• Home
  • Work With Me
  • Pinterest Marketing
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Let Me Give You Some Advice

Midwest Family Travel Blog

  • Home
  • About
    • Start Here
    • Subscribe
  • Family Travel
    • Road Trips for Families Series
    • Midwest
    • Across the US
    • Destinations Guides
  • Life at Home
    • Parenting
    • Fun with Kids
    • Daily Life
  • Try Something New
    • What I’m into
    • Read
    • Listen
    • Watch
  • Resource Library

Kitchen Showdown: Instant Pot vs Crockpot

by Lindsay

Sharing is caring!

563 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Crockpot vs Instant Pot - Should I replace my slow cooker with an Instant Pot?

Instant Pot vs Crockpot - Should I Buy An Instant Pot

 

 

 

 

 

My own shiny stainless steel CrockPot has been a steadfast companion since it arrived as a wedding gift over a decade ago. As a reluctant cook, she has weathered many winters of chili, stew, and applesauce with me. When my babies were little and I could barely get dinner on the table, she faithfully allowed me time to make something in the morning so that when I was brain-dead by 5:00pm, a hot meal was magically ready.

So you can imagine my sadness when tiny plastic handle finally snapped off the glass lid. Of course, in the name of progress, my lid was no longer being made so I needed to find a replacement. So I had to make the heartbreaking decision, Instant Pot vs. Crockpot?

Instant Pot vs. Crockpot

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. For more information, see my full disclosure policy.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen someone raving about their Instant Pot or electronic pressure cooker. There are recipes galore on Pinterest and one Facebook fan group even has more than 750,000 followers, all devoted to their beloved Instant Pots! The almost cult-like following of this cooking miracle-worker made me curious.

Could an Instant Pot really replace my slow cooker?

Serendipitously, just as I needed to make a decision, Amazon Prime Day, wooed me with their deal on an Instant Pot and I plunged into the world of pressure cooking. It’s been about six months since I bought mine and here’s what I’ve learned so far.


Instant Pot vs Crockpot: The Pros and Cons

Instant Pot vs Crockpot - Pros and ConsPros

Less Overcooked Food

Food seems to stay moister. I’ve had less trouble with the meat drying out since everything is sealed in.

Easier to Clean

The stainless steel liner pops out and because it hasn’t baked on, the food easily rinses out. Plus, you can sear meat or saute veggies right in the Instant Pot, which means one less pan to wash.

Quicker cooking times

This is obviously the selling point of the Instant Pot and it really is true. I can cook things much faster so I don’t have to plan ahead as far with defrosting meat or remembering to start things in the morning.

Replaces Several Appliances

I was able to get rid of my rice cooker and Crockpot. If you have a stove top pressure cooker or yogurt machine, you can also replace those as well.

Cons

Takes Up More Space

This thing is not small. Compared to my Crockpot, its much bigger, but it does still fit in my cabinet. I ended up with the 8-quart Instant Pot because it was the best deal, but I probably would have been ok with the 6-Quart Instant Pot one instead.

There’s a Learning Curve

You have to spend some time getting used to it since it cooks very differently than a slow cooker. I found this tutorial helpful on getting started and this site has lots of info about how to use your Instant Pot. It only took me a few times to get the hang of it.

You Can’t Leave it All Day

There is a slow cooker feature on the Instant Pot but I haven’t played with it much yet. Most recipes are written so that you begin 30-60 minutes before dinner. If you like coming home to the meal being finished, you might not like how this works.

Timing is a Little Tricky

Most recipes will list crazy short times like hardboiled eggs in 5 minutes or a whole cooked chicken in 20 minutes but those times don’t include letting your Instant Pot come to pressure. Depending on how full it is, that can take anywhere from 5-20 extra minutes so make sure you plan accordingly.

Should I Replace My Slow Cooker with An Instant Pot?

Instant Pot vs Crockpot - close up of Instant Pot Control PanelIt really depends on how you use it. I have come to love my Instant Pot because it works better for me. I don’t have to plan as far ahead and I think the food is more flavorful, but if you’re in a Crockpot groove, it might be a hard switch to make.

Click to Pin for LaterCrockpot vs Instant Pot - Should I replace my slow cooker with an Instant Pot?
Here’s some of my favorite recipes

Corn on the cob

Hard Boiled Eggs

Beef Stew (It’s called life-changing and it is!)

Mac and Cheese

Salsa Chicken + my favorite hack for shredding chicken. It totally works!

Brown Rice


So, are you on Team Crockpot or Team Instant Pot? Have a favorite go-to recipe for either one? Leave me a link in the comments!

You might also like:

Filed Under: Life at Home, Try Something New, What I'm into

Comments

  1. Kelly Sage says

    November 22, 2017 at 7:05 am

    I have both but never use my instant pot. You’ve inspired me to pull it back out. Mine doesn’t have any fun buttons and feels like such a risky way to cook. I’ve only used it for beans. Good to know there are a bunch of recipes out there!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 24, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      So many good ones. I’ve made myself try a few each month so that I’m more confident of how to use it. Start with brown rice (or white if you like that better). It’s so easy and so good!

      Reply
  2. Nicole says

    January 22, 2018 at 1:45 pm

    Gosh I love this! I loooooovvveeee my instant pot!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Meet Lindsay

Headshot of Lindsay

Welcome! I'm Lindsay and I live for a good adventure. I'm convinced you can always find one, even if it's in your own backyard. As a mom of two, I don't believe in giving up on exploring just because of my Midwest zip code. With a little curiosity, you can find adventures for your family, no matter where you live. Read More...

Search

Follow Me on Pinterest

  • Pinterest

Popular Posts

5 Steps for Planning Your Family's Next Vacation...and how you can get it done in ONE Hour! Download by clicking here.
Free Vacation Prep Checklist
Airbnb With Kids

Subscribe

VRBO

Blog Design by TinselPop

563 shares