In this article, we will look at the Instant Pot pros and cons as a way of helping you make a well- informed decision in the event you are thinking of buying one.
Just like anything out there, it has its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages and I will cover some of the major ones here.
Since its introduction onto the market, the Instant Pot has sold well over 10 million units and has become a household name in the kitchen appliances space.
These amazing sales figures have also been driven by happy users of the Instant Pot who then recommend it to others.
This article, however, is not one where I hero-worship the Instant Pot as the end all and be all of the electric pressure cookers.
I am going to take an objective look at both the pros and cons of this device in order to help you better understand it. Without further due, let’s get into the Instant Pot pros and cons.
The Pros
Let’s kick things off with the good stuff. The Instant Pot has a lot of amazing features and these have played a large part in the popularity of this kitchen device.
1. Multi-Purpose (Slow & Pressure Cooker)
One of the biggest advantages of the Instant Pot is that it is both a slow and pressure cooker meaning that you don’t have to buy 2 separate devices in order to get the best of both worlds.
This not only offers great convenience but saves a lot of money and kitchen counter space.
If you have ever wondered why anyone would ever want to slow cook their food, one of the major advantages of slow cooking is that the flavour in food develops more fully. The Instant Pot gives you the best of both worlds.
2. Automation
The other big advantage of the Instant Pot has to be the ability to automate a lot of functions. Coming with a number of pre-sets for cooking different types of food, it is a set and forget device.
With manual, stovetop pressure cookers, you would need to be present at specific stages of the cooking process to perform specific tasks but the Instant Pot can be set to do everything automatically and all you need to do is open it up and serve the food.
3. In-Built Safety Features
The Instant Pot comes with 10 inbuilt safety features that minimize the risk of accidents happening. Because of the nature in which pressure cookers operate, there is a high risk because of the pressure that is built up inside them.
If not done correctly, certain stages of the cooking process can cause serious injury to the user such as third-degree burns.
The 10 safety features built into the Instant Pot acknowledge that most pressure cooker accidents like explosions are due to user negligence and are therefore meant to curtail this.
4. No Need to Defrost
You can throw frozen meat straight into the Instant Pot without the need to defrost it prior to cooking. Bear in mind that this will take an additional 5 to 10 minutes so, you need to take account of this when calculating your cooking time.
5. Cooks Rice Perfectly
The Instant Pot has also been touted as a great rice cooker and this is definitely a fact. The set and forget nature of the Instant Pot means that all you need to do is put in the ingredients and select the rice function and it will cook the rice for you perfectly and keep it warm for up to 8 hours.
6. Can Make Yoghurt
This is one of the popular functions of the Instant Pot. You can make a delicious, healthy treat for yourself and the kids using the yogurt function in the Instant Pot.
The Cons
The Instant Pot has a host of other advantages but I have covered the major ones here. Now we want to look at some of the not so desirable aspects of the Instant Pot.
1. Sauté Function
The Instant Pot comes with a sauté function so you can brown your meat during the cooking process. It’s an advantage because you don’t need to switch between pots when preparing dishes.
The disadvantage of the Instant Pot in comparison to its stovetop counterpart is that the heat in an Instant Pot does not get as high as on a stovetop pressure cooker so the meat won’t be as brown in an Instant Pot.
2. Even Though it’s Automated, do not Leave Alone
This can qualify as both a con and a safety tip. As already stated before, one of the Instant Pot’s greatest advantages is the automation.
This coupled with the in-built safety features means that you get amazing convenience. It is, however, not advised to leave the house when the pressure inside the Instant Pot has built up.
This point has been listed as a con because one of the biggest marketing points of the pressure cooker is the “set and forget” aspect which, unfortunately, has led to unsafe practices like leaving the house while the pressure is built up or set it to automatically start cooking while you are away at work,
for example. Though great care has been put into making sure that the Instant Pot is as safe as possible, mishaps can happen and it is best for you to be present in the event that they do.
3. Builds up Pressure Slower Than Traditional Pressure Cooker
The heating element on the Instant Pot does not generate as much heat as a stove and, will, therefore, build up pressure much slower than a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. This means that cooking time, when stacked up against a stovetop pressure cooker, will be longer.
4. Can be Susceptible to User Negligence
With all the safety features that have been built into it, the Instant Pot is not 100% safe because it can be prone to user negligence.
Even though this is not something that can be directly attributed to the Instant Pot itself, it’s worth mentioning as a con because people tend to view the Instant Pot as the perfectly safe device and therefore don’t exercise caution.
Final Words on the Pros and Cons of Instant Pot
So, in summary, there are advantages and disadvantages to the Instant Pot which you need to put into consideration and see if this is something that meets your needs.
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As far as convenience is concerned, it is definitely a great device to have in the kitchen and will save you a lot of time and effort.
I hope this article has helped you come to a place where you can make a more informed decision when it comes to purchasing the Instant Pot. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments in the comments section.