What Size Instant Pot To Buy
This post on what size instant pot to buy will be hopefully helpful for those who are looking to buy instant pots or beginners looking to buy different types of instant pots, as I have tried to cover different versions and different sizes of instant pot briefly to reduce any confusion.
The different models or different versions of instant pot come with different features, some models with advanced features than the lower versions, and most of these models come in different sizes – mostly available in 3 quart, 6 quart and 8 quart sizes.
The most popular instant pot as of today when I write this post is the Instant pot DUO 6 quart 7 in 1 multiuse programmable pressure cooker with functions for pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute function, yogurt maker, warmer etc.
You can also find other models in the popular 6 quart size, with higher versions like Instant pot DUO plus 6 quart 9 in 1 multi use programmable pressure cooker.
The first one seems to be more popular though, as it has almost everything that the DUO plus have, minus the cake, egg and sterilize buttons. So if you want to have all features of DUO plus the cake, egg and sterilize features you can go for the DUO plus option.
The DUO plus is available in different options with regards to size like DUO plus mini 3 quart, DUO plus 6 quart and DUO plus 8 quart options.
So if you have a large family or if you wish to cook in large batches you can go for 8 quart instant pot. If you are a small family of 2 and if you wish to cook fresh meals everyday, a mini 3 quart pot will be just enough.
You can also buy the DUO plus bundle where you get a DUO plus 3 quart and DUO plus 6 quart together for a better deal.
In the DUO Plus version (with the cake, egg and sterilize features), you can find DUO plus mini 3 quart, DUO plus 6 quart and DUO plus 8 quart as I mentioned above.
An advanced version in instant pot series is the ultra 10 in 1 multi use programmable pressure cooker which are also available in three different sizes – 6 quart ultra 10 in 1 programmable pressure cooker , 8 quart 10 in programmable pressure cooker and the mini 3 quart ultra 10 in 1 programmable pressure cooker.
The advanced features in the ultra instant pot versions include altitude adjustment, cooking indicator and a steam release reset button.
So this ultra version of instant pot is extremely useful if you live in high altitude areas where an adjustment of altitude is required while cooking. Just like the DUO plus, you can get an ultra bundle which consists of an ultra 6 quart and an ultra 3 quart together for a better deal.
We have seen the instant pot DUO, Instant pot DUO Plus and instant pot ultra versions that are available in different sizes. We also have instant pot Lux which comes in three different sizes.
That is, we have instant pot LUX 6 quart 6 in 1 multi use programmable pressure cooker, instant pot LUX 3 quart 6 in 1 and also instant pot LUX 8 quart 6 in 1.
The difference of this instant pot LUX with DUO which is the next higher version is that the LUX doesn’t have the ‘yogurt function’ as well as the ‘low pressure’ setting.
So basically, if you wish to make yogurt using your instant pot, you may not opt for the LUX version since it doesn’t have the yogurt setting. The price of the LUX version is slightly less than the DUO version, so if you do not plan to make yogurt, the LUX version may be ideal if you also want to look for a lower price with almost all features that the DUO has.
I actually have the instant pot LUX 6 in version, which is awesome and I do a lot of cooking with the LUX, but to be honest I didn’t know about the DUO when I purchased the LUX, as it was out of stock at the time, or I would have gone for the instant pot DUO 6 quart 6 in 1 as I think that is the best since there is no much price difference and it also helps to make the yogurt with the yogurt setting.
So What Size Instant Pot To Buy
The most popular size is 6 quart and usually the 6 quart size is perfect for families with 4 members, as you can also expect to have leftovers for next days when you use the 6 quart size.
As I mentioned above, the most popular in the instant pot series till date is Instant pot DUO 6 quart 7 in 1 multiuse programmable pressure cooker.
However for smaller families like a for one person or a family of two, if you wish to cook fresh meals without any leftovers, it will be ideal to look for 3 quart options.
If you wish to cook very large batches of food which will have enough leftovers for the week, or if you have a large family (more than 4 members), it will be helpful to have an instant pot of 8 quarts.
Whatever size of instant pot you buy, it is important to know about the different features that different models of instant pots offer. Y
ou can have a brief idea on different instant pot models from this blog post, but you should also go to the product page and read all product details and specifications before your make the final decision to purchase a specific model instant pot.
Why To Buy An Instant Pot
Instant pot is extremely helpful in cooking as it saves a lot of time and also you can cook a large batch if you go for large sized ones ( 6 quart itself can cook a lot of portions) and you can almost always get spare accessories for instant pot which you can buy.
For example, if you want an additional inner pot for your instant pot or if you want a steamer or any instant pot accessory, it is easy to buy online.
The cooking is made so easy by an instant pot, as the food is cooked so fast and you do not have to stand there in the kitchen as it cooks.
That way, you can relax more while the instant pot takes care of your cooking! The fact that the instant pot comes in many different models and sizes help us to choose whichever model or size is best for our family and requirements.
Nowadays, I almost always cook pasta using instant pot and I have instant pot recipes in this blog as well, which you might find helpful.
You can see all the instant pot recipes in my blog here.
Hope you found this post on what size instant pot to buy helpful in deciding the right size and version of instant pot that will be helpful for your family.
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