Help, I'm stuck in the weird part of amazon.

April 4, 2018 1:01 PM

Are any of the instant pot competitors (/knockoffs) worth considering? Which ones?

I'm [finally] trying to get around to getting on the instant pot train, and from a perusal of Amazon, there are now a whole lot of competing muticookers, both from well-known brands (like crock-pot) and from brands I've never heard of (like Mueller, MultiPot, Cosori, Aobosi, and at least a solid dozen others). Most seem to get pretty positive reviews, though none have nearly the amount of information about them that instant pots do. Most are at least a little cheaper and some of them include more accessories.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the competitors/knock-offs? Is it worth considering any of them, or should I just go to the obvious choice? Are there other factors (accessory availability, cookbook directions) that are worth considering as well? Would safety features differ model-to-model?

I have seen the wirecutter's guide but it doesn't seem like the list of tested cookers is all that comprehensive, and the drawbacks on most of the rejected ones didn't seem all that serious.

posted by mosst to Shopping (16 answers total)

Kenji at Serious Eats liked the Breville better, but it's far more expensive, and he recommends the Instant Pot as a best buy.
posted by General Malaise at 1:18 PM on April 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

I have a knockoff Instant Pot (from GreenPan) that my parents gave me after they won it in a raffle. It works fine - I'm not an IP superfan like it seems half the internet is, but it does the job, and I got it for free.

My knockoff did come with a nonstick pot, which I am not a fan of since it seems to retain smells (the very first thing I made in it was pulled pork and it has smelled vaguely barbecuey ever since - and I can't scrub it too hard because of the coating) and I have to be careful with using things like metal tongs or utensils to lift things in and out of the pot. Also, since GreenPan discontinued the product I'm SOL if I ever need replacement parts. My understanding is that the Instant Pot comes with a stainless steel pot, and I suspect the brand will have the most longevity out of all these electric pressure cookers that have suddenly popped up. If I were paying for my own pressure cooker with my own money I would go for the Instant Pot.
posted by btfreek at 1:26 PM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

re: cookbook directions, the buttons, names of features, and so on aren't even consistent between the versions of the name-brand Instant Pot, so there's often translation to be done from the recipes. (I mean, it's really easy, but it is necessary.)

I have to assume any cookbook directions would work just as well in any of these, and would be just as easy to translate to their own particular terrible engineer-designed user interface.
posted by vogon_poet at 1:54 PM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Like btfreek's experience, the biggest risk you run is needing customer service and none existing. So to that end I would be comfortable buying one from Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Aroma, Crock Pot, Kitchenaid, or similar known entities. Less so one of the HOOFARD/MINMASH/ETCETERA Chinese electronics mills.

I too would not want one with a nonstick insert (it's fine for my rice cooker, but I do not use pressure cookers as rice cookers), and that would also drive my decision.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:58 PM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

When I last looked around the end of the year, the price differential from off brand to Instant Pot on sale wasn't big enough to try the other one. Maybe that's better now. We are nearing Mothers' Day and the patriarchy will probably put them on sale soon.
posted by advicepig at 2:03 PM on April 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

The Cosori looks like a good buy. I just missed out on buying one on Amazon UK before they sold out. (Then I was given a £25 John Lewis store voucher, which made the UK market leader, the Pressure King Pro, a better option - although it doesn't have a stainless steel bowl.)

What I liked about the Cosori was the stainless steel bowl, and the accessories - stainless steel steam rack with handle, tempered glass lid for slow cooking, extra silicone sealing ring, ladle, rice spoon, and measuring cup. It also has pretty solid reviews.
posted by essexjan at 2:06 PM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have the Crock Pot one (https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Stainless-SCCPPC600-V1/dp/B074PHL51Y/) and have no complaints about it, but I've never used a "real" Instant Pot so maybe I don't know what I'm missing. :-) I will say that the internal pan is teflon-coated and not stainless so that may be a turnoff for some.
posted by jferg at 2:43 PM on April 4, 2018

I've got an Aroma model that has a locking lid but I doubt it does much in the way of pressure.

It has a modicum of saute powers, but it's slow enough at that that I usually just put a pan on the stove; it does fine at slow cooking (slightly limited settings), keeping food warm, doing rice or beans. I haven't tried steaming in it. It's a little fussy to clean as far as the hinged lid. I'll replace it with an instant pot or some other pressure-ready model when it dies, but until then, feijoada tomorrow!
posted by Sunburnt at 3:05 PM on April 4, 2018

I got a 2 litre (2 quart) Cosori one, and it's been great. Obviously, the USP was the size, but it's a really good stainless steel pot, and it's much nicer to use than the Pressure King Pro I got for my parents.
posted by ambrosen at 3:31 PM on April 4, 2018

One thing that really impressed me about the IP itself is the quality of the insert. Thick, spun stainless steel with a seriously effective laminated heat diffuser bottom. The 6qt insert weighs just shy of 2lbs on its own. Also, the intricate bits of the pressure lid seem to be well protected and thoughtfully designed to last a good long time. So what I would suggest is if you do want to compare other brands, go look at them in a store, like Bloodbath & Beyond or wherever sells these things in your area, and see if you get the same thoughtful, rugged vibe.

NB the IP models themselves do go on sale before major holidays; we got the upgraded "Duo" model for under $100CAD; a bit of patience will serve you well.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:51 PM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

For me, the price difference wouldn’t be worth the hassle of having to convert recipes all the time. There are a billion and a half IP recipes tips and tricks out there that may not work well on an off-brand model. Also, as others have said, the IP insert is SOLID. Heavy bottomed and stainless steel and damn near indestructible. I love my IP so much that I bought a second one! Wait and find one on sale in a few weeks.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 9:59 PM on April 4, 2018

I have a Fagor LUX Multi-Cooker and I like it fine. I forget who rated it best, but some organ or another did, hence a Fagor instead of an IP. I've never used an InstantPot proper, so I can't directly compare it, but as best I can tell they're functionally equivalent—every IntantPot-based recipe I've tried has worked as expected in the Fagor.

Complaints: I don't know if mine has a slightly distended gasket or if they're all a bit wonky, but more than a few times I've had to stop the device and re-seat the gasket to get a good seal. Not a deal-breaker, but it's annoying. Also, when it ticks over to warm after the pressure cycle ends, it beeps incessantly. Like every 30 seconds for 15 minutes. Even if you turn it off and then switch it to warm manually, it insists on beeping. Argh.

I don't eat red meat, so some of the major selling points are lost on me, but my bean soup consumption has skyrocketed since getting an electric pressure cooker.
posted by mumkin at 12:03 AM on April 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

Almost all the "instant pot" recipes you will find on the internet tell you to use the 'manual' button anyway. Even the pamphlet of recipes that came with my Instant Pot (tm) does. The buttons on the Instant Pot are just timer presets, except for the yogurt and rice ones.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 7:03 AM on April 5, 2018

I also have the Fagor Lux. I too like it fine, but can't compare it directly against the IP. Works great, all the recipes I've tried convert with no problems. My only issue is finding replacement gaskets. None of the standard sizes fit it well and I've had to get the OEM replacement gasket.
posted by slogger at 8:02 AM on April 5, 2018

Response by poster: Update: after fighting decision fatigue, I impulsively went to Target and bought an instant pot. My tiebreaker was actually the higher resale value of the brand name version, as I expect to move in a year and may not wish to take it with me. So far so good, though I'm a little sad not to have the included glass lid & other accessories of the competing products.

That said, the Cosori and MultiPot both remain particularly attractive thanks to the accessories they include, so I hope this question is a helpful resource for others in the future!
posted by mosst at 8:18 AM on April 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

Tip on the glass lid: if you have any other glass lids that run about 8-9" they may fit just fine. I had one from a smallish skillet, fits like a charm.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:35 AM on April 9, 2018