Instant Pot thread

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ApK

Knock-off? Again, not Prada. It's just another model of electric multi cooker. Why are you talking of IP like they are some luxury designer label?

Because that is exactly what it is.
And IP is a brand name just like Coach is a brand name of purses.

Now I will admit there is a world of difference between a Kitchenaid mixer and the Hamilton Beach Hand/Stand Mixer sold at Walmart.
Though the latter is a good hand mixer.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Because that is exactly what it is.
And IP is a brand name just like Coach is a brand name of purses.

Obviously it's a brand. So is Power Cooker.
I see no evidence to support the idea that one is cheaper than the other because "you're not paying for the name."
It would seem more likely the price difference is due to a difference in features. It may even be a difference in build quality or materials or in vendor support. I dont know, but how do know thats its not?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Yes, that one will do it all. Nice gift and money left over to buy food to put in it.
I thought about getting one but I sometimes use more than one small appliance at a time.

Well if there was money left over I didn't get it. lol. It's really Hubby's he wanted one every since I showed him them months ago. I think he will have fun with it.

Sent from my XT1528

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ApK

Obviously it's a brand. So is Power Cooker.
I see no evidence to support the idea that one is cheaper than the other because "you're not paying for the name."
It would seem more likely the price difference is due to a difference in features. It may even be a difference in build quality or materials or in vendor support. I dont know, but how do know thats its not?

Instant Pot was just the first. Walmart's is almost identical. And yes, on anything retail, the name does influence the price more than anything else. Patents are also another cost.
Sometimes you just take a chance.

I do price checks everyday on various items.

But if we want to talk quality and price, Cuisinart (one of the higher end brands) are doing a recall on their food processors because of a blade failure.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Well if there was money left over I didn't get it. lol. It's really Hubby's he wanted one every since I showed him them months ago. I think he will have fun with it.

Sent from my XT1528

Please keep us informed if it works like he wants it too.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Well if there was money left over I didn't get it. lol. It's really Hubby's he wanted one every since I showed him them months ago. I think he will have fun with it.

Sent from my XT1528

Ask him to make coq au vin. I think that's my favorite pressure cooker dish so far.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Instant Pot was just the first. Walmart's is almost identical. And yes, on anything retail, the name does influence the price more than anything else. Patents are also another cost.
Sometimes you just take a chance.

I have doubts about any of that being true.
Instant Pot was the first what exactly? Not the first electric pressure cooker, that's for sure.
Identical? Have you taken them both apart to see the components?
Brand influences price more than anything else? On anything retail? That's absurd.
Patents? What patents are involved here? Who is licensing from whom?

The fact is, sometimes folks make better products than other folks, and some things cost more money because they have more value.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ApK

I have doubts about any of that being true.
Instant Pot was the first what exactly? Not the first electric pressure cooker, that's for sure.
Identical? Have you taken them both apart to see the components?
Brand influences price more than anything else? On anything retail? That's absurd.
Patents? What patents are involved here? Who is licensing from whom?

The fact is, sometimes folks make better products than other folks, and some things cost more money because they have more value.

The two look almost identical in design.
Messaging you.

I'm not familiar at all with pressure cookers, but this much I do know about marketing of items. It is a not uncommon for a manufacturer to produce a device under multiple brands/labels for different markets and/or for different retailers. Just look at the now nearly extinct Radio Shack company. It was owned and operated by the Tandy Corporation. Decades ago you would see a few devices sold at RS with the Tandy label, such as their TRS-80 computer line. But a lot of the items sold in RS were branded simply Radio Shack model xyz. Those items were nearly always built by 3rd party manufacturers like Uniden and GRE and simply branded as though they were a Radio Shack made item. And today we still see this practice with a lot of manufacturers and retailers. Perhaps a manufacturer has a big hit with an item like a pressure cooker. It would not be uncommon for big box retailers to approach the manufacturer and strike up a deal with them to either re-brand that popular device under the retailer's brand or to produce a similar one, perhaps with fewer options, bells, and whistles, and brand that under the retailer's brand. This past year I was looking for some outdoor security cameras. I found some that were identical but listed under four different brand names and they were widely different in prices. I googled each and found they were all made by the same company but were marketed by different retailers.

[DreamWriter]

I've noticed a substantial difference in build quality between Instant Pot and other brands I've examined, such as lid materials/construction. Personally, I prefer IP's easy-to-clean stainless steel inner pot (the part in contact with food) versus the nonstick surface found on most other electric pressure cookers. (Instant Pot recently came out with a ceramic nonstick inner pot for those who prefer that. It's sold as a separate accessory, though.)

I occasionally use the "yogurt" setting on my Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, so that's important to me. I sometimes use that setting to proof bread dough, too. I don't believe that function is available on other models, but a lot of cooks don't need it.

That doesn't mean the less expensive cookers perform any different. I suspect that you'd get the same cooking results with any of them, and there might not be a difference in machine longevity either.

[Cinisajoy]

And once again, it all comes down to what and how you like to cook. And your surface preferences.
I know people that swear All-Clad is all they will use or Le Crueset or cast iron or non-stick or copper bottom. Others I know have a variety of surfaces to cook on.
Once again it comes down to your personal lifestyle.
I love my non-stick bread machine and non-stick grill but you couldn't pay me to own a Teflon skillet. However, I discovered those new copper pots do work great. I was surprised.

Does the IP have a removable inner pot for cleaning. I remember having a nice crock-pot years ago and it was a PITA to clean because you had to place the entire heavy pot in the sink. And worse yet, the electric cord was still attached so you had to try to not get that wet. Loved the cooking part, hated the cleaning part. Most crock-pots were like that back then. But eventually they started making them with a removable inner pot that left the heavy part and electric cable far away from the sink. Much better!

Yes, some people have favorite cooking brands they use. I have none, but there are some I've had issues with so I avoid them now. I really love my little one-person George Foreman grill. It is tiny and can barely fit two hamburger patties on the grill. It cooks very well but the grill cannot be removed, so it too is a PITA to clean just like the old crock-pots were back in the 1980s. I bought a newer and much bigger George Foreman grill about a year ago. It has various removable grills and surfaces, but even though it is very easy to clean it just doesn't cook well at all. It takes forever to heat up and I'm certain it never reached the hot temperatures it is supposed to. It collects dust now. I doubt I will ever buy another George Foreman grill as the quality seems to be terrible now, at least with that one. The same goes for my Panasonic counter-top microwave oven. It cooks okay, and it has lots of features, but after a few months it got to where it doesn't want to turn on unless I slam the door. I'm guessing there is a safety lock feature to keep microwaves inside the oven where they cook your food rather than escaping the oven and cooking you. Apparently that safety latch is not properly connecting unless I slam the door. My sister has the same problem with a different Panasonic microwave oven model. So I won't be buying Panasonic appliances any more either.

[Blossom]

I buy my baking pans from the Dollar Tree so brands mean very little to me unless it's technology. I'm picky about that but not kitchen stuff.

Sent from my XT1528

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Does the IP have a removable inner pot for cleaning.

Yes, it does. Instant Pot’s removable inner pot is made from high-quality 18/8 stainless steel (food grade 304), which is compliant with FDA standards. The bottom is three-ply. It's extremely easy to clean and very durable! All the electric pressure cookers I've looked at have a removable inner pot.

Here's a page with photos and a video that shows IP components, including the inner pot: Instant Pot IP-DUO Series Specifications.

Although I haven't used the function yet, the machines can also be used as a slow cooker. I love that you can sauté in it and then pressure/slow cook in the same pot. Less to clean up! I also appreciate that the machine doesn't need watching over, like a pot on the stove might. I seal the lid, make sure it comes to pressure, and then do other things until it beeps to signal it's done. It automatically goes into "keep warm" mode, too.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Does the IP have a removable inner pot for cleaning. I remember having a nice crock-pot years ago and it was a PITA to clean because you had to place the entire heavy pot in the sink. And worse yet, the electric cord was still attached so you had to try to not get that wet. Loved the cooking part, hated the cleaning part. Most crock-pots were like that back then. But eventually they started making them with a removable inner pot that left the heavy part and electric cable far away from the sink. Much better!

Yes, some people have favorite cooking brands they use. I have none, but there are some I've had issues with so I avoid them now. I really love my little one-person George Foreman grill. It is tiny and can barely fit two hamburger patties on the grill. It cooks very well but the grill cannot be removed, so it too is a PITA to clean just like the old crock-pots were back in the 1980s. I bought a newer and much bigger George Foreman grill about a year ago. It has various removable grills and surfaces, but even though it is very easy to clean it just doesn't cook well at all. It takes forever to heat up and I'm certain it never reached the hot temperatures it is supposed to. It collects dust now. I doubt I will ever buy another George Foreman grill as the quality seems to be terrible now, at least with that one. The same goes for my Panasonic counter-top microwave oven. It cooks okay, and it has lots of features, but after a few months it got to where it doesn't want to turn on unless I slam the door. I'm guessing there is a safety lock feature to keep microwaves inside the oven where they cook your food rather than escaping the oven and cooking you. Apparently that safety latch is not properly connecting unless I slam the door. My sister has the same problem with a different Panasonic microwave oven model. So I won't be buying Panasonic appliances any more either.

I have a couple of those old crockpots. I do use one of them occasionally with the cake n bread insert. The insert is easy to clean.
I like my George Foreman indoor/outdoor grill. It is easy to clean too. It isn't one of the small ones though. It takes up half my island when I use it. It did come with its own stand.

I just hope Blossom comes back to let us know how they like their cooker after they use it.