Instant Pot vs Cooks Essentials Pressure Cooker

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If you love cooking and your pastime is looking at different recipes online, then you’re probably familiar with pressure cookers. But you probably don’t find a pressure cooker necessary, so you haven’t made that investment yet.

I totally understand you because it also took a long time for me to jump on the bandwagon. Now that I have one, I can say that it’s definitely one of the best investments I’ve ever made! It’s solved so many of my dinner dilemmas.

Instant-Pot-vs-Cooks-Essentials-Pressure-Cooker

But I guess the biggest question you have is which type of pressure cooker should you buy? I had a hard time answering this question, so I ended up buying two: the Instant Pot and the Cook Essentials Pressure Cooker.

But for those who only need to buy one, you may want to know the differences between the Instant Pot and the Cook Essentials Pressure Cooker. So here’s my honest review to help you make the best decision possible!

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What do the Instant Pot and the Cooks Essentials Pressure Cooker have in common?

You should be able to tell the difference between the two just by looking at them when you place them next to each other.

But you’re probably not at a store as you’re reading this now. It’s also worth doing a search or visiting the website of the manufacturers of these cooking essentials so you’ll have an idea of what they are.

At the end of this review, I’m going to include some other popular models of pressure cookers in the market. However, I’ll focus this review on Instant Pot vs Cooks Essentials Pressure Cooker since these are the two pressure cookers that I currently own.

So, let’s start with their common features!

Common features

Cooks-Essentials-detail
  • Housing

Both cooking devices have stainless steel housing that’s fingerprint-resistant. I’m also amazed at how easy it is to clean and wash them!

  • Watts

If you’re into electrical details, then you should know that both pressure cookers operate at 100 W.

  • Capacity

Both the Instant Pot and Cooks Essentials have a capacity of 6 quarts. The manufacturers claim that this capacity should be enough to feed up to 6 people. I find this capacity more than enough to feed my family of 6, and most of us are adults!

  • Safety

The actual housing of booth the Cooks Essentials and Instant Pot pressure cookers aren’t safe for the dishwasher because of the electrical wiring.

But the inner pot is similar to the slow cooker pot; it can be removed easily and is dishwasher-safe. I know a lot of people wouldn’t be enticed by a cooking device that’s not dishwasher-safe!

  • Size

The Instant Pot and the Cooks Essentials Pressure Cooker have a somewhat similar size in terms of width, depth, and height. They’re around 12 to 13 inches.

  • Price

Currently, the entry-level models of the Instant Pot and the Cooks Essentials pressure cookers have an almost similar price point. But it should be noted that the Instant Pot is available in several models.

  • Reviews

Both devices are among the best-rated products of Amazon. Each cookware has more than a hundred reviews. I don’t know about you, but I find it really useful to read reviews when buying something online.

That’s what I did before I purchased the Instant Pot and Cooks Essentials pressure cookers. I enjoyed reading the reviews while also getting lots of useful insight into what each product can do.

Differences between Instant Pots and Cooks Essentials Pressure Cookers

As you see above, the Instant Pot and Cooks Essentials have lots of similar features.

But they also come with a few differences. Knowing what they are can help you decide which cooker can work best for you, so here they are.

  • Handles

The handles of both pressure cookers are cool to the touch, so you shouldn’t have any issues cooking in them. However, the handle of the Cooks Essentials has a much lower profile than the Instant Pot. This may not be a big deal for some, but it can be a concern for storage.

  • Power cord

Understandably, both cookers come with the power cord in them since they operate by means of electricity.

However, the cord of the Instant Pot is attached directly to its housing, while the cord of Cook Essentials is totally removable, which is why it’s much easier to store and is less prone to damage. However, a removable cord could also mean it’s easier to lose.

  • Accessories and parts

You should be able to easily purchase replacement parts for both pressure cookers in case they get damaged. The manufacturer websites of these cooking devices are known to sell replacement parts, so sourcing them shouldn’t be a problem.

Amazon also sells some of these parts. So this is one thing they have in common.

However, each of these parts has varying prices. I found that Instant Pot replacement parts are way cheaper.

  • Warranty

The warranty is an essential feature when buying cooking devices like pressure cookers. Both have limited warranties, but the period of coverage differs from each other.

While the Cooks Essentials come with a 3-year warranty, the Instant Pot is only covered in a 1-year limited warranty.

Cooks-Essentials-show-case

Why buy a pressure cooker?

Now here’s the question that a lot of people have: is it essential to have a pressure cooker?

There’s a reason why pressure cookers are popular. This device helps you to easily prep delicious dinners for the family!

If you need help in deciding whether a pressure cooker is essential for you, check the below out:

If you want to spend less time cooking delicious meals, then the pressure cooker is a great device to have. On average, the pressure cooker can cook meals in about 25 to 40 min. The fastest is around 12 min.

You can refer to the manual of the pressure cooker to find out the time it’ll take for the device to reach pressure, as well as the time  you should allow for release, whether it’s quick or natural release.

If you’re cooking a big slice of meat or perhaps a full pot of a certain dish, then you can expect it to take longer. But the best part about this is you don’t have to be beside it most of the time. So you can do something else while the device is cooking your dish.

If you don’t have a slow cooker and you’re thinking of investing in a multi-function cooking device, getting the electric pressure cooker is a good idea. However, the Cooks Essentials one doesn’t come with the slow cooker function, so this may not be suitable for you.

But if you don’t really care about the slow cooker functionality, then the Cooks Essentials would be great to have. It’s a fun device to use, especially if you’re trying to learn something new.

I know a lot of people are hesitant about using a pressure cooker and even have horror stories about using it in their kitchen. I totally understand that and I even have my own share of misadventures!

However, once you get used to it, you’ll start to appreciate how great this device is. The more I master using my pressure cookers, the more I realize their importance in meal prep!

Get a pressure cooker to make tasty and quick meals

Hopefully, you’ve learned a lot about pressure cookers and understand the benefits of having this cooking device in your kitchen.

As for deciding on Instant Pot vs. Cooks Essentials Pressure Cooker, it all boils down to how much you’re willing to spend on a pressure cooker. Both devices have similar functionalities and features and are very useful for your daily cooking needs!

Also read about pressure cookers vs air fryers in our comparison guide

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Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.

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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.