Choosing the Best Instapot for a Pressure Cooking Newbie – Rio Wide vs. Base Model

[douqqoo]

I used an original Lux for about ten years and just upgraded to the Duo Plus. I didn't really need or want bells and whistles but I really like the screen design.

 

[vojtas]

@douqqoo I love my duo plus. Don’t need any second one. Rarely I wish I had the 3qt, but 6qt does everything, don’t really NEED the 3.

 

[douqqoo]

@vojtas same!

 

[hakqiu]

I like my Instant Pot Duo, 8qt., been amazing!

 

[hotpocket]

I love the Rio wide. Having that wider cooking surface just makes such a difference for me.

 

[smartin6600]

Size - recipes are written for 6qt, but an 8qt will run those all just fine with room to spare, especially for bulkier meals (say…a larger cut of meat, or a soup). Get an 8qt.
Features - this one is really up to you. The air fryer lid is gimmicky and unnecessary. Slow cooker doesn’t work well. Get the tool to do what you want it to do. Personally, I like the Pro and that is what I recommend. It does everything I want.

 

[jabs]

@smartin6600 slow cook works great in my Pro.

 

[gibsla2]

@jabs I’ve not used slow cook & ppl either other models that have used slow cook, say it does not work well. Is the skis cook different in the Pro? What have you made. TIA

 

[jabs]

@gibsla2 from everything I've seen, many people who say it doesn't work well heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend without ever trying it for themselves. That being said, our Pro is a newer model and it appears the older ones really didn't work very well for slow cook. I've made spaghetti sauce, soups, and cube steak among other things. Honestly, at least with the new models, I think many people think it's not working because it frequently takes 3 hours or so for the indicator to move from preheating to cooking. In reality, the same is true fo ca crockpot but you don't have a progress bar to inform you. That said, you're mileage may vary.

 

[smartin6600]

So, to be clear - every model I have used in the past, the slow cooker did not work well. I’ve had 4 now, with the 8qt Pro being my current model. I have not bothered to try it with the 8qt Pro as it performed poorly with the other models. Additionally, my other models were 6qt and round; I prefer a larger, oval crock for slow cookers.
IMNSHO, the reason the IP does not work well as a slow cooker is inherent in its design. It has a relatively thin, stainless steel pot that heats from the bottom via an element and additional piece of steel on the bottom of the pot (helps to distribute the heat). Slow cookers have the crock and heat via a band around the sides. I feel both heat distribution and retention are simply superior with this design and, during my earlier attempts to use the IP as a slow cooker, I found this to be the case every time.
I’m one of those types who believes in using the right tool, as designed, for the job and the IP was never really designed to be a slow cooker; it’s not among its core strengths. The same can be said for air frying.
So…that is the basis for my position on the slow cooker function. Either way, I still would recommend the 8qt pro model as the best-in-class model of IP and a worthwhile purchase. I use it for a variety of tasks - soups, meats, pasta/rice dishes, hard boiled eggs, rice, thawing, bone broth, sous vide…it is one of my kitchen workhorses and key to keeping our home cool during the summer months.

 

[ben_85]

I recommend one of the models with the flat bottom and handles. You can use the liner on the stove and also make perfect popcorn

 

[candyfloss28]

Flat bottom- I guess I need to dig a little deeper for that in the IPs. Didn’t consider that- I guess I thought they were all flat bottom. Thanks

 

[ben_85]

@candyfloss28 most of them have a concave bottom

 

[bjjones]

@ben_85 I would never used my inner pot on the stovetop. That is not what it is made for. There are many, many other pans to use on the stovetop.
As for popcorn, that be made ever better in a popcorn popper, an air popper.

 

[ben_85]

@bjjones actually, the flat pot is made for stove top use. I don't need to use it that way, but some do. And I love to make popcorn in my Duo Evo plus.

 

[candyfloss28]

@ben_85 popcorn in the the IP or on the stove?

 

[ben_85]

@candyfloss28 in the IP! I use coconut oil and a glass lid. After popping I pour the popcorn into a big bowl then I melt butter in the hot pan then pour the popcorn back in and mix it around and add sea salt. Yum, no mess!

 

[ben_85]

PS, use the saute function

 

[princesspeach5280]

The Pro is a great model. It has all the latest bells and whistles, handles, and is the only model that can go from Instant Pot to stovetop. Available in 6 & 8 qt.
Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice/Grain Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Sous Vide, Yogurt Maker, Sterilizer, and Warmer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Black, 6 Quart https://a.co/d/4UCfz0u

 

[ben_85]

@princesspeach5280 the Duo Evo plus was the first model to use on the stove, that's the one I have