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There are so many new kitchen gadgets that keep popping up year after year and decade after decade that you may not know the difference between them. That is because so many of these kitchen top machines share commonalities. For instance, you will not necessarily know the difference between kitchen top gadgets such as the instant pot or pressure cooker. The only thing you know about them is that they sell like hotcakes. There is a reason for that because they are fantastic machines that make cooking so much easier for you. However, there are notable differences. Let’s talk about how to use them, and that way you can decide which is better for your needs. Let’s talk about the pressure cooker first.
What Is The Pressure Cooker?
The pressure cooker has existed for centuries, so, therefore, that is not a new invention. The French physicist Denis Papin invented the pressure cooker in 1679. At that point, the use of these machines was for scientific reasons. However, over time, cooks began using the pressure cooker in kitchens. The point of the pressure cooker is to increase the speed of cooking, and the popularity of the pressure cooker is because people do not have that much time to spend cooking. Therefore, this machine helps to speed up cooking times.
Nowadays, you will find many households have pressure cookers on their stovetops because preparing the time to cook by using these devices is so much shorter than it would be through traditional ways. Therefore, cooking with pressure cookers makes the time in the kitchen quick and prepares food three to ten times faster than it would traditionally. Pressure cookers can save not only time but also energy. That means if you use this gadget, you will save on utility costs.
Cultures such as in Indian and the Middle East that rely on legumes or beans take the most advantage of pressure cookers, which has been the case for a long time. However, anyone can prepare foods in pressure cookers because they can cook food in liquids and steam.
The way these pressure cookers work is that they use pressure when it comes to cooking foods. They established a contained setting that produces plenty of steam, and that causes the pressure to build in the interior. Many pressure cookers today use the spring-loaded valve to keep the cooking set controlled. Some cookers do not emit steam while cooking. However, they utilize a pressure indicator to use the cooker to determine when the best time is to release steam. Now that you know a bit about the pressure cooker, let’s now talk about the instant pots before going into the pros and cons of each one.
What Is The Instant Pot?
The instant pot is much newer than the pressure cooker, and the existence of it did not happen before 2010. Canadian inventor Robert Wang invented the Instant Pot as it is a multicooker that combines the function of the pressure cooker and the slow cooker. Therefore, the Instant Pot has various uses to consolidate cooking and the preparation of food into one machine. Even though the Instant Pot existed since 2010, it did not catch on until recently. The beauty of Instant Pots is that it can saute food, slow cook meals, cook rice, make yogurt, and you can use it for pressure cooking. However, that is not what gives these machines the appeal.
Instant Pots can remove the guesswork out of pressure cooking which is what makes them so popular. You can either set the machine manually or use a built-in program to cook your food. You can set it and forget it as it cooks your food until it is ready. You can cook any food in Instant Pots that range from raw meats, vegetables, dry beans and grains, and so much more. You can get creative with the meals you can make in your Instant Pot. You can find an Instant Pot that has various built-in functions. Now, let’s compare the Instant Pot versus the pressure cooker and you can determine which one is better for you!
How Does The Pressure Cooker And The Instant Pot Compare To One Another?
You can easily see that the Instant Pot has over the pressure cooker because it has many more functions as not only can you pressure cook with it, but you can saute your food, slow cook, and make yogurt. You can only pressure cook with the pressure cooker. In addition to that, the Instant Pot gives you the ability to set your meals to cook and forget until it is ready. That means you can prepare your food first thing in the morning, throw your food into the Instant Pot, set it, go to work, and when you get home, your dinner will be ready. You can also use a one-touch setting for common-cooked meals, removing the guesswork. Therefore, for convenience sake and if you have very little time to cook, the Instant Pot is ideal.
However, bear in mind that the Instant Pot is very expensive and is not as durable as pressure cookers. You also must use electricity for cooking with the Instant Pot. Even though the pressure cooker only has one use and is bulky and difficult to store, it is cheaper than the Instant Pot and highly durable. Additionally, it will cook your meals three to ten times faster than it takes to cook in most other cookware. You will be able to make delicious homemade meals that would remind you of your grandmother’s cooking. You also can use the pressure cooker on the stovetop instead of using electricity.
Therefore, if you have some time to spend cooking and enjoy delicious homemade meals on a limited budget, the pressure cooker is ideal for you. However, if you are not home often, prefer a versatile cooking machine, and don’t mind spending extra money, then the Instant Pot is your ideal choice.
Conclusion
The great thing about cooking is that there are so many devices and appliances that allow you to cook in various ways. If you are short on time, you can cook with the Instant Pot, which is also more versatile. However, if your budget is limited and you prefer to have homemade cooked meals‘ that taste like your grandmother’s food, then the pressure cooker is the best option for you. There is no such thing as one cooking machine being superior to the other. It boils down (so to speak) to your individual needs and wants, which helps you determine the best cooking machine for you.