Instant pots have been a bestseller on Amazon, and it’s constantly hit the top 10 of the most coveted home appliances worldwide in recent years.
And for good reason, too – with its ability to whip up food in all kinds of cooking styles like slow cook, broil, boil, pressure cook, and more, the Instant pot has definitely been a game-changer for homeowners around the world.
And with the popularity of the Instant pot brand skyrocketing in recent years, competitor brands have sprung up after seeing this trend and have created their own versions of all-in-one cookers each with their own specifications and different
Worried about knockoff Instant Pots?
When we’re talking about highly popular appliances like the Instant Pot, with a brand name following, we’d probably expect that copies and fakes would exist in the market.
Surprisingly, here’s the simple answer – through our research, we’ve come across very few complaints of fake Instant Pots, it seems not to be very prevalent. However, the creation of the Instant Pot has sparked a wave of similar-looking and functioning pressure cookers from several brands in the market.
From our research, we found that there are many other competitor companies that have adopted Instant Pot’s one-touch operation mode.
What is the one-touch operation?
One-touch operation is what defined the Instant Pot brand and what made it become so popular among busy homeowners as an essential kitchen appliance for a smart home.
The Instant Pot offers up to 15 smart programs that can do everything from cooking rice, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, pressure cooking, and more.
These smart programs can be accessed simply with one touch of a button on the Instant Pot.
So whether you’re broiling a chicken, slow cooking a stew, or even making yogurt, all you have to do is simply put the ingredients inside the Instant Pot and click on one button to start cooking.
Because of this, the one-touch operation has now become a standard in almost all of the competitor brand’s products.
So, it’s safe to say that while competitor products have their own different takes on a great all-in-one pressure cooker, what ties them to the Instant Pot is the use of a one-touch smart operation.
You can trace if your Instant Pot is a fake by looking at the serial number that is on the back of the unit. If you’re suspicious about the legitimacy of your product, you can call or email Instant Pot and ask them to double-check the serial number.
The benefit of sticking with IP brand
The biggest benefit of sticking with the IP brand is you have peace of mind knowing that you’ll get all the safety features of a real Instant Pot.
Generally, pressure cooking in the early days was a dangerous thing, with stories of poorly built pressure cookers exploding while cooking due to the inability to withstand the high temperatures and high pressure inside the unit itself.
Such pressure explosions can lead to injuries, or worse, fires in the kitchen, which should never be the case for any home appliance that you use daily.
You may find that with the increase in demand for all-in-one pressure cookers, many brands have sprung up and have created their own similar products, at various price points to appeal to homeowners on all kinds of budgets.
And here’s the thing to note – if you find an all-in-one pressure cooker, from an unknown brand, at a price that’s too good to be true; chances are it probably is. Cheap products are cheap for a reason!
The Instant Pot has been designed specifically with safety in mind.
The Canada-based R&D department has developed numerous prototypes and iterations of the Instant Pot over the years to ultimately produce a final product that offers you a safe, easy-to-use, all-in-one kitchen appliance made out of the highest quality materials that you can use to cook meals for you and your family for a long time.
Other recommended all-in-one pressure cookers
Apart from the Instant pot, there are also other well-known brands that have produced similar all-in-one cooker products, with their own special functionalities as well.
Here are some of the highest recommended all-in-one pressure cookers you can find today.
- Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp Pressure Cooker
If you’re looking for an alternative to Instant Pot, Ninja comes in as Instant Pot’s most well-known competitor in the market.
The Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp Pressure Cooker has all the functionalities of an all-in-one pressure cooker, with the added bonus of a crisper and air fryer function. This allows you to dehydrate your food, so that you can make your own chips or even jerky.
- COMFEE All-In-One Multi-Cooker
Featuring 12 distinct cooking programs, the COMFEE all-in-one Multi-Cooker makes a time-consuming task like cooking a breeze. The 5.2-liter capacity allows you to make enough food for a small family, or as food prep, for a single person to eat throughout the week.
From Pumpkin soup, meat stews, steamed veggies, and meatball spaghetti to desserts like yogurt and chocolate cake, this multi-cooker is a strong contender with features that rival the more well-known Instant Pot brand.
- Pressure King Pro 5L
Pressure King is a brand that is getting its name out there in the all-in-one pressure cooker world thanks to its ease of use and the non-stick pot found inside the unit as a standard (compared to stainless steel in the Instant Pot).
Its easy-to-use interface is pretty much the same as the Instant Pot, and some might say they are on par when it comes to cooking quality and functionality.
It also comes in different color variations unlike the Instant Pot which only comes in one color, so if matching colors in your kitchen aesthetic is an important thing for you, the pressure king would be a good choice as an alternative to the Instant Pot.