Slow cookers and pressure cookers

I'm in the market for a new electronic pressure cooker and I'm considering one of these



depending on the discount on 'Black Friday'.

Has anyone got any experience with this model? Possibly someone who had a previous model and has upgraded?

Is it worth the aprox £100 I would expect it to be on sale for on that day?

 

I discovered a few years ago that companies have the technology to personalize your price using data from your computer.

 

The sage fast slow pro is meant to be really good if that one comes up in a sale. We have an old instant pot with a broken lid that only works as a slow cooker now, some day it’ll get replaced.

 

I haven't used one, but as I'm considering a pressure cooker myself, I had a look. And they look good!

There are a couple of 'New, other' listed on eBay for around £80 - £85. One of them is a customer return; another an unwanted gift; a third isn't in the original packaging.

Also worth checking Amazon Warehouse, of course. I buy a lot of my electrical and kitchen stuff from there, and have never yet found the alleged cosmetic imperfection on any of 'em!

I'm not sure which specific model/size you're looking for, though, as my browser isn't showing an image on your original post.

 

As far as I am aware, in the UK, the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus only comes in one size.

That size is......5.7L

https://www.instantpot.co.uk/product/duo-evo-plus-5-7l-10-in-1-multi-use-pressure-cooker/

The US also has an 8L version I believe.

I particularly like that, unlike the ones I have, one of which is now defunct, the slow cooker bit may actually work - as it has 3 (or possibly more) heat settings - as opposed to the one setting my others have (which is boil it at max heat unit it burns, then burn it some more, and then, to give it a nice even consistency and finish, burn it.) - and that for some things it can be used without water (such as acting as a heated bowl to proof dough - possibly no more balancing bread tins on storage heaters).

I dislike the fact that it uses a different bowl to all other instant pots, which means no ceramic bowl option - not that I've ever used one in my current pressure cookers - but being told I can't sorta makes me want to use one lol

 

I don't have that model but I do have the 6 qt "Viva" model which I really like. The only settings I ever use are pressure cook, saute, and yogurt. The 'slow cook' feature on the IPs doesn't work very well and most people don't use it. The problem with it is that the heating element is on the bottom of the pan so only the bottom of the liner gets hot. Whereas with a proper slow cooker the bottom and sides all heat up.

If you are on FB, the company has an "Instant Pot" group that is really good.

 

Well this is driving me nuts.

The evo has an 'issue' with c8 errors (wrong pot and/or burn error) even when using the correct pot. Over some parts of the internet it seems that hundreds of people all have this problem and it renders the instant pot more or less useless. For most reducing the saute temperature fixes it, but for others this is not so.

This has been an issue since release for this model, several months, and instant pot have done nothing about it, barely even acknowledging it.

It is hypothesised that this is either due to the pot having a completely flat base (AFAIK all other electric pressure cookers do not), or due to an issue with the changes made to implement 'sous vide' mode.

A solution used in the US is to report it, accept instant pots decision to replace with a lower model, the duo plus, which at the time of the reviews did not have a 'sous vide' function, and keep the evos lid - giving largely the best of both worlds (as the evo's lid is a significant improvement over earlier models).

Now the duo plus has 'sous vide' built in, so if that is the cause of the issue.....

Which knocks me down to the original duo, currently £85 but if ordered from instant pot uk will be £60, but it's on backorder until at least the 10th of December. Evo lids (which I am led to believe fit any equivalent capacity instant pot) are available for £25.

If I was a costco member then they are selling the 8L evo for £85 (normally £150) - but the 8L version seems to be even worse for c8 errors.

It is 'uncertain' whether bread can be proofed using the second stage of the 'yoghurt' function (one of my intended uses as it would save balancing bread tins covered in clingfilm on storage heaters which are too narrow for the job), or whether the lower temperatures which can be achieved using the later models 'sous vide' range are needed. People make suggestions as to how to do it, but then say that they have never actually done it, I've not found one person who says that they have followed their own method.

The evo 'would be' pretty much perfect for my current intended uses, if it actually works - as due to the size and weight it will be 'difficult' to return of there is a problem. Almost no one on amazon uk seems to have reported serious c8 error problems, but the rest of the internet, other than youtube reviews, it seems to be all people talk about with the evo.

This is relevant because the UK/EU version uses a different power supply (220V as opposed to 110V) so may be less prone to terminal versions of this particular issue - but of course determining if this is a factor seems impossible. Most reviews are from the US.

So the evo - pot that I don't have to chase around, as it's got handles that stop it spinning when stirring stuff, much better lid regarding steam venting, positioning, and self sealing, as well as theoretically more flexible in what can be done with it (e.g. it can be used for dough proofing, dry cooking, etc.). If, and it seems it's a big 'if', it works, it's probably worth the extra it costs (it's currently £130 and my hopes of it being dropped for black friday are diminishing with each passing day).

The duo plus - uses standard instant pot pots, which means chasing things around a spinning pot time every time I want to stir something. It has an inferior steam release system/lid. It now has the 'sous vide' function built in, so if the problem with the evo is down to the changes made to implement this function then it will be at risk of the same issue. Currently £90 - no evidence of any black friday reductions.

The duo - the first model, and up until recently only version available in the UK. Possibly, due to its age, the most bulletproof version, but it also has issues, many of which are the 'why' for there having been so many subsequent models (the US abounds with many different models of instant pots - almost none of which are available outside the US). Basic pressure cooker lid and quite frankly primitive steam venting system (the same as the duo plus), horrible display (red LED), no obvious way to turn off the beeps (I really, really, really, hate the beeps - all I need is one beep to tell me it's reached pressure, and a beep to tell me it's stopped - but they all beep multiple times, for everything. I have a different type of electric pressure cooker in the loft simply because it beeped too much and often at the wrong times - something that can potentially explode, making undocumented and mysterious beeps, not happy using it). But, if preordered for mid December, only £60 which is half the price of the evo, but doing little other than pressure cooking.

To many options, too many potential issues, too much change on availability and price.

Time to mentally just spin round and around I think.

 

Everytime I read 'evo pot' I think that Evo Morales of Bolivia has taken to growing marijuana.

 

The IP is great for proofing bread. I do the first proof in my IP, and the second proof in my oven which has a 'bread proof' setting. It takes half the time to get dough to rise. I used to have to use a portable heater in my kitchen to get bread dough to rise in the colder months.

 

I guess it really comes down to how much you need to use it for the bread proofing?

If you haven't got other options – e.g., the old-fashioned method of putting a wide bowl on the bottom of the unheated oven, filling it with boiling water, and then putting the dough on the shelf above it and shutting the door tightly, which my mum and gran used – then I guess it is more crucial. Especially as suggesting you erect a bracket or something to help hold the tins over the storage heaters is likely to end in another DIY nightmare, due to the stubborn unwillingness of the universe to co-operate!

 

The Viva would appear to be the same as the Duo plus V1 (i.e. before they added sous vide - as an aside isn't sous vide just bagged food boiled inna bag - the ultimate in low quality convenience food that wasn't?), other than it's using an older IP cosmetic style on the interface panel - nice to have it confirmed that that model can proof dough, as it's not in the UK features list for any model below the IP duo evo plus.

Thank you.

 

After much 'research' I have decided the risk of getting a bad, or one that fails within a year or 2, IP duo evo plus is simply too great.

I have ordered an IP duo plus - £40 less.

The main deficits are;

no locking bowl handles, so it's spiny spiny time when stirring stuff, but all of my existing ones haven't had handles so I'm 'used' to that - it just would have been nice....

older style lid - however should the lid be a significant issue the IP duo evo plus's lid can be bought seperately for £25 - so still cheaper.

Not that happy about it, but I need a fast batch cooking device, and several functions on it should be more advanced, and controllable, than what I was using (a 2 year old cosori 6L electric pressure cooker that vents 9 times out of 10 shortly after reaching pressure, out of the sides, even with a new seal).

It's a step up from the primitive and largely uncontrollable way the cosori did things (only one temperature setting, as opposed to the IPs 3 etc.), just due to the significant and increased risk of 'issues' with the evo not as much of a step up as I would have liked.

Before it started side venting the cosori did have a better steam release system than the IP duo plus tho - so it wasn't all bad.

It'd just be nice if companies would sell things that match their blurb, and in the event of issues were straightforward about it - so customers could decide for themselves, rather than, after what seems to be at least thousands of CS calls, and large numbers of returns/exchanges, over more than a year, all for the same issue with the evo, if their goto response wasn't 'we are unaware of this issue'.

It'd be an absolute PITA to have to return one given both my health, the current situation on Earth, and my lack of a car - not worth the risk for a non spiny bowl.

So - the IP duo plus instead.

ETA - the duo plus, as I say has been ordered, but before I made the decision and did that I was keeping close track on the evo prices on amazon. In the last couple of days the prices has dropped, in increments of a few pence every 10-20 minutes - which last night took it down to £122, and today the lowest it's reached is a few pence above £125. During black friday week. A sale. Prior to black friday week the price was £117.98.

Yet another case of things in 'the sales' being more expensive than their normal selling price.

(Based on reports of last years black friday prices I was expecting/hoping it would drop to around £100 - my decision on it as an option was based on that - my decision on the duo plus is based not just on the large number of reported problems with the evo, but also on them seemingly expecting me to pay an extra 40%+ to 'upgrade' to a model with known issues, simply to get a non spiny bowl (that makes it incompatible with a lot of IP accessories - such as ceramic bowls or the air fryer lid)

 

I wanted to buy a tv last year on Black Friday but didn't find the pricing that great compared to previous years. I think everyone decided to wait for Cyber Monday deals, but the prices remained the same and some went back up(!). The tv's eventually sold at regular price later on! I didn't see that one coming.

 

And a friend told me yesterday that many tvs have already sold out in many places. I'm guessing it's because everyone is going back on lock down.

 

With covid-19 affecting production in many countries, it's hard finding many things at the moment. It's a long wait to buy a new computer or printer, kitchen appliances (fridges, stoves, and freezers), washers and dryers, etc. are all in short supply right now.

 

I had a phone call with a local carpenter the other day - he needs to come back and finish up a couple of bits and pieces - he's really struggling to finish some jobs. He's been waiting for over 6 months for a specific set of door handles for one customer. Lots of things are quite hard to get.

 

Far too late to do anything with yesterday, it turned up.

https://www.instantpot.co.uk/produc...-use-pressure-cooker-various-sizes-available/

All I did last night was play and do a few water tests - to check it held pressure and didn't do anything too unexpected, like turning into a flamingo.

Even with water it is a significant step up from my old cosori.

The sound can be turned off completely, which was unexpected, I expected the 'sound off' setting to only apply to button presses and a few other things, like it's reported to be on the evo. Instead it just doesn't make any beeps, for anything.

Which is nice, or will be once I trust it.

Until then the sound is an order of magnitude lower intensity than the cosori's or my microwave, or virtually anything else i have that goes 'beeeeep'. It is actually livable with left on, apart from on bad days.

The ability to vary the saute and slow cook temperatures seemed useful.

Like seemingly most of the internet I have no idea what sous vide is about - I left it for over an hour just on it's preheat (to 53C) and it still hadn't managed it - so I gave up.

Today I made this, more or less;

https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-lentil-soup/

My cosori hated tomatoes, and would burn anything that had them in, so a recipe with both 2 tins of tomatoes, and pulses - seemed like a good test to see how finicky it was.

Obviously I live in the UK, and shop at ASDA, so I didn't have crushed, or fire roast tomatoes - so I used 2 tins of chopped. I also added bacon - a vegan lentil soup without added bacon - unthinkable.

Nothing stuck or burned in saute mode, when it looked like it was getting a little sticky I simply turned it down to 'normal' and all was okay. In the cosori everything stuck, and even once unstuck and deglazed, the fact that something had stuck left residue which could at a later stage lead to burning.

Next came the actual pressure cooking bit, 15 minutes but quite a long time to get to pressure - due to the amount of liquid (as the recipe mentioned it produced a very thick broth and the picture make it look like it could be climbed, with wellies, I added an extra 500ml of liquid).

No issues and I left it for 19 minutes to slow release the pressure, expecting it would have lost all the pressure in that time.

It had not.

So 5 minutes venting, giving me an opportunity to play with the venting system - all seems fine and safe.

Take off lid, go to hang lid in it's slot on the side, and find that whilst this is perfectly possible when the lid is cold, when at temperature it is not, due to the thoughtless positioning of a cupboard forcing my hand onto a hot section of the lid whilst doing so - so I hang it on the other side instead.

The soup - perfectly cooked, recipe needs work IMO, far too tomatoey - I did consider 2 tins dicey but that's what the recipe called for. Tastewise it's not so much a lentil soup as a tomato soup with added lentils.

Later, once I've made up some milk, I will be trying the rice pudding recipe that *killed the cosori - this will be slightly varied as apparently nowhere in the UK has had pudding rice for months (at least according to asda, tesco, or sainsburys), so I'm using government issue pandemic rice - makes a reasonable rice pudding.

Tomorrow I am hopefully going to try and slow cook something, probably a sausage casserole as I have lots of cheap sausages that aren't any good for anything else. Bare in mind I am not, at this point trying to produce good food(although edible would be nice) I am merely trying to learn how it behaves in different modes, with different foods, that have proved an issue in the past.

So far I am really impressed with it.

*I suspect the cosori has a duff temperature sensor, meaning that it just keeps heating until it blows the main seal. It has always had a tendency to burn things, especially in what should be controlled temperature modes, like slow cook.

Probably easily repairable, but these days not by me.

 

I'm always impressed when people aren't scared of pressure cookers! The hissing noise my mum's made always frightened me to death, and 50-odd years later I don't seem to have grown out of it much. My sis cooks the Christmas pudding in one, and I still find myself walking past the kitchen door as quickly as possible...

I use the three-massive-dutch-pots-on-the-hob approach, making up 20+ portions of chilli, curry, ratatouille, stew, ragu, or whatever. It takes quite a bit of time to prep all the veg, but once it's on, it just needs the occasional stir and check, and then I have three weeks' worth of meals. The bit I like least is chilling it all ready for the freezer, by which time I'm shattered – but by the time I'm stacking all the plastic pots in the fast-freeze drawers, it's turned to relief that I've got really nice food for a bit longer!

 

They can be a little stressful until you get used to their creeks and other noises.

The one prior to the cosori used to creek like mad on a water test, wasn't as bad with actual food but with just water, it sounded like it was about to explode. I retired it when I got the cosori as I just didn't trust it, and rather than use it when the cosori died I went and bought an instant pot

But it will remain, boxed, in the loft, just in case I have to use it, in case there is something that is so important that I cook, in a pressure cooker, that the risk of being injured, and/or having my kitchen wrecked, is worth it.

Just because I'm unlikely to ever have such need, and this situation is therefore unlikely to occur, is no reason to throw out a nominally working device

The instant pot on the other hand, is virtually silent, no creeks, not even any noticeable venting as it reaches
temperature.

I am a little concerned about it's slow cooking mode tho. In preparation, as it was already full of soup, I decided to see how fierce, or not, the slow cooking mode was in 'high' (or maybe 'max' - whatever the highest setting is) - in 90 minutes it barely seemed to increase the soups temperature.

This doesn't bode well for cooking a dozen frozen sausages as part of a stew tomorrow - but I'll see. I have never encountered a modern slow cooker that wasn't too hot to slow cook. The ones in the 70s were fine but int he last decade or few these temperatures were increases for H&S reasons - to ones that at least for me are far too hot for slow cooking. So reports of the IPs slow cooking being a bit on the slow side, from people used to modern slow cookers, did not worry me.

It looks like they should have done.

At some point my antique slow cooker is going to fail, and modern ones won't do the job, as they are too hot, so I was hoping.....

I'll see but I'm now inclined to have a backup tea for tomorrow night ready lol

 

I'm afraid I'm a pressure cooker hater. We got given one for a wedding present. It sat in a cupboard for around 35 years, and then I offered it on Freecycle. The lady who picked it up sent me an ecstatic email to say how much she loved it, and how fantastic its condition was. Hardly surprising since we'd never even tried to use it! Felt so happy it found a good home - she was a young mother wanting one.

The really stupid thing is I used to be a Med Lab Tech, and had to use an Autoclave (which is basically a GIANT pressure cooker) for prepping the stuff to go in petri dishes). I guess I thought that lab stuff would be better than home stuff. Or something like that. At least it would have been looked at by HSE before being released into the Lab Wild!