Is the Instant Pot Worth It? - The Kitchen Gadget Test Show

On today's episode of the Kitchen Gadget Test Show, Esther Choi is testing out the Instapot. This thing is so popular right now, is it worth all the hype??
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[@donnalynn2]

The instant pot has changed my life. I have literally been able to make things I never attempted before because I'm disabled and cannot stand for hours in the kitchen over the stove. Everything I have made has been so simple, flavorful and my husband cannot get over the wonderful food waiting for him after a long day at work. I have made beef stew for him several times which turned out incredible but it's not going to happen in 15 minutes. Yes they take time to reach preassure but as someone who grew up in the 70s I remember those old pressure cookers. Whenever my mom would get ready to release the pressure she made sure all is kids were out of the kitchen. I grew up so afraid of the things. You won't get me within 100 feet of a regular one. These are safe and comparing it to a standard one isn't fair. How about testing it out for how it's intended?

[@linhint6434]

Very true. People like myself grew up afraid of the things, but the biggest issue was that people would force the lid off instead of letting the steam escape out of the pressure hole until the hissing stopped. They would get impatient. I did this once-I think I was cooking rice or something. Not good! Now I just wait a minute or two for the pressure to escape when it's done and the lid screws off really easily. They've also redesigned them to make them safer. My friends swear by their Instant Pots, though. So glad you're able to make such delicious meals for your hubby. There's nothing like the smell of beef stew after a long day of work. I hope you have a great day!

[@myragold3213]

Just say your mother exaggerated... Just turn the fire off to pressurise and 10 minutes later ready.

[@felixb381]

Idk sounds to me like youre still afraid of the old pressure cooker models, we use normal pressure cookers everyday and you just need to wait 5 or 10 min after youre done cooking then release the rest of the steam

[@OUSWKR]

I feel that the instant pot offers another layer of safety that a traditional pressure cooker does not have. I love the fact I can put stuff in it and go about my routine till it’s done. For me it’s not about the time savings as much as the convenience of not having to babysit it.

[@trevormerivale6882]

I'm wondering if having 2 would be ideal, a pressure canner/stove top pressure cooker as well as having an instant pot? What are your thoughts on that one? I'm interested in learning the art of canning, which I believe the stove top does well but the instant pot isn't good for it, which is why I think the stove top for me would be ideal, but also having the instant pot for cooking and leaving unattended while I go about my day

[@ellielopez1615]

That’s what she said.

[@d.bcooper2271]

It explodes

[@CaptBill-rj4oe]

Just more to go wrong. Use a regular pressure cooker on the stove. Much, much better.

[@MikeLandwolf]

Why would You baby sit a pressure cooker? You have to flip food inside or what. Just turn on the timer and turn the gas off. Thats it

[@Shahrdad]

In my family, we've used real pressure cookers for decades. Stovetop pressure cookers reach a higher pressure (15 PSI) which results in much hotter water inside. Electric cookers only reach 10-12 PSI, which results in a lower temp and a longer cooking time. Also, a stovetop pressure cooker can be removed from the stove and allow to depressurize naturally in 5 to ten minutes, which is much better when cooking beans or meat, whereas an Instant Pot can take up to 40 minutes to depressurize. Also, a stovetop cooker can be taken to the sink, have cool water run over the lid, which causes it to depressurize very quickly, which is useful when cooking things like risotto. This is much faster than opening the steam vent.

[@felixb381]

Damn, i was really thinking of buying one, id go crazy if i have to wait more than 10 min for it to release steam, thx for writing all that

[@rocodiaz5221]

I really appreciate this comment! Thank you!

[@Shahrdad]

@@rocodiaz5221 Fissler makes by far the very best stovetop pressure cookers, and on their website, they often have good sales on them.

[@techdavis]

Instant Pot cooks at 11 psi. Stovetop pressure cooker at 15, so the instant pot will take longer. But... you don’t have to let it come to pressure and turn it down, you don’t have to monitor it to ensure it’s simmering. You don’t even have to watch the time; it will switch to keep warm and slowly depressurize automatically at the end of cooking. I have both, but I only use the instant pot anymore. Convenience wins.

[@migch28]

Great point!

[@User-cb4jm]

100% agreed. I’d rather 25 minutes of automatic pressurising, cooking and heat modulation while I clean up the kitchen or load the dishwasher than 15 minutes of constant babysitting. And this doubles as a slow cooker and rice cooker if you don’t use those frequently.

[@kittymaui]

how about the taste difference between the two?

[@nolanmartin3573]

"A little bit of oil to saute the meat" *Glug glug glug*

[@jawtek82]

Exactly. A couple of tablespoons, but she pours in half a cup or more.

[@jerryjaena8513]

"Two shots of vodka"

[@naturally_nikki]

Right?!?!

[@Chippathingy]

This right here!

[@jackpchan]

was thinking of the same hahaha

[@notarookee778]

At age 71 I’ve use a true pressure cooker over 50 years. I’ve also tried 2 different Instant Pots. The first one broke after a couple months of use the pressure valve disintegrated. I return the second one to the store and I decided that this was just not for me. I was surprised by this review/comparison as I figured she’d favor the new version which was not the case.

[@230608grace]

Funny true story. My husband had his parents visiting from Europe. He borrowed my mother's pressure cooker and wanted to do chili with red kidney beans. Thank goodness I was at work. This is 30 years ago. He always knew everything about Everything. He put all the ingredients from the recipe into the pot. Started it and waited, and waited, and waited. You guessed right. I got home when the MESS was just about cleaned up. The cover blew off and the chilli made it to the walls and ceiling. I just purchased an instant pot because I NEVER felt safe using a pressure cooker (my mom's) ever. We celebrated our 50th anniversary. The good news was that I got the kitchen re-painted.

[@walksoflifesixnine]

It's not a fair comparison in this case. 1: She set the saute setting too low. Honestly, the saute setting at anything other than high with beef is pretty much useless! 2: With the much lower initial heat especially considering she used the low setting, of course it is going to take longer to come up to pressure. 3: The standard cooker she used was MUCH larger than the IP she used. Pressure cooking 101 is that the more room you have in the pot for steam, the more effective the cooking will be. It does look like she is using the 8quart IP, but the standard PC she used was enormous. 4: I'm not saying the IP is perfect, just that this was not a fair comparison really.

[@jenniferpickner3796]

5: A stovetop pressure cooker has one function (which it excels at), whereas the InstaPot is a multi-cooker with a variety of other functions and uses (such as slow cooking), not mentioned in this video.

[@craigd123]

Pressure cookers can saute so 2 functions really 😋

[@naturaljoe759]

Love my Instant Pot, and I do use the lower sauté settings with big cuts of beef or pork on occasion. Sometimes the high setting is just too much with butter.

[@Omni7600]

6. The instant pot isn't necessarily meant for people who have access to a huge kitchen, its meant to do a lot of various things, and for people like me who don't have a lot of room in their kitchen, an instant pot can get a lot of things done in less space than other things would require.

[@lenny108]

The problem is the electronics that might easily break and can't be repaired. You have to throw away the whole pot.

[@mangoldm]

The Instant Pot resting on the cooktop is setting my OCD alarms to overload.

[@khufamily]

ME TOO!!! LOL

[@JaneDoe-tm2ex]

Why?

[@tamifraser5902]

@@JaneDoe-tm2ex Because it's easy to knock a button and melt the pot. It happens a LOT!

[@stefcervantes]

I mean, pressure cookers are pretty scary but if you know how to use them, they make everything way easier/quicker, in Mexican cuisine there’s a lot of frijoles (beans) and cooking them in a pressure cooker reaaally speeds up the process (and I think without losing on the flavor side), the same with other hard legumes and meats. My mom swears by it.

[@stephenhill1716]

I have an instant pot and I can easily say that she simply had no idea how to use it.

[@madthumbs1564]

Is there any feature on the instant pot that would sell me over an induction burner + conventional 3d generation pressure cooker?

[@stephenhill1716]

Personally to me it was how many functions it had in one.

[@amandad4323]

mad thumbs I also bought this due to the amount of features in one machine. When my crockpot died, I bought this as it also has a slow cooker option

[@jedidiahslaboda5620]

Tiny house, limited space, multitasker pot with miracle capabilities

[@jjpop24]

mad thumbs it really is convenient once you learn how to use it just like any other kitchen tool. She didn’t use the settings correctly for a 15 beef stew. It does replace several units.

[@reiofsunshine]

I think what’s also great about the instant pot is that is multi functioning. I use it a lot as a rice cooker since my real rice cooker broke. Also it introduces pressure cooking to the general public. Before I wouldn’t have even batted an eye about pressure cooking. But since I’ve been gifted the instant pot it has made making stews so quick and easy for me.

[@NathanBLawrence]

It's definitely a trade-off. The Instant Pot can get most jobs done, but it doesn't have the power of a good stove underneath it, and that means everything does take a little longer. I think it's a question of if the convenience it provides (not necessarily in terms of speed, but in terms of the dishes you have to do and the amount of babysitting it takes to make sure nothing goes wrong) is worth the extra time things may take.

[@peggyunderhill601]

I have both. I have been using pressure cookers for over 50 years so they’re not a mystery to me. My stovetop cooker sits in the cupboard most of the time. My Instantpot is used almost daily. It cooks at lower pressure than the stovetop one but it’s hardly noticeable. Cooks everything beautifully and is so convenient.

[@calibomber209]

I agree the instapot is legit! At first I was like this glorified ricecooker can never beat my slow and low technique(simmering 3 hours or more). I was wrong. I’ve made so many dishes that take hours to make in under 1 hour including pho, braised meat dishes, connective tissue tendons, beef stock etc. but I also make perfect rice with less water and fluffier finish and kept nacho cheese hot for hours. It’s very versatile. Plus amazon had a Black Friday sale for only $48 free ship so I got it. I forgot to mention that you can sauté your aromatics then sear your meat and finish with a braise and have perfect result every time. Worth it for sure!!!

[@keikeine9398]

Is it true it has a yoghurt function?

[@TheOriginalRick]

@@keikeine9398 I use the 6-qt IP Duo to make yogurt every week. It holds five one-cup mason jars, and is as easy as can be. After they process overnight I pull the jars out, top them with a plastic lid and stick them in the fridge. Making Greek yogurt is a little more complicated as you have to strain it afterwards.

[@fir8550]

@@keikeine9398 some models of the instant pot

[@magnificentblac]

I'm happy everyone else notice the lack of technique on her part. 😂

[@lasalsera-x8d]

I used to have a traditional pressure cooker like the one she's comparing with. Ever since I bought Instant Pot, I never used the traditional pressure cooker so I gave it away. Instant Pot is so much easier and way better!

[@GypSeaRNC]

With enough people saying she used it wrong, I’m now questioning the validity of this video.

[@Weaver_Games]

Me too but no one's really explained well to me how she's used it wrong lol. I'm thinking about buying an instant pot just cause it can also be a slow cooker when I want it to be. I live in Toronto and apartments here are small. My kitchen is also small so I need multi-purpose gadgets to save space.

[@jenniferpickner3796]

@@Weaver_Games Also, if you decide to buy one try and hold out for Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, if you can. You'll likely be able to pick one up @ half the price making it a much more worthwhile option. I got mine on Amazon Prime Day and I LOOOOVE it!

[@Nic-sl3ep]

She didn't set the saute temp appropriately. Of course you aren't going to get a seat if you have it on low temp. Yes on wait for a sale. I got an 8qt IP for $80.

[@lizardas]

@@Weaver_Games I've read several comments that explain what she's doing wrong. I don't think she understands the Instant Pot yet, but wanted to jump on the bandwagon with a video. There are several Instant Pot Facebook groups. The official one is the Instant Pot Community. I have 2 IPs now and use them daily. Just made a huge batch of yogurt.

[@cedricol]

Many keep claiming the sauté wasn't on high... but this is merely guessing. You can't see it on the video.

[@luizbattistel155]

Completely agree with her. With my standard pressure cooker + induction cooktop it builds pressure in about 30 seconds 😂 compared to 15 mins in this instant pot. I can run my stainless steel pressure cooker under water making it lose all pressure again in 30 seconds while this thing takes at least several minutes.

[@joegolok]

I’m Asian and all my home gadgets sing to me. I love it lol

[@thesurvivalist.]

Heck yea it’s easy, and you can infuse more flavor in how you Season it. Also the new electric pressure cookers are more about safety, you can actually walk away, program it in the morning, from work and your food is ready for you! Walk away from an old pressure cooker and that food will be all over your kitchen especially the ceiling!

[@sile1727]

I love my instant pot, it's very versatile. It does stews and soups well, great rice or grain cooker, and cooks veggies in a flash. Plus it's easy to clean.

[@carlkim2577]

The instant pot has a higher saute option. You push adjust and the temp will be higher. It really works.

[@davidleamy7564]

Your fault with the saute in the instant pot is you didn't set it to high.

[@sparkzbarca]

she set it to saute, it's because she has a much more powerful heater for her stove than that unit, because of that 15 minutes on her stove vs 15 for that is going to favor the stove. If she'd had a coil stove she could have made a more fair comparison.

[@lukeschmidt]

It has three saute settings, she had it set to the lowest.

[@emalinel]

i don't even think the sautee function is the biggest problem. I'd say the heating element in the instant pot really impairs time needed to preheat/pressurize over a normal pressure cooker

[@TonyLocicero]

Lucas Schmidt yes, mine sautes like mad on high. Very fast.

[@stas563]

David Leamy that’s what I was thinking too!

[@woolfel]

I bought my father-in-law a instantpot. Regular pressure cooker can't make yogurt, but instantpot can!

[@waqasahmed939]

Fair shout. I'm looking at a manual pressure cooker given that I've already got a Thermomix which can do most things that the instantpot can. It basically can't grill / airfry but it does everything else

[@MiaSabathy]

This is my first time trying to find out how to use the instant pont. I was really confused, but am relieved now seeing the comments 😅

[@dejavu4040]

Check Amy and Jacky 's channel

[@codybrookehanson2346]

She didn't need to use the instant pot to saute all the ingredients like she did with the pressure cooker, she could've thrown everything in raw, mix it up and set the stew setting. Then the time would've balanced out. I use my instant pot on a nearly daily basis, I live in an rv so space and convenience is super important and the instant pot offers that.

[@fredfrond6148]

I use an instant pot in the summer exclusively for indoor cooking because it uses very little electricity because it is insulated. The regular pressure cooker uses a huge amount of energy compared to the instant pot. For a household save the environment lady.

[@billb6283]

I think it was a good and fair review. Instant Pot says they're a pressure cooker so it's fair to compare with a regular pressure cooker. I can accept 30 min stew instead of 15 min stew if It's safer and don't have to baby sit it. It's good to know the difference.

[@forget3817]

This is a disturbingly sloppy comparison, and clear that she doesn't know how to use an Instant Pot. 1. She compared the price of a standard pressure cooker with that of the most expensive Instant Pot. Not cool. Instant Pot also does more things than a regular pot. 2. She did not use the High saute setting to brown the meat. 3. She apparently turned off the Instant Pot before adding liquid and let the Instant Pot's pressure function bring the liquid to a boil. She should have done what she did with the standard pot, which was to add the liquid and and bring it to a boil before starting the pressure function. 4. The Instant Pot's standard setting for stew is 35 minutes, but she knocked it down to 15, for some unknown reason.

[@john.y.cooper]

she follows a manual from the manufacturers...... everytime she follows what the company intends.. so yeah

[@joeees7790]

@@john.y.cooper I don't think I've ever seen her RTFM or follow a manual.

[@ynotspank1]

You work for insta pot don't you?! 😆

[@raghavdevil]

There is an option on the Instant POt that is of a pressure cooker... Try using that..!!! I do all my Indian Cooking on that

[@GodGotHigh]

You just seemed super biased wanting the instant pot to fail before you even started 😂

[@johnsonkids3058]

Instant pot is a lot slower and more complicated to use. The best bet is to go with simpler and cheaper regular pressure.

[@Mulletforhire]

Agreed. I think she should of watched a few videos before attempting her stew. She also didn't talk about the fact it replaces more then just your pressure cooker.

[@matthewxia390]

When she poured the oil all I could think of was the two shots of vodka girl

[@cococolson]

This is a pretty fair assessment. With the past host the instant pot would have been written off, but having used it many times its definitely a great solution for weeknight cooking etc. 15 minutes babysitting the stove with a pressure cooker, or 30 (even 45) minutes where I can walk away and do other tasks is worth it to me. Browning meat is often recommended in another pot like cast iron is also a great way to go here!

[@jimmycodmw2]

my instant pot sautes much HOTTER tho

[@carlkim2577]

She didn't know about the higher saute option. You only have to push adjust. She should have read the instructions.

[@madthumbs1564]

Cast iron is mostly for idiots (PC: ignorant people) that previously used disposable Teflon pans. -It's heat distribution sucks, it wastes thermal energy to prepare it, and it's brittle. A sub $50 Presto PC comes with a disk bottom that will store and distribute heat better than cast iron.

[@cococolson]

My Cast Iron cost

[@atlbrysco6198]

Agreed, Conner - a tool is only as good as the purpose that it was built for. You can use a screwdriver as a hammer, but if you have a hammer, why do that? I have a slower cooker and a pressure cooker and (admittedly) have been attracted to the hype around the Instant-Pot mainly because of the "all-in-one" features - but haven't bought one. At the end of the day, I enjoy cooking and the meals I prepare usually have me doing stuff in the kitchen while the pressure cooker is on the stove anyway. I can't imagine a scenario where I am so incredibly busy, that I couldn't take 15 minutes in a kitchen to watch over a pressure cooker. Further, since I work from home, there isn't any reason for me to come in "tired" or "exhausted" from work and not have the capability of providing myself with a good meal - the few days I do go to the office (it's about 50 miles away - re: 2.5 hours in Atlanta traffic) I usually plan on going out to dinner, or have something prepared in advance and waiting the 'fridge to heat up. In no scenario, would I run in and have nothing but raw ingredients and no time to prepare. The Instant Pot has it's place, and most likely appeals to people that also have an intimate relationship with a microwave oven. For the last upteen hundred years, cooks have proven that *anything* can be prepared, cooked and delicious with just a bit pre-planning, preparation and fore-thought. Not a bad history, huh?

[@IsabellG964]

There are a couple of tweaks that need to be done to the instant pot, firstly while cutting up your meat and veg start the saute function to heat up, then fry the meat etc, when adding any liquids preheat in Microwave to speed up pressurize time. Like most gadgets you need to experiment to your liking.

[@presleylawson9180]

Idc what anyone says, the insta pot has made the BEST pot roast I’ve ever had. Among 10000000 other things. We LOVE them and have bought them as gifts for friends and family.

[@danaonlineable]

For the beef stew I always use the manual setting on high pressure for the time needed. Also the sauté setting can be on high or medium, so be sure to check that too. I have always used a cast iron pan for my recipe and I this the IP definitely pulls its weight. What I like also is you don't need to babysit the thing and you know boil over or heat up the kitchen like on the stove does.

[@yori4666]

title should read... How not to use an Instapot.

[@twerking4thinmints]

I'm actually about to buy one of these and after watching the video figured I shouldn't. But then I read all of the comments and now I'm just as confused as to before watching this

[@ashleyhw4388]

$160? I just bought my Instapot for $50. Yay Black Friday!

[@chriswhatley9080]

Why do you always misuse every product you're trying to test? Every time.

[@cjuarez3169]

Maybe because she's not a Nancy like you! Just saying

[@ninow5]

Yes. WHAT AN IDIOT

[@r3d0c]

@A Google User yeesh, sad insecure incel detected

[@jshawd40]

I don't know anything about these cookers just yet, what is she doing wrong?

[@HumanistJohn]

@@jshawd40 I'm using one for the first time today and the manual clearly warns: "Do not put the pressure cooker lid on when using the Saute program." So, perhaps that's what the OP was talking about. Regardless, her assessment is right... these really are slow and it's good for convenience, not speed.

[@truestkiss3699]

She’s not using the product correctly. My beef is always tender.

[@luizbattistel155]

Wanna make the instant pot more useful? Integrate it with an induction field underneath, making it pressurize in seconds. Increase pressure resistance making it reach high temps. Find a way to allow to go under running water to depressurize almost immediately. Integrade all this into the thermomix platform. There you go, the ultimate kitchen machine.

[@exodous02]

I've used both and although I think my pressure cooker cooked faster I got a knock off instant pot and the convenience is much better. Everything takes a little longer in an Instantpot but for those that have never used a pressure cooker it is incredibly fast.

[@ericw4377]

My sense is that this person really has no clue about the Instant Pot and that I just wasted five minutes of my life.

[@NicholasJohnston]

Once again.. I feel like the lack of directions followed resulted in not an optimum result... and I'm not even a fan of the InstaPot.

[@CAOcreations]

if there's a preheating phase, why isn't she preheating it before hand?

[@JimN5QL]

Because she is stupid.

[@Poppedcollar]

CAOcreations She isn't preheating before hand because she's starting them both at the same time. If she was already preheating, that means she already started.

[@Desu-Desu-Chan-San]

Because this was a review of it VS a normal pot, the claim being it cooks faster and better yet you have to take more time preheating and setting it up/cleaning it.

[@hunterhenryk]

"the claim being it cooks faster and better" Faster and better than normal non-pressurized cooking, not faster and better than a traditional stovetop pressure cooker.

[@alinalacubana.5450]

Love my instant pot i paid about 90 bucks for my well worth, i have had it for less them a month and have used it every day ,LOVE IT ..

[@frankpoperowitzmusic]

I think if you let the Instapot depressurize naturally, the beef would be much more tender. Never-the-less, the Instapot is a safe and easy to use alternative that people don't need to be afraid of. I dig it.

[@bobnewhart4318]

You forgot 80% of your seasonings that's going to be Bland as hell

[@jenanjuice2003]

I’ve been using a pressure cooker my whole life. Why should I change? Plus, I don’t like having to rely on electricity for things. It does the same thing

[@monas.6839]

I got an IP Duo SV at Costco for $65 a few days ago - $160 sounds crazy. I’ve already made 4 meals in it - 2 of which were beans - everything came out more flavorful and cooked better than a slow cooker, plus I didn’t have to worry about learning how to use a stovetop pressure cooker. I feel like this video was sponsored by some other cookware company.

[@tomoudinarath5028]

I use to read all the comments and not understand why everyone was hating so much. Now I get it. She just doesn’t understand how to use any of the gadgets that she reviews. She put everything into the pot and expects the pot to instantly sautés? Even a regular pan requires a pre-heat time. I still like to watch her videos because I like to watch gadget reviews. I guess you could say that these videos are a good test to see how a gadget performs in the hands of someone that absolutely has no idea how to use the gadget correctly...It’s still entertaining to watch though. Lol

[@harriscout]

The reason she wasn't getting good browning on the sauté function on the instant pot was because she had it set to normal heat instead of high, which is designed for meat.

[@Nuwerra]

Hi, a couple of points on my Ipot I always adjust the saute to 'high' as opposed to medium, and saute until browned (adding flavour) If you do this the temp in the IPot is high so that when you begin cooking it takes less time to reach steam and start the timer. I also always use the 'manual' button and time the cooking to 15 mins, NOT the pre set 'stew'; function....and Voila well cooked tasty and fast lunch!

[@bobbydabutcha]

I love my instant Pot. Beef chuck typically takes me 35 minutes on high pressure and 45 minutes natural venting. SUPER TENDER and delicious! I make it at least once a month! (-: It does take forever though lol

[@elizabethwutzke9040]

With instant pot you throw it in and even if you take a nap, nothing bad happens :) Not so with the stove top method.... I think it could blow up and make a mess or hurt someone

[@Eddie_the_Husky]

Nothing, and I mean nothing beats a Staub Dutch oven. It's Lodge cast iron meets Le Creuset. Dutch ovens don't "brown" the meat (i.e. boil like in this video) it actually sears and caramelizes creating fond (which is where all the flavor in your cooked dishes comes from!).

[@kevinbellmore4295]

They do get crazy high ratings....

[@thelifeofjools8384]

I would favour the pressure cooker, simply because it can be used on an open flame in a power outage.

[@spacewolfcub]

You make a good point. But then again with a solar panel... How big would such a panel have to be to make it work...? Nah, you still have a point.

[@thelifeofjools8384]

@macks Smith why buy all that equipment, simply to automate the process of cooking at pressure ? Camp stove is cheap, uses less fuel, requires less maintenance and takes up less space.

[@knighth2o853]

If you dont have an instant pot you are fucking up. It is the best thing i have bought for my house in the past two years. Turns a 1 hour meal into 13 minutes

[@230608grace]

I just used my instant pot and did spareribs, 2 racks. Stood them up used the trivet in the bottom and 1 1/2 cups of apple juice. I turned them on for 22 minutes and they fell off the bone. Grandkids loved them!

[@notmyrealname23]

I think a lot of people here are trying to give the Instant Pot too much credit. I have one and I love it, but I do think this test was fair. Just because you *can* take the insert out and sear on the stove with it (which I frequently do), doesn't mean you should have to if there's a saute function, and if there's a built in stew function, shouldn't it work as advertised (which I say as someone who exclusively uses the manual setting)? Also, for what it's worth, the ability to pull the insert out and use it separately isn't even listed as something you can do in the most recent user manual (though I just picked the first google result, maybe there's some model that does suggest doing that). Plus, it's literally factual that electric standalone pressure cookers do not reach as high pressure as stovetop units, it's even in my instant pot manual. The reality is that the convenience tradeoff you make with an electric pressure cooker ends up meaning that you get a less versatile, less powerful tool. For me, the convenience is worth it; for others, it might not be, and I think this test does a good job of showing that.

[@hunterhenryk]

Eater is the one giving the Instant Pot too much credit. The test should have been between normal non-pressurized cooking and an electronic pressure cooker, of which Instant Pot is one brand. For the average home chef, a traditional pressure cooker is not an option that comes to mind, and, unless they are into canning, they probably wouldn't have one available in their shelves nor would it be a consideration. Almost nobody is buying an Instant Pot on the belief that the Instant Pot is more effective than a traditional pressure cooker. They are buying it because they think it is more effective than traditional non-pressurized cooking.

[@arkwryte]

The problem is she used it wrong. My air fryer does not fry as good as a dutch oven on the stove, but if someone set it to its lowest temp and then used it in a comparison video, I would be a little upset when they criticize it.

[@cherylmedeiros6287]

notmyrealname23 then what's the point if you make more dishes?

[@mrjjman2010]

lol you must have not read the comments, every other one is saying about her using it incorrectly.

[@alexb5275]

Hunter Henryk, I always find that non-pressurized cooking taste better. Sure, it takes longer, but when making something from scratch, I think the idea is for it to taste good, not be fast food.

[@jameshobbs]

User error.

[@paladin656]

James Hobbs can you be more specific?

[@tomomoto5385]

She didn't flour the beef. This ruins everything. But, I guess she's just showing how the pots work and how they compare.

[@alexb5275]

Thomas Teika didn’t flour the beef? She didn’t flour any of the beef and it turned out different between the pots because of heat.

[@tomomoto5385]

yes

[@alboforlife18]

Layer 8 Problem :P

[@johnborsil5396]

The end reasoning is why I like my Instant Pot. I can walk away & leave the house just like a slow cooker & not be worried about making a bomb.

[@suburbohemian]

I'll stick with my separate units. If you don't want to stay in the kitchen, just use your crock pot. With individual units, I can make use them all simultaneously, whereas with all-in-one, you have to choose and then wait.

[@rjross100]

Operator error. She had the sauté function set incorrectly. Second, she allowed the stovetop pressure cooker come to a boil before putting the lid on but placed the lid on the Instant Pot then expected it to come to a boil. Far from equal testing. And as for her comment about slow cooks producing better flavour than a pressure cooker that is incorrect. In a study comparing foods cooked in a pressure cooker vs a Dutch oven vs a slow cooker, in EVERY case the slow cooker coming in dead last by a great margin with the pressure cooker and Dutch oven about even.

[@lazytv4318]

Instant Pot....jack of all trades, master of none...

[@cherylmedeiros6287]

LazyTV lol!

[@jawtek82]

I think that's fair. But if I can't or don't want to have a lot of different tools, it can do a pretty fair job emulating a lot of them all in one.

[@keithnewton5508]

The Instant pot is only 11.6 psi on high and so it takes longer than a pressure cooker that is at 15 psi. As for the sauté set it on high and it works like a damn. Also same as the stovetop model let your liquid come to a boil on sauté and it will come to pressure much faster.

[@fernandobarranco943]

Insta pot is one of those things, that when have a busy life style. Literally will change your life.

[@jaison7828]

We have two instant pots and they are really amazing if you know how to use them hehehe

[@embracethebright1587]

I noticed that when you were sauteing you didn't wait for the panel to read "HOT" before you added the meat.

[@Smulenify]

The pressure cooker is better at pressure cooking, no doubt about that. The more functions a machine has the worse at it usually is. However, the instant pot is space saving and practical in it’s own way.

[@Derpyroo-eh8oq]

Best thing about the instapot is it can get more people into cooking because it's so close to dump it in a pot set it and forget it.

[@Misajoejoe1]

User error.....

[@813mccarty]

3:33 how i feel watching this review

[@rikumajumder1558]

Pressure Cooker is just more convenient.

[@jonnporter6081]

So you can just throw it in the instant pot and "go do laundry, go to work, etc." Kinda like the old AOL dialup. You start a page loading, go do laundry; start another page loading, go mow the lawn; start another page loading, go paint the house,...

[@AlergicToSnow]

I agree with your assessment. The IP is a really good kitchen appliance for soccer Mom. For chefs and commercial kitchens the pressure cooker absolutely has a place and the IP doesn’t.

[@alexisohara2000]

It is clear you weren't going to choose the Instant Pot from the start, and then you misused it. FAIL

[@isaiahayers1550]

Misused it how?

[@BenRangel]

Biggest downsides to electrical pots for me is that if anything has a cord, I will not bother to stow it away, I'll just leave it out all the time, taking up space.

[@ms.strawberryavocado1822]

From other comments, I gather there were other errors in this video. But I essentially stopped at 0:58 because she was comparing a no frills, probably medium brand stove top pc based on the price with one of if not the most expensive ip pressure cookers. She also commented that the stove top pc was just a pot. That you couldn't build flavor. That floored me. I have used traditional and multiple different electric pressure cookers. The only reason I prefer electric is the convenience of it. I prefer the IP because it has a better saute function. Then most electrics and I prefer a metal pot. I paid less than 120 for each of my IPs. I have two the regular duo 8 qt. And the 6 qt smart. But I also have a regular PC and a canning pc. This was a faulty comparison.

[@pierredsouza46]

She should have used the pressure cooker function on the Instapot. This test is invalid. :P

[@nmhowl8071]

What are you talking about? It was brought up to pressure. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@truestkiss3699]

nmhowl80 she should have let the instapot naturally let out the pressure.

[@monsieurouya4156]

The stovetop pressure cookers build more pressure. Check the specs. Instantpot is the clear winner because u can set it, have a nap then wakeup and eat

[@ChrisJones1974]

I can set my stovetop unit to 5, 10 and 15 psi...you likely have no idea what pressure the IP runs...

[@madthumbs1564]

The difference is almost negligible once they are at pressure. An induction burner could give you the same convenience as instant Pot.

[@jawtek82]

So now I am buying TWO items to do what ONE can do. You're clearly a hater. Are you a troll, too?

[@jawtek82]

+Chris Jones - It's right in the manual. At high pressure, it's 11.6 psi. Why do I need to know that?

[@lexwaldez]

As someone that cooks as the single dad a lot, we were at the 1:45 mark when I figured she was using the Instant Pot incorrectly. Saute on high and the beef browns quickly, evenly and conveniently. You're doing it wrong. I make all my great grandmother's pressure cooker recipes in my Instant Pots (I have two now) and the kids love them. It works perfectly and it is a lifesaver. You should do another Instant Pot pressure cooker test and get someone experienced to help. We make soups, rice pudding, rice, eggs (best easiest egg salad EVER with zero egg shell peeling), ribs, short ribs, bulgogi, pot roast, frozen chicken, pasta... the list goes on. Got rid of my slow cookers and bought more of the IP's. You have besmerched my beloved IP PC. It's all good - just know you're wrong. =)

[@pennypetrovic3682]

I totally agree with you I have both and I like the stove top one better I like the insta pot because I can do whatever and not worry , it takes forever to get pressure but the stove top one is so fast

[@chetgravatt9562]

You have no idea how to use the instant pot. You always misuse all the products you use.

[@hail_sagan2830]

Jd4020 87 no settings to f*ck up on the standard PC

[@Vlad2319]

She's using the product like she would use a more traditional cookware of comparable function. I've used an instapot and aside from the slow cooker function (which many electric pressure cookers have) I'd probably just get a pressure cooker and slow cooker.

[@kimberlyrenee8767]

😂

[@EuricoRoberto]

So many comments like this saying she did something wrong but I find it interesting that none of you bother to say how to do it right, or exactly what she did wrong. I think you're all fake accounts paid by the owners of this product to make these comments.

[@DodoHalo1919]

@@EuricoRoberto 👏👏👏👏👏...

[@curlyyasmin181]

Slow cooking literally tastes no different than pressure cooking. Big myth!

[@maureenthefirst1]

I would have used the pressure cooking setting on the instant pot not the stew setting. Then it would have been an equal contest. Also, I would have sauted on high with the instant pot.

[@dorothymccaskill7221]

Your demonstration was flawed... sauté mode has low, normal and high settings.Your stove top pressure cooker works best in a restaurant. The instant pot works best for home cooking. I don’t have to stand over the Instant Pot, my kitchen doesn’t heat up because of the stove’s direct heat, it’s safer, and it’s digital. I LOVE IT! If you don’t have an instant pot go get one, it works...

[@thartwig26]

The instant pot is amazing! This girl doesn’t know what she is doing. I make almost everything in my instant pot.

[@csharpewalls]

I’ll just keep using my enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

[@spacewolfcub]

Sounds like a much better investment, now that you mention it.

[@peter455sd]

I never seen an enameled Dutch oven

[@dawnmartin2622]

I have sauteed more meat than this in the instant pot many times with no issues and it browns up very quickly and had no reason to sear it off in another pan first. I have made roasts and stew and even short ribs in 30 minutes or less that were as tender as if they had been in the crock pot for 12 hours. I made a large brisket, cut into chucks packed into it from FROZEN in 40 minutes the other day that came out like it had been cooking all day. Just sayin my experience with mine has been amazing.

[@gpalmerify]

A couple points, I agree the Instant Pot has 3 sautee settings. The default setting is medium. I heard the reviewer state pressure cookers don't develop flavors as well as slow cookers. Not 100% sure what she meant, but my pressure cookers seal in flavors and I read nutrition better than slow cookers. Why would you be able to taste seasonings in pressure cooker dishes when added at the beginning of cooking while you can't in a slow cooker (it's always advisable to season slow cooker recipes at the end of cooking)?

[@BenjaminNew]

That's beef soup....

[@saleatha]

This video is dumb. Clearly she didn't know what she was doing. With me having my family and working. I would gladly leave this and not have to worry about keeping an eye on the stove. And with the seasonings used, both were probably bland.

[@jesebsp]

I have the power pressure cooker. Saute is the hottest setting without having to adjust and heats quickly. It has stew and slow cooker functions as well as pressure cooking. I eliminated 3 appliances (crockpot, rice cooker, and pressure cooker). The benefits regardless of brand are auto shutoff and lid can't be removed until pressure is released. I've had mine about 3 years one love it. Set it and forget it. I've made stew in mine and the meat comes out great. I've seared the meat and just tossed it in with everything and comes out great every time. The best stew is made with leftover roast.

[@RedflowerZombie]

Ultimately these appliances are used because of convenience, lack of time, ease of throwing everything in & it cooking while your doing something else and in that sense at least, it definitely beats the stovetop one!

[@tosht2515]

I enjoyed Cliff when he had this series but really love Esther taking over. She obviously has skills and I'm digging her delivery. 👍 Cool comparison but I actually wanted her to hate the Instant Pot.

[@arkwryte]

Why would you want someone to hate something?

[@jojo444ism]

+Tosh T what happened to Clifford Endo? Did they say why he stopped?

[@arkwryte]

I don't think he stopped, he was in the burger episode that came out the day before.

[@tosht2515]

+B A. Cliff's series is *_You Can Do This_* where he regularly did kitchen gadgets episodes. Earlier this year, Esther Choi guest hosted a rice cooker test and then Eater broke off kitchen gadgets into a stand alone series. Cliff did the official hand off during the first episode.

[@elysegabrielle4053]

She doesn't know how to use half the products she tests and then says the other version is " Better ". It ticks me off because instant pots are extremely helpful in a kitchen, but shes too dumb to realize it.

[@MihirrPanchaal]

How does a person like this become a reviewer??

[@chicawhappa]

They decide to. KZbin is a free country you know.

[@terminator6267]

*_Nothing beats the tried and true._*

[@turtlehead2]

I made beef stew in mine. Worked fine. The meat browned well because I didn't crowd the pot and I had it to the highest setting. I set my stew option to about 3 minutes longer, and my stew was ok. It does get hot. Hot enough to make yogurt. That has to heat the milk to 180 degrees.