This is just a brief review to cover some important features, as there are zillions of reviews on this item.
I have had mine for a year.
First the good, then the bad :)
The Good: electric pressure cookers are fun and easy to use--you can put the food in and walk away, and you can cook beans really easily. Makes great split pea soup and both hard and soft boiled eggs. Makes potatoes super fast and easy, unlike the dreaded microwave.
It's surprising good for use as a saute pan with uniform, constant heat.
The bad:
First, you can seriously--superheated steam--burn yourself on the lid or the steam valve. All pressure cookers have this problem, but this one is even a bit more easy to burn yourself.
Second, it really isn't a good rice cooker. If you have a top quality rice cooker, you will see a marked difference. In addition, my rice was grey (see science note, below). Trust me, I have eaten rice almost every day for forty years
Third, the pressure is well below the standard of 15psi. I was surprised by this, it isn't a deal breaker but the GoWise supposedly is a bit closer to the standard. To get a real, steady 15 psi, look for a top end cooker that sits on an induction burner or stove top.
Lastly, I found the timings in the recipes to be off. No biggie.
Note that you have to cook things together that have a similar cooking time--you can't take the lid off and add or remove items. For example, if you put carrots, celery, potatoes and split peas in to make soup, the carrots and celery will be seriously overcooked. Nonetheless, it makes a nice soup.
If you are cooking eggs, the eggs will be better on the low setting. There's a zillion combinations for eggs, you can use six minutes on high, six minutes on natural release and six minutes in the water bath. Amy and Jacky have a terrific web page on this that covers all the possibilities, with photos.
The "grey rice" controversy:
A number of reviews commented that their rice was grey. My rice was definitely a weird color of grey. I then read in the comments that this had to do "scientifically" with "microscopic" texture of the rice that was pressure cooked. As a former scientist, I believe this to be be untrue, and I will tell you why: rice cooked in my other pressure cooker is white, and rice cooked in my Instant Pot in a Pyrex bowl is white. That's how we do science--we experiment and compare.
I my tests, I only got grey rice when I used the steel bowl that came wit the Instant Pot. Rice cooked in the same pressure cooker in a glass, pyrex bowl was pure white. You can read more about how I tested this, below. The most likely inference is that something from the steel bowl leaches into the rice, it could even be a residual, tough layer of oil from manufacturing. It isn't from pressure cooking (see the photo).
I don't like grey rice, so I don't use the steel bowl. If you want to simulate the Tatung, use a Pyrex or steel bowl (get a food grade, good quality bowl, or a Tatung replacement bowl) for the rice and surround it with water (as well as water in the rice, of course) or place the bowl on a trivet. You will have to cook it longer, I use 12-14 minutes for Jasmine rice with a tiny bit more than one-to-one water to rice ratio. Make sure there is water in the pan to steam the rice.
I have uploaded a photo of two batches of Jasmine rice. The left one was cooked in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes on high in a pyrex inner bowl. The right one was cooked in a Panasonic "fuzzy logic" rice cooker. The Panasonic has a fast setting that also cooks the rice in 15 minutes. Both batches were exactly the same color. Using Photoshop, the average color of the rice in both samples was identical, aaa592. This proves beyond any doubt, despite what you may read, that pressure cooking rice does not change the color. Rice cooked in the Instant Pot bowl in the same cooker was grey.
"Made in China"--Chinese products are some of the best in the world, so there is no concern about the quality. The cooker is decent quality. Most of my high end video cameras and lenses are made in China, and China makes a lot of steel for high end companies. If you really want your pressure cooker made somewhere else, WMF makes exceptionally good steel, and the 3 quart "Pro" pressure cooker claims to be made in Germany, you can buy it on Amazon at
WMF Perfect Pro 3-quart Pressure Cooker
Note that the WMF is not electric, but it has a lifetime warranty.
Teflon and aluminum: there's no Teflon that I can see on the bowl or lid, and I definitely do not recommend you buy a cooker with Teflon.
Some sizes have an aluminum inner lid, my 6 quart did not.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (4696) | (17425) | (7699) | (143504) |
| Price | $79.99 | $189.95 | $59.99 | $81.31 |
| Sold By | OneRain | Versianamy | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| Color | Black | Stainless Steel/Black | Black and Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel/Black |
| Item Dimensions | 12.6 x 11.81 x 10.23 inches | 13.18 x 12.2 x 12.5 inches | 11.02 x 10.75 x 10.75 inches | 13.38 x 12.2 x 12.48 inches |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless steel |
| Size | 6 Quart - V2 | 6 Quart | 5.2 Qt Professional | 6Qt |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
A fun cooker with some serious limitations
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
This is just a brief review to cover some important features, as there are zillions of reviews on this item.I have had mine for a year.First the good, then the bad :)The Good: electric pressure cookers are fun and easy to use--you can put the food in and walk away, and you can cook beans really easily. Makes great split pea soup and both hard and soft boiled eggs. Makes potatoes super fast and easy, unlike the dreaded microwave.It's surprising good for use as a saute pan with uniform, constant heat.The bad:First, you can seriously--superheated steam--burn yourself on the lid or the steam valve. All pressure cookers have this problem, but this one is even a bit more easy to burn yourself.Second, it really isn't a good rice cooker. If you have a top quality rice cooker, you will see a marked difference. In addition, my rice was grey (see science note, below). Trust me, I have eaten rice almost every day for forty yearsThird, the pressure is well below the standard of 15psi. I was surprised by this, it isn't a deal breaker but the GoWise supposedly is a bit closer to the standard. To get a real, steady 15 psi, look for a top end cooker that sits on an induction burner or stove top.Lastly, I found the timings in the recipes to be off. No biggie.Note that you have to cook things together that have a similar cooking time--you can't take the lid off and add or remove items. For example, if you put carrots, celery, potatoes and split peas in to make soup, the carrots and celery will be seriously overcooked. Nonetheless, it makes a nice soup.If you are cooking eggs, the eggs will be better on the low setting. There's a zillion combinations for eggs, you can use six minutes on high, six minutes on natural release and six minutes in the water bath. Amy and Jacky have a terrific web page on this that covers all the possibilities, with photos.The "grey rice" controversy:A number of reviews commented that their rice was grey. My rice was definitely a weird color of grey. I then read in the comments that this had to do "scientifically" with "microscopic" texture of the rice that was pressure cooked. As a former scientist, I believe this to be be untrue, and I will tell you why: rice cooked in my other pressure cooker is white, and rice cooked in my Instant Pot in a Pyrex bowl is white. That's how we do science--we experiment and compare.I my tests, I only got grey rice when I used the steel bowl that came wit the Instant Pot. Rice cooked in the same pressure cooker in a glass, pyrex bowl was pure white. You can read more about how I tested this, below. The most likely inference is that something from the steel bowl leaches into the rice, it could even be a residual, tough layer of oil from manufacturing. It isn't from pressure cooking (see the photo).I don't like grey rice, so I don't use the steel bowl. If you want to simulate the Tatung, use a Pyrex or steel bowl (get a food grade, good quality bowl, or a Tatung replacement bowl) for the rice and surround it with water (as well as water in the rice, of course) or place the bowl on a trivet. You will have to cook it longer, I use 12-14 minutes for Jasmine rice with a tiny bit more than one-to-one water to rice ratio. Make sure there is water in the pan to steam the rice.I have uploaded a photo of two batches of Jasmine rice. The left one was cooked in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes on high in a pyrex inner bowl. The right one was cooked in a Panasonic "fuzzy logic" rice cooker. The Panasonic has a fast setting that also cooks the rice in 15 minutes. Both batches were exactly the same color. Using Photoshop, the average color of the rice in both samples was identical, aaa592. This proves beyond any doubt, despite what you may read, that pressure cooking rice does not change the color. Rice cooked in the Instant Pot bowl in the same cooker was grey."Made in China"--Chinese products are some of the best in the world, so there is no concern about the quality. The cooker is decent quality. Most of my high end video cameras and lenses are made in China, and China makes a lot of steel for high end companies. If you really want your pressure cooker made somewhere else, WMF makes exceptionally good steel, and the 3 quart "Pro" pressure cooker claims to be made in Germany, you can buy it on Amazon at WMF Perfect Pro 3-quart Pressure Cooker Note that the WMF is not electric, but it has a lifetime warranty.Teflon and aluminum: there's no Teflon that I can see on the bowl or lid, and I definitely do not recommend you buy a cooker with Teflon.Some sizes have an aluminum inner lid, my 6 quart did not.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
I have had mine for a year.
First the good, then the bad :)
The Good: electric pressure cookers are fun and easy to use--you can put the food in and walk away, and you can cook beans really easily. Makes great split pea soup and both hard and soft boiled eggs. Makes potatoes super fast and easy, unlike the dreaded microwave.
It's surprising good for use as a saute pan with uniform, constant heat.
The bad:
First, you can seriously--superheated steam--burn yourself on the lid or the steam valve. All pressure cookers have this problem, but this one is even a bit more easy to burn yourself.
Second, it really isn't a good rice cooker. If you have a top quality rice cooker, you will see a marked difference. In addition, my rice was grey (see science note, below). Trust me, I have eaten rice almost every day for forty years
Third, the pressure is well below the standard of 15psi. I was surprised by this, it isn't a deal breaker but the GoWise supposedly is a bit closer to the standard. To get a real, steady 15 psi, look for a top end cooker that sits on an induction burner or stove top.
Lastly, I found the timings in the recipes to be off. No biggie.
Note that you have to cook things together that have a similar cooking time--you can't take the lid off and add or remove items. For example, if you put carrots, celery, potatoes and split peas in to make soup, the carrots and celery will be seriously overcooked. Nonetheless, it makes a nice soup.
If you are cooking eggs, the eggs will be better on the low setting. There's a zillion combinations for eggs, you can use six minutes on high, six minutes on natural release and six minutes in the water bath. Amy and Jacky have a terrific web page on this that covers all the possibilities, with photos.
The "grey rice" controversy:
A number of reviews commented that their rice was grey. My rice was definitely a weird color of grey. I then read in the comments that this had to do "scientifically" with "microscopic" texture of the rice that was pressure cooked. As a former scientist, I believe this to be be untrue, and I will tell you why: rice cooked in my other pressure cooker is white, and rice cooked in my Instant Pot in a Pyrex bowl is white. That's how we do science--we experiment and compare.
I my tests, I only got grey rice when I used the steel bowl that came wit the Instant Pot. Rice cooked in the same pressure cooker in a glass, pyrex bowl was pure white. You can read more about how I tested this, below. The most likely inference is that something from the steel bowl leaches into the rice, it could even be a residual, tough layer of oil from manufacturing. It isn't from pressure cooking (see the photo).
I don't like grey rice, so I don't use the steel bowl. If you want to simulate the Tatung, use a Pyrex or steel bowl (get a food grade, good quality bowl, or a Tatung replacement bowl) for the rice and surround it with water (as well as water in the rice, of course) or place the bowl on a trivet. You will have to cook it longer, I use 12-14 minutes for Jasmine rice with a tiny bit more than one-to-one water to rice ratio. Make sure there is water in the pan to steam the rice.
I have uploaded a photo of two batches of Jasmine rice. The left one was cooked in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes on high in a pyrex inner bowl. The right one was cooked in a Panasonic "fuzzy logic" rice cooker. The Panasonic has a fast setting that also cooks the rice in 15 minutes. Both batches were exactly the same color. Using Photoshop, the average color of the rice in both samples was identical, aaa592. This proves beyond any doubt, despite what you may read, that pressure cooking rice does not change the color. Rice cooked in the Instant Pot bowl in the same cooker was grey.
"Made in China"--Chinese products are some of the best in the world, so there is no concern about the quality. The cooker is decent quality. Most of my high end video cameras and lenses are made in China, and China makes a lot of steel for high end companies. If you really want your pressure cooker made somewhere else, WMF makes exceptionally good steel, and the 3 quart "Pro" pressure cooker claims to be made in Germany, you can buy it on Amazon at [[ASIN:B016APL1N8 WMF Perfect Pro 3-quart Pressure Cooker]] Note that the WMF is not electric, but it has a lifetime warranty.
Teflon and aluminum: there's no Teflon that I can see on the bowl or lid, and I definitely do not recommend you buy a cooker with Teflon.
Some sizes have an aluminum inner lid, my 6 quart did not.
Verified Purchase
A fun cooker with some serious limitations
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
This is just a brief review to cover some important features, as there are zillions of reviews on this item.Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
I have had mine for a year.
First the good, then the bad :)
The Good: electric pressure cookers are fun and easy to use--you can put the food in and walk away, and you can cook beans really easily. Makes great split pea soup and both hard and soft boiled eggs. Makes potatoes super fast and easy, unlike the dreaded microwave.
It's surprising good for use as a saute pan with uniform, constant heat.
The bad:
First, you can seriously--superheated steam--burn yourself on the lid or the steam valve. All pressure cookers have this problem, but this one is even a bit more easy to burn yourself.
Second, it really isn't a good rice cooker. If you have a top quality rice cooker, you will see a marked difference. In addition, my rice was grey (see science note, below). Trust me, I have eaten rice almost every day for forty years
Third, the pressure is well below the standard of 15psi. I was surprised by this, it isn't a deal breaker but the GoWise supposedly is a bit closer to the standard. To get a real, steady 15 psi, look for a top end cooker that sits on an induction burner or stove top.
Lastly, I found the timings in the recipes to be off. No biggie.
Note that you have to cook things together that have a similar cooking time--you can't take the lid off and add or remove items. For example, if you put carrots, celery, potatoes and split peas in to make soup, the carrots and celery will be seriously overcooked. Nonetheless, it makes a nice soup.
If you are cooking eggs, the eggs will be better on the low setting. There's a zillion combinations for eggs, you can use six minutes on high, six minutes on natural release and six minutes in the water bath. Amy and Jacky have a terrific web page on this that covers all the possibilities, with photos.
The "grey rice" controversy:
A number of reviews commented that their rice was grey. My rice was definitely a weird color of grey. I then read in the comments that this had to do "scientifically" with "microscopic" texture of the rice that was pressure cooked. As a former scientist, I believe this to be be untrue, and I will tell you why: rice cooked in my other pressure cooker is white, and rice cooked in my Instant Pot in a Pyrex bowl is white. That's how we do science--we experiment and compare.
I my tests, I only got grey rice when I used the steel bowl that came wit the Instant Pot. Rice cooked in the same pressure cooker in a glass, pyrex bowl was pure white. You can read more about how I tested this, below. The most likely inference is that something from the steel bowl leaches into the rice, it could even be a residual, tough layer of oil from manufacturing. It isn't from pressure cooking (see the photo).
I don't like grey rice, so I don't use the steel bowl. If you want to simulate the Tatung, use a Pyrex or steel bowl (get a food grade, good quality bowl, or a Tatung replacement bowl) for the rice and surround it with water (as well as water in the rice, of course) or place the bowl on a trivet. You will have to cook it longer, I use 12-14 minutes for Jasmine rice with a tiny bit more than one-to-one water to rice ratio. Make sure there is water in the pan to steam the rice.
I have uploaded a photo of two batches of Jasmine rice. The left one was cooked in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes on high in a pyrex inner bowl. The right one was cooked in a Panasonic "fuzzy logic" rice cooker. The Panasonic has a fast setting that also cooks the rice in 15 minutes. Both batches were exactly the same color. Using Photoshop, the average color of the rice in both samples was identical, aaa592. This proves beyond any doubt, despite what you may read, that pressure cooking rice does not change the color. Rice cooked in the Instant Pot bowl in the same cooker was grey.
"Made in China"--Chinese products are some of the best in the world, so there is no concern about the quality. The cooker is decent quality. Most of my high end video cameras and lenses are made in China, and China makes a lot of steel for high end companies. If you really want your pressure cooker made somewhere else, WMF makes exceptionally good steel, and the 3 quart "Pro" pressure cooker claims to be made in Germany, you can buy it on Amazon at [[ASIN:B016APL1N8 WMF Perfect Pro 3-quart Pressure Cooker]] Note that the WMF is not electric, but it has a lifetime warranty.
Teflon and aluminum: there's no Teflon that I can see on the bowl or lid, and I definitely do not recommend you buy a cooker with Teflon.
Some sizes have an aluminum inner lid, my 6 quart did not.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2017
This is great for singles, couples, families. You can add accessories to make it even easier, an extra liner for fast transitions, steamer baskets, inserts, etc.
And there's NOTHING to be scared of. This is not your mom's old stovetop pressure cooker. Instant Pot has put several safety mechanisms in play so this is safe, convenient and EASY to use!
Verified Purchase
The one appliance I can't and WON'T live without (besides my Vitamix)!!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2017
Seriously...just buy it. It's a life changer!! There are SO SO SO many resources available out there for great, easy, efficient recipes no matter what diet you follow. This little jewel makes short work of meals and allowed us to get rid of other bulky kitchen appliances. I can make perfect rice (brown, white, basmati, jasmine, risotto, spanish, etc.) with almost no effort. Soups, broths, steaming veggies, steaming seitan, proofing bread, chili, stews, oatmeal, pasta (yes, dump in a box of noodles, a can of diced tomatoes, a jar/can of sauce, a half a jar of hot water and season. Set for 6 minutes....BOOM, dinner), perfect potatoes for mashed taters....there is NOTHING this wonder-appliance can't handle. It has a permanent spot ON my counter and it's used almost daily. The best part....I can set it and walk away but I DON'T have to wait all day like with a slow-cooker. You can cook frozen meat in it (because we ALL forget to pull something out for dinner), you can steam fish, you can even buy a few accessories and cook a whole meal in one go.Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2017
This is great for singles, couples, families. You can add accessories to make it even easier, an extra liner for fast transitions, steamer baskets, inserts, etc.
And there's NOTHING to be scared of. This is not your mom's old stovetop pressure cooker. Instant Pot has put several safety mechanisms in play so this is safe, convenient and EASY to use!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2017
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Get it, you won't regret it!
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Very useful; controls could be more efficient
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