Power Pressure Cooker XL vs Instant Pot IP-DUO60
Multi-function pressure cookers offer the customer lots of choices about cooking methods and functions. As well as pressure cooking you can use the same kitchen appliance as a slow cooker, yogurt maker, sterilizer and in some cases even as a canner, and more. This is all good news of course but when it comes to choosing the right pressure cooker for you, it is important that it carries out the functions you actually need, rather than one that comes with extras that you will never use. So let’s take a look at these two models: Power Pressure Cooker XL vs Instant Pot IP-DUO60, and see what’s on offer!
Power Pressure Cooker XL
The Power Pressure Cooker XL is available in 6 qt, 8 qt, and 10 qt sizes with the largest size the most popular with customers. It comes with the usual preset options for pressure cooking such as soup/stew, meat, risottos, beans and lentils and steaming and according to customers is very easy to use. There is also a slow cooker function so you don’t have to cook under pressure.
What sets the Power Pressure Cooker XL apart from many other pressure cookers on the market is that it can also be used for canning. There is a guide regarding the acidity of food and a timing guide to help you and according to the product information, it is suitable for all, although you are advised not to use this for canning above an altitude of 2000 ft.
The Power Pressure Cooker XL does not come with the wire rack for jars or other canning accessories so if you are buying this appliance for canning you may need to buy added extras.
Apart from canning, the Power Pressure Cooker XL seems easy to use. There are three pressure settings and you can adjust pressure and time depending upon recipe or altitude. The preset options offer plenty of choices and there are built-in safety features. It takes around 17 minutes for the appliance to reach pressure, although some customers have complained that it does take much longer.
Overall customer feedback is positive and at close to 4000 ratings on Amazon alone, this pressure cooker is popular with customers. Many people have bought this pressure cooking primarily for canning but others have just used it for pressure cooking in the usual way. With 70% of feedback completely positive, it looks reasonable enough although there are obviously some issues.
That said 30% of customers are less than positive. There are complaints about the inner pot. Although the outer shell of the pressure cooker is stainless steel, the inner pot is made from aluminum coated with Teflon and some users say that this quickly wears off. Other complaints include the lid malfunctioning, failure to reach pressure and steam leaking from the lid. At $159 for the 10 qt model, we would have expected better quality for the price.
There is a warranty but it is only valid for 60 days.
Pros
- Suitable for canning
- Easy to use
- Comes with a recipe book and some accessories
Cons
- The inner pot is aluminum coated with Teflon
- There are customer complaints about malfunctions
- Warranty is inadequate and only valid for 60 days
Instant Pot IP-DUO60
The Instant Pot Duo 60 is the 6 qt size in the Duo range and is one of the most popular Instant Pot models on the market with over 50, 000 largely positive reviews on Amazon alone. 83% of customers gave this pressure cooker a 5-star rating which is impressive when compared with the Power Pressure Cooker XL.
The Instant Pot Duo 60 functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and warmer. According to customers, it is extremely easy to use and with access to the Instant Pot apps on android or iOS, you have thousands of recipes to choose from.
There are 14 one-touch settings such as; soup/broth, poultry, steam, sauté and more and you can control the pressure manually or just use the smart programs to work this out for you. Although the Instant Pot Duo 60 has a wide range of features suitable for everyday use, this pressure cooker is not suitable for canning so should never be used for this purpose.
Most pressure cookers are not suitable for canning and unless this function is specifically mentioned by the manufacturer, you can safely assume that your pressure cooker should never be used for this purpose.
The Instant Pot Duo 60 comes with 10 built-in safety features including a safety lock and overheat protection so it is very safe to use. In addition, the entire unit is manufactured from stainless steel including the inner pot so it looks durable and easy to clean without damaging it.
Price-wise, the Instant Pot Duo 60 offers good value at $79. The only downside we can see is that there is no money-back guarantee or customer warranty
Pros
- The inner pot is manufactured from stainless steel
- Well priced compared to other pressure cookers on the market
- Easy to use and popular with customers
Cons
- No warranty or money-back guarantee
- You can’t use it for canning
- Some customers have complained about customer service
In conclusion
Unless you are specifically looking for a pressure cooker to use for canning, there is no real reason to choose the Power Pressure Cooker XL over the Instant Pot. In our opinion there are just too many customer complaints about malfunction and the Teflon lined inner pot has caused additional issues. We like that the Power Pressure Cooker XL comes with a warranty but with only 60 days duration it hardly seems worth it. And although the Instant Pot customer service team is well known for being extremely unhelpful, most customers do not have any reason to complain. Price-wise and functionality the Instant Pot Duo 60 offers a much better deal.
That said if you are looking for a reasonably-priced canner that you can also use as a pressure cooker, the Power Pressure Cooker XL could be a good choice.
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