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What Is An Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is a brand of electric pressure cooker.
It works similarly to any other pressure cooker, and all of my pressure cooker recipes are designed to work in your Instant Pot.
Also, just a note, the little numbers at the end are NOT a different model number. They indicate the size of Instant Pot youre buying. For example,
- an Instant Pot Duo 30 is the 3-quart size ,
- the Instant Pot Duo 60 is the 6-quart size
- an Instant Pot Duo 80 is the 8-quart size
Instant Pot Pro Versus Max
The biggest claim to fame of the Instant Pot Max is its canning feature. The Instant Pot Pro Plus is the only other model that is able to do canning. The trade-off is that the Max doesnt do Sous Vide, while the Pro does. Youll need to weigh your priorities to figure out which feature is more important. The Instant Pot Pro also comes with 28 one-touch smart cooking programs, which blows the 15 of the Max out of the water. Its a close race between these two models, so it will definitely boil down to your priorities.
Recommended Reading: How To Use Instant Pot On High Pressure
Research And Buying Tips
What is an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot is a countertop appliance that plugs into a wall outlet. Instant Pots are pressure cookers, but they can also slow cook, steam, sauté, warm, and more . They have presets for certain food items like poultry, rice, and stew, so you can simply press a button to cook your meal.
Which Instant Pot size is right for me?
Before you purchase an Instant Pot, consider your specific needs and the average serving sizes youll be cooking. Families of four require at least a 6-quart pot, while larger families will probably prefer 8 quarts. Additionally, 3-quart pots are usually the best option for one or two people or for preparing side dishes.
How is an Instant Pot different from a pressure cooker?
A pressure cooker is a device that cooks food under pressure. Its either an electric device you plug into the wall or a stovetop device that uses the heat of your cooktop. An Instant Pot is a multifunctional pressure cooker, meaning it has additional cooking functions outside of pressure cooking.
What can you cook in an Instant Pot?
Can you can food in an Instant Pot?
If youre someone who loves to pressure can and you do it regularly, we advise purchasing the Instant Pot Max. This particular Instant Pot includes a unique canning feature thats bound to make all your canning dreams come true.
Are Instant Pots safe?
Editors’ Recommendations
Accessories: Best Ones Sold Separately
Like most multi-cookers, the Instant Pot Duo 60 7-in-1 comes with a plastic rice paddle, small plastic ladle, condensation catcher, and a steamer rack. The rack has handles to make it easier to lift and lower it into the pot. However, its feet are so short that it can be a problem unless you have a small amount of liquid. One recipe we made required steaming sausages on the rack over a bed of lentils, and we noticed the rack nestled into the lentils rather than stood above. In the end, it didnt compromise the dish, but we wished the rack was a little higher.
Although the Instant Pot Duo didnt come with a lot of accessories, the company sells a wide range of options online, including a ceramic nonstick cook pot, glass lid, silicone cake pan, loaf pan, steamer basket, pot grippers, yogurt cups, and color-coded gaskets.
Read Also: How To Instant Pot Slow Cook
Page 4: Sous Vide Cooking Guidelines
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What Does Duo Mean On Instant Pot
The DUO is a product line in the InstantPot series. The DUO series means that the cooker has two pressure cooking modes:
Keep in mind that the Lux series has only one pressure cooking mode , but on the other hand, the DUO models have two pressure modes.
Currently the DUO series include the following models:
Which Instant Pot Should You Buy All Of The Models Compared
Instant Pots are multifunctional pressure cookers with enhanced features and multiple settings to make an even better meal. The best Instant Pots not only offer faster cooking times but other handy features like preprogrammed settings, LCDs, smartphone apps, and customizable parameters. In this article, we compare the current Instant Pot models, examine their unique features, and explain how each products settings work.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Apple Cider Instant Pot
Page : Important Safeguards
Price: Affordable And Often Discounted
According to the list price, the 6-quart Duo 60 7-in-1 retails for $99, but its frequently on sale for $69.99 to $79.99 instead. This puts it closer in price to budget-friendly brands like Crock-Pot, which sells a similar cooker for $69.99. And when this model of Instant Pot goes on deep discount thanks to events like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, its entirely possible to buy one for as low as $59.
Also Check: How To Make Spanish Rice In Instant Pot
Page 3: Pressure Cooking Tips
Pressure And Slow Cook
Heres the thing:
The Duo SV Instant Pot can make endless recipes with just pressure and slow cooking. In fact, the brands website boasts 1,000+ recipes you can try. Better yet? With the addition of sous vide, you can further improve your home cooking by leaps and bounds.
Few specific recipe examples: corned beef, pasta, mashed potatoes, ribs, pulled pork, beef stew, whole chicken, etc.
With that said, here are Instapot Duo SVs major cooking functions you can utilize:
If youre wondering if its available in other sizes, sadly, theres no 3-quart, 8-quart, and 10-quart cooking capacity offered for the IP Duo SV.
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Is Instant Pot Duo Sv Easy To Use
Despite its new primary functionality, the Instant Pot Duo SV 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker still features straightforward usability. Sure, theres a learning curve, but the intuitive controls enable you to quickly learn the ins and outs of the multi-cooker.
For instance, the 14 smart programs cross out the guesswork. Simply add the ingredients, close the lid and vent, and select your desired program. If you ask me, thats a lot simpler than traditional methods.
On top of that:
You can customize the said programs by pressure, duration, and temperature . In other words, you can effortlessly achieve something beyond the available presets. Its like thinking out of the pot.
Best of all, the machine remembers your settings. Therefore, the next time you use the same function for a similar recipe, you dont need to adjust the settings again.
Furthermore, you have access to the manuals pressure cooking timetable, grain to water ratios, and sous vide cooking guidelines. As a result, you can use Instant Pot with confidence.
Heres the catch:
Since its an old version, the sealing vent features the former layout. Essentially, you need to manually close the vent. In addition, theres no separate steam release valve for easier and safer operation.
You see, newer products feature automatic sealing, so forgetting to close the vent doesnt matter. Secondly, they have a separate pressure release switch, so you dont need to directly touch the vent.
Best Instant Pot For 2022
My favorite model is the Instant Pot Pro Pressure Cooker for the second year in a row!
This is the second year where weve placed the Instant Pot Pro at the top of our recommendations. I absolutely love it! I love the button/dial combo and the ease of use.
Unlike the lower-tier Instant Pot models, the Pro offers:
- attached handles on the cooking pot, so you dont need hot pads to remove the inner pot and the inner pot stays in place when sautéing
- cooking pot with a completely flat bottom, so it sautés more evenly than other Instant Pot models
- the large cooking pot can also be used on the stovetop
- a lid that features a steam release cover and a separate pressure release switch
- larger digital display
Instant Pot Duo Plus Whisper Quiet OR the Instant Pot Duo Nova
Both the Duo Plus Whisper Quiet and the Duo Nova hit a sweet spot of offering some of the newer, more convenient features without a high-end price.
My in-depth Instant Pot Duo Plus Whisper Quiet Review will be posted next week. As a quick preview, the Whisper Quiet is a great mid-range option. My favorite feature is the combination dot-matrix and LCD display, which provides text that indicates whats going on in the pot. The redesigned lid is quieter , and it has a lot of the high-demand buttons.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Duo Gourmet, whichever is better priced when youre ready to buy .
Read my full Instant Pot Duo Review or see our video review of the Duo.
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Ranking The Different Instant Pot Models
While people may rate each of the Instant Pot models differently, this is how I like to think of them.
High-End: Pro , Pro Plus
Specialty: Duo Crisp or Pro Crisp or Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid , Duo Max , Smart Wifi
Upgrade 2: Duo Plus, Duo SV
Upgrade 1: Duo Nova , Duo Viva
Standard Model: Duo
Budget Model: Lux
* * *
At this point, I want to include a brief introduction for new Instant Pot shoppers and a quick guide to the different Instant Pot models:
Resources: Manual Cookbook And App
We were very impressed with the level of detail in the full-color user manual. It was very informative and even listed the psi for each pressure level and the temperatures equivalents for the less, normal, and more sauté functions. Of all the brands we tested, Instant Pot had the clearest explanation of how its pre-set programs work.
The recipe booklet, on the other hand, was a little less impressive. The photos accompanying the recipes werent very attractive, and it was clear the recipes werent designed for that particular Instant Pot . The Instant Pot app also has more than 1,000 recipes to choose from, but none seemed particularly appealing.
Read Also: What Is The Latest Instant Pot Model
Instant Pot Duo Versus Duo Plus
Theres a pretty big difference in functions between the Instant Pot Duo and the Duo Plus. The Duo Plus has sous vide and sterilizer functions, and an additional two cooking programs. This alone may be enough to seal the deal for the Duo Plus. A handful of smaller features can also be found on the Duo Plus, such as quiet steam release, an anti-spin cooking pot design, and a cooking status bar on the LED display.
Performance: Precise And Reliable
The Instant Pot Duo is proud to proclaim its a 7-in-1 appliance, featuring the following functions: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer. The device has its temperature and pressure sensors dialed in, resulting in precise results when cooking. We tested the yogurt function on several occasions, and the pot always stopped its initial heating phase when the milk temperature reached exactly 180 degrees. We never had to click on the sauté button to get it to reach the optimal temperature.
We also tested its ability to slow cook, making chili with dried pinto beans and beef chuck, and soup with a ham hock and dried cannellini beans. It always produced tender beans and meat in four hours on high.
The steamer function on most multi-cookers isnt really steaming as much as pressure-cooking. The Instant Pot website says the program is designed so that the heating intensity is fast and steep, likely so that the contents of the pot get under pressure as quickly as possible so they dont overcook while the pot preheats.
This Instant Pot has its temperature and pressure sensors dialed in, resulting in precise results when cooking.
When sautéing, we loved how the Instant Pot had three temperatures to choose from: less, normal, and more.
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What Size Of Instant Pot To Buy
Not sure how to choose an Instant Pot size for your circumstances? It can feel really intimidating!
Here are my recommendations for some common scenarios:
Best for Singles or Couples: If you dont want leftovers, go for the 3-Quart Instant Pot. However, if you like leftovers, cooking pot-in-pot , or two-fer meals , Id recommend the 6-quart.
Best for College Students: Instant Pot Duo 3-Quart Pressure Cooker.
Best for Small Families: If youre cooking for two adults and one or two kids, the 6-quart Instant Pot will have everything you need.
If youre a new parent, the Duo Plus has a sterilize button however, you can sanitize in any Instant Pot with a steam setting.
Best for Big Families: Honestly? It depends on how you want to use it. If you plan to cook big batches of dump-and-go meals, then Id recommend an 8-quart Instant Pot or even the new Instant Pot Duo Nova 10-quart.
However, if you typically cook a main dish and a side dish, you may be happier simply buying two 6-quart Instant Pots so you can cook both at the same time. Depending on what youre cooking, the 6-quart will fit a double or triple batch.
Best for Meal Preppers:Seriously, so much food fits in the Instant Pot Duo Nova 10-quart. But until now meal preppers have been using the 8-quart without any problems.
Best for RVs: Instant Pot 3-quart or 6-quart.
Best for Tech Lovers:Instant Pot Pro Plus Pressure Cooker.
How To Clean Instapot Sv
On a different note:
The Duo SV 60 cleans like a dream. For instance, the lid and the inner pot are dishwasher safe. In short, if you feel indifferent to hand washing, you always have the easier option.
If youll wash it manually, heres a video demo:
Primarily, all you have to worry about is removing the smaller parts and the silicone ring. Plus, ensuring you dont lose any of those parts. Other than that? Its easy-peasy!
*Product Images and Video Courtesy of Instant Brands
Also Check: How To Set Up Instant Pot
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 first 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.