After cooking more than 68 pounds of meat and 26 pounds of beans over two months, here’s what we learned.
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Should You Buy a Multicooker? | America's Test Kitchen (S24 E7)
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I am single and own a 3 quart instant pot. I use it multiple times a week. I find it much less intimidating than my old Presto pressure cooker. I don’t think it replaces an oval slow cooker, but it does well for small quantities.
Nice to have but I simply don't have the space to store it when not in use due to space on the counter is a premium in my apt. Cabinet space is also in short supply. But I've been told that they can be a game changer along with an air fryer. I backed off of consuming rice significantly so my large rice cooker that I've have for over 20 years could get retired since it doesn't get used and replaced by one of these. Something to think about.🤔🤔
This 76-year-old just bought an Instant Pot and I cannot stop using it. I make beans almost every week (I eat a plant-based diet). I always have at least a half dozen containers of heritage dried beans and boy, is it fast to make them in the Instant Pot. I still soak my beans because I find that it makes for a more consistently tender bean. I also make my own hummus (recently ordered 18 pounds of dried chickpeas) so again, the Instant Pot to the rescue. I've used it for lasagna and my morning oats. It is amazing … it saves time and money (since I don't have to use 2 or 3 hours worth of gas to heat the oven or the stove burner.) I bought the 6 quart because I'm just cooking for 2 people.
Okay so what I want to know, is that before I saw this video, the previous recommended model of multi cooker, went out of production some time ago. Is this video an update to the previous one, and is this model actually being sold right now? Also, is the seer function improved over previous models? Because the model I have right now, while it works okay, does not get very hot on the Sears setting. I'm thinking seriously of trading it in for a model with more powerful sear function. The other problem I have with the multi cookers, is that I have never, ever been able to cook rice effectively in one. It either comes out two waterlogged, too dry, or badly undercooked or overcooked. For right now, I have totally given up trying to cook rice in an instant pot. It has never worked for me. Perhaps I'll check out the website and see if there is a recipe and proper method, with proper amounts of water given, for doing rice in the instant pot. But so far, I have not been able to crack that code.
I have had the Instant Pot Pro 8QT for just over a year and LOVE IT. Highly recommend!
These videos are more like a commercial anymore than an actual comparison and testing. 😕
I find the pressure cooker to be very intimidating. So i'm not getting one.
I’ve had a Breville version for years and love it. However I don’t use the slow cooker because I like to look into a glass lid to see the progress, so I use my $29 version. The first time I used the pressure cooker setting was to make mushroom risotto. It was so delicious.
I had the Crock Pot Express. It died in about six months. Currently I use the Instant Pot Pro Crisp 8qt with air fryer lid. It's great. It has a pressure cooker lid also. I'm cooking spaghetti in it today.
Maybe I’m old-fashioned. I like my stovetop pressure cooker, my Dutch Oven, my nonstick sauté & frying pans, my countertop rice cooker. I don’t need yet another appliance. When scientists develop a dishwasher that also puts away the dishes, I’ll be the first one in line 😉
They should review ChefIQ smart cooker. It’s a game changer and mostly kept as a secret.
Hmm I still don’t see much of a point but everyone Keeps recommending me these
6 quarts…8 quarts… I'm single, and I occasionally cook for two. What am I going to do with such large appliances? Here's hoping for a little more focus on what seems an overlooked but significant portion of the population.
I got the 6 qt. InstantPot, then the 8 qt. (to do bigger recipes, like Grandma's Vegetable Soup). I thought the 3 qt. was silly until I found one for less than $10 at Goodwill–now it's my favorite! You definitely need at least one!
I have 2 older model IP's – a 3QT I found at a thrift store in great condition and 6QT I found in clearance at Walmart for like $50 years ago. I use them both a few times a month – love to make big batch of rice and beans that I freeze for easy add on's to meals during the month. 🙂
My instant pot has a sous vide button. JEALOUS!?
I've used mine to boil down to syrup the liquid from the canned green beans, in a couple cases from a #10 can. I was fast and had the safety of shutting off when the liquid got low. Also good to boil down to concentrate flavors from other cooking methods. I learned the value of boiling down from a Cooks Illustrated recipe for Carnitas back in the the '90s (I think)
The Wife had to have one. She's never used it once.
Thank you for this review! I just bought the Instant Pot Pro but the 6QT model. I can't wait to try it out!
weird, the Ninja Foodi pretty much invented this category and isnt here? My original Foodi is long in the tooth by now and I was just looking for ugrades
We have the Ninja Foodi, and that thing is a beast!
I had the Breville multi cooker for years before it died and loved it! I can’t speak to the current model, but in the older version the lid was removable for easy cleaning. I replaced it with ATK’s winner but I don’t find it to be as useful. I had had horrible luck slow cooking in the Instant Pot that I don’t even bother.
Love my Instant Pot!
My kitchen is too small and my pressure cooker triples as a stock pot, boiler etc
I just purchased a new rocker knob, for my “old-fashioned” Presto pressure cooker. (I use it so often, I wore the old one to the point of no return. 😅) Seriously though, I will continue to use it, but I am getting the InstantPot PRO, for my son.
The pro, and only the pro, can also function as a canner.
Hopefully after this session people will stop calling it an “Instapot”! Smmfh.
I just don’t think the slow cooker food tastes as good as braising or cooking on the stovetop, not sure why
I remember seeing this months ago.
I love when y'all test things.
Thank you guys !!
I just got the instant 8 quart pot
The Instantpot with the air fryer built in is awesome. I use mine to put a nice brown color on chicken, give smashed potatoes good crunchy edges, etc. It cooks potatoes in about 20 min, "slow-cooked" stew in about 45 min. I just can't say enough good about it.
I bought the 6qt Insignia brand from Bestbuy 3 years ago for $30 and love it. It does everything I need it to do. Makes great soup.
My instapot is definitely a game changer in my kitchen! Was always “afraid” of using them until I wasn’t. Definitely worth investing in one!
I have a 3 qt. Just me, it's big enough. I use it to slow cook more than pressure cook. What I use it for most is yogurt. When making yogurt you can fill it up to say an inch of the top. Yogurt doesn't boil so it's not going to overflow.
I have an insta pot and it's a life saver for a one pot meal when you go out for a few hours and come back and dinners are done.Love mine. Thank for the info I love when ATK updates us on what's the best product to buy
The instant pot pro has a very badly designed user interface. Too many beeps, too many steps. Lots of useless options & buttons. The dial is silly and should give me control of the heat level at all times, but doesn't. t's a little underpowered compared to my old 8qt duo, and the lid started collecting water between the layers of metal after a couple years. Having said that, I do like it, but I think it could be much better.
Why Vernacular not in the list?
Couple years late on this one, aren’t you?
3:33 or you can get a previous year model with no LCD screen for about $60 with a stainless pot too
I have 3 instant pot products, I dropped my air fryer basket and broke the clear view window. When I called to buy a new basket they sent me a whole new air fryer for free as mine was still under warranty. Just had to send the old one back at no cost to me.