Bought a $40 instant pot knockoff vs a $150 name brand and the cheap one actually cooked rice faster what gives

I compared the off brand pressure cooker from Aldi to my friend's fancy Instant Pot and the cheap one hit pressure 5 minutes quicker on the same chickpea recipe, but people say the safety features are weaker so which matters more for budget cooking, speed or reliability?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.avery2d ago

Ngl reliability matters more when that cheap seal blows mid-boil.

drews551d ago

Actually had this happen with a stovetop espresso maker years ago. Cheap aluminum model from some no-name brand. Seal gave out and hot coffee sprayed everywhere, including my roommate's white shirt he was about to wear to a job interview. Ended up giving him one of my shirts and we were both late. That thing went straight in the trash after. Now I just buy the basic Bialetti and haven't had a single issue in like eight years. Sometimes the premium is just paying for the peace of mind that your morning routine won't turn into a cleanup session.

taylor_wells1d agoMost Upvoted

Right? "Cheap seal blows mid-boil" sounds like the tagline for a budget cooking horror movie. I get that speed is tempting but you're basically trading 5 minutes of cooking time for a 50/50 chance of a rice volcano in your kitchen. The name brand usually has better gaskets and safety valves that actually PASS testing, not just barely squeak by. Plus when that knockoff seal fails you're not just losing dinner you're scrubbing lentil paste off the ceiling for an hour. Your call though, just make sure the fire extinguisher isn't expired if you go cheap.