What Instant Pot Accessories Do I Need
Since each Instant Pot model is a little different, its important to read the manual and learn about the various features and settings of your Instant Pot. Generally, every model will include an outer body with a display panel and buttons, a lid, a pressure valve, a steam release valve, a plastic collector cup to catch any condensation released during slow-cooking, a stainless-steel or nonstick inner pot, a sealing ring that surrounds the lid and helps absorb odors, and a steam rack or basket to elevate food inside the inner pot.
Any Instant Pot accessories or gadgets you may choose to buy to bulk up your cookers functionality are just a bonus. Depending on what you plan to make with your Instant Pot, extras range from practical and essential to plain old fun. Some people buy extra sealing rings so they can use one for meat and one for baked goods. Some invest in egg trivets if they cook a lot of hard-boiled eggs. Some look into springform pans to make cheesecake and quiche.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11
Why Buy
- One appliance take the place of two of the most popular cookers: an Instant Pot and an air fryer with crisper
- One-touch cooking with pre-programmed controls for all cooking functions
- Fast and easy cleaning with dishwasher-safe lid, food-grade stainless steel inner cooking pot, and accessories
- Exterior is fingerprint-resistant
- Air frying adds healthy cooking with little or no oil to the already versatile Instant Pot.
If youre wondering why you should buy an Instant Pot if you havent already, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is the answer. This countertop cooker tops other models in the line because it comes with a second top that converts the multifunction pressure cooker into an air fryer. Heres a list of what you can do with the Instant Pot Duo Crisp: air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate, pressure cook, slow cook, cook rice, make yogurt, steam food, sauté, sterilize, and keep food warm. All that in a single appliance, and now its on sale.
You dont have to be an expert cook to take advantage of this model. Like all Instant Pot deals, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp has loads of cooking functions and if you wish, you can set the time and temperature manually. You can also use one-touch buttons on the digital control panel. You can also refer to the Instant Pot Connect app to find more than 1,500 Instant Pot recipes.
Check Price
Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart Multi
Courtesy Walmart
Normally $99, Now $89
If your Instant Pot stays on the countertop, its okay to want it pop just a bit. Featuring all the functionality of 7-in-1s – pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan and more, the regal red stainless steel finish is easy to clean and provides a modern look in any kitchen. Thirteen customizable programs accommodate a variety of one-touch meal options.
The lowest price we’ve seen is $87.
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Instant Pot Duo Plus $130 Was $150
Why Buy:
- Improved venting
The Instant Pot Duo Plus is a refined version of earlier Instant Pot models and its better than ever. The Duo Plus has nine different ways of cooking. These include pressure cooking, slow cooking, yogurt making, steaming, sautéing, sterilizing, warming, and it works as a rice cooker too. With 13 different customizable programs, youre only ever one button away from completing many of the most popular cooking tasks with the Instant Pot Duo Plus. For the safety conscious, the Instant Pot Duo Plus also has a new and improved easy-release steam switch that makes releasing steam easier than ever, automatically resetting when the lid is closed. Its those seemingly little things that soon make a huge difference for users of the Instant Pot Duo Plus.
At all times, you can see exactly whats going on too with the Instant Pot Duo Plus offering up an easy-to-read display that includes a full cooking progress bar so you know exactly what stage of the program youve reached. That way, youre always in control.
Editors’ Recommendations
Instant Pot Duo Nova 6
A little pricier than the Instant Pot Duo, the Duo Nova comes with more advanced options like a smart steam release valve on a simpler, updated lid and a status indicator to keep you fully informed in every step of cooking. It also comes in a supersized 10-quart option, though we havent found it on sale yet.
Read Also: How To Put Instant Pot Slow Cooker On High
What Does An Instant Pot Do
Yeah, why can’t you just get a regular slow cooker? At their core, Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers. The proprietary locking lid creates a seal that heats any water inside far past its boiling point, turning it to steam. When that steam has nowhere else to go, it creates pressure thus cooking food 2-10 times faster than what an oven or slow cooker could do.
The Instant Pot’s heart is a microprocessor aided by built-in temperature sensors that give Instant Pots the ability to 1. Mimic the cooking functions of multiple different appliances and 2. Switch between those functions at the press of a button. This collection of programs can be tweaked and tailored to perform super specific tasks that you may have struggled with pre-Instant Pot . They get down to the nitty-gritty of heat intensity, pressure, and cooking duration to achieve more precise results in the kitchen. Some of the more advanced models even offer personalized programming and will remember your settings for the next time.
Each Instant Pot model gains a new cooking method or two, so you aren’t paying for functions you won’t use.
How Does It Work
Putting it simply: airtight container + water + heat + food = fully cooked meal. But how that actually works is pretty cool. Usually, water/liquid can only boil at 100 degrees celsius, because most pots are not airtight, so steam escapes. This means that food can only get up to that temperature, increasing cooking times considerably. Instant pots and pressure cookers create a situation where steam and heat cannot escape, increasing the boiling heat of liquid and food to 120 degrees celsius . Essentially, your food is cooking considerably faster at higher degrees.
But what does it do about heat regulation? Instant pots don’t let your food burn because they have a pressure sensor inside the outer pot. The inner pot with deform slightly at such high temperatures, and touch a pressure plate. When this happens the pressure cooker turns off the heating element. This allows the heat to cycle so your food cooks evenly, and shouldn’t burn. Interestingly, ovens work a similar way. They’ll shut off the heat to maintain the temperature inside.
In order for an instant pot to not just be a fancy pressure cooker, the internal computer can adjust temperatures and heat cycles to different foods in different ways. That’s how an instant pot can achieve all those different settings.
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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
First What Is An Instant Pot
Before diving into all the models, let us explain how an Instant Pot actually works. The Instant Pot is a multicooker appliance that can perform the functions of a variety of appliances in one tool. Every Instant Pot model can slow cook, pressure cook, keep your food warm and sauté, and all models can effectively cook rice, meat and soups. No matter which model you pick, you’ll get a pressure cooker that will help you prepare dishes in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.
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Just Like The Name These Deals Move Quickly
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Chloe Jeong / The Spruce Eats
Instant Pot has done an excellent job of taking the humble pressure cooker and turning it into a worldwide phenomenon. The electric cookers are all about getting more done in the kitchen in less time. With seven or more preset cooking features, you can make everything from rice to yogurt to chilis and stews in this tabletop appliance. Cleanup is quick and painlesssimply remove the metal bowl and place that, plus the lid, in the dishwasher.
Winter is a perfect time time to cook up stews, chilis, soups and large-format meals using Instant Pot. When shopping for an Instant Pot, youll want to consider two main things: which features youll use most often, and what size fits your family, cooking preferences, and, realistically, kitchen counter or storage space. Remember, also, that this simple device may replace two or three other appliances, actually clearing up space on your countertop or in your cabinet.
To help you find the best fit, we rounded up the best deals on Instant Pots right now.
We update these sales weekly, but products go fast! If something is out of stock or not on sale, check back next week for a batch of new deals.
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.
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When Do Instant Pots Go On Sale
You can find Instant Pots on sale throughout the year, especially when you visit online retailers like . However, just because an Instant Pot is on sale, that doesnt mean its the best bargain youll find.
If you want to get the deepest discount you can on an Instant Pot, youll want to wait until the holiday season. Specifically, you should shop for Instant Pot Black Friday deals. You can also find some great savings on Cyber Monday and during Cyber Week if you miss out on grabbing an Instant Pot on the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year.
Best Instant Pot Deals For September 2022
Are you looking for the best Instant Pot deals available today? Instant Pot multifunction pressure cookers have reshaped the cooking habits and versatility of millions of home chefs. You can buy Instant Pot models with six to 10 cooking functions, with cooking capacity ranging from 3-to-8 quarts, and with different levels of automation. There are Instant Pot deals galore year round and we located some of the best sales for you. If you already have an Instant Pot and want to try something new, check out the air fryer deals as well.
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Can You Air Fry In An Instant Pot
You sure can. Where the Ninja Foodi’s crisping lid once had a leg up is no longer Instant Pot’s blind spot. The fall 2019 collection brought the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which opened the door for a collection of other air-frying Instant Pots with Pro, Plus, or both tacked onto the end of the name. There are also multiple dedicated air frying convection ovens by Instant Brands that do not pressure cook.
For folks who already have an Instant Pot and don’t want to replace it just to buy the Duo Crisp, Instant Pot released a standalone air fryer lid that attaches to regular Instant Pots and turns them into an air fryer. This lid works on all existing models with the exception of the Instant Pot Pro Plus, the now- discontinued Duo Evo Plus, Duo SV, Smart WiFi, or Max. This lid is compatible with the Duo Nova, which is also discontinued.
Still confused about what air frying even is? Read our simplified explanation of the crisping craze and check out some of the best air fryers.
Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer
The 8-quart Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer is the Duo Crisp turned up to 11. This pro model has all the same functionality of the Duo Crisp plus an upgraded lid with advanced heat protection, auto-sealing, and gentle pressure release. The sturdier stainless-steel inner pot is made to handle anything its stovetop friendly and oven safe up to 450ºF.
Built-in smart programs: 11Functions: Pressure-cooking, slow-cooking, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, air-frying, roasting, baking, broiling, dehydratingSizes available: 8-quart Instant Pot
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Instant Pot 6 Quart Vortex Plus 6
Courtesy Best Buy
Normally $130, Now $100 at Wayfair
Instant Pot doesnt just make slow cookers and pressure cookers. This multi-function air fryer delivers a whole world of lower-fat flavor at the touch of a button. Pre-set smart buttons allow you to air fry, roast, broil, bake re-heat or dehydrate anything from chicken wings or fries, to carrots and apples. In addition to 9 built in smart programs, you can create custom settings, all in a small, easy-to-clean package.
$90 is the lowest price we’ve seen on this item.
Normally $105, Now $70 at Amazon and Best Buy
Ideal for apartments, or cooking just a few meals, this full-function 3-quart pressure cooker also functions as a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, warmer and sauté pot.
The lowest price we’ve seen on this item is $59.
Instant Pot Key Features
The Instant Pot first launched in 2010 and has quickly become one of the best pressure and slow cookers on the market. The brand is known for their Electric Pressure Cooker design, first created by Robert Wang and has been a huge seller from its inception. The product serves as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, searing pan, steamer and food warmer. The brand has since branched out to create Air Fryers as well.
Some models also feature a super cool cake mode, which will make and prepare small moist cakes with minimal efforts. This is perfect for amature bakers and those with limited time. Other models even have a 24-hour delay timer, allowing you to create a dish and prepared cook time a whole day in advance.
- 3-quart Instant Pot: The 3-quart Instant Pot is a best seller for a good reason. It’s the ideal size for a single person or a couple. Its also a good option if you need to transport it to a cookout.
- 6-quart Instant Pot: This is the mid-range size of the Instant Pot. It’s plenty big enough for a family meal, or for a solo cook who wants a lot of leftovers.
- 8-quart Instant Pot: The 8-quart Instant Pot is enough to cook for a crowd. Given the larger size, it’s generally pricier, which is why it’s a good move to buy it on Black Friday.
Keep checking back because the BlackFriday.com team will keep adding new information about the sales and deals throughout the season.
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Which Size Is Right For You
When selecting your Instant Pot, you’ll want to consider how much space you have. Instant Pot models come in four different sizes: 3-, 6-, 8- and 10-quart. Depending on what youre going to use it for, the size you choose can make a big difference.
If youre sticking to side dishes and meals for up to three people, Instant Pot recommends the 3-quart size. This is offered in most basic models including the Duo, Duo Nova, Duo Plus, Ultra and Lux. The 6-quart size is the most popular and is available in every model except the Duo Crisp, which is an Instant Pot and air fryer combo. Instant Pot recommends this size for feeding up to six people. The 8-quart model is the next most-popular size. It is offered in all models except the Smart WiFi and Max models, and is recommended for large families or to meal prep food for the week. The Duo Nova is the only model that comes in the 10-quart size, which is designed for larger meals, feeding a crowd or to stock the freezer with family dinners.
What Is An Instant Pot
The short answer: The Instant Pot is a convenient multi-cooking machine that lets you cook fast or slow.
The longer answer: Because the Instant Pot is a countertop electric pressure cooker and slow cooker wrapped up in one , its designed to help you remove the guesswork of figuring out the ideal amount of heat, pressure, and time your food needs. Its great for beginner cooking and simple meals, like stews and oatmeal. But once you get more comfortable with the machine, its excellent for tougher cuts of meat like baby back ribs or proteins that usually require a long cook time. With a willingness for some trial and error, many recipes can be adapted for the Instant Pot. Generally speaking, when adapting for pressure cooking, the liquid and cook time will need to be cut and adjusted from those of a manual pressure cooker. For slow-cooking, youll need to adjust for less liquid and more time.
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