Between my Mom and me, we have owned 5 different brands of electric pressure cookers. Quite the collection to be proud of, right? Recently, during my move cross country, I decided to only keep one of my three brands – it just didn’t seem feasible to pack and ship all three when I only use one. I kept the Instant Pot pressure cooker. It’s the one I rely on for the most dependable results, even though it’s not the easiest to use, nor does it have the largest capacity.
Instant Pot Review
I’ve done side by side comparisons of the pressure cookers – here’s what I love about the Instant Pot:
- Heavy duty, 3-ply stainless steel cooking pot – great quality, sturdy, NOT non-stick, which is a good thing. I’ve scratched too many nonstick surfaces with spoons. 3-ply stainless steel means food cooks better, is more efficient and does not stain or scratch.
- Pot easy to clean and scrub – heavy duty so I can use a my scrubbers if needed.
- Cooking pot can go on the stove. Sometimes, I like to sear the meats on the stove, instead of in the cooker.
- Lots of included recipes in the book from different pressure cooker experts.
- Highly engaged and active Facebook fan page – always someone to answer your questions, provide recipe ideas – it’s a fun community.
- You can do lots of things with this pressure cooker: “7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker–Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute/Browning, Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer.”
As with all my reviews, I provide the cons, as well:
- Too many buttons! The more buttons, the more difficult it is to actually learn and use a machine. I’d much rather have a laminated card that tells me what temperature and how long. It actually takes longer for me to figure out and program the machine for “brown rice, cooked a little longer” using Instant Pot’s buttons, than it would be just to tell the machine to cook for 35 minutes.
- Searing is not as hot as I would like it – which is why I take the pot and use my stovetop to sear meats first.
- The knob for “pressure” or “vent” comes off too easily. I’ve lost that knob so many times!
Despite the cons, it’s still the pressure cooker I highly recommend. In fact, I bought one for my Mom a few months ago, so she could have one as well. Mom loves it just as much as I do – and she’s a huge pressure cooker fan. The recipe to the left is one she’s taught me!
Instant Pot is the #1 best selling pressure cooker on Amazon. Its 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) are well deserved. If you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, consider getting one! It’s easier to use than a manual pressure cooker. You can leave it unattended (once done cooking, it will drop in pressure by itself and keep food warm), it’s safer (lid will not open unless pressure safe to open), and you can adjust temperature and timing easily.
About Instant Pot
Thank you for supporting Steamy Kitchen!
Instant Pot Giveaway
Instant Pot provided us with a unit for an honest review and one for a giveaway.
