Instant Pot Viva 6 Qt

Should You Buy The Instant Pot Viva

The Instant Pot Viva is a great choice if you want a dependable multicooker at a lower price. If you dont think you will use the extensive functions that later models, such as the Instant Pot Duo Crisp , have to offer, then the Instant Pot Viva has everything you would need at a much better price. The ability to customize the model in different colors is a fun bonus, and will allow users to match their pot to a range of kitchen designs.

Design: A New Lid And Color Options

If you saw a six-quart Instant Pot Duo sitting next to a six-quart stainless steel Instant Pot Viva, the two pots would look very similar. So much so, it might be hard to tell the difference between the two pots at first glance. However, there are key design differences that set them apart.

First, the Instant Pot Duo comes in a 3-quart mini version in addition to the 6-quart and 8-quart size offerings. The Viva only comes in 6- or 8-quartsno mini 3-quart model is available. The Viva also comes in different color options aside from just regular stainless steel. You can find lid or body colors like black, blue, cinnamon, and copper. At first, the Duo was only available in stainless steel, but you can now find the Duo in different designs like red, teal, or different Star Wars editions. The Duo does not, however, offer all of the same color choices as the Viva.

The Viva has an updated lid design thats unique from that of the Duo. The Vivas lid has auto-seal and quick-steam release features that help making cooking easier. The displays on each pot look different as well, and the Vivas display has a slightly more modern look than the older Duo.

What Size Instant Pot Should I Get

The Instant Pot comes in three sizes: 3 quarts, 6 quarts, and 8 quarts, making it a versatile countertop appliance for small kitchens and large families alike. The 6-quart Instant Pot is the most popular option for home cooks, as most recipes are written for that size. Generally, a meal cooked in a 6-quart model feeds three to six people. The 8-quart models, on the other hand, are ideal when youre feeding a large family, cooking for a party, or doing weekly meal prep. Last but not least is the 3-quart Instant Pot , which is perfect for cooking for one or two people or keeping in a small kitchen. While every model is available in the 6-quart size, not all models are available in the 3- and 8-quart sizes.

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What Are Your Thoughts On The Instant Pot Duo Vs Viva

Whenever you buy a new Instant Pot you need to decide which features and size make the most sense for your needs. If you already have a Duo, there are a few interesting features in the updated Instant Pot Viva that might make an upgrade attractive. I dont know about you, but I am finding the need for more than one Instant Pot in my kitchen.

What about you? What are you looking for in an Instant Pot Viva and Duo? Are you trying to decide which one to buy?

Instant Pot Viva: User Reviews

The Instant Pot Viva currently has a 4.8-star rating out of five on the Best Buy website from 745 reviews, with 97% of users saying they would recommend this model to a friend. The Instant Pot Viva is certainly a popular choice, and its simple to use controls make it a hit with many users.

One user commented that the Instant Pot Viva had “improved her life significantly” since purchasing it, adding that cleaning up after use is “super easy”. Another reviewer referred to it as a “little piece of heaven”, saying that it had not only replaced their crockpot but “simplified the cooking process”.

However, one reviewer found that the rice cooking abilities of the Instant Pot Viva were not up to standard, saying that a dedicated rice cooker would be better. Other uses found a downside in the pot taking up a fair amount of space in their kitchen, with one saying it was “too big to leave on the counter”.

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Instant Pot Duo Review

The Instant Pot Duo is designed for seven common activities while in the kitchen: high pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming, sauteing, yogurt making, and maintaining the food warm. This way, even if the pot is a bit bulky, you can make space on the kitchen countertop and save on energy consumption by simply getting rid of old appliances.

It also has a user-friendly interface with one-touch buttons that provide access to 14 smart pre-programmed cooking options and a Manual mode that lets users input customized options.

While the model is available in three sizes , the 6-quart Instant Pot is the most popular design . Also, the fact that you can use high pressure for preparing various dishes reduces the cooking time and makes it a lot easier to make time-consuming and complex foods like bean chili, meat stew, poultry, or soup broth. Furthermore, there are lots of easy to make recipes , specially designed for the Duo Instant Pot, which makes it easy for beginners. In addition, users get free access to the Instant Pot app where millions of users everywhere provide you with cool recipe ideas!

I also enjoy the Keep Warm function that kicks in automatically at the end of each meal. This way, you can leave the pot unsupervised and go about your house chores, and the food will still be ready to eat when everyone comes to the table.

Pros

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!

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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

Smart Programs Available In The Instant Pot Duo Vs Viva

Instant Pot created smart programs to help the home chef be able to cook with the press of a button. The smart programs, created based on extensive testing, control heat intensity, temperature, pressure, and duration.

Aside from each Instant Pot series having different smart programs, not all of the sizes within a model will have all of the smart programs included. For example, the mini 3 quart models usually have a few fewer programs than its larger 6- and 8-quart siblings have.

* These programs may not be available in the 3-quart versions of Instant Pot Duo.

** The Pasteurizing program is part of the Yogurt Smart Program. When you choose More, it will pasteurize milk. Be sure to check the temperature of the heated milk to ensure it reaches the proper temperature.

The updated Viva includes the Cake Setting and egg program. It doesnt include the steam setting, but as it has the egg setting youll be able to make hard-boiled eggs.

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Is The Viva Instant Poteasy To Use

All multi-cookers have learning curves, especially pressure cooking when youre new. Luckily, the Instapot Viva boasts straightforward controls .

Heres why:

The 14 buttons on the sides are one-touch programs. Essentially, they have a pre-programmed duration and pressure, taking away the guesswork out of the equation. On top of that, this also helps you achieve consistent results.

Naturally, you can also customize the said functions as recipes arent all the same.

Better yet? The setting youll use gets saved. In other words, the next time you use the same program and recipe, simply press the said function. No need to adjust or whatnot.

On the other hand, theres a catch:

The progress indicator is limited to its cook time. Thus, you wont know how long the preheating will be or how long its been. Regardless, its just a minor caveat compared to the breathtaking functionalities the Instant Pot Viva offers.

The rest of the indication will be illumination on top of the program you selected, the pressure , and temperature .

Heres more:

Since multi-cooking can be intimidating, Instant Pot highlights an in-depth manual to get you started. For instance, it has a pressure cooking timetable and grain-to-water ratios. In short, you wont be a complete stranger the first time you use the machine.

As if thats not enough:

Instant Pot Umami Chili

Were super grateful that many readers have won chili competitions & cook-offs with this Award-Winning Umami Chili Recipe!

Loaded with layers of flavors with our secret ingredients, this umami chili will satisfy your comfort food cravings.

These super easy 4-ingredient BBQ Ribs are a favorite, especially among Instant Pot beginners!

Now you can enjoy finger-licking tasty ribs as a last-minute dinner.

Learn the secrets to cooking the most Tender & Juicy Chicken Breast.

This Super Easy & Quick Game-Changing method yields moist & sliceable chicken breasts for salad, taco, sandwiches, and more!

Yes!! Its really easy to make this deliciously gorgeous Medium Rare Roast Beef with Gravy in your Instant Pot! So buttery tender & juicy.

We also included instructions for making tasty Deli-style Cold Cut Roast Beef.

Were super thankful knowing many families are in love with this Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs! The rich sweet-savory-umami beefy sauce.

We also included instructions for cooking buttery mashed potatoes in the same pot at the same time.

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Instant Pot Viva: Features

The Instant Pot Viva is an updated model of the Instant Pot Duo, the brands original bestselling model. As part of this upgrade, the Instant Pot Viva gains valuable features whilst retaining its affordability. One of these upgrades is the addition of the sous vide function, which makes up one of the pots nine functions. All in all, the Instant Pot Viva can function as a pressure cooker, sauté pan, slow cooker, rice cooker, food warmer, yogurt maker, cake maker, stock pot, steamer, and sous vide.

The cake-making program is another marked upgrade of the Instant Pot Viva and is only available in a handful of the brands other models. Its a useful feature to have, meaning you can use your Instant Pot to whip up great desserts too, as opposed to just main meals. The Instant Pot Viva is also versatile in its ability to cook at both high and low temperatures, ideal for delicate vegetables or seafood, which do not need to be pressurized.

The Instant Pot Viva also has an impressive 15 smart programs, meaning a wide selection of meals can be cooked at the touch of a button. If you often find yourself too tired to cook, then multiple functions mean you can still ensure nutrition and variation at mealtimes. As with all Instant Pots, the Instant Pot Viva is designed to cut down on lengthy cooking times, with processes that are 70% faster than traditional methods.

Whats The Difference Between The Instant Pot Duo And Viva

Looking at the Smart Programs in the Viva and Duo side by side, the Viva has the same programs as a Duo with a few additions.

The Viva is available in 2 sizes while the Duo is available in the 3 standard Instant Pot sizes.

The Instant Pot Viva was originally designed based on the Duo so they both have the same display and use buttons to select the cooking settings.

The updated Instant Pot Viva has an updated auto-seal lid as an added safety feature.

How many times have you forgotten to flip the sealing knob to the wrong position on the other Instant Pot models? I love the auto sealing lid on the Ultra so its great to see on the Viva.

Compared to the Duo, the updated Viva comes with two sealing rings and a trivet/steam rack.

The Viva is also available in a few additional colors and styles. Youll need to check different stores if you want something other than the traditional stainless steal look.

Keep an eye out for flash sales and deals as you may be able to save money on your purchase.

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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

Instant Pot Viva Review Instapot Pressure Cooker

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The Instant Pot Viva is based on the best-selling pressure cooker/multi-cooker from the brandInstant Pot Duo. However, its more like the twin sibling of the Instant Pot Duo Plus.

It has the same nine core cooking functions and a newer pressure release switch.

I have to warn you though, that the Instant Viva is an old electric pressure cooker. The Instant Pot Duo Plus is more up-to-date than the IP Viva. Or you could also check the latest Instapots.

If youre still interested in this model, its available in two cooking capacities.

Instant Pot Name

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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.

Features: Sous Vide And More

The Instant Pot Viva is a 9-in-1 cooker, serving as a pressure cooker, sauté pan, slow cooker, rice cooker, food warmer, yogurt maker, cake maker, stockpot, steamer, and sous vide machine.

The Instant Pot Duo is a 7-in-1 pressure cooker, and it can serve as a pressure cooker, sauté pan, steamer, slow cooker, rice cooker, food warmer, and yogurt maker.

Both pots have the following cooking programs:

• Soup

• Egg

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Which Model Is Better For Me

So, in the battle Viva vs Duo , which one should you buy? Should you stick with the classic and well-tested Duo or should you invest a bit more in an Instant Pot with fancier features and an automated steam valve?

Heres my answer:

• You want to stay below the $100 threshold
• You are happy with the classic model
• You are a beginner in using an electric pressure cooker
• You dont need a cake baking or Sous Vide function
• You can work with a manual steam valve

Choose the Viva if

• You like the idea of more pre-set dishes
• You want to try more advanced Instant Pots
• Youre not bothered by the slightly higher price
• You feel safer with a button for the steam valve

In closing, both products have their merits. As such, it is up to you to decide which will earn your trust. My advice is to start with Instant Pot models from the Duo series and decide from there. If you like and get used to the classic , it will become easier to use an Instant Pot with more advanced functions .