What Is An Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker, sometimes called a multi-cooker. You can use any electric pressure cooker recipe in these machinesyou don’t need a recipe formulated specifically for an Instant Pot. However, since it takes some time to figure out how to use and navigate the controls of each model, your success with any given recipe will depend on your familiarity with the model you own.
Electric multi-cookers usually come with low or high pressure cooking settings, but these aren’t regulated terms. Instant Pots, for example, reach slightly lower PSI compared to comparable “low” and “high” settings on many stovetop pressure cooker models this won’t always affect how a recipe turns out, but it can.
The appeal of electric multi-cookers is twofold. First, they self-regulate their pressure level, meaning you don’t have to babysit them and periodically adjust the level of heat produced by the burner, as you do with a stovetop pressure cooker . Second, as the name indicates, they have other functions: slow cook , sauté, steam, rice/grain, yogurt , and warm. Newer Instant Pot models claim to perform additional functions, like cake-making, air-frying, sous vide, sterilizing, and pressure canning . What an electric multi-cooker does really well is it allows even the novice home cook to set-it-and-forget-it and enjoy relatively hands-off cooking with confidence.
Features And Cooking Performance
All Instant Pot models boast a number of preset features. The Instant Pot Duo is the most basic model, and it can act as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer. Upgraded versions like the Pro Plus and Pro Crisp include added presets like air-fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, sous vide and proof. After researching both the most valuable and most frequently used presets, I specifically chose to test the manual/pressure-cook, sauté, slow cook, rice and air-fry settings.
In the Duo Crisp and Pro Crisp machines, both of which feature air-frying capabilities, I conducted two additional tests: I cooked one 28-ounce bag of frozen french fries for 10 minutes, one 8-ounce box of chicken nuggets for 10 minutes and one 1.5-pound bag of baby yellow potatoes for 20 minutesall using the air-fry setting. My goal was to determine whether this new function could thoroughly cook and crisp all three dishes in the given time frame. Next, I switched over to the pressure-cooking and roasting functions, one after the other, to cook a whole 4-pound chicken for 40 minutes, following a recipe for Instant Pot Roast Chicken and Potatoes from Instant Pot Eats. Though its not a true air-frying recipe, the method relies on the use of the air-fryer lid during the roasting process . I checked for doneness after 40 minutes, evaluating the crispness of the skin, the meats moisture and the overall flavor.
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.
Recommended Reading: How To Slow Cook In An Instant Pot
Warranty Durability And Lifespan
If durability is part of your personal shopping criteria, consider all your bases covered. All Instant Pot models come with a 1-year warranty whats more, replacement parts are easy to purchase via the Instant Brands website or Amazon. Some models even include an additional sealing ring . As for durability, my clumsiness came in handy, as I accidentally dropped two lids from a high countertop. Afterward, I decided to intentionally try the same accidental experiment with the remaining lids. I dropped each from 4 feet above my hardwood floors, and all lived to tell the tale. There was nary a dent or scratch in sight . Additionally, the dishwasher-safe parts held up well after cleaning there was slight discoloration in some instances, as I mentioned, but not enough to be unsightly or to affect the efficacy of the pot.
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.
You May Like: What Does It Mean When Your Instant Pot Says Burn
Other Products I Tested
In total, I tested five products, two of which didnt make the cut:
Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker With Whisper-Quiet Steam Release, V4: In terms of both price and number of settings, this model falls somewhere in between the Duo and the Pro Plus. Its a slight upgrade from the original Duo, featuring a digital screen and a sleek silver finish. However, the selling point of this model was the whisper-quiet steam function. While I did find it to be a little quieter than the traditional steam release on other models, it wasnt quiet enough to justify spending an extra $30 for this feature alone.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 6.5-Quart With Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker And Air Fryer: The alleged appeal of this model is that its a true two-in-one pressure cooker and air fryer. Unlike the Pro Crisp, you dont need to use a separate lid for crisping food. I was surprised, then, to find the Duo Crisp to be clunky and somewhat inconvenient to use in its own rightits the heaviest model by far, it has a trigger lock that is difficult to figure out and the lid doesnt properly close unless you push down hard. Additionally, theres an inner cover that needs to be removed from the lid before air-frying. It was difficult to figure out exactly how to remove it, and it was nearly impossible to reinstall before pressure-cooking.
The Classic Duo Model
If you are looking for a model that has all the great functions of an Instant Pot without any extra bells and whistles, opt for the best-selling Duo. It comes in the 3-, 6- and 8-quart sizes and has 13 one-touch programs including soup/broth, meat/stew, bean/chili, slow cook, sauté, rice, porridge, steam, yogurt, keep warm and pressure cook.
If the yogurt button doesnt appeal to you, the Lux is the most basic Instant Pot model, offering all the functionality of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pan, steamer and warmer without the yogurt-making feature. We do not recommend making yogurt in the Lux model.
Read Also: How Long To Cook Ribs In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart
The defining feature of the new Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart is that you can pair it with your iPhone or Android to automatically engage the cooking functions from more than 800 smart recipes on the Instant Brands Connect app. This doesnt mean you can press Start while youre at the office and come home to your Instant Pot braising ribs , but you can control almost everything through the appincluding the steam release! The Pro Plus Smart also features a premium inner pot with easy-grab handles and comes with NutriBoost, a function that mimics the motion of boiling by moving food in the pot to enhance the flavor and texture.
Built-in smart programs: Access 800+ smart recipes via the appFunctions: Pressure-cooking, rice-cooking, slow-cooking, yogurt-making, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, baking, sterilizing, NutriBoostSizes available: 6-quart Instant Pot
Test : Searing And Pressure Cooking
The test: To test how well the Instant Pots could sear and pressure cook, we made five batches of this recipe for chunky beef chili. We documented the sear on the beef from each model and timed how long each machine took to pressurize. We tasted each sample to evaluate the tenderness of the meat and overall flavor of each chili. One Instant Pot model, the Duo Pro, has a special inner pot that can be used on the stovetop, so we used this pot directly on the burner over medium-high heat to sear the beef. With the other four models, we used their sauté modes.
Heres what happened: The big reveal isno big reveal. Each chili tasted pretty much identical, which may be more of a testament to the quality of the testing of that recipe than the machines we used to make it. None of the five chili samples had bitter notes or off flavors. All of the meat was tender the meat cooked in the Ultra was almost too tender, losing its cube form and shredding a bit too much. There was, however, a clear winner for pressurizing timethe Duo Pro was remarkably fast, taking just over 5 minutes. The Duo Plus was the next quickest, taking about 6 minutes, and since it has a slightly larger inner pot, there was more surface area available for searing. The Duo 7-in-1, Ultra, and Max each took about 8 minutes.
You May Like: How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs Instant Pot
Ease Of Unboxing And Setup
Upon unboxing each of the models, I took note of how they were packaged, keeping an eye out for an excessive use of nonrecyclable plastic, Styrofoam and the like. Given that Instant Pots arrive with several additional accessories I also observed whether the pieces were well organized in the boxand whether, as a result, it would be easy for a new customer to get things up and running quickly. Overall, I found the Instant Pot unboxing experience to be both pleasant and eco-friendly. Most Instant Pots were packed with cardboard rather than Styrofoam, and some boxes even included a plastic handle for carrying. Thats a huge plus for anyone who plans to purchase the device in-store.
The Cooking Time Depends On You
Not all nights are created equal: Sometimes we need a fast, easy dinner to throw together at the last minute, and other days we have to rely on a slow-cooker to have dinner waiting when we get home. An Instant Pot adjusts no matter what kind of day it is or how much time you have to spend on a meal.
Read Also: Instant Pot Deals Costco
Competition Is Heating Up
Instant Pot’s popularity has helped invigorate the larger market for multicookers in the U.S.: It has grown by roughly 99 percent so far this year, after increasing by about 79 percent to more than $300 million in 2017, making multicookers one of the fastest-growing product categories in the retail sector in the past two years, NPD analyst Derochowski tells CNBC Make It.
Derochowski expects multicookers like Instant Pot to be among the top-selling products during the current holiday shopping season, with sales continuing to grow in 2019.
While Instant Pot enjoys a significant market share advantage according to Wang , rival products are actively trying to take a bite out of its lead.
You could argue that Crock-Pot, which sold millions of products several decades ago before enthusiasm died down, was the original Instant Pot in terms of its popularity as a time saver in the kitchen. Now Crock-Pot is looking to siphon off some of the buzz around Instant Pot with its own versions of an all-inclusive multicooker â a line it’s calling the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker â that hit the market in .
The new Crock-Pot products are a potential threat to Instant Pot, according to Derochowski, because of its “brand heritage and brand knowledge.” He also points to other potential competitors like the Ninja Foodi multicooker, which recently added an air fryer to a list of functions that also includes pressure cooker and steamer.
He Used His Own Money And Sold It On Amazon
It took Wang roughly 18 months to develop the first iteration of the Instant Pot, including finding a manufacturer, ironing out the kinks of design, and tweaking the firmware and algorithms before releasing the first product on Amazon in October 2010.
Wang sank roughly $300,000 of his personal savings into the project to get it to market, he tells CNBC Make It. He originally had two partners who had previously worked with him at Nortel, but he says, “They did not believe in the idea” and left after just five months . Wang carried on by himself for another six months, he says, before another group of partners joined the effort, including two former BlackBerry employees: Yi Qin, who is now Instant Brands’ vice president of product management, and Dongjun Wang, who serves as vice president of quality assurance.
During those 18 months, Wang says he worked to identify “prominent pain points” for consumers who cook at home with electrical appliances so he could design a product that offered solutions.
One of those pain points was an overcrowded kitchen, so Wang created Instant Pot to combine the functions of multiple devices.
Another big frustration for home chefs? Burned food. “It’s a very frustrating experience,” Wang says. “So as one of the key objectives, we needed to design a certain burn protection mechanism.”
You May Like: How Do You Cook Hard Boiled Eggs In Instant Pot
The Versatile Countertop Oven Does It All Including Baking Air Frying And Broiling
Instant Vortex Pro is an all-in-one countertop stove that allows you to create delicious meals, snacks and side dishes with less oil and no mess. Combine the best features of your oven with a one-step air fryer, all-in-one bakery and hands-free broiler, and youll enjoy the perfect golden finish time and time again.
Why You Should Trust Us
Serious Eats has long promoted the benefits of stovetop and electric multi-cookers, but we are not Instant Pot evangelists. I personally have now been living with these five machines for over a monththey have taken up residence in my life, and we are currently in an intimate and complicated relationship, sprawling across every inch of my kitchen counter.
I am a seasoned cook and pretty darn familiar with following a recipe. I went to both culinary and pastry school and developed and tested recipes at Americas Test Kitchen for five years . I’m able to use my trained culinary background to recognize good outcomes and know what matters in the kitchen, and my Instant Pot agnosticism makes it easy to assess the usability of these machines.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Air Fryer Attachment
Sales Trickle In At First
Instant Pot was finally ready to hit the market in the fall of 2010. Wang drove around Canada himself pitching samples of the first-generation device to small brick-and-mortar retailers at home goods conventions.
The initial reception was less than enthusiastic. Why should they take a risk on a new product no one had ever heard of?
So Wang turned to online sales, trying to sell the Instant Pot everywhere from Amazon to eBay and electronics retailer Newegg, as well as Instant Brands’ own website.
“It turned out Amazon is the perfect marketplace for us, because we get reviews from customers and those reviews really help us to determine what we need to do in the next iteration of the product,” Wang tells CNBC Make It.
Instant Pot made its first Amazon sale in November 2010 for $140. Wang says he still remembers how ecstatic he was to think that someone believed in his product enough to buy it on Amazon. “It brings tremendous joy,” he says.
Sales on Amazon started to trickle in, with about one or two units moving per day at first, and then within three months that increased to roughly 30 sales per day. “And then we shift our attention to Amazon entirely,” Wang says.
It was in 2011 that Wang started religiously reading every single customer review of the Instant Pot on Amazon. Last year, he told CNBC Make It that he’d for his products, and it’s a practice he continues to this day, though Wang says now he’s lost count of the total number of reviews he’s read.
Whats Not Included In This Guide
Given Instant Pots popularity, Instant Brands expansion into other products was inevitable. Since its merger with Corelle in 2019, the brand has continued to improve upon its pressure cooker, but also added additional small appliances to its offerings, including air fryers, toaster ovens, air purifiers, and even a very not-instant precision slow cooker that works more like a Crock-Pot, but with added functionality.
For this in-depth Instant Pot buying guide, were covering the brands best-selling product: the pressure/multi-cooker. But as youll see, all of these Instant Pots have a slow-cooking function while a few can even be used as an air fryer or mini oven!
Read Also: How Do I Start My Instant Pot
Best Upgrade Instant Pot
- Those with smaller kitchens
Skip if:
- You like the look and feel of a sleek digital display or simply want more features
I determined the bestselling Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker, V5 to be an excellent tried-and-true model for any home cook with a slightly lower budget. At under $100, its an ideal pick for those who are curious about all things Instant Pot but arent yet ready to splurge on one of the newer models. That said, as you might imagine given its substantially lower price , this is not the most advanced or modern option out there. For starters, the Duo does not offer a digital touchscreen or ergonomic dial, and its inner pot does not feature the silicone handles of the Pro Plus .
That said, I concluded that this original device pressure-cooks just as well as pricier models: The pork was tender and fully shreddable after 60 minutes of pressure-cooking, and the rice I cooked was fluffy, well separated and the perfect canvas for homemade teriyaki chicken, which, I should add, was my dinner for many nights in a row during this testing process. But despite producing great results, the rice cooker here is still somewhat basic, and both novice and sophisticated cooks alike might be put off by the lack of convenient controls. Unlike the upgraded Duo Plus, theres no way to select which type of rice youre cooking the only options are for cook times .
