Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, 6 Quart

Top positive review

10,801 people found this helpful

I LOVE My Instant Pot! But Here's What I Wish I'd Known when I First Got It

ByAnne P. Mitchellon April 16, 2016

I LOVE my Instant Pot! But I will be the first to admit that it can be a little intimidating at first, and it can feel like it has a steep learning curve (and I'm a tech reviewer and tech lawyer, and one of those people who generally just jumps in and figures things out without reading the manuals ("Manuals? We don't need no stinkin' manuals!"), so for me to feel like I'm not 'getting' something ..well, yeah. So if you are feeling a little bewildered by your new Instant Pot, *you're not alone*!) Plus, the manual does *not* include certain information that I, at least, was looking for. Such as, how long is each pre-programmed cooking cycle? Exactly what temperature do the various sauté settings heat to? Things like that.

So, here are a few tips that have really helped me to finally 'get' it, plus instructions for two things that you can make in your Instant Pot that will change your life: incredibly easy perfectly poached eggs in 2-3 minutes, and baked potatoes in 12 minutes.

First, it is almost impossible to mess up with this thing to a point of being dangerous, so if you're concerned about the exploding pressure cookers of yore, you needn't be (I said "almost", don't go overriding your pot's safety features and then blame me when you poke an eye out). The lid audibly tells you when its sealed (when you turn it clockwise), and the pot won't even build up much pressure if you haven't properly closed the steam release handle by turning it, too, clockwise. The most likely point at which a problem could arise would be if you try to open the lid (by turning it counter-clockwise) before all of the pressure has been released and normalized (so don't do that). The pot visually lets you know when it's safe to open the pot, by the float valve (the little silver post that pops up when the pot is pressurized) dropping back down flush with the lid instead of being popped up. Think of the float valve as the reverse of a turkey pop-up button, in the case of the float valve it's done when the button pops *in*, instead of out.

The sauté function has three temperature settings: 'Normal' heats to 320 degrees, 'More' heats to 338 degrees, and 'Less' heats to 221 degrees (all in Fahrenheit)

For pressure cooking, you will probably use 'manual' nearly all the time (nearly every Instant Pot cookbook I've read relies on the manual setting almost exclusively). So *don't* feel badly for not using all of those other buttons very much, if at all (I've never used any of the preprogrammed buttons).

The preprogrammed settings each have their own timing, and *variable* pressure, which the pot manipulates by manipulating the temperature of the contents (the higher the temperature, the higher the pressure). That is primarily what makes them different from manual, which provides one consistent pressure (either high or low). However they *generally* bring the contents to high pressure, fluctuating the temperature a little so that the pressure fluctuates a little too, for a set period of time (the main exceptions to this are the rice button, and the multigrain button). Personally I just find it easier to use 'manual' and set the time that I want.

After you hit 'manual' to start cooking, you then set the amount of time you want it to cook at pressure, after which you will have a 10-second grace period (for example to add more time, etc.), after which the display will switch to displaying the word "on". Then it will be a while before the display switches to the timer countdown. This is *normal*. The amount of time you enter is for how long it will cook *after it reaches full pressure* (either high or low pressure, depending on what you selected), and so the timer will switch on when it reaches full pressure.

The cooking time in any recipe is the time *at full pressure*, not in total. So you need to take into account the time it will take to reach full pressure (which depends on many variables, including what is in the contents of the pot, what temperature they started at, and your altitude), *and* how long it will take for the pressure to be released and normalized (i.e. for the float valve to pop in, which of course is really "dropping in", but you get the point). And this brings us to the two different types of pressure release.

All Instant Pot recipes will include (or *should* include) either one of these terms: natural pressure release (also known as NPR), or quick pressure release (QPR or QR). What these mean is simply either "let the pressure dissipate on its own" (natural pressure release), or "force the pressure to escape immediately by turning the steam release handle counter-clockwise to the open position (quick release). The reason for using quick release (QR) is not because you are too impatient to wait for natural release, but because your food will be over cooked if you don't get it the heck out of dodge once it's done cooking at pressure. A really good example of a food needing quick release is poached eggs (which come out *perfectly* in the Instant Pot (see how to poach eggs in the Instant Pot below)). On the other hand, lots of (if not most) foods need the natural release - it's part of their cooking process and processing time.

Natural pressure release generally takes between 15 and 20 minutes.

Quick pressure release takes about a minute, plus the hours spent in the ER if you forget to KEEP YOUR HANDS, FACE, AND ALL OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY FROM THE STEAM VALVE WHEN YOU DO IT!! Many people put a towel over the valve before they turn it, to help suppress the steam, which you may want to do (I don't because then I just end up with a scalding hot towel - but I also rarely need to do QR, and those times that I do, I'm sufficiently respectful of the power and heat of that steam to keep my distance).

Finally, in my experience, unless you are doing a "dump everything in at once and turn it on" recipe, you will definitely want to have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. For example, for any recipe that includes sautéing in the pot first, then adding ingredients and then starting pressure cooking, you definitely want to have everything lined up before you start.

Oh, wait, *this* is actually the final note: the stainless steel inner pot can take a real beating, and cleans up just fine..BUT...after the first use or so (it was after my first use) you will see little "stains" (not sure what else to call them) and, if you are anything like me, you will think "Oh no! I have ruined the beauty of this pot! How can I fix it?" It turns out that this is *very* normal (at least the 'staining', not sure about my reaction being normal :-) ). In my case I had made means, and my pot now still bears the "imprints" of beans, even though it is completely clean..it's sort of like the chalk outlines from a little bean murder scene. ;-) I'm in an Instant Pot forum on Facebook where many IP cookbook authors are members (including JL Fields and Jill Nussinow) and they have all said that this is perfectly normal and just what happens (in fact they said it in response to my "Oh no, I've ruined my beautiful pot" post).

Ok, I think that those are about all of the things that I had wished that I had fully understood on my first day with my Instant Pot.

Oh, actually there's one more thing. I didn't fully appreciate, until several days in, just how amazing this aspect of the Instant Pot is: you can start something cooking in it, and then *walk away* - even leave the house, and it will finish cooking just like you instructed, and be *perfectly done*, and then it will *keep it warm for up to 10 hours*! Not keep cooking it, just *keep it warm*. For up to 10 hours! You can put something in there in the morning, leave for the day, and come back to a perfectly cooked whatever, just waiting for you! Booyah! (I think this is the thing that pressure cooker purists who try to talk people out of getting an Instant Pot, rather than a stovetop pressure cooker, fail to understand. You can't just walk away from a stovetop pressure cooker after the stuff starts cooking.)

Now, here are the *the best* accessories (in my opinion) that you will want for your Instant Pot.

You definitely will want this steamer basket for your Instant Pot (the Instant Pot comes with a little steaming trivet, but this steamer basket is *way* more useful - in fact it's how you make both poached eggs and baked potatoes). Actually you will want *a* steamer basket, but trust me, this is the one you want, both because of the big handle, the fact that the handle telescopes, and, most importantly, you can use it with or without the little legs flipped down, and when you flip the little legs down, they give you plenty of space for as much water for steaming as you could ever need without worrying about the water touching the food that's in the basket.

Or, instead of, or in addition to, the above steamer, you can get this steamer basket and steaming rack / trivet set. The legs on this trivet are an inch and a half high (the rack that comes with your Instant Pot only gives 3/4 of an inch of clearance). and the flat-bottomed steamer is very versatile.

Personally, I have both, as they each serve their own purpose, and the trivet that comes with the set is really useful for pot-in-pot cooking, at which you may also want to try your hand. Pot-in-pot (or "PIP") is where you put a second, smaller vessel inside your Instant Pot's main internal pot. There are different reasons for doing this, ranging from "I only want to cook a small amount of something like oatmeal" to "I want to cook a cheesecake in my Instant Pot" to "I want to cook two different things at the same time in my Instant Pot (like cooking beans, and having a bowl of rice on a trivet (see why you want a good trivet?) above the beans, steam cooking at the same time).

For pot-in-pot cooking, I recommend any stainless steel vessel that is no greater in diameter than 7.5 inches, and no taller than 4 or so inches (your internal pot has a diameter of just over 8.5 inches and a height of about 6 inches). Lots of people use glass vessels such as Pyrex or Corningware, but I personally prefer to use stainless steel because if you drop it you'll just have a mess, rather than a mess plus broken glass.

If you're really keen on making cheesecakes, steamed puddings, flans, and that sort of thing in your Instant Pot, you may also want to grab this stainless steel pot-in-pot 'dessert insert' pan set, which includes two stacking pans. and a rack to set them on which has handles that close up over the pans to secure them.

You will also want this separate glass lid that is sold by the Instant Pot people. This lid fits on your *inner metal pot*, and this way when you are using your Instant Pot for *non-pressurized* cooking, such as when using it as a slow cooker, or with the sauté function, you will be able to see what is going on in there. Basically, in these usages, you can think of your Instant Pot as a counter-top stove burner (albeit one with really cool bells and whistles) - that may help you to understand why you want a (see-through!) lid for that inner pot. Plus, once you are done cooking in any mode, you can use the inner pot to store the leftovers in your fridge, and use this lid to cover it.

In terms of Instant Pot cookbooks to get you started, they are a relatively new genre, and a *lot* of them are only available as Kindle or other digital format books. Personally, I like to have a physical book when it comes to cookbooks, and so I like this one...you can't go wrong with America's Test Kitchen cookbooks, and their pressure cooker cookbook is no exception:

Pressure Cooker Perfection

I also happen to be a strict vegetarian, and for vegetarian and vegan Instant Pot cooking, this book by J.L. Fields is considered the best book out there (it's pretty darned good!):

Vegan Pressure Cooking: Delicious Beans, Grains, and One-Pot Meals in Minutes

And if you also are vegetarian or vegan, you'll appreciate the recipes in this one:

O M Gee Good! Instant Pot Meals, Plant-Based & Oil-free

..and this one:

Vegan Under Pressure: Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker

And speaking of recipes - here is how to make those poached eggs, and baked potatoes.

Poached Eggs: Lightly grease 1 to 4 (depending on how many poached eggs you want) Pyrex custard cups with butter or oil. Put a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, put a steamer basket or trivet in the pot (making sure that the water doesn't come over the top), and set your Pyrex cups in the steamer basket or on the trivet. I use my Oxo steamer basket for this, and I love that when they are done I can just grab the handle and pull the whole shebang out (remember the handle will be HOT, be sure to wear an oven mitt). Use Manual setting, low pressure, for 2 to 3 minutes. 2 minutes will probably be enough unless you're at a high altitude.

Baked Potatoes: Remember how I said you could make baked potatoes in 12 minutes? And remember how I said that the recipe times are for the time *at pressure*? ;~) Still, even given the time to come to pressure, and to have the pressure come back down, you can have perfectly steam-baked potatoes in under half an hour, and the best part is that you can start them, and then *walk away*! When you are ready for your potatoes, they will be perfectly done and waiting for you, even if you have abandoned them for hours! Just put water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, flip the legs down on your Oxo steamer, put the steamer in the pot and then dump your potatoes in on top of the steamer. Using the Manual setting, set the cooking time for 12 minutes, using high pressure. Then walk away! Now, because these are 'steam baked' (i.e. cooked whole over steam, but not in water), the skins will not be crisp, but these are otherwise exactly like the baked potatoes you know and love - they're great with butter, sour cream, etc.! This works with new potatoes, and regular potatoes!

Happy Instant Potting!

Top critical review

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27 people found this helpful

The pressure pin problem can't be ignored.

ByDiashion November 17, 2016

After using the IP-DUO60 2-3 times, the pressure pin leaks constantly, and I can't get around it.

I've tried running the pin under cold water when seated in the lid, or lift the lid and press down to get a seal, but that doesn't always work. And even if you get a seal, sometimes the pot still leaks pressure while it's cooking. You're stuck constantly babysitting something that promotes a very set-and-forget approach to cooking. You end up messing up your timings, so the food comes out under or overcooked.

I'm looking to get my lid replaced soon and will update the review if there's any success.

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Showing 21-30 of 15,925 reviews(Verified Purchases). See all 19,495 reviews

PIECE OF JUNK

ByKenneth R. Babick Sr.on December 21, 2015

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

Piece of JUNK- lasted 60 days and cooked 4 meals and then it wont come up to pressure. Tried everything, all it did was ruin a lasagna.
When it did work (the 4 times) it was great. I only used the manual settings. So my meals cost me 31 bucks each and the 'not so instant unreliable pot goes in the trash.
Seriously, buy something else.
1 year warranty is useless. You pay for shipping both ways to Canada and back.

55 comments 72 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Absolutely love it. I have only used it once (made ...

ByTracy Ferrellon November 29, 2016

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

Absolutely love it. I have only used it once (made Indian Butter Chicken), and realizing how beneficial and convenient this is, I've decided to buy all 12 of my employees who are all very busy working mothers there. I'm going as far as preparing all the meals for our Xmas party with it so that after they open their gift I'll be able to brag that all meals they ate that night were cooked with the IP.

0Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Stopped working after 5 months. Disappointed.

ByEMBon November 12, 2016

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

I have had the Instant Pot for 5 months, using it reasonably regularly. This afternoon, I started it to saute vegetables, and then planned to use the slow cooker function to make chile. I set the slow cooker function to High / More, and it would never get above a "warm" temperature -- even six hours later. I don't think the chili is safe to eat. There goes my day and big batch of chili. I have written to Instant Pot -- let's see what their response is.

55 comments 108 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Defective Seal, Poor Customer Service, Great Pressure Cooker When It Works

BySarah M. Kirkellon January 7, 2016

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

Loved this pot the first time I used it. It made broth in just a few hours. It made melt-in-your-mouth pot roast in about an hour. I used it about 5 or 6 times, and then the last time I used it steam leaked out the rim of the lid. I watched the help videos on instant pot's website and discovered my ring was slightly stretched--something they admit can happen, though they say infrequently. Since I was well within the warranty period, I contacted them for a replacement. It took two days for them to get back to me and when they did, it was simply to request a picture. A day later, they sent me a note saying they couldn't see the defect, but that perhaps there was a small cut in the ring that they couldn't see. I did not appreciate being treated in this manner. In person, I could clearly see what they could not in a photo--the ring stretched after use. (And not from improper handling.) They asked for my shipping information and my receipt, which I sent. I am waiting for a reply. I assume they will still replace the ring. (I will update here if they do not.) In the meantime, I ordered a replacement ring myself. I'd like to use my pot on a near daily basis and didn't want to have to wait for slow customer service. Replacement rings are over $10 each and the shipping time on them (even with PRIME) is about a month. Their response could have been quicker and more customer friendly, for sure. I don't mind the price of a new ring if they actually last 2 years. I will be upset if the sealing rings don't last for at least 18 months.

11 comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Very disappointed in my 8 quart IP and their customer support team.

Byloves Amazonon January 25, 2017

Size: 8 QuartVerified Purchase

I purchased this 8quart IP in November, but wasn't able to use it until January. I did the Initial Test Run and steam and water hissed out during the 2 minute countdown. I did this a few times. Contacted IP's customer support and they referred me to their higher level e-mail Customer Support team and I had to go through a lot before they finally agreed to send me another lid and base (minus the inner pot). Well, once I received the new one I had the same problem (again, after numerous Initial Test Runs) and now they want me to do the following steps which are very time consuming.

Here are the instructions. If any steam is escaping during the test, please capture a short video of this happening and attach it to your reply to this ticket.

1) Make sure Steam Release Handle and Float valve are unobstructed and clean and that your sealing ring is properly in place
2) Insert the inner pot in the cooker base and add 3 cups of water
3) Put the lid on in the secured position
4) Make sure that the steam release handle is pointing to "Sealing"
5) Press the "steam" button and adjust the time using the "+" or "-" keys to 5 minutes
6) Take notes on what happens until the pot goes into the keep warm mode automatically

Please pay special attention to:

a) How long it takes for steam to start coming out the float valve hole
b) How long it takes for the float valve to pop up
c) When the countdown begins
d) If there is leakage AFTER the countdown begins, where is it coming from?

7) Turn off the machine
8) Send us your findings

Now I see that you have stopped selling the 8 quart and it's under review. I feel there is something wrong with the 8 quart IP and would like a new one considering all the time I have put into doing these tests and contacting IP's phone and e-mail customer support. It's been a very frustrating experience.

11 comment 26 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

I don't think its as easy as everyone says

ByMichelleon February 6, 2016

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

I don't think its as easy as everyone says, first the manual isn't organized in a way that you can pick out the information you need. The print is so small its hard to read even with glasses for me. I needed to read a few pages at a time and come back to it because there are so many do's and don'ts to remember. Its a little daunting to use a pressure cooker if you've never done it and don't know how it works. When you get through the pages of small print, and commit it to memory then fine, its not that bad. For example, don't cook oatmeal with the venting closed because the steam will clog something, on steam and pressure cook, don't try to open the lid when its finished, it needs to cool down until the float button drops down and even then, be super careful not to burn yourself. If you want to take the stainless steel inner pot out be extremely careful carrying it. The lid should not be used for the Saute function, you have to turn the top dial to 'sealing' when you are steaming or pressure cooking, and when the count down timer goes off with ten beeps its done. The recipe book that comes with it is very limited, only a few recipes in there, you definitely need to look for a cookbook which will give the details of what steps to take with which buttons. There is nothing in it that just gives basic cooking instructions for 'chicken breasts' for example, so you have to guess. It says 8-10 minutes for chicken breasts, but do you add liquid or does it have to be a soup? Doesn't say. A lot of guesswork. The first thing you do is wash everything, then 'test' it by filling to the 3 line with water and turning the dial to 'sealing'. Plug it in, then press steam, then adjust the minutes to 2 minutes and let it start by itself. The pot takes 10 full minutes to get to a pressure cooker state, and finally starts counting down the 2 minutes. Then it beeps and automatically goes to 'cancel/warm' status. At which point you can unplug it so it can 'naturally' cool down which takes 15 minutes or carefully with a knife and a long arm slightly move the 'sealing' to 'venting' knowing it will spurt and hiss a lot but if you hold that with a knife for 5 minutes the 'float' button will come down telling you its ok to open the lid. The float button goes up when the lid locks as its cooking so you can not open it as a safety feature. So far I ended up putting the breasts in some broth and making a quick soup on 14 minutes. It was ok, but the chicken was overdone and I've decided chicken is best done on the stove or regular oven. On the beef stew recipe I tried it had too much liquid and was more like a soup, so these recipes are not all that good in my opinion. The pressure cooker is great for beef stew because it makes it very tender quickly. But for chicken, I've not had so much success. Chicken tends to either be overdone or not done enough. I tried to do a whole chicken and followed the recipe by flipping it over at midpoint -pressed poultry twice and it was still pink in the breast when I cut it so I put it back in for 8 more minutes and it was way way overdone. I think I need to stop making chicken in it and save the pressure cooker for stews and pulled pork or ribs and beans. Then I'll be more satisfied.

22 comments 47 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

If it works, it works well; if it doesn't, it'll cost you to send it back

Bylouisecookon May 14, 2015

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

i own two Instant Pots and I love them. But, buyer beware. The first one stopped working--steam coming out of the vent. I emailed them. They sent me a new part. It still didn't work. They requested a video; I sent it. They sent me a new top. It still didn't work. At this point, they volunteered to send me a new one if I returned the old one--a very good bit of customer relations. But mailing it to Canada would cost over $100. I emailed them and asked if they had a prepaid way to send back the defective item. Since then, I have not heard back from them though I have tried to contact them again.

So...a mixed review. The pot, if it works, works magnificently well. But one of mine stopped working after five months. And I'm out the cost of the product because clearly it's not worth $100 to send it back.

0Comment 37 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Faulty valve in the lid does not seal

ByClemwoodon January 18, 2016

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

This unit is designed with a self sealing valve that is supposed to pop up when the pressure raises to the proper level. It acts as a locking mechanism for the lid so you can't open the top when under pressure. We battled with getting the valve to pop up every time we used it. We kept the valve very clean and really did everything by the book to get the unit to seal up. We would have to resort to tapping or banging on the the top or shaking the whole unit to get the mechanism to pop into place. Last night after a frustrating 30 minutes of working to get the valve to seal, we ended up turning the unit off. I had hoped to open the lid to investigate the problem - mistake! It was still too hot. We ended up with a huge mess. See the photo of the mess we ended up with! Yikes! We cleaned it all up and emailed instant pot customer service today to see if they will assist with a solution. I think the lid was defective to begin with as the seal should pop right up once under pressure. I am really disappointed with the overall experience, but we will update here if we get a satisfactory level of customer service to fix the problem. We keep trying because we have had some great meals (despite the effort) from this unit. Just hope we can get it to work as designed...

11 comment 57 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Disappointed

ByNikki Davyon December 23, 2015

Size: 6 QuartVerified Purchase

I have not used all the features of this unit simply because the lid is a terrible addition to this otherwise good cooking device. It does not latch easily and the when you are attempting to latch it will ping warning sound until you semi get it right. The outer covering on the unit comes off easily until the unit is stripped off its cover. So disappointed and I don't think it can last in this condition.

0Comment 15 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Instant Pot is the brand to buy, period.

ByRapscallionon July 11, 2017

Size: 8 QuartVerified Purchase

Mea culpa, I don't own the 8 quart. I have the 6 quart and have owned it well over a year and use it a couple times a month. This is the best engineered kitchen product I have ever owned or reviewed. I am a retired foodie and a kitchen gadget freak. People complain about it retaining smells, but that is not true. I guess it depends on what you plan to use it for. If you plan to do chocolate souffle after cooking fish stew, yeah that may not be a great idea. Yes, the silicone ring will absorb odors, but there is no other electric pressure cooker that doesn't. If you soak it for time along in the sink with a little dish soap, along with the lid, the "smells" dissipate considerably. Additionally, what exactly are people expecting? It's an electric pressure cooker, not a glazed ceramic crock pot with a glass lid. It has nooks and crannies. My only regret is the 6 quart works so well I can't justify buying the 8 quart. The two extra quarts would be welcome, but I have an 8 quart slow cooker and my wife ain't buy'in it (my we can get rid of the slow cooker argument. The slow cooker still has it's place). We don't buy what we don't need. I did get a Anova Sous Vide WiFi today on Prime Day, so I'm happy. New toys :)

What it is? Only the best chili, soup, dry bean cooker on the planet. That's not hyperbole. You can have fully (and I mean truly cooked) tender beans from dry in 1 hour (45 minutes even, but I like them fully tender). I set the pot on manual for 45 minutes, drain and refill the water and do another 15. That doesn't account for the time it takes to get up to pressure so it's more like 2 hours, but it's a lot faster and better than conventional cooking. Far less steam heating up the house in the process as well. Perfect beans, any kind you like, what's not to like. Try that with boiling them on the stove. There's no comparison. Sure there are a myriad of uses, but for me it's the best chili pot I've ever encountered. It will burn tomato sauce so be careful with that.

The quality of the components, especially the stainless pot are top notch. As many others have said, stainless is the way to go, and cleanup is never going to be a problem. You can pay less, or more, but Instant Pot is the brand to buy, period. Do I sound like a fan? If you read my review of the 6 quart you will see that I am.