For more than a decade, advancement in technology has made several tasks much easier to accomplish. These benefits also extend to the kitchenware industry, with appliances such as the multicooker making their way into the homes of millions of Americans.
Sadly, there’s a mushrooming number of multi cookers touted to be a perfect fit for your cooking needs and preference, which makes choosing the right product a bit tricky and overwhelming.
However, we’ve done the homework and carefully handpicked the best instant pot Test Kitchen to help homeowners create sumptuous meals.
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What does an Instant Pot do?
To start with, the instant pot is an electric pressure cooker. It is equipped with a proprietary locking lid that seals heat and raises the water temperature above the boiling point, which turns into steam. The steam is sealed inside the instant pot, creating pressure that makes it cook up to 10 times faster than a slow cooker or an oven.
Reviews of The Best Instant Pot Test Kitchen for Sale in 2021
Here are top rated instant pot for beginners TO BUY
Top 1 – Zavor LUX LCD 8 Quart Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker
The Zavor LUX LCD 8 Quart Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker is our top pick for the best instant pot – and for good reasons. This model has several cooking functions: Keep Warm, dessert, eggs, grains, yogurt, simmer, steam, brown, slow cook (High and low), pressure cook (High and low), and more to make cooking more convenient.
This functional unit is equipped with more than 33 programmable settings to cook your vegetables, soup, cheesecake, risotto, beans, meats, omelets – to mention a few. Another impressive feature of this electric multicooker is the rice setting that perfectly mimics the traditional rice cooker.
That’s not all: the Zavor LUX LCD 8 Quart Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker has a Flex mode to allow users to use this appliance as a traditional stockpot or a pressure cooker. Making yogurt at home can’t come any easier than this, with its simple-to-follow 2-step process.
Furthermore, each of these food settings has a specific cooking temperature, time, and pressure level to guarantee the best results. This instant pot cooks three times faster and has a panel that includes a mute feature for a beep-free cooking experience.
The Zavor LUX LCD 8 Quart Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker comes with an LCD screen featuring handy icons like cooking callout, preheating, preheating bar, and lock icon for easy navigation.
Pros:
- 1-year warranty
- Ten cooking functions
- 30+ programmable settings
- Interactive LCD screen
- Stainless steel inner cooking pot
Cons:
- Durability issues
Top 2 – GoWISE USA GW22623 8-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Our runner-up is the GoWISE USA GW22623 8-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker that cooks faster than the traditional stovetop cooking. Also, we find cooking with this appliance easy since all you’ve to do is touch a button.
Even better, this product has up to 12 cooking programs: Soup, Multigrain, steam, egg maker, poultry, yogurt, bean/chili, slow cook, Rice, Multigrain, porridge, and saute. With such a variety of cooking functions, this model can easily replace up to 9 kitchen appliances. Also, the cooking modes take out the guesswork and guarantee excellent results.
That’s not all: this appliance comes with a built-in 24-hour delay timer and an auto Keep Warm function to ensure you serve your meal hot. The GoWISE USA GW22623 8-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker includes several accessories such as a stainless steel rack, stainless steel basket, measuring cup, and rice spoon to let you do more with this electric pressure cooker.
Even better, the manufacturer included 50 Starter pressure cooker recipes to ensure you get the most out of this cooking appliance.
Pros:
- Secure pressure release
- 9-in-1 multifunction cooker
- 1-year purchase and free lifetime support
- It comes with necessary accessories
Cons:
- The nonstick performance could be better
Top 3 – Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7in1 Pressure Cooker
Need a versatile cooking appliance? The Instant Pot DUO60 does not fall short of its promises. This product is built to replace seven cooking appliances, including a food warmer, yogurt maker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute pan, electric pressure cooker, and steamer.
What’s more? It’s equipped with 13 Smart Touch customizable programs for a quick one-touch cooking experience. These programs guarantee that this appliance cooks your food at a specific temperature, time, and pressure level.
Besides, this unit is easy and quick to clean up, thanks to its dishwasher-safe accessories, inner pot and lid, and stainless steel, finger-print resistant sides. More so, it comes with several safety features such as a safe-locking lid and overheats protection to prevent accidents and impressive durability.
The 8Qt cooking capacity is enough to feed up to 8 hungry people, making it perfect for small to medium-sized families. The inner pot is made with 18/8 food-grade stainless steel and a tri-ply bottom that delivers even heat distribution. Also, the manufacturer offers hundreds of recipes to explore new delicious meals using the free Instant Pot app on Android and iOS.
Pros:
- Easy and quick cleanup
- 14 built-in smart programs
- Ten proven safety mechanisms
- 7-in-1 programmable cooker
Cons:
- Customer service could be better
Top 4 – Multicooker Perfection: Cook It Fast or Cook It Slow-You Decide
Next on our list is a recipe cookbook to help you get the most out of your instant pot. The Multicooker Perfection contains several foolproof recipes that can be made on any multicooker using the slow-cooker and pressure-cook settings.
We also loved that the overall cooking time for each recipe when using any of the methods was included. This cookbook is perfect for making weeknight-friendly dishes and world-class roasts and a couple of unexpected things such as buffalo chicken wings, Boston brown bread, or strawberry jam.
Pros:
- A collection of foolproof recipes
- Easy to follow instructions
- Ideal for beginners
Cons:
- A couple of mistakes
Top 5 – Pressure Cooker Perfection: Cookbook
If you hate the hurdles of going through pages and pages of a cookbook’s introduction, the Pressure Cooker Perfection is the way to go. This cookbook by ATK summarizes this long, mind-numbing introduction into two short page chapters that introduce the basic information in a precise, concise manner.
This cookbook starts with an introduction and advances into short sections that explain the working principles of a pressure cooker, how to use it, a buying guide, as well as tips and troubleshooting.
Also, it discusses basic recipes to make rice and grains, meat, beans, vegetables, and varieties of broths. This book’s recipe section includes Fast and Easy Suppers; Soups, Stews, and Chilis; Indoor Barbecue; and Sides; One-Pot Pasta and Pasta Sauces; and Big Roasts and Fancy Meals.
Keep in mind, the Pressure Cooker Perfection: 100 Foolproof Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook is best for meat-centric people, as most recipes contain meat. What we love about this cookbook is its well-designed pages with full-color photographs.
Pros:
- Well written, well-organized cookbook
- More than 60 recipes
- Precise cooking parameters: temperature and time
Cons:
- Very meat-centric
how to choose an instant pot
Size
Instant pot offers four different sizes of multi cookers from 3 to 6, 8 and 10 quart. However, not every model will be available in this size option. Some models come in only one size. More importantly, the size of an instant pot to go for should depend on the number of people you intend to feed.
- 3Qt: ideal for cooking side dishes, rice, or meals for three servings
- 6Qt: suitable for cooking meals for a family of 6
- 8Qt: great for preparing meals for a large family
- 10Qt: perfect for making meals for a hungry crowd
However, most cookbooks use the small-sized 6-quart Instant Pot as a standard.
Liner material
There are various liner materials. However, the stainless steel liner is a common option since it is dishwasher safe and stands up to rigors of repeated use. Some products feature nonstick coating inserts for easy food release and hassle-free cleanup.
The liner material might chip or scratch; therefore, you should use it with extra caution. Regardless, you should be careful about the kind of liner you opt for and practice proper maintenance.
Number of cooking options
Most instant pots come with several cooking settings, which is expected since they are multi cookers. So, the best instant pot ATK should allow you to do more with the appliance. Finding a versatile product shouldn’t be difficult, as most instant pots are equipped with yogurt making, steaming, slow cooking, air frying, including a keep warm option.
Safety features
The best instant pot should come with some safety features considering the piping-hot steam and buildup pressure. Almost all instant pots feature a locking lid to guarantee the pressure is safely locked in the appliance and a valve stem to release the steam to ease the pressure building up. Above all, the appliance should be equipped with heat-resistant materials.
FAQS
1.Which is better: Instant Pot Duo or ultra?
If you need a reasonably priced and easy-to-use multicooker, the Instant Pot Duo is the way to go. But for a larger, fancier appliance with more cooking function, the Instant Pot Ultra will live up to your expectations.
2.What are the pros and cons of an instant pot?
Pros: saves time, affordable, cooks faster, easy to use, and free up more countertop space
Cons: likely venting issues, error messages sometimes, and durability concerns
3. Why do I want an instant pot?
- Fewer dishes to wash
- More cooking options with just one appliance
- Delivers tasty and flavorful dishes
- Easy to cook your favorite meal
4.Why pressure cooker rice is not good for health?
Pressure cookers are used for cooking rice, which exposes your food to a harmful element, acrylamide, associated with several life-threatening diseases. More so, eating rice cooked by this appliance might lead to obesity.
Conclusion
When trying to pin down the right Instant Pot pressure cooker by ATK to splurge on, you must consider the factors discussed in this post to ensure you make an informed decision. More importantly, you should look out for the type of screen and the number of presets it has before making a choice.
When you make that right choice, you will need a cookbook to help you start using your new cooking beast. So, check out one of the two included instant pot cookbooks for tips and instructions.