Bought a new Instant Pot, returned it for another model

[DrQ]

I've been on a diet where I have to eat a LOT of chicken breast. I have been using the heck out of my trusty multi-cooker (Zavor) to quickly cook fresh and frozen chicken breasts as well as fish fillets. I love the Zavor LUX unit, which is actually branded as Fagor, but Fagor went bankrupt and re-emerged as Zavor and use it regularly. I want something with some caramelization, so I also used the convection oven to bake the chicken too. I'm lazy and want the ability to make things in smaller batches with less heating of the kitchen, since it's just the two of us.

I started looking at multi-cookers which also have air-fryer attachments. The two brands that seemed to stand out were:

• Ninja Foodi
• Instant Pot

I was leaning towards the Ninja Foodi, which you can buy on Amazon, but when I went to the Ninja site, their pressure cookers are no longer shown, so that tells me that they are discontinued.

I decided on Instant Pot's latest model, the Instant Pot® Duo™ Crisp™ 6.5-quart with Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker and Air Fryer. I had seen some issues:

• Inner pressure lid has a plastic tab which can be broken with rough handling
• 6.5 quart pot form factor is wide and short so many accessories do not fit
• The pressure safety latch can jam, locking the food inside (there are YouTube vids on how to unlock the lid)
• The inner pressure lid gasket is not replaceable

I liked it because of the "all-in-one" design, whereas the other product has a seperate air-fryer lid which changes out with the pressure lid and you have to find storage for it when not in use.

The Instant Pot® Duo™ Crisp™ 6.5-quart has no manual release button, it is electronic. It is nice that you can program on a quick release that automatically happens at the end of the cooking cycle. Also, the heating element for the air-fryer/oven is directly exposed when the pressure plate is removed. The other thing I don't like about it is that the hinge for the lid is in the back, so it will hit any overhead cabinets. The Ninja Foodi had the hinge on the side to avoid this issue.

I finally decided that I could live with everything, except for:

• The inner pressure lid gasket is not replaceable

That was the deal breaker. I'm processing the Amazon return and I bought the Instant Pot® Duo Crisp™ + Air Fryer 8-quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker.

 

[DrQ]

I just found this puppy:

Zavor 8 in 1 Air Fryer Lid for 6Qt & 8Qt Stovetop Pressure Cookers, Multicookers, Instant & Stock Pots | with Accessories: Stainless Steel Frying Basket, Silicone Mat, Cooking Tongs & Recipe eBook​

I could use this with my existing multi-cooker.

Hmmmmmm.

 

[DrQ]

Just to add, my other gripe with the Instant Pot's latest model, the Instant Pot® Duo™ Crisp™ 6.5-quart with Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker:

Even though there is a "Steam" setting, since there is no manual release of the pressure valve, it is cooking under pressure until the end of the cycle. With my other multi-cooker, I steam with the pressure valve open. You can't do that with the Instant Pot® Duo™ Crisp™ 6.5-quart with Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker

 

[geist1223]

Patti has an Instant Pot that is about 6 years old. Gets used once every couple months. She also has an air fryer that she uses once or twice per year. We do not believe in the multi-function cooking devices. Jack of all trades master of none.

 

[jp10558]

IDK I went with old fashioned stovetop Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers. They work great as a pressure cooker.

 

[DeniseM]

I love my Instant Pot - this time of year I'm using it multiple times a week to avoid using the oven. Tonight I cooked a pork loin and it turned out moist and tender.

 

[DrQ]

IDK I went with old fashioned stovetop Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers. They work great as a pressure cooker.

I had a 6-qt fissler stove top pressure cooker which I used a lot. I gave it to youngest DD when I bought my first multi-cooker. She hasn't used it, I think she's afraid of it . I think if you live at a high altitude, they may be superior and I think they have a higher pressure when cooking, but I don't find the additional time a factor.

I love the convenience of the electric multi-cookers with their "set and forget" logic with built in timer. Plus it frees up a burner.

When we were married, we received a 4 qt aluminum MirroMatic pressure cooker as a wedding gift:

We didn't have a clue of how to use it PI (pre-internet ) When using it as a regular pot, it stained like crazy and I made the mistake of putting it in the dish washer

 

[TheHolleys87]

I had a 6-qt fissler stove top pressure cooker which I used a lot. I gave it to youngest DD when I bought my first multi-cooker. She hasn't used it, I think she's afraid of it . I think if you live at a high altitude, they may be superior and I think they have a higher pressure when cooking, but I don't find the additional time a factor.

I love the convenience of the electric multi-cookers with their "set and forget" logic with built in timer. Plus it frees up a burner.

When we were married, we received a 4 qt aluminum MirroMatic pressure cooker as a wedding gift:

We didn't have a clue of how to use it PI (pre-internet ) When using it as a regular pot, it stained like crazy and I made the mistake of putting it in the dish washer

I had one of those stovetop pressure cookers, as did my mother. Hers worked fine on her gas stove, but I had electric burners (in the 1990s) and was never sure the pressure was consistent as the burners cycled on and off. Now I love my Instant Pot, although it’s an older model so doesn’t try to air fry. I also have a smaller IP that has the Yogurt function, which I use frequently, too.

 

[dazzlingheart]

I love my Instant Pot - this time of year I'm using it multiple times a week to avoid using the oven. Tonight I cooked a pork loin and it turned out moist and tender.

I just made chili in mine. Delicious, yum

 

[DrQ]

Favorite one pot quick meal:

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 each med onion, chopped fine
1 each green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces
1 each jar (25-ounce) pasta sauce
31⁄2 cups water
1 lb ziti
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper

Directions
1. BUILD FLAVOR: Heat oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in sausage,
onion, and bell pepper and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink, about 5
minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and ziti.
2. HIGH PRESSURE FOR 5 MINUTES: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over
medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes,
adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
3. QUICK RELEASE PRESSURE: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid,
allowing steam to escape away from you.
4. BEFORE SERVING: Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until pasta is
tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.