r/instantpot • u/CapriChaos11 • 3d ago

Need instant pot recommendations

Hi,

Me and my partner are looking to buy an instant pot and are really just clueless about what would be the best choice for us. We are just two people and tend to cook mix of asian dishes involving meat and lentils.
We are also looking for a possibility of having an air fryer in the instant pot (heard it was possible) and cant decide how much litres would be best for us.
Looking for something which has variety of options just suitable for everyday cooking (meat, vegetables and lentils) and something that is under £100 maybe.

Any recommendations and suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

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u/TheJewPear 3d ago

The most important function of the instant pot is pressure cooking, and they all have that. I have the Pro and I only use Saute and Pressure Cooking mode. If you can find the regular size Pro on sale, $120 or so, you can go for it, the handles are great to have. But in all honesty the Duo is just fine. In my opinion go for the 5.7 liter size, the smaller one feels too small for me even for two people.

Air frying feature - useless IMO, not as good as a dedicated device

Slow cooking mode - pretty bad and I don’t know why anyone would use it.

Sous vide feature - I tried, it’s okay, a dedicated device is much better and not that expensive (I have Inkbird one and it’s great).

WiFi - Useless in my opinion, definitely not worth doubling the price.

2

u/CulturedPhilistine 3d ago

I think the 5.7L will be more than fine for the both of you.

I have the a very basic model, the Duo, which suits me just fine. That's £64.99 on Amazon right now.

If you want an Air Fryer, get a seprate one.

I think you're food will be better this way and you'll also be able to cook multiple things at once.

1

u/DinkyPrincess 3d ago

I had the 5.7l duo and I now have the 10 in one Pro.

Honestly either is great. The pro has a better seal and release mechanism imho so if price isn’t an issue go for that.

I cook a lot of braised stews etc. it’s great for meats. I think it’s a bad rice cooker but if mine broke today I would instantly purchase a replacement.

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u/PyDragon 3d ago

If you have space constraints, the pressure cooker + air fryer is a great combo! I would only recommend to have one with separate lids, because the upper heating element of the air fryer is not easy to clean and pressure cooking tends to splatter (I have tried both types).

If you only cook for the two of you, a 6Q is enough (or even a 3Q if you don’t plan on leftovers).

1

u/hoochykoochy 3d ago

Just bought my third (over 20 years as a user) Instant Pot duo. I use it for making Yogourt, stews, soups and occcasional chese cake. I find it quick and effortless.