Express Pot vs Instant Pot
Most multi-function pressure cookers are predominantly pressure cookers with added capabilities, and out of these, slow cooking is always popular. The Crock-Pot Express comes from the much loved slow cooker brand and is a multi-function pressure cooker. It looks good, and with well-established brand loyalty, does the Express Pot measure up to the Instant Pot? Let’s take a look at this Express Pot vs Instant Pot pressure cooker comparison.
Express Pot
The Express Pot from Crock-Pot is a multi-function pressure cooker which is available in a range of sizes. There is the mini size at 4 qt capacity, 6 qt, and 8 qt size so you can choose the model that best suits your regular cooking needs.
Express Pot comes with a wide range of functions; you can pressure cook, slow cook, and steam. You can also use it for sauté, brown, boil and simmer and make yogurt.
The interface is very clearly arranged. The left-hand side of the interface deals with traditional cooking, and this is where you have the settings for boiling, simmering, and slow cooking and other traditional methods. The right-hand row of buttons is all about pressure cooking, so there are preset functions for poultry, beans and chili, soups, meat, grains and rice, soup, and more.
The timer is centrally placed – there are 2 pressure cooking settings of low or high, and you can also set it to manual pressure.
Overall the Express Pot looks very good. There are some added features such as delay and timer, and you can follow the pressurization and preheat progress via the status bar. According to many users, the Express Pot is faster to come to pressure than the Instant Pot, which is a point in its favor.
However, there are a couple of concerns. The inner pot is advertised as non-stick, which means that it is coated with Teflon, and in our experience, this is a significant issue. If you do have an incident where the food sticks to the pan (and after all, we all have the occasional cooking disaster), you may find that the Teflon comes off into the food. The makers say that the coating is PFOA-free (Perfluorooctanoic acid), but in our opinion, it is always better to have a non-coated stainless steel liner as it is easy to clean and longer-lasting.
In addition, there are some customer complaints about defective models. The Express Pot does not come with a guarantee as standard, but you can request a manufacturer’s warranty. If you buy via Amazon, you can do this through the Amazon site.
Customer feedback is generally good. Many people enjoy using this Crock-Pot Express Pot and are very positive about it, although it has not sold in such high numbers as the Instant Pot. In addition, it is well priced and costs around the same as an Instant Pot of the same size.
Pros
- Trusted brand
- Fast to reach pressure
- Easy to use; very logical layout of the digital interface
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- The inner pot is coated with a non-stick material that may wear off
- Some customer complaints about it not working
- Not as popular as the Instant Pot
Instant Pot
Instant Pot is a well-loved US brand. It is to pressure cooking what the Crock-Pot is to slow cooking, so is the benchmark against which all other pressure cookers are measured.
Instant Pot really did lead the revival in pressure cooking use in producing these safe electric appliances with many functions. When compared with the old fashioned stovetop pressure cooker, which many people are still too scared to use, it is not surprising that the Instant Pot is overwhelmingly popular.
A high point about the Instant Pot is that it is easy to use. Regardless of the model, all pressure cookers have at least 7 different cooking functions. You can use it for pressure cooking, and there is a range of preset options making it even more comfortable. You can also use it for slow cooking, sauté, for yogurt, and more. In most cases, you can cook a complex meal in one pot, just adjusting the functions as you go.
There is a huge customer fan base for the Instant Pot. Most people love this pressure cooker, so there is a massive resource of information out there. There is also the Instant Pot website and app for recipes and tips.
One point that we particularly like about Instant Pot is that it is safe and comes with numerous built-in safety features. One which is not usually mentioned as much is that the inner pot is constructed of stainless steel, so you have no risk of any non-stick coating becoming unstuck and contaminating your food. Also, if you do have a cooking disaster and cause food to stick to the pot, you can clean it very easily, and it will not destroy the coating.
Customer feedback is generally good, and with a range of models and different prices, you can find just what you need and for a reasonable price. That said, some customers have struggled with the customer services in the case of malfunction, and there is no standard guarantee on offer.
Pros
- Well known trusted brand
- Easy to use
- Stainless steel inner pot
Cons
- No money-back guarantee
- Some customer complaints regarding customer services department
Express Pot vs Instant Pot: Conclusion
We like the Crock-Pot Express Pot. It looks to be well thought out multi-function appliance, and customer opinion is generally very favorable. Many people who have bought this brand are very satisfied. Price-wise, there is not much to choose between Instant Pot and Express Pot. Both offer excellent value for money, and we certainly like some of the unique features of the Express Pot, such as the status bar, which tells you exactly how long it will take to get to pressure.
Our only reservation about the Express Pot is the construction of the inner pot. We are not impressed with a Teflon coating in a pressure cooker because it can wear off and enter the food. Besides, if you do accidentally burn food in the pan, which does happen to the best of cooks sometimes, you do run the risk of making it unusable. For this reason, we think the Instant Pot is the better deal.
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