Instant pot 3 Quart vs 6 Quart
Your day to day multi-use programmable pressure cooker aside from its various models has another category called quarts.
Each model comes with two to three units of different sizes denoted with a numerical value and the unit quart.
A quart is a unit of liquid capacity. A single quart equals to one gallon or two pints. This means that a 3 quart Instant Pot has the liquid capacity to hold 3 gallons worth of liquid.
There is a valid reason to make Instant Pots in different sizes. Here we will discuss the difference between a 3 quart and a 6-quart model. So that you would be able to make a sensible choice based on your needs.
There are four main differences between a 3 quart and a 6 quart instant pot. All of them are detailed below:
- How many people they feed
3 quart is the smallest size and can feed 2 to at most 3 people. Whereas a 6 quart is the middle-sized instant pot and can feed up to a maximum of 5 people.
6 quart is the middle ground and the most balanced of the three sizes. There are a few things that you can cook in a 6 quart e.g a whole corn-on-a-cob. Which is something you can’t cook on a 3 quart
Similarly, a 3 quart is limited in its output. Which means, what you cook will be consumed on the same day. You will not be able to save some leftovers for school or provide some much-needed aid if you are feeling a little lazy.
Whereas a 6 quart will feed a lot of bellies and will save you some food for the next day.
- Weight and dimension
Weight difference plays a critical role in maneuverability. A light smaller device will be easy to move and easy to store.
Whereas the larger a device is the more difficult it will be to handle. Also, you will end up having to specify a spot in the kitchen for a bigger device.
A 3 quart instant pot weight is 3.9 kilograms and a 6 quart instant pot weight is 5.4 kilograms.
Similarly, the dimensions for both sizes are
3 quart: 11.4L x 10W x 11.2 H
6 quart: 13.4L x 12.2W x 12.5 H
- Power
A larger device will consume more power. A 3 quart is a 700-watt device whereas a 6 quart is a 1000-watt device.
- Which models boast both a 3 and a 6 quart instant pot.
All of the currently released models except instant pot Smart Wi-Fi, Duo Evo Plus, Duo Crisp, and Instant pot Max have 3 and 6-quart devices.
Out of these three devices only come with a 6-quart size they are the instant pot Smart Wi-Fi, Duo Evo Plus, and Duo Crisp.
- Price
A bigger device is always more expensive. For example, an instant pot Duo 3 quart is sold for 59.99 on Amazon while a 6 quart is sold for 79.99 dollars.