Pressure cookers are now the in-thing in every kitchen these days. The satisfaction of simply throwing ingredients into a pot and let it do the rest is unmatched, and Instant Port have mastered the art. With the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1, the company ensures that the cooking process is even more convenient and reliable.
This programmable cooker is easy to use, versatile, and makes some really delicious food. If you want more, you can even choose the Smart Wi-Fi model that offers the ability to start cooking and lets you monitor the process remotely via your phone.
Whether the additional smart features are worth the increase in price over the standard model we’re reviewing remains debatable. But we’re sure of one thing, though, the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt is one of the simplest ways of preparing dinner and a must have appliance in a modern kitchen.
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Design
The Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt is a 6-quart, 1,000-watt pressure cooker that measures 12.5 by 12.2 by 13.2 inches (HWD); meaning, it will take some considerable amount of space on your kitchen counter. In terms of design, it looks great and virtually identical to its Wi-Fi enabled siblings. This stainless-steel pot has plastic handles attached to each side and a removable stainless-steel inner pot, with a control panel and a large black LCD.
The controls consist of two pressure indicators, three mode indicators, four operation keys, and 14 function keys. In addition to the external compartment, there’s also a stainless-steel lid, which hosts a steam release mechanism, a float valve, and has marks showing which way to twist in order to open or close it. If you flip the lid over, you’ll find a sealing ring rack, an anti-block shield, a lid-locking pin, and an exhaust valve.
Setup
Setup is quite simple, all you have to do is plug one side of the power cord into the side of the port, and the other into the outlet to turn it on. Then, move the condensation collector into its specified slot on the right side of the cooker. Afterwards, on the bottom of the lid you’ll remove the anti-block shield and reposition it into place, and remove the sealing ring around it and reinstall it into the rack.
Lastly, remove the silicone cap from the float valve, fit the float valve into the top, and then reattach the cap to the bottom of the valve. Now you have all pieces in place, its time to secure the lid back onto the pot.
In the box, you’ll find accessories for cooking including a steam rack, serving spoons, a measuring cup, and red mitts.
Performance
If you’re a person that likes to plan your meals in advance, this Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt cooker offers all the conveniences you might need. It features a delay start button which lets you place food inside and program the Instant Pot to cook the contents up to 24 hours later. And that’s not all. If your food finishes cooking and you’re not ready to eat yet, or not even home, the keep warm button will maintain the food at a warm temperature without cooking it further.
While it isn’t the fastest pressure cooker around, it nonetheless does a good job for the price. It remains fairly cool to the touch on all main areas, unlike most cookers that can get extremely hot on the lid, release valve and condensation cup. Once again, instant Pot is the only brand that offers its own app that lets you keep track of the pressure cooker recipes, rate and even share the recipes with others.
In addition to being a 7-in-1 port, it still has much more under its sleeve – a rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer etc. More importantly, it makes tasty rice and you will find it very reliable. The included recipe book is really comprehensive, detailing water-to-grain ratios, cooking times for different kinds of rice, legumes, and beans.
It also has similar tables for meats, veggies, and fruit but these ones aren’t much useful considering that the language is sometimes confusing – it doesn’t mention if you need to use low or high pressure for fruit dishes etc.
There’s no denying the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt makes tasty meals. It makes for an excellent modern kitchen appliance that lets you cook all kinds of meals and you can even schedule your cooking, and that really adds to its convenience if you have a tight schedule. Its sibling, the Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi adds the ability to start/stop it with your phone, but it doesn’t really justify paying extra for a feature that doesn’t revolutionize the cooking experience. As such, you can save a few bucks with our review model which is in fact one and the same thing, except for the Wi-Fi functionality.
Is there a better alternative?
If you’re after a little more accuracy, Instant Pot offers other models of the same device, including the Ultra 10-in-1 that gives you better temperature control. Then you have other multi-cookers in the market with equally appealing cooking traits. Top in the list is the Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 pressure cooker, that sells for around the same price but makes a variety of dishes very well.
This is one of the clever appliances that will modernize your kitchen experience. in fact, I can only compare it with the Masterbuilt MB20041220 Gravity Series 1050, a digital charcoal grill that even includes a smartphone app for keep in touch with your barbecue, without the need to make your hands with charcoal. In short, the kitchen experience is changing for the better with innovative gadget and appliances.
Should you buy it?
Yes. The Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 is an excellent device that will replace a zillion of appliances from your countertop, because it does the work of a bunch of individual gadgets. However, if your counter already has a rice cooker, a slow cooker and so on, you might not readily need to add to the clutter. Just remember that as a newcomer, you may take a few episodes before you learn your way around the pressure cooker.
Our Pick
