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Rice Cooker or Instant Pot: Which One is Better?

The introduction of kitchen appliances like rice cookers and Instant Pots have made cooking effortless and straightforward.

Now there are no hassles of cleaning the spattered water and sauces because cooking with these appliances is way cleaner than the traditional utensils.

But when it comes to choosing between rice cookers and Instant Pots, folks find it challenging! Do you know what the major differences between these two appliances are?

Well, both look the same, but there’s a huge difference in the functionality. To help you select the right cooking appliance, we are here with this rice cooker vs. Instant Pot comparison article.

Read on to find out what makes them different and which one is better for you.

Rice Cooker Vs. Instant Pot: The Main Differences

We compared both machines on different parameters, including versatility, price, ease of use, and everything that will impact your experience.

But before we delve deeper into the comparison, here’s a glimpse of what rice cooker and Instant Pot are.

What is a rice cooker?

As you can quickly understand from its name, a rice cooker is specially designed to cook different kinds of rice. Furthermore, you can use it for cooking other cuisines as well.

Modern rice cookers are multifunctional and are great for cooking eggs, veggies, and you can even cook fish in it. Here are some good recipes to cook fish in a rice cooker.

What is an Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot is similar to a pressure cooker that works using electricity. You can even call it a smart pressure cooker that is way easier to use and is handy.

These kitchen appliances have built-in programmable features, and are suitable for cooking different types of food, all thanks to the versatility!

Now, have a look at some differences between an Instant Pot and rice cooker:

Versatility

Both Instant Pots and rice cookers are highly versatile, and you can use them for different purposes. These smart cooking appliances are excellent for cooking a myriad of cuisines just with few clicks on the buttons.

You can use a rice cooker as:

You can use an Instant Pot as:

An Instant Pot has better versatility when compared to rice cookers. But if you are only interested in cooking different kinds of rice, going for a rice cooker will be a smart choice.

Ease of Use

Rice cookers and Instant Pots are garnering a lot of popularity due to the ease-of-use. Both are easy to use, and you can quickly learn how to cook with them just by watching a YouTube video or going through the instruction manual.

Instant Pots have more features, such as they are programmable, so using them can be a bit challenging when compared to rice cookers.

If you need better features, go for an Instant Pot. On the other hand, if you don’t want any hassles in learning the features, a rice cooker should be your choice.

Cooking Time

The cooking time is the total duration taken by the machine to cook a batch of rice or any other cuisine. There may be a big difference in the cooking time, so it is indispensable to know about it.

To find out how much time both appliances take, we used them to cook rice. We cooked the same amount of rice in both appliances to see how they stack up against each other.

It took around 45-50 minutes for a rice cooker to cook three cups of rice. Furthermore, an Instant Pot took somewhere around 30-35 minutes to cook the same amount of rice.

If you don’t have enough time to spend cooking rice, choose an Instant Pot.

Size

One thing about rice cookers that makes them superior to Instant Pots is the variation in sizes. You will find cookers that can cook up to 10-12 cups of rice in one go.

However, Instant Pots aren’t that big. You will find a plethora of models on Amazon, including Duo, Duo Mini, Duo Evo Plus, Duo Crisp, and more. But there are no big differences in their sizes.

Most of them look almost the same, and there are some differences in the features.

Want to cook a bigger batch of rice? Look for the best rice cookers reviews, and choose the right one.

Price

There may be a huge variance in terms of price when choosing between a rice cooker or Instant Pot. These two cooking appliances have different features, so the price is something that will influence your buying decision.

A rice cooker is cheaper than Instant Pot, and you will find some good rice cookers within $80. On the other hand, Instant Pots are a bit pricey, and you need a budget of $200 to buy a good electric pressure cooker.

Which is better and why?

Both rice cooker and Instant Pot will make your life hassle-free, as cooking won’t be a daunting task anymore.

If you need something cheap that’s easy to use and has good capacity, go for a rice cooker. An Instant Pot should be your choice if you need versatility and want to cook different types of cuisines.

FAQ

Q: Can I cook soup in an Instant Pot?

A: Yes, you can prepare soup in an Instant Pot. Just make sure to choose the right cooking program, and follow a good recipe to prepare a delicious soup.

Just ensure buying a branded appliance that comes backed up with a decent warranty and has safety features such as auto-shutoff.

Q: Are rice cookers safe for use at home?

A: Rice cookers are smart cooking devices that come equipped with multiple safety features such as auto shut-off, which make them safe for use. Just get it serviced on time, and replace the cord if it’s damaged.

Q: My rice cooker is not turning on, how to fix it?

A: There can be many reasons why the cooker isn’t turning on. Check out this “Rice Cooker Not Turning On” article, and find some handy tips to fix multiple issues and turn it on.

Final Thoughts

With these differences, you can quickly choose between a rice cooker or Instant Pot. Both cooking appliances are here to reduce the time you spend cooking in the kitchen.

One thing to keep in mind when buying one is that always go for a popular option. Check out customer reviews to determine the user’s experience with the appliance you are going to buy.