Instant Pot 8 Quart : The Easy Way to Show Your "Big Love" to Your "Big Family"!
Let me introduce myself first before starting my hands-on review about the Instant Pot 8 Quart. I love home-cooking, but I am not a housewife. My husband and I are quite busy with our work. Personally, mealtime is the most important occasion for my family to gather every day. I have limited time for cooking, but still want to cook healthy meals. What’s the solution? A best pressure cooker, right? I used to own one until an accident occurred in my kitchen just because I was too tired to remember not to touch the steam valve with my bare hands.
Thank God that it did not cause severe injury, I was upset. I shared my story with my best friend and she just bought me the Instant Pot Duo80 8 Qt 7-in-1 with many built-in features. I would like to share how it has helped to solve my problems related to preparing meals and has changed my cooking experience for the better.
These were my questions about the Instant Pot when I received it from my best friend. I think you may have the same questions right after you purchase your new appliance
AVERAGE SCORE9.1
What are the main differences between a stovetop pressure cooker and an electric pressure cooker?
A stovetop pressure cooker is a convenient kitchen appliance that uses higher heat and pressure to cook and sauté a lot faster. One thing to note is that I had to supervise the cooking process and adjust the heat manually. Otherwise, the food would get overcooked and even worse, the cooker would get overheated and burned out.
The Instant Pot is the brand name of an electric pressure cooker. It is a pressure cooker, but it is much more “intelligent”. All I have to do is to add all the ingredients of the dish I want to cook, then, set the right built-in cooking program. Now, I can relax and wait for the Instant Pot to do all the rest. Personally speaking, time-efficiency and safety are the two most important factors that I look for when buying a kitchen appliance.
How to choose the right Instant Pot?
When I started researching about the Instapot on the Internet, I had to call my friend to say thanks to her once again because she helped me to pick a suitable Instapot: The Instant Pot Duo80 8 Qt 7-in-1. Without my friend’s helpful advice, I might have given up because there are various models and sizes, which are designed to meet different needs of customers.
Just for starters, there are 8 different models within 5 series categorized by size and built-in cooking programs. From my point of view, if you are looking for an appropriate model for your house, you should keep these things in mind.
Things to consider before buying an electric pressure cooker
1/ Sizes: 3, 6 or 8 quartz?
● 3 quartz
I call it the “mini” model. It is designed for young people living alone or a family of 2 people.
● 6 quartz
This is the most popular size according to Amazon, which allows you to cook for 2 to 4 people.
● 8 quartz
This is the biggest size, which is perfect for a family of more than 4 members or a family that often has reunions or parties at home. My Instapot is an 8 quart and it is suitable for me as I only cook 2 times per week. I need a pot which is big enough to cook a large amount of food at once.
2/ Models and features
The available brands now include Max, Smart, Ultra, Duo, Duo Plus, Lux, Viva and Nova Plus. The main difference between these models is the number of cooking programs. This is the reason why I would like to separate this section into models.
● Lux
This is the basic model of the Instant Pot and this is the brand’s first product. If you don’t plan to make yogurt at home, then, you can go for this basic one. Besides, this model does not support low pressure cooking (though I think most popular recipes use high pressure!). In short, this is a good choice for you if you just need a kitchen appliance that can help to cook meals easier.
● Duo
This model is similar to the Lux with 2 add-on features: Yogurt and low-pressure cooking. There is also the Duo Plus model which includes sterilization, egg, and cake settings. Once again, I recommend the Duo series if you are a beginning cook. This is my favorite one as well.
● Ultra
The Ultra series allows you to customize all the settings. In other words, you can adjust pressure and temperature based on your cooking experience and preferences. Personally speaking, this model is good for you only when you are an advanced cook.
● Smart
This model is called “Smart” thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity. Your cooking process can be controlled via your mobile phone. It’s really high-tech, huh! Once again, I recommend this pot for advanced cooks.
● Max
This is the latest version introduced by the brand. This model includes all the features of the Ultra series with Sous Vide and Pressure Canning features added.
Now, let me summarize my wonderful journey with my Instant Pot IP-duo80 7-in-1 by introducing its main features and you will see why I love it.
Based on my research, this model of the IP was the brand’s best-seller on Amazon in 2018 thanks to its reasonable price and its handful of functions compared to the brand’s other models. There are 7 functions: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer.
Features and specifications
Features
- Provides 14 built-in smart programs: Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Simmer, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Yogurt, Manual, and Pressure Cook. Cooking foods for your family becomes much easier with just the press of a button.
- Cut down on cooking time and it’s energy-efficient: cooking with the Instapot is 6 times faster than with traditional kitchen appliances.
- Highly durable design: the inner pot is made of healthy stainless-steel food grade 304 (18/8) without chemical coatings.
- Third generation of microprocessor: this latest technology allows you to monitor the pressure as well as the temperature, heating intensity and almost everything you want to get the best taste from your food.
- 24-hour delay start: it is convenient to preset your cooking time within the next 24 hours.
- Recipe app: the Instapot includes a recipe app with 1000 delicious dishes and their simple instructions.
- Proven safety: the Instapot passed the UL Certification with 10 proven safety features and patented technologies. The pot does not make loud noises or leak.
- Cleaning ease: the inner pot is coated with non-stick material. Cleaning is not a big concern anymore.
Specifications
Advantages of Instant Pot 8 quart
- Environment-friendly and time-saver: the biggest plus of the Instant Pot for me is that it provides many cooking programs that help me to cook everything just by pressing a button. I can set it and forget it. Besides, it can speed up the cooking process by up to 70 percent; thus, it is rated as the second most energy-saving kitchen appliance after the microwave.
- Safety: the second pro I appreciate is its 10 proven safety mechanisms, which are designed to prevent all possible risks. Some of its main safety features are Temperature Monitor, Locking Lid, Anti-blockage Vent, Lid Close Detection, Primary Safety Release Valve, etc.
- Nutrients preservation: instead of using high heat to cook foods, the Instant Pot utilizes steam to cook which protects the foods against oxidization. Besides, cooking foods with the IP does not require much water; thus, minerals and vitamins are retained.
- Space saver: believe it or not! The IP is also a solution for your small kitchen because it replaces 7 or more kitchen appliances. I think it is a major plus for us!
- However, Instant Pot is not a perfect product without any drawbacks. I found some challenges while using the IP. I would like to share them with you to give you a complete overview of the IP. Then, you can know if the IP is the best choice for you and your family.
Difficulties
- The IP requires a little investment at the beginning (about $100 for a good one!).
- It requires some time to get to know and understand all the functions of the Instant Pot. It took me 2 days. Don’t worry, the manual is easy to read and follow. It covers all the features, methods of use, time chart and cooking ideas.
Final Word
I highly recommend the Instant Pot IP-Duo80 for you as it can meet our most basic needs at an affordable price compared to other luxury models. In one word, the Instant pot did make my busy life so much easier and healthier. Last but not least, it is a loving way to show how much I care for my family
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