You've probably heard of the Instant Pot by now, right? If you haven't, the Instant Pot is basically an insanely popular brand of pressure cooker that will cook up tasty, delicious, and healthy meals in an instant. The brand offers several different models and sizes of Instant Pot pressure cookers, so you may have a little trouble deciding which one to pick up on Black Friday. That's right — the best time to purchase an Instant Pot is coming up because the Black Friday Instant Pot deals will be aplenty!
But if you're new to Instant Pots, don't worry — we're going to give you some useful advice on how to choose your new Instant Pot, while also giving you the lowdown on the best Black Friday Instant Pot deals! And don't miss out on all of the other fantastic Black Friday deals while you're at it.
Best Black Friday Instant Pot Deals
Instant Pot makes several different models of the Instant Pot pressure cooker that you can purchase. Here are the best Black Friday Instant Pot deals that we've found so far. Keep in mind that the prices listed are what the products are selling for right now, but we expect them to fluctuate between now and Black Friday, and once Black Friday actually starts, they should be lower.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 | From $79
The most popular Instant Pot model. While the 6-quart size is the best-selling, it also comes in 3-quart and 8-quart options.
Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 | From $150
The Ultra has more built-in programs than the Duo, such as Sterilize, and it also has automatic altitude adjustment, custom programming, and more. The 6-quart size is the most popular, but it also comes in 3-quart and 8-quart too.
Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 | From $100
The Duo Nova is a step up from the regular Duo thanks to the easy seal lid, which automatically seals your Instant Pot as it cooks.
Instant Pot Smart WiFi 8-in-1 | From $90
The Instant Pot Smart connects to your WiFi, so you can control it from your smartphone. You can even get technical and create custom scripts and programs for the perfect cook.
Instant Pot Max 9-in-1 | From $150
The Instant Pot Max can do it all, including pressure canning at 15psi, as well as sous vide.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp | From $129
The Duo Crisp has a special lid that lets you air fry directly in your Instant Pot. You can also dehydrate foods.
How do you pick the right size Instant Pot?
Think about how many people you are cooking for, because Instant Pot size is the biggest issue to tackle before choosing an Instant Pot. Right now, most Instant Pot models come in three sizes: 3-Quart, 6-Quart, and 8-Quart. However, you'll need to be careful with the model you're buying. While they all come in the standard 6-Quart size, not all of them are available in the smaller 3-Quart or larger 8-Quart size, so double check first.
The 3-Quart size is usually good enough for one person, making it a great addition to dorm rooms or one-person households if the person doesn't eat too much. But the 3-Quart size is also great for using to cook side dishes in addition to a larger Instant Pot in a multi-person household or family. Regardless, the 3-Quart is the smallest Instant Pot size, so if you want to use it for side dishes or don't plan on using it for more than one person, then the 3-Quart size is great.
The middle tier 6-Quart is usually the gold standard when it comes to Instant Pots. With a 6-Quart, you should be able to cook enough food to feed up to four people comfortably, and perhaps with leftovers (depending on what you cook). I know that with my 6-Quart Instant Pots, it's enough food for my husband and I for the next two days at least.
If you have more than four people in the household or family, or just prefer to make more food, then the 8-Quart is the go-to size of Instant Pot for you. It's definitely big, so you'll need more counter and storage space than the 3 or 6-Quart sizes, but the larger capacity holds more food. And if you plan on cooking things like whole chickens, then the 8-Quart size means more space to work with, so it's easier when it comes to flipping the bird inside the pot. It's also important to remember that while you can always cook less quantities of food in the 8-Quart, you can't cook more in the 6-Quart, so take that into consideration too.
Instant Pot Lux vs Duo vs Smart vs Ultra vs Max: What's the difference?
The Lux is the entry-level model of Instant Pot. It comes in 3, 6, and 8-Quart sizes, and will do what the Duo models are capable of, but it does lack low pressure and the Yogurt preset button. If you don't plan on making yogurt (though there are workarounds out there) and don't need low pressure (most recipes call for high pressure anyways), then the Lux is a great starting point because of the price.
The Duo is the gold standard of Instant Pots and is the most popular model for good reason (and chances are very high that you can pick it up for cheap in a Black Friday Instant Pot deal). It has all of the basic functionality, including the Yogurt setting and you can switch between low or high pressure, and it comes in 3, 6, and 8-Quart sizes. Lately, Instant Pot has been introducing new variations of the Duo line, such as the Duo Nova, which include different LCD display panels that show temperature and cooking progress, as well as newer pressure release buttons, making the steam release part easier and safer for most people. The Duo Crisp version also has a different lid, which allows it to air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate.
Instant Pot Ultra is one of the higher-end models, and it can do everything that the Duo can do, along with a few more features, while coming in 3, 6, and 8-Quart sizes. With the Ultra, you get four more modes than the base Duo model: Cake, Egg, Sterilizer (for cleaning things like baby bottles), and Ultra. The Ultra model also has a dial for selecting modes, a pressure release button for safety, and displays cooking progress on the LCD display. You can also adjust altitude levels (this affects how some things cook), and the Ultra mode lets you adjust temperature and pressure for custom cooking.
The Max is the top of the line Instant Pot, and it is similar to the Ultra, except it is capable of pressure canning at 15psi, and it has a built-in Sous Vide setting, so you do not need a separate Sous Vide Immersion Circulator stick. Additionally, the Max has the option to program steam release, so you don't need to do manually release it yourself. Unfortunately, the Max only comes in the 6-Quart size. But if you can find a Black Friday Instant Pot deal on the Max, then you should not hesistate to pick it up, because they're bound to go fast.
No matter which Instant Pot you pick, there are so many conveniences of having one that you won't regret picking one up.
Instant Pot Ultra vs Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi
Instant Pot vs Cosori Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Duo vs. Instant Pot Ultra
Instant Pot Smart WiFi vs Mealthy MultiPot
What cooking modes does an Instant Pot have?
All models of Instant Pot will have the following: Pressure Cook, Slow Cook, Rice Cooker, Porridge, Bean/Chili, Meat/Stew, Soup/Broth, Multigrain, Sauté, Steam, and Warm. However, for most recipes, you can simply just use the Pressure Cook option with high pressure, unless the recipe states otherwise. Remember that for any mode besides Sauté, a thin liquid is required in order to create pressure. Thin liquids are like water, broth, and non-cream soups.
The other preset functions are more like preset cooking times for that designated food, and honestly, you likely won't be using them too much. Sauté lets you use the Instant Pot like a regular pan on the stove, and the Steaming function creates steam through pressure. Warm is the function that kicks in after your food is done cooking, or you can use it to warm up leftovers.
A good thing to note is that while an Instant Pot has the slow cooker feature, it doesn't work as well as a traditional slow cooker, such as a Crock Pot. This is due to the fact that the Instant Pot heating element is directly at the bottom and center, and it won't heat up the sides as well as a dedicated slow cooker. The heating element on the Instant Pot also defaults to "Normal" when it comes to slow cooking, which is equivalent to the "low" setting on a real slow cooker. You will need to turn it up to "More" on the Instant Pot to get the same kind of temperature with a Crock Pot.
Yogurt is a setting on the Duo and above. It lets you make your own yogurt at home, though you will need to have a yogurt "starter" in order to create your own (due to the live bacteria cultures). The Cake and Egg cooking modes on the Ultra are preset programs that are designed to act as shortcuts when making cheesecake and hard-boiled eggs, for example. However, you can achieve the same result through standard Pressure Cook mode.
Sterilizer is a mode that is only available on the Instant Pot Ultra. This is great for parents with babies because you can throw in baby bottles and other items and use the Instant Pot to sterilize them. If you need anything sterilized, then the Ultra is the one you want to get.
Ultra mode on the Instant Pot Ultra also lets you create custom cooking programs by allowing you to set things like temperature and pressure levels. It can also be used as a pseudo-Sous Vide cooking method, though there may be some discrepancies in the water bath temperature this way.
Sous Vide mode is available on the Instant Pot Max. This lets you heat up the inner pot evenly and provide a pretty accurate and consistent water bath temperature so you can cook food via the Sous Vide method.
The Instant Pot Max is the only model with the Canning mode. This allows you to pressure can food at a sustained 15psi (pound per square inch). Even though other Instant Pot models pressure cook, none of them have been able to do pressure canning until the Max.
With the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, you get a unique lid that allows you to air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate food. This is in addition to all of the standard Instant Pot functionalities that we've mentioned above for the Duo line.
What are the must-have Instant Pot accessories?
If you are going to use any accessories inside of your Instant Pot, it is highly recommended to use stainless steel or silicone items. While Pyrex glass could work in the Instant Pot, you must make sure that it is oven safe. Otherwise, the glass could explode under pressure and heat. So only use this as a last resort, and only if you are absolutely certain it is oven-safe.
There are a ton of accessories out there that you can use with your Instant Pot, but here are some of the must-haves for any Instant Pot owner.
A steamer basket (either stainless steel or silicone) is incredibly handy. This lets you easily steam veggies in the Instant Pot, such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and more. It's an easy and effective way to keep your food out of the liquid that you need to create pressure to steam with.
Another great item is a stainless steel or silicone trivet or rack stand. These simply go on the bottom of your Instant Pot to keep pot-in-pot inserts out of the liquid so it doesn't burn. Speaking of, stainless steel steamer insert pans are a great way to do pot-in-pot (PIP) cooking. This is when you cook your food in a small stainless steel pan on the trivet above the liquid, so that any sauce or seasoning is not diluted with water or broth.
Starbucks' Sous Vide Egg Bites are a popular item, and a lot of people seem to like to make their own egg bites at home. This is possible to do in an Instant Pot as well, as long as you have a silicone egg bite mold to create them in. Just pour your egg mixture in these and cook them to perfection! Most of these cook about seven at a time, and you can also use them for other things, like cake bites, if eggs are not your thing.
While we're on the topic of cake, cheesecake is another popular recipe for Instant Pots, and you're going to want to grab something like a Fat Daddio 6" Cheesecake Pan (with removable bottom) to create the perfect cheesecake for your guests, or yourself. Lasagnas (or cheesecake) are also possible with a typical springform pan.
Instant Pot also offers its own Non-Stick Ceramic Inner Pot, which has a non-stick coating, which is great for cooking foods like rice and mac-and-cheese. And of course, you will always want to have extra silicone sealing rings handy, because if something happens to the original sealing ring, the Instant Pot won't be able to seal, and that's no Bueno!
While you may be looking for the best Black Friday Instant Pot deals, a lot of the accessories are going to go on sale as well, so keep an eye out!
- Best Silicone Accessories for Your Instant Pot
- Best Accessories for your Instant Pot
- Best Instant Pot Steamer Baskets
- Best Instant Pot Springform Pans
How to get the best Black Friday Instant Pot deals?
Black Friday is an incredibly popular time for Instant Pot deals, as it has been one of the most popular items that people buy during Black Friday in years prior. If you can find a great sale on the Instant Pot Max or Instant Pot Duo Crisp, then we highly recommend picking those up, because they're the top of the line models of Instant Pot. But if you need something basic, then the Duo will do just fine. Most of the Instant Pot models come in different sizes as well, so you can pick out the right one for your family size and needs.
We will be keeping an eye out for more Black Friday Instant Pot deals, so stay tuned to this page. And don't forget to check out our complete Black Friday hub, as well as Black Friday Apple deals, for even more savings!
Black Friday will be the best time to get an Instant Pot posted first on http://bestpricesmartphones.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment