Are you the one who’s fed up with preparing time-consuming meals? Or do your family demand varieties of dishes every weekend?
In such a situation, the Instant Pot will turn out to be your best partner. It is capable of replacing the work of various utensils all by itself. Not only this, its accurate timer and temperature control feature will prepare your meal, a lot faster than the traditional methods.
Does this sound interesting? The information provided in the article will help you to know everything about these Instant Pots. But let’s start with the most obvious question you might be wondering about.
What is ‘Instant Pot’?
There’s no doubt, the Instant Pot will be the superstar of your kitchen. With this, you can cook almost limitless dishes without much hassle. All it demands is a click to the specific cooking program.
The numbers of cooking programs vary from model to model. It is up to you how many programs you’ll want to receive. However, some of the basic cooking programs of Instant Pots are mentioned below.
- Pressure cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Rice Cooker
- Steamer
- Warmer
Expecting something more and out of the box? Many top-notch Instant Pots come with advanced cooking programs such as sous vide machine, cake maker, and sterilizer. Having these arsenals in cooking will provide you with hassle-free cooking during family feasts and occasions.
Coming to the features that give this powerful utensil, a tag of smart device. The Instant Pots are equipped with a display screen, timers and other cooking settings for precise and most desirable results. And here is the most amazing part. Some of the top-notch Instant Pots even feature smart connectivity of Wifi and Bluetooth as well.
The Nutrients of the Food Remains Safe
It is just a myth that using a pressure cooker at a high temperature will reduce the food’s nutrients. Despite reducing the nutrients, the pressure cooker distributes the heat to every part of the dish evenly. The reason behind this is simple- steam contains a good amount of heat and they quickly travel to every region of the cooker.
In this process of cooking food, there’s no need to completely immerse the ingredients in water. Only a bit of water (one cup) to produce steam is more than enough.
The optimum amount of water will ensure that the nutrients don’t get dissolved in it. Additionally, the steam here acts like a shield that prevents mineralized water from getting oxidised to the open air.
With the Instant Pot, you’ll observe that the food hasn’t lost its flavour or taste at all.
Is Instant Pot Safe to Use?
Ensuring the utmost safety of the family is a no brainer. And the fear of kitchen accidents is one of the genuine reasons behind it.
Fortunately, the Instant Pot has a short yet remarkable history of supreme protection. It even constantly monitors the internal temperature rise while at work and prevents it from reaching the danger zone.
One of the most praisable safety features of this pot is its automatic lid detection and lid lock feature. This feature makes sure you’re committing no negligence. Even if you try to cook the pot with an open lid, it’ll just not work.
Similarly, you’ll not be able to open the lid of the pot until and unless the pressure has been released from the vault. Have you ever experienced a vault choke because the food particle got stuck? The Instant Pot’s vent removes all the food particles (if they get stuck) automatically. Thus, the steam is always released effortlessly and without impacting the health of the pot.
For powerful cooking ability, you get the choice to release the steam. You can choose either natural steam release or manual steam release according to the type of meal you’re preparing. However, it is advisable to let the steam be released by itself only to ensure a fully cooked meal.
Factors to Consider Before Making A Purchase: Buying Guide
The Instant Pot is not any other regular kitchen utensil that doesn’t require any inspections. Moreover, it’s a recent smart product equipped with multiple advanced features. To help you make the right purchase we’ve made a thorough buying guide.
Let’s have a look at it.
1. Choose the Most ideal Model:
Starting the buying guide with an interesting yet crucial factor, the model type. It’s no joke that Instant Pots are available in different models to serve different needs. And picking the wrong model might lead you to an unhealthy experience with the Instant Pot.
Some of the famous models provided by the Instant Pots are- Max, Ultra, Duo, Duo Plus, Lux, Viva, and Nova Plus. The names are not finished yet. You can also pick some of the high-end models too. The models like Aura and Aura Pro even facilitate you with Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Currently, the Instant Pot is available in 20 different models to pick among. Some of the most famous models on the list are-
- Instant Pot Max
- Instant Pot Ultra
- Instant Pot Duo
- Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Instant Pot Duo SV
- Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus
- Instant Pot Lux
- Instant Pot Duo Nova
- Instant Pot Viva
- Instant Pot Smart WiFi
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp+Air Fryer
However, don’t get confused. All the models serve the basic functionality of the Instant Pot. The only thing that makes them stand apart is the number of cooking programs and some other higher feats.
2. Maximum Capacity:
There’s no doubt why considering the size of any utensil is important for your family. Different houses have different numbers of family members. Thus, each of them also demands a different amount of food on the table.
This is why the complete Instant Pot range is available in three different sizes. These are- 3 quarts, 6 quarts, and 8 quarts. All of these are meant for different types of family sizes.
The three-quart Instant Pot is considered the perfect partner for your small family. You can easily cook for two to three people at a time.
On the other hand, the 6-quart cooker is made for medium-sized families. This is also a sweet spot if you’re feeling dizzy about the numbers of family members.
Finally, the 8 quart Instant Pot acts like a superstar for large families. It is also useful if you’re someone who loves to invite people to parties or family occasions.
3. Style:
Here comes your favourite part, picking the most stylish Instant Pot that fits your needs. Having a best in appearance pot is not mandatory, however, this might make a great difference.
Imagine, you’ve invested a tonne of money in your kitchen renovation and the Instant Pot doesn’t suit it. You surely would make delicious meals but your mind will remain unhappy for this sticky reason. Thus, you should pay a little attention to the appearance factor as well.
4. Display Screen:
The display screen is the first proof of the advancement of technology in most devices. And the same goes with the utensils as well. However, the display screen is not limited to the styles but also plays a significant role.
In the Instant Pot, the display screen provides you with the important status of the device. Information such as the current cooking program, the timer, and many other technicalities.
The bottom line here is that you should easily read the screen, even from a decent range. You can also pick among the models that come with display screens of black, blue, and red according to your vision.
5. Connectivity:
It’s so intriguing that even a cooking utensil provides you with connectivity options. And this makes the perfect reason why you would love to pick an Instant Pot with easy connectivity options.
Many smart Instant Pot models come with either smart Wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. There’ll be no need to spend all time roaming around the pot and worrying about the next step with this. The Wifi feature will also be beneficial if you can integrate it with Alexa or GThere’llat
6. More than Pressure Cooking:
The complete cooking consists mainly of pressure cooking and non-pressure cooking. And a general cooker is good with only pressure cooking. This is where the Instant Pots become so helpful, you can perform both types of cooking without any hassle.
Take a look at the cooking programs closely, most models are good at a particular type of cooking. Some of the pots like the Aura range even allow you to cook the meat with vacuum sealing and warm water as well. This special practice of cooking food is known as Sous Vide.
7. Budget:
It doesn’t matter how many factors we talk about, the price range will always be the most important factor. So how much do these insanely advanced utensils cost?
Fortunately, you can buy a decent Instant Pot within a range of $150. This amount is too low if we compare it with other smart kitchen devices.
However, the Instant Pots are available in a wide range of price tags. Here the lower limit begins around $70 and ends up at $200. This range depends on multiple factors such as size, connectivity of the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What do terms like 7-in-1 and 10-in-1 mean when we’re talking about Instant Pots?
Ans: These numbers tell us about the number of programs an Instant Pot has. And in other words, it’s also telling, an Instant Pot can replace these amounts of utensils on its own.
For eg- The Instant Pot Nova is a 7-in-1 model pot. Thus, you can use the pot as- cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer, food warmer, sauté pan and a curd maker as well.
2. Who manufactures Instant Pots?
Ans: This is one of the most common doubts people have regarding Instant Pots. The Instant Pot was much like an innovation, performed by a Canadian company in the early 2000s. However, currently, the Instant Pots are massively manufactured by a Chinese company, Midea Group.
3. What are the materials used in Instant Pots?
Ans: The main durability of the Instant Pot is ensured by stainless steel. The 18/8 food-grade 304 stainless steel is used in the manufacturing process.
An aluminium disc is also included for utmost conductions. However, the aluminium part is not indulged by the food in any way, ensuring healthy cooking for you.
The outer covering of the pot is mainly done with high-grade plastic or ceramic for a top-notch appearance.
4. Till how much time, the food remains warm in an Instant Pot?
Ans: There’s no accurate answer here. It depends on the factors like- type of food, outside weather, etc. However, in general, an Instant Pot will provide you with a warm meal for up to ten hours.
5. Are Instant Pot safe?
Ans: Talking about the current scenario, the Instant Pots ensure utmost cooking protection than any other smart utensil. Some of the safety features included in the pots are pressure sensors and a pressure-releasing valve.
6. What is the Slow Cook function in Instant Pot?
Ans: The slow cook function allows you to use the Instant Pot as a slow cooker. Here you can easily set up the timer for up to ten long hours and perfect temperature according to your needs.
7. How is the pressure handled?
Ans: The engineering that takes place in the Instant Pot is efficient and ensures zero worries. Its pressure sensor is the key element in managing the pressure of the pot. It is installed under the heating element.
This sensor takes care that the amount of pressure doesn’t exceed the safety limits. And whenever pressure increases above the desired level, it releases steam to return to normal.
Besides that, the built-in material of the pot is mostly high-grade steel. It provides the strength and durability to handle high-pressure steam.
Conclusion:
Considering an Instant Pot for your family is the best decision to ensure an easy and healthy lifestyle. You’ll save a tonne of time in cooking without compromising anyone’s health. Moreover, you get all these facilities without burdening your wallet. The Instant Pots cost the same as any other kitchen device.
The only thing you need to do is make some accurate decisions regarding the model and your cooking needs.
