The Latest: Instant Pot Duo Crisp With Ultimate Lid
The latest Instant Pot model has the most functions of any Instant Pot on the market: It has air frying capabilities, and the new Ultimate Lid. It’s called “the ultimate” because, unlike other the lids in other Instant Pot models, it can be used for both pressure cooking and air frying. No need to switch between lids for different types of cooking. It’s a functional, space-saving upgrade.
Year released: 2022Cooking functions: 13Functions: pressure cooking, air-frying, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, food warming, roasting, mini oven, broiling, dehydrating, yogurt-making, sous vide-cooking, and bread proofingSizes available: 6.5-quart Instant Pot
The Best Instant Pot: Instant Pot Pro
What we liked: This model pressurized the quickest and offered the best searing and sautéing experience, with a stable, non-spinning pot. The ability to use the stainless steel inner pot on an electric, induction, or ceramic stovetops was welcome, as it gives the user greater flexibility and control. Releasing the steam feels straightforward and safe because of its separate push-button release and the plastic cover around the steam valve. The control panel is easy to navigate with a mixture of buttons and a dial. We also liked the handles on its cooking pot, which made it easier to lift the pot up and out of the Instant Pot’s base.
What we didn’t like: Its pretty expensive, and while the sous vide function works, although it isn’t nearly as reliable as an immersion circulator.
Price at time of publish: $150
Instant Pot Official Mesh Steamer Basket Set Of 2
Courtesy Amazon
Normally $36, Now $20 at Amazon
One challenge with starting the Instant Pot journey is acquiring authentic accessories at a good deal. Nows the time to grab this set of two stainless steel mesh steamer baskets. Perfect for steaming vegetables, clams, seafood and more. Raised feet keep your food out of the water and a hinged handle makes it easy to lower and remove the baskets. They work as strainers to clean the veggies first before they go into the steam!
Normally $17, Now $10 at Amazon
Every Instant Pot fan knows you can do more than just cooking meat and soups insideand this accessory takes it even further. It bakes perfectly moist and fluffy egg bites, but also muffins, cupcakes, and more since the non-stick silicone is heat resistant to 450 degrees.
While the pan with a lid is still on sale for cheap right now, it does not come with a rack. If you want to stack two on top of each other you will need to buy a rack separately.
$8.49 is the lowest price weve seen for this item.
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Instant Pot Lux Programmable Cooker
Uses: Pressure Cooker, Pressure Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Cake Maker, and Warmer | Built-In programs: 12
The oldest and most basic of the Instant Pot models, you will be able to get this model for the cheapest price. The Instant Pot Lux is perfect for those who will primarily use it as a cooker and want to save money by foregoing unnecessary features. The Lux lacks some of the features of its successors , but is still a solid choice for handling everyday cooking needs as it comes with 12 built-in cooking programs. It is available in 3-quart, 5-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models.
The Instant Pot Smart was released in 2018 as the company’s most high-tech pressure cooker. The Instant Pot Smart is WiFi-enabled and works with Amazon Alexa so you can control your Instant Pot with the compatible app or with your voice. You’ll get access to 1,000 pre-programmed recipes with the ability to verify cooking progress, and you can receive alerts on your smartphone.The latest Instant Pot features eight kitchen appliances in one and includes 13 smart programs. The Instant Pot only comes in one size, six-quart, and provides up to six hours of cooking time.
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.
Year released: 2021Built-in smart programs: Access 800+ smart recipes via the appCooking functions: Pressure-cooking, rice-cooking, slow-cooking, yogurt-making, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, baking, sterilizing, and NutriBoostSizes available: 6-quart Instant Pot
Also Check: Instant Pot Ready Meals
Other Multicooker Brands To Consider
There are options from other brands, too. We reviewed a great Wi-Fi multicooker from ChefIQ, for example. It does more than Instant Pot’s Wi-Fi model and comes with an integrated scale, nonstick pot and helpful iOS or Android app. It costs $200, so if you’re not ready to graduate to a high-end model, Instant Pot’s more affordable options are great for beginners. Ninja also makes several multicookers that have performed well in our testing. The Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart with SmartLid and is just one of several options from the brand’s expansive line.
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.
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The Cheapest Instant Pot Sales And Deals
This is Instant Pot’s best selling model, and with good reason. As its name denotes, the Instant Pot Duo Plus is similar to the Duo model, but with a few added features. You can make a cake or eggs in it, and it can also be used as a sterilizer, so it’s great if you enjoy canning and preserving. You also get 15 built-in programs – one more than the Duo, to make a number of cooking tasks as simple as pushing a button. It is available in 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models.
Other Instant Pots And Pressure Cookers We Tested
We tested 11 electric pressure cookers for this guide. These are the ones that missed the cut.
What else we recommend and why:
Zavor LUX LCD: This model has more than 30 programmable settings, including sous vide, and an easy-to-read LCD. In our tests, it was easy to set up and use. It was quick to build pressure and made juicy, easy-to-shred pulled pork. However, we weren’t as impressed with its bean cooking and meat searing.
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker: The Ninja Foodi air fries and pressure cooks. And, in our tests, it did a great job of searing, slow cooking, and pressure cooking delicious meals but took longer than most units to build pressure. Read our comparison of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp vs. the Ninja Foodi.
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 80 : The Duo Evo Plus’s stay-cool handles set it apart from other multicookers since you usually need to grab potholders to lift a multicooker’s pot out. The pot also stays in place when you stir the contents. The screen is packed full of info, including several preset programs. It didn’t make our guide because it didn’t do better than average at any cooking task and was one of the worst at rice and slow-cooker pork.
What we don’t recommend and why:
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Another Air Fryer Hybrid For Less
Walmart
Like the one above, this Instant Pot also combines the functions of a pressure cooker and an air fryer, so its ideal for folks who want both features, but dont have the space for two separate appliances. It also include a dishwasher-safe lid and inner pot for easy cleanup. Although this Instant Pot has dropped below $100 before, it rarely falls under $120, making this a deal worth shopping.
Test : User Experience
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
The test: In reading reviews from Instant Pot users, a common user experience complaint is fear about the steam released when venting the pressure cooker. To find the least scary option, we added 3 cups of water to each pot, sealed the lid, and selected the pressure cook option for 5 minutes. Once the cooking ended, we released the pressure and waited for the float valve to drop before opening the lid.
Another common frustration is about how the inner pot spins uncontrollably while sautéing. We took note of this behavior while searing the meat and sautéing the onions for the chili test mentioned above.
Intuitive design is also a heavy hitter in affecting user experience. The control panels on each model vary some use buttons while others have dials for navigating options. Each model gives information about whats happening inside the pot through different status indicators.
Ease of cleaning, of course, is also important.
All of the pots spun while we was searing and sautéing except for one: the Duo Pro. We tested this pot both on the stovetop and in the machine and it was stable in both methods. It had handles that held it put in the cooker’s base.
The Duo Pro was the easiest to navigate, and the steam release felt safe and simple. The upgraded inner pot that doesnt spin when stirring and can be used on the stovetop is a true value-add.
Read Also: How Do You Cook Hard Boiled Eggs In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Ultra Programmable Cooker
Uses: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice/Porridge Cooker, Cake Maker, Yogurt Maker, Sauté/Searing, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer | Built-in programs: 16
As you might guess by the name, this is Instant Pot’s current top-of-the-line model. The main advantage of the Instant Pot Ultra over the Duo and Lux models is the ability to customize all settings to your own liking, which it will automatically remember for the next time you use it. This feature will benefit experienced cookds. Otherwise, it has a bigger and brighter screen, a couple more cooking programs included, and altitude adjustment. It is available in 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models.
Instant Pot Duo Plus With Whisper
The Instant Pot Duo gets a major upgrade in this latest iteration. Not only do you get a sleek, stainless steel finish, you get 25 smart programs. One significant difference between this version and the original is that the Instant Pot Duo Plus with Whisper Quiet Steam Release trades sous vide cooking capability for a cake making feature.
Now let’s get into the obvious difference between this model and the regular Duo Plus: the steam release. Instant Pot’s latest technology and design allow the machine to diffuse steam more quietly than ever. It also gives you the option to use a remote button so you can open the cooking pot at a distance for extra safety. But is it worth buying this one over the original Duo Plus? There’s actually just a $20 difference between the two models, so we’d say the advanced steam release technology and aesthetics of this version make it worth itbut if you’re really into sous vide-cooking, we’d stick with the original Duo Plus.
Year released: 2021Cooking functions: Pressure-cooking, rice-cooking, slow-cooking, yogurt-making, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, cake making and sterilizingSizes available: 6- and 8-quart Instant Pots
Also Check: What Is The Smallest Instant Pot Made
Instant Pot Instant Pot Meat Claws
Amazon
Normally $16, Now $13 at Amazon
The saying you can never have too many accessories doesnt usually apply to the kitchen, but it does when they are on sale. Not only do these Meat Claws make it easier and more convenient to shred meat quickly after cooking because of the special design that interlocks them together, but they are also quite a deal right now.
Which Instant Pot Is The Best
The best Instant Pot is the one that has all of the features you need. The brand currently manufactures five different models with varying features and functionality, from basic models to advanced models with built-in air frying capabilities. In general, the Instant Pot Duo seems to be the most popular, because it offers excellent value its the most affordable model but still cooks seven ways and has basic, intuitive controls. There are two new additions to the lineup: the Instant Pot Duo Plus, a model thats very similar to the Duo but has quiet release technology and an upgraded digital control panel, and the Instant Pot Crisp, which doubles as an air fryer.
Read Also: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Spup
Best Budget Pressure Cooker
If you’re looking for a basic, affordable multicooker from the top name in the industry, the Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is your best bet.
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Inner pot material: Nonstick
- Settings: pressure cook, sear/saute, steam, slow cook, sterilize, keep warm, ferment, plus 300+ preset programs in its menu
- Number of included recipes: 100s in the Instant Brands Connect App
- Extras: Extra sealing gasket, steam rack, steam basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid
Pros: Produced tender and juicy slow-cooked pork, builds pressure quickly, good browning, dishwasher-safe and metal utensil-safe stainless steel inner pot, Instant Pot app features 100s of recipes
Cons: Takes experimentation to get cooking times right, controls take some getting used to
The Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker comes in three, six, and eight-quart sizes and features a stainless steel inner pot, which most Instant Pots have. The Duo did okay in each test but excelled in our slow cooker test. The slow cooker pulled pork shredded effortlessly and had an excellent, juicy flavor. The pressure build was quick for the pressure-cooked pulled pork, but the pork was hard to shred. It seemed like it could have used 10 more minutes of pressure cooking.
Best Multitasking Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, air fryer, and sous vide machine all in one, making it one of the most useful and economical small appliances we tested.
- Capacity: 8 quarts
- Inner pot material: Stainless steel
- Settings: pressure cook, saute, slow cooker, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, keep warm
- Number of included recipes: 100s in the free Instant Brands Connect app
- Extras: Air fryer lid, air fryer basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid, broil/dehydrate tray, steam rack
Pros: Features air frying and sous vide cooking options, comes with an app with 100s of recipes, easy to set up and use, cooks rice in under 20 minutes
Cons: Tended to build pressure and heat up slowly, didn’t sear well
We tested three units that could air fry or sous vide, but only the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker could do both. The Duo Crisp comes with two lids: one for the usual multi-cooker activities and another with a built-in fan for air frying. And, an air fryer basket fits in the inner pot to allow for better airflow and flavorful browning. We air-fried frozen French fries and were impressed with how quickly they were ready and how crispy they tasted.
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Instant Pot Safety Features To Consider
All Instant Pots are made with at least 10 important safety features that aren’t always found on other types of cooking appliances. Several of the safety features are focused on maintaining safe pressure levels when using the pressure cooker setting. These multicookers detect if the lid is properly closed before pressurized cooking will begin. Leaks are also detected by the device in case the seal is installed incorrectly. This is to prevent food from scorching.
The lids on Instant Pots lock until the pressure dissipates so accidental opening isn’t an issue. The vent is designed to prevent blockages so the steam can’t reach levels that are too intense to keep you safe. When you set the temperature for the type of food you’re preparing, a thermostat that’s seated under the inner pot keeps the heat at a safe temperature. If the Instant Pot begins to overheat, it notifies you so you have the opportunity to turn it off before your food burns. In fact, if the temperature climbs too high, an integrated fuse shuts off the cooker’s power to keep your food, and your family, safe.
Each Instant Pot contains a built-in pressure control sensor, and it’s used to ensure the cooker stays within a safe range while your food is cooking. There’s a steam release in the lid of these multicookers that releases pent up steam when necessary, and there’s a back-up pressure release system built into the pots to provide extra safety support to the first pressure sensor.
Best Instant Pot Deals For November 2022
Are you shopping for Instant Pot deals? We found a good a selection of deals and the best prices for current Instant pot models. Cooking with Instant Pots has redefined pressure cooking and revolutionized home meal preparation. There are eight Instant Pot models and most are available in two or more sizes. Theres also an Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid that adds air frying to many 6-quart Instant Pot pressure cookers. Weve broken out the significant differences between the various Instant Pot model families below, and highlighted the best Instant Pot deals.
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