pot Mini Recipes

Many people have the 6-quart Instant Pot for batch cooking and for matching up recipes. Most bloggers and cookbook authors are using this version as the standard size. It can be tough to figure out the proper proportions for the Instant Pot Mini, which is the 3-quart version.

Today, were sharing with you some 3-quart Instant Pot recipes designed specifically for 1-2 people in the Mini. With these recipes, you wont have to do the guesswork on your own at all. Plus, you wont be burdened with leftovers because some people simply dont like them!

Eliminate food waste and make dinner easy with some of these featured Instant Pot Mini recipes. If you find any more Instant Pot mini specific recipes, share with us!

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Are Instant Pots Safe

One of the main reasons people are often on the fence about purchasing an Instant Pot or an electric pressure cooker in general is safety. Stovetop pressure cookers got a bad reputation because their lids were relatively easy to remove before the pressure was released, which ran the risk of burns and messes, experts told us. electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot are incredibly safe compared to stovetop pressure cookers, Weinstein said. And even are much safer than they used to be.

Weinstein also noted that Instant Pots and similar electric pressure cookers are designed with safety mechanisms so theyll shut down if something goes wrong. One of those safety mechanisms is a burn notice thats triggered if the Instant Pot overheats and food begins to burn the appliance shuts off completely in this case.

Have You Been Thinking About Buying An Electric Instant Pot 3 Quart Pressure Cooker But Not Sure Which One Heres A Comparison I Put Together To Help You Choose Between The 3 Quart Instant Pot Lux Duo Duo Nova Duo Plus And Ultra Models

When did you start having an interest in the Instant Pot? And now youre starting to wonder if one can work for you and your cooking needs? Is this your first Instant Pot or are you looking for a smaller one for side dishes? I bought the Instant Pot 3 Quart because it works well for cooking for one person as well as kitchens with limited storage.

And one more note: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you buy through my link. You wont pay any more if you use this link.

When I first purchased my Instant Pot 3 Quart Duo I only knew about the Mini Duo and Mini Lux. At the time I probably would have still bought the Mini Duo, because it was the right price to start experimenting with a new-to-me method of cooking. As any Instant Pot owner will tell you, the likelihood of picking at least one more is pretty high!

To help you choose, I put together the comparisons of the 4 Instant Pot Mini model options.

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Instant Pot 3 Quart Smart Programs Side

All of the Instant Pot 3 quart models have the pressure cook smart program along with the rice, meat/stew, porridge, and steam programs. The bean/chili, egg, sterilizer, ultra, and yogurt programs are available in certain models. All Instant Pot minis also include the sauté and keep warm features.

Before you purchase your Instant Pot Mini, double-check the smart programs included to ensure you buy the combination that you want. Keep in mind you can still cook the dish using the Pressure Cook button if your IP doesnt include a particular program. And for yogurt, youll need to check out recipes for the cold start method.

Lets Start With How Tall Are Instant Pots

Starting out lets look at their general size. The little 3 qt. is just adorable and lightweight. It would be easy to find a place on your counter for it.

The 6 qt. is a nice moderate height. I have an old farmhouse and the upper cabinets in my kitchen come down low so not very many appliances actually fit under my cabinets. But this one does! I always pull it out when I cook with it so when I release the steam it doesnt go directly on the cabinets.

The 8 qt. is definitely a big girl. She isnt going to be tucked away anywhere. Shes going to be a show stopper and take up her fair share of the space.

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How Much Water Do I Need To Add To My Instant Pot

We all know that different sizes of pots need different amounts of water in order to cook food properly. After all, theyre using steam and pressure to cook things quickly. Here are the breakdowns of water needed in order for each size pot to function correctly.

• The 8 Quart Models need 2.5-3 cups of liquid
• The 6 Quart Models need 1.5-2 cups of liquid
• The 3 Quart Models need .75-1 cup of liquid
• these numbers came from the Instant Pot website. The numbers have changed over the years and as of 8/2021 they are what I can find directly from Instant Pot.

Ive mentioned it before and Ill mention it again, your Instant Pot is going to be at least a tiny bit different from every other one out there. Do your own test to see how much water your pot needs in order to come to pressure and hold for 5 minutes. Use the amounts above as a general guideline.

What Size Of Instant Pot Is Good For A Family Of 5

The 6-quart Instant Pot will be fine for a family of 5 if you dont want leftovers. If you want leftovers, or have big eaters, consider getting the larger 8-quart model.

I think you know the 3-quart Instant Pot definitely wont be big enough for your party of 5.

The 6-quart model will work just fine. Especially if you dont care about having leftovers or if you dont have teenagers.

You might still have some leftovers, but it might not be enough to eat a whole meal the next day. They might be more like lunch portions.

Or you could use those leftovers to make a new meal. For example, if you make pulled pork, you might have enough leftovers to make pulled pork tacos the next day.

But if you have a larger family, you likely polish off whatever you cook.

Before I bought my Instant Pot, I had tons of questions. Most of them revolve around safety. I had read a viral story on social media about exploding Instant Pots. It honestly made me a little nervous, especially since I have kids that I didnt want to get hurt.

Thats why I did the research and wrote about whether they could explode in this recent article. Instant Pots are much safer than the pressure cookers our parents used on their stovetop.

Just click the link to read more about the safety of Instant Pots on my site.

I got a new instant pot. 6qt and it was on sale for $50. Let the ex have the old one. Maiden voyage went well, nothing exploded!

Cannibal

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Instant Pot Lux Dimensions

With each Instant Pot Lux, it grows by about an inch in each direction with the larger quart sized models. And for weight, it goes up by a few pounds with each quart. From the 3 quart model to the 8 quart, its about a 80% increase in weight!

*The Lux 5 Quart is a discontinued size. You may still be able to find them on Amazon and parts are available on the Instant Pot website.

Whats The Diameter Of Instant Pots

The inside of each pot is where the real action is going to be happening and how much can fit in it.

There are several things to think about when looking at the diameter. A frozen roast of good size isnt going to fit in the 3 qt. If Im going to be doing any freezer cooking where I place a frozen meal in the pot to cook Ill need to be sure to freeze the meal in a container that will be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pot.

Also, the pot in pot method should be considered too. The pot in pot method is cooking foods inside the pot in smaller pots, like ball jars, ramekins, or stackable pans. This method would work in all three sizes but will be limited with the smaller 3 qt.

To give a comparison of the size of each I placed this large steamer basket inside each one.

The 3 qt. has room for the steamer with the sides straight up.

The 6 qt has room for the steamer with the sides spread out about halfway.

The 8 qt. has room for the steamer to spread the sides out about 3/4 the way.

Of course, you can close the sides on the steamer and enclose what is being cooked and even layer this above another dish, but this way you can get a feel for the size difference.

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Diameters Of The Inner Instant Pot Liners:

• 8 Quart Models have an inner pot diameter of 9.25 Inches
• 6 Quart Models have an inner pot diameter of 8.5 Inches
• 3 Quart Models have an inner pot diameter of 7 Inches

For those of you who like to use all the Instant Pot accessories that can make cooking fun and exciting, these measurements come in handy for determining if certain accessories will work in your pot. Its also great to know for sizing batches of whatever meals you are cooking or baking.

How Do Instant Pots Work

Cooking food in the Instant Pot is not instantaneous as the appliances name might suggest although it does speed up the process overall. Instant Pots need time to heat up so their temperature can rise above boiling point, which is 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level. As it heats up, food inside the Instant Pot releases steam, and the appliance traps the steam inside. The build-up of steam inside the Instant Pot creates a high-pressure environment when the appliance reaches an optimal pressure point, a pressure valve lifts into place and steam is released through a vent on the appliances lid. Thats when the foods cooking time begins.

Barbone said the most anxiety-inducing part of using an Instant Pot, especially for first-time users, is the steam. The Instant Pot makes a lot of noise as the pressure rises and a lot of steam shoots out of a small vent on the lid at a rapid pace. But rest assured this is supposed to happen, and if anything goes wrong, the Instant Pot will shut down.

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What Are The Pros & Cons Of Each

The main difference between these two sizes is how much food they can hold at once. A larger pot will be able to accommodate more ingredients than a smaller one. This means its easier to make large batches in your Instant Pot.

However, when cooking small amounts of food, such as individual servings or single-serving recipes, the smaller pot may work best because it allows you to control the heat level more easily. You wont have to worry about overcooking something with a bigger pot.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp

• Sizes: 6 and 8 quarts

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp adds an air fry function to the pressure cooker. It comes with a specific lid you can use to air fry, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate food, and a different lid for functions like pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté and sous vide. In addition to the steam rack, the Duo Crisp comes with a broil and dehydrator tray, air fryer basket and air fryer base.

The brand also makes a version of the Duo Crisp that comes with its Ultimate Lid you can use this lid with all cooking functions instead of having to switch lids to air fry.

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Instant Pot Smart Programs Vs Functions

Instant Pots are beloved because of their ability to cook foods quickly using pressure. But theyre also wildly popular, in part, because theyre true multi-cookers that can be used to braise, sauté, steam, and so much more. But all Instant Pots are not created equaler, not every model can perform every function, and theyre billed accordingly . All Instant Pots can pressure-cook, slow-cook, sauté, and keep warm, and fancier models tack on additional cooking methods like yogurt-making, sous vide cooking, broiling, and air-frying. The functions are customizable, and while you cant air-fry or broil in a model that doesnt have an air-frying lid, people still manage to bake cake in models that dont offer mini oven functionality and make yogurt in models that arent officially marketed for yogurt-making.

The Instant Pot Smart Programs allow you to engage each cookers listed functionality with the touch of a button. Many models also have additional Smart Programs that take the guesswork out of specific items like cake, yogurt, eggs, brown rice, and more. The buying guide below details which and how many functions and Smart Programs are available with each model.

Instant Pot Sizes: The Quart Sizes Available By Models

If you are thinking about buying an electric pressure cooker, knowing which Instant Pot sizes are currently available will help you with your research. Here is a review of the sizes available by model.

In 2021, there are 3 Instant Pot sizes across the different model lines: 3 quarts, 6 quarts, and 8 quarts. Not all quart sizes are available in all series. Previously there were also two Instant Pots available as a 5 quart option and a 10 quart Duo Nova.

The most popular and most common size is the 6 quart model. Currently, the largest Instant Pot available is 8 quarts. The largest Instant Pot model ever available was the 10 quart Duo Nova, a series now discontinued.

Below is a listing of all the current Instant Pots by size to help you understand which is available for purchase. You may still be able to find discontinued sizes available online and in local stores.

The 5 quart model was an earlier size that the Instant Pot Duo and Lux models were available in.

And if you want to know what size Instant Pot you have, here are 3 ways to figure that out.

And one more note: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you buy through my link. You wont pay any more if you use this link.

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Should You Buy An Instant Pot 3 Quart Vs 6 Quart

Thats a somewhat personal decision youll need to make based on what works for you. A few things to consider.

Most recipes are written for the 6-quart models so youll likely need to reduce the ingredients depending on the size of the original recipe. Tip: If the original servings are more than 4, youll probably need to scale the ingredients. Usually, you dont need to change the cooking time.

The 3 quart model will come to pressure quicker than the 6 quart model and actually cooks a little cooler given the smaller heating element. So far I havent run into any issues, but you may hear that for thicker cuts of meat youll need to make a timing adjustment.

There are fewer accessories for the 3 quart models. Dont worry, theres still a bunch of things you can buy to cook interesting dishes in your Instant Pot Mini, just make sure the width doesnt exceed 6 inches otherwise it probably wont fit.

Instant Pot Of 3 Quarters Versus 6 Quarters

Instant Pot 3 Quartz and 6 Quartz are two great options to consider depending on the number of family members.

If you have a family of three to six people, consider the 6 Quart Instant Pot model, while people of one to two should choose the 3 Quart Instant Pot model.

In general, both models of multicookers are very useful when preparing various recipes. Use the comments section below to share your thoughts and suggestions for kitchen furnishings.

Ena Mathew

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