Aside from the freshest ingredients, a good recipe, and the right skills, you also need a significant amount of time if you want to cook some good food. A lot of ingredients need a few hours or more to become tender and soft enough for consumption, which can be a pain for most people who like to make sure they serve freshly prepared meals despite having a full-time job.
Cooking can take a lot of time that you don’t have, but with the right equipment like the best electric pressure cooker, you can get everything done in under two hours or even less.
If you haven’t heard of a pressure cooker just yet, prepare for it to change the way you cook. Simply put, this kitchen equipment makes use of steam pressure to help you cook faster. To use a pressure cooker, you’ll need to add some liquid into the pot to get a boil running.
Since they’re tightly sealed, the steam will get trapped inside and will increase the internal pressure to cause the temperature to rise. This will then effectively cook your meats, beans, and other ingredients that will typically take a long time to tenderize in just an hour or a bit more.
This will let you cut down your food preparation time and save energy, perfect for busy households who enjoy cooking and eating homemade meals.
Buying Guide
With all of the options available in the market today, how do you find the best electric pressure cooker, though? Here are some things you should definitely keep in mind.
Safety
Working with steam pressure can be dangerous, so you need to make sure to only opt for the best quality pressure cooker. Look for a unit that will ensure that you’re safe while using the pressure cooker and go for one that has features like secure lid locks, pressure indicators, and effective release valves.
It should also have a durable handle, a regulator with a maximum of 15 pounds of pressure per square inch, and cover lock mechanisms.
Ease of use
Pressure cookers, especially electric ones, also come in different designs, so some of them may be more complicated than others. You’ll want one that’s easy to use so you won’t have to struggle in using it, guaranteeing your safety and letting you enjoy cooking with it even more.
Quality
Everything you use with high temperatures and cooking should always be made with high-grade materials and construction, so make sure to choose a high-quality electric pressure cooker. Go for a reputable brand and a well-reviewed product to make sure that you’re getting a unit that will help you cook easier that will not put you and your home in harm’s way.
5 Best Electric Pressure Cookers
To help you find the best electric pressure cooker for your home, here are a few superb products that you can check out.
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker
If you want to add a lot of functionality to your kitchen, getting an appliance that can do almost everything is a must. Instant Pot was created with this in mind, making it a multifunctional kitchen appliance that you can use for a wide variety of tasks.
It’s basically seven appliances in one including a pressure cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, warmer, rice cooker, slow cooker, sauté/browning.
It’s most useful features include:
- 14 Micro-Processor controlled programs. You can choose one to easily make soup, beans and chili, rice, poultry, and porridge; stew meat; sauté; steam; slow cook; keep food warm, and make yogurt among others.
- A 3-ply bottom, heavy stainless steel pot.
- New Anti-Block Shield.
- Several safety features including a Safety Lid Lock, Leaky Lid Smart Detection, Anti-Blockage Vent, Automatic Pressure Control, Excess Pressure Protection, High Temperature Monitoring, Magnetic Sensor for Lid Position Detection, and Automatic Temperature Control will prevent accidents while the cooker is still highly pressurized.
- 24-hour timer lets you schedule when the appliance should start cooking, letting you come home with a hot meal.
- Dual pressure setting that can ensure, fast, thorough, and effective cooking.
- Its pot can hold up to 6 quarts of ingredients.
Pros:
- It’s a versatile appliance that has a lot of uses.
- It has several safety features.
- It can help you eat healthier.
- It can help you do more in the kitchen.
- It doesn’t take up too much space, so it can be used even in small homes.
- It’s easy to use and clean.
- It has tons of rave reviews that you can check online.
- It’s energy and space efficient.
Cons:
- It has a lower PSI range as compared with stove top pressure cookers.
- It’s quite pricey, especially if you already have other appliances that can do the other things this unit offers.
Over all, the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 is a solid choice for a kitchen appliance. It can let you do a wide array of culinary techniques and tricks without having to buy a completely different product. It can also help you save space and energy, so it’s one handy device that really won’t give you a hard time.
The best-selling point of this product is its capability to do other things other than pressure cook. So, if you’re looking for a good kitchen appliance that will let you do more, the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 is something you should definitely get.
Instant Pot IP-DUO80 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker
For some households, bigger is always better, so it’s important for manufacturers of kitchen appliances to offer their products in various sizes. This will ensure that they’ll be able to properly and efficiently cater to the needs of their customers.
This is also why Instant Pot has already released another version of their Duo series, the IP-DUO80. It’s a lot like the IP-DUO60 in many ways, but it also has a few additional features that you’ll love.
Its primary features include:
- 3-ply bottom, heavy stainless steel 8-quart pot.
- A 7-in-1 kitchen appliance that can work as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, warmer, rice cooker, saute/browning device, and yogurt maker.
- A red pressure valve with markings that can clearly indicate when the pot is pressurized.
- An easy to use control panel where you can select from the 14 settings and let the appliance work its magic with just a few presses of a button.
- Several safety features similar to the IP-DUO60 that will guarantee your safety, especially while you use the unit as a pressure cooker.
- Automatic Keep Warm feature that can keep your food warm up to 10 hours.
- Manual Keep Warm feature can keep your food warm up to 99 hours and 50 minutes.
- 1200-watt motor powers up the machine and lets it do every task effectively.
Pros:
- Its large pot will let you prepare large batches of dishes.
- It’s easy to use and clean.
- It has several safety features in place, guaranteeing you that accidents won’t happen while it’s in use.
- It helps you save energy.
- Being a multifunctional kitchen appliance, you won’t have to buy additional appliances to perform various culinary tasks.
- They have an informative website that will provide all of the information you need to know about the product.
Cons:
- Like the IP-DUO60, it has a lower PSI than stovetop pressure cookers.
For bigger households, the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 is a great choice. With a larger pot capacity, it can help you whip up more servings for the whole family without having to slave away in the kitchen for hours.
As it can also do other culinary tasks other than pressure cooking, it can also spice up your nightly meals, letting you do different dishes all throughout the week. So if your household loves having different homemade meals every day, the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 can be a reliable kitchen equipment that you can get.
Instant Pot IP-LUX50 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker
For small households, cooking can be a chore that means exerting a lot of effort while having food delivered is a much easier option. However, with a multifunctional kitchen appliance like the Instant Pot IP-LUX50, you don’t have to deal with the limited delivery menus of the few restaurants and fast food chains that deliver to your area.
You can now make the tastiest homemade dishes for two without batting an eyelash.
How? The Instant Pot IP-LUX50 is a 6-in-1 kitchen appliance that can serve as a pressure cooker, saute/browning device, rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer, and warmer. This means that a small electronic device will let you perform a wide range of culinary tasks without requiring a high level of expertise from its users.
So, what does the Instant Pot IP-LUX50 has to offer? Here’s a list of its main features:
- 1 5-quart 3-ply stainless steel cooking pot.
- 1 stainless steel steaming rack.
- 10 built-in smart programs that will let you cook meat, poultry, soup, bean/chili, congee, multigrain, and rice as well as steam, sauté, and slow cook in 3 adjustable modes.
- A cooking timer that has a delay setting, letting you start cooking even while you’re not home yet.
- 10 safety mechanisms the same as the other Instant Pot IP-DUO models in the list.
Pros:
- It’s small and compact so it won’t take a lot of space on your kitchen counter.
- It has a lot of functionality, making it perfect for small homes.
- It’s reasonably priced.
- It’s very easy to use and clean.
- It comes with a detailed recipe book that will teach you how to make certain dishes with this nifty kitchen appliance.
- You won’t need to buy a lot of other additional kitchen appliances if you already own this one.
Cons:
- It only has 10-12 PSI to offer, which is considerably lower than most stovetop pressure cookers’ 15 PSI.
Cooking for two or three people can be very tedious so most households often prefer to just get to-go meals or have some delivered. If you want to break out of this habit, the Instant Pot IP-LUX50 is the perfect kitchen appliance to get. It can help make cooking a lot easier for you as it can do various tasks even without your supervision.
It can also help you do a lot more in your small kitchen and portion your meals nicely, so you don’t have to worry about a lot of leftovers. With a friendly price, rave reviews, and great quality, this product is something your small home might need.
Cuisinart CPC-600 6 Quart 1000 Watt Electric Pressure Cooker
If a stand-alone pressure cooker appeals better to your cooking sensibilities, the Cuisinart CPC-600 is a great option you shouldn’t miss. This electric pressure cooker may be made for just pressure cooking, but it’s a quality choice that won’t let you make rookie mistakes.
It’s very straightforward, so even if you’re not a pro at pressure cooking just yet, you can still make the tastiest dishes with this kitchen appliance.
Here are a few major features of the Cuisinart CPC-600 that will help convince you why it’s a great product to invest in:
- A 6-quart cooking pot with non-stick coating.
- 1 trivet included in the unit.
- LED countdown display will let you set the timer for the machine.
- Push button controls and light indicators will let you easily select settings without having to guess.
- Low and High pressure settings for different kinds of dishes and meals you’re about to prepare.
- Sauté, brown, simmer, and keep warm settings are also available, adding functionality to your appliance.
- Cool-touch side handles will make it easier for you to move the pot from the pressure cooker to other areas in your home.
- The lid is designed to stay locked until the pressure inside drops to zero, keeping you and your home safe.
- Limited 3-year warranty.
Pros:
- The cooking pot and trivet are dishwasher safe, making them very easy to clean.
- Designed with safety features that will guarantee your wellness.
- It’s easy to use and clean.
- It’s just the right size for most households.
- It comes with a recipe book so you won’t easily run out of ways how to use this appliance.
- It makes perfectly cooked dishes.
- The non-stick pot really makes it easy to use and clean.
- You can cook with just a press of a button, making it a very convenient appliance to have at home.
Cons:
- The instruction manual isn’t the easiest thing to use.
- There’s no maximum fill line that can guide and limit users when to stop putting food in.
Cuisinart is one of the leading names when it comes to kitchen appliances so you’re pretty much guaranteed great quality with the CPC-600. As a stand alone pressure cooker, it may not be as multifunctional as the other items in this list, but you can be sure that it will do its best in helping you make quick and tasty meals.
Instant Pot IP-DUO50 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker
Want a personal-sized kitchen appliance that will help you do a lot in just one package? The Instant Pot IP-DUO50 is the best option for such a need. This compact 7-in-1 kitchen equipment packs a great punch for such a small product, making it ideal for tiny homes and small households. You can even use it in dorms, letting you eat homemade meals even while you’re miles away from mom.
What makes the Instant Pot IP-DUO50 special? Here’s a list of its features:
- A 7-in-1 multifunctional kitchen appliance that can slow cook, pressure cook, steam, warm, make yogurt, cook rice, and saute or brown ingredients in one neat unit.
- Equipped with a large control panel with 14 built-in smart programs letting you select the right setting for the task at hand.
- New Anti-Block Shield feature guarantees top-notch performance for pressure cooking.
- 1 5-quart, 3-ply bottom made of heavy stainless steel.
- 1 steam rack with handle.
- Manual, recipe book, and cooking time table included.
- 10 safety mechanisms similar to other IP-DUO models.
- A 900W motor makes it more energy efficient.
Pros:
- It’s very compact, making it ideal for small homes and apartments.
- It’s energy efficient.
- It has the same capabilities of other IP-DUO models but just smaller in size.
- It’s easy to use and clean.
- It’s safe to use.
- It has various heat settings, so you have great control on whatever it is that you’re cooking.
Cons:
- It has lower PSI than stovetop pressure cookers.
Not because you live alone in a small apartment does it mean that you can’t cook homemade meals for yourself. The Instant Pot IP-DUO50 will help you skip the tedious parts of cooking hearty stews, beans, and other dishes that usually take a lot of time and effort to make with its advanced designs and features.
This way, you won’t have to think twice about having a nice bowl or two of soup for dinner.
Final Verdict
With so many pressure cookers available in the market today, it doesn’t come as a surprise that a lot of people are having a hard time choosing the best one for their homes. This list aims to help you out in picking the best electric pressure cooker that will suit your needs and requirements, so you can be sure that every item mentioned above is certified to be some of the best options to go for.
Each unit is carefully reviewed and selected so you don’t have to browse through hundreds of products
If you don’t know where to start with your search for the best electric pressure cooker, let this list jumpstart your research. It might just be the very pieces of information you need to find the right kitchen appliance for your needs.