Let me first demystify some of the terms used in an instant pot. You may frequently see 6 in 1, 7 in one, 9 in 1 and so on. Essentially this means the number of appliances they are replacing. For example, a 6 in 1 replaces the following vessels / appliances - a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté, steamer, and warmer. A 9 in 1 instant pot replaces a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute vessel, Yogurt Maker, Sterilizer and Warmer.
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Next is the size - 5.6 liters is the most popular size for a family of 3-6 people and 3 liters is the most popular size for family of 1-2 people. So i will showcase the best in these two categories only.
All models have a delay start timer - sometimes upto 24 hours, have an LCD screen and control panel, multiple safety features compared to a regular pressure cooker.
Stainless steel pot is a preferred option as it is easier to clean and maintain and overall is healthier as well compared to aluminium and non-stick. And if stainless steel, you can use it in the dishwasher as well. Out of the models compared, most have stainless stell except wonderchef nutri pot 3L variant, Borosil and Preethi. Hence I would not recommend these versions.
From a programs point of view - most of them have 10+ programs, with Preethi, Nutricook and wonderchef having specific indian program names.
Coming to what can be done.
Preethi is the only model that is a 5 in 1 only, rest are 7 in 1 - which I will walk through right now. Crock Pot and Borosil don’t highlight the abilities
All them them have pressure cooking, rice cooking, saute, steam and warmer. That is common across all.
Yogurt maker is not available in Nutricook, Geek Robocook, Preethi.
Preethi does not have slow cook - all other models have it. This is particularly useful in cooking meat for a long period of time.
Nutricook and mealthy are the onely ones that have baking option - useful if you do not have a separate oven. But remember this is not the main usecase of this - so baking may not be as good as done with an oven.
Nutricook, Mealthy, Geek Robocook have an additional option of Egg cooker - which none of the other models have. These also come with that specific attachment.
All the 6L ones are 1000W+ usage while the 3L ones are around 700W.
Instant Pot and Mealthy being international brands are fairly expensive. Rest are around a similar pricepoint of 6-8K.
Wellspire and Mealthy gives the best warranty while the rest give 1 or 2 years warranty. Mealthy gives an extra warranty on the pressure and heating systems.
All these products have a review of 4+ - which was one of the criteria in selection and also shows that the instant pot is a well loved product.
So with that - what are my recommendation. As you saw, there is very little different differentiation between various models and my recommendations will be based on directed abilities of these instant pots. In the 6 L category, my recommendations are:
My first recommendation is the NUTRICOOK Smart Pot by Nutribullet Eko - It is a 9 in 1, got baking and making eggs but NO yogurt making. So if that is a requirement for you, do not go for this, my next few recommendations will work. It also is one with the best rating across thousands of reviews and most reviews were fairly positive
My second recommendation is Mealthy MultiPot - keep in mind that this is the most expensive one at 14K but also one with all the required capabilities including baking, yogurt and eggs. Added bonus is that it gives a 5 year warranty on the pressure and heating system in the instant pot.
My third recommendation is the Wonderchef Nutri-Pot 6L - which offers all the basics of an instant pot at a reasonable pricepoint. It is a 7 in 1, with 18 preset programs for Indian dishes like Rice/Pulav, Khichdi/Biryani, Chicken Curry, Mutton Curry, Dal, Rajma/Chole, Veg Curry, and so on.
In the 3L category, my recommendation is the Instant Pot Duo Mini. Unfortunately there are not many options in the 3L category and this one is an expensive option. The wonderschef option surprisingly comes with an aluminium pot - which I don’t recommend. I recommend to go for the 6L option instead.
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