Pressure Cooking Showdown: Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker

Cooking has always been a priority for home cooks and foodie cooking lovers. There are many other things to keep us occupied throughout the day cooking doesn’t have to be part of it. While, in order to evaluate between Instant pot vs Pressure cooker. We are here with a brief but informative comparison between these two.

Also flick through: Is Fried Rice Healthy? How to cook delicious fried rice?

Here’s What You Should Know About Instant Pot

If you are looking for a multicooker that has excessive roles then Instant Pot can be the best choice for you. Because it includes pressure cooking, sautéing, air fry food, and steaming.

Back in 2010, when the first ever Instant Pot was introduced. The main reason why people were attracted to Instant Pot is that it was designed to cook food quicker than an oven or stovetop. It can cook a six-hours long cooker recipe down to 45 minutes. Instant pots come in a variety of sizes ranging from 3-quart to 8-quart with tons of different models.

There are many ways to cook things faster today. But the Pressure cooker is at the top of the list as it was a few of the first real-time savers in the kitchen. Instant Pot is somehow an upgraded version of the traditional cooker. The Instant Pot and the standard electric pressure cooker are great countertop cooking choices. The difference between the 2 is essential while deciding which one to buy.

Are Instant Pots safe Or Are They Still Dangerous?

There are tons of horror stories regarding pressure cooker-related misfortunes. To wonder about the safeness of Instant Pots is absolutely natural. Above all, an Instant Pot is just a pressure cooker with a set of additional features!


Basically, an Instant Pot is made up of unstained steel from the inner, a lid with lots of safety mechanisms, it also has a silicone gasket to prevent steam from escaping.


Instant Pot also has a floating valve as an additional safety feature that pops up to indicate when it’s not safe to open the lid.

Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker

The basic difference between Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker is that these pressure cookers and instant pots have different capacities to produce pressure. The pressure that is produced inside helps the food to get ready faster.

An Instant pot does not produce as much pressure as a pressure cooker. A typical cooker is better at this job than an Instant Pot, especially for this purpose.  

It can produce a higher force. Thus an Instant Pot has the advantage of being able to cook in several ways. In short, both these great cooking appliances have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Which is better among both of the cookers? 

If you’re thinking which one is the better choice between Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker, ill say the one that suits your cooking style and the one you are comfortable with is the best as both have strengths and weaknesses. 

Have a look here to know further and figure out what’s best for different ways of cooking.

1. Cook Slowly 

Most commercial pressure cookers have just one feature in their settings, and the one feature is cooking with the help of high pressure. A pressure cooker generally requires less than an hour

When you are willing to boil something for a long time, the Instant Pot is the way to go. Instant Pot has several settings and can use in different ways. 

2. Fast Cooking 

There are about the same amount of instant pots and pressure cookers. So what you want to buy depends on your need. The general quick cook mechanism works equally well in both appliances. 

3. User friendly  

The pressure cooker and the Instant Pot use aren’t that complex. However, a simple pressure cooker is a little easier. There is only one option, so all you have to do is fill the stove with food and water and turn it on. 

Instant Pots need to be programmed before use. Using the right settings is the key to getting the desired results for your diet. Food can burn or be undercooked if ventilation is not set accurately. 

4. Sound 

Both the Instant Pot and the electric pressure cooker make noise. The Instant Pot gives a high-pitched beep to let you know when it’s turned on, when pressure is reached, and when the timer runs out. As it releases steam, it produces a severe hissing sound. On the other hand, even an electric pressure cooker makes noise.  

Some make a gentle hissing sound during cooking as excess steam escapes. It can also generate a beep if it has a built-in timer. In general, both electric pressure cookers and instant pots produce similar sounds. 

5. Adaptability/ Multipurpose Use

Instant Pot is a more versatile cooking method. Multiple settings in an Instant Pot can cook almost anything. A pressure cooker only is capable of cooking food by producing high pressure. 

6. Cost/ Price 

Instant Pots contain higher prices as compared to old standard pressure cookers. The reason for this cost gap is the technology amount used in an Instant Pot. 

Pros and Cons of an Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker

Pros and Cons of a Pressure Cooker: 

Pros:

  • Fast cooking with a lot of moisture 
  • Often cheaper in comparison to an Instant Pot 
  • Flexible/ Adaptable Use (preset temperature) 
  • Multiple recipes present on the Internet 

Cons:   

  • Can cooking only in one way 
  • Not so many setting options 

Pros and Cons of an Instant Pot 

Pros 

  • Wide range of cooking techniques 
  • High customized settings 
  • Many options and settings are available 

Cons

  • An Instant Pot costs much higher than a standard cooker because of its multiple features.

Final Personal Thoughts  

I am in love with Instant Pot and will never replace it with the pressure cooker. It is very convenient, and the most important thing it does not terrifies like the stovetop version. Using it just by inserting your favorite things and turning on the power is very attractive. 

Conclusion: 

To figure out what’s the best option for you. You have to select between an Instant Pot vs Pressure Cooker. 

When you are looking for an adaptable gadget for yourself, then in this situation, an Instant Pot is the best option to be considered.  

If you only want to use pressure for cooking, a standard pressure cooker is a much more reliable option, as it is easier to use and budget-friendly

The mightiest differentiation between the two is an Instant Pot is used for multipurpose. No doubt it’s a bit costly, but it can be a smart choice and an excellent investment. Only if you are well aware and can use it to your benefit. 

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