Table of Contents
Instant pots are very similar to electric pressure cookers or a slow cooker, but they can also do so much more.
They are used for steaming fish, making rice, slow cooking meats, you name it, you name it, and your instant pot can probably do it. But, which instant pot has sous vide function? Learn more here.
Due to the popularity of sous vide cooking process, there are a select few instant pots with this functionality.
Here are a few instant pots that can do sous vide cooking for the perfect restaurant-style meal.
What Are Instant Pots and How Do They Work?
If you are not familiar with instant pots, it is a magical appliance that prepares meals quickly and easily.
It combines the features of pressure cookers, rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, and warmer in one device.
You can make anything from soup to desserts/sweets using an instant pot. They are perfect for busy people but also want to eat a healthy home-cooked meal every day.
There are many different models with the most common features: sautéing, pressure cooking/meat, slow cooking, steaming, and warming.
Instant pots are easy to use. You simply add your ingredients, close the lid, wait a while, and dinner is served.
What is Cooking Sous Vide?
Instant pots can actually do a lot more than just heat your food and cook it under pressure. One of the most popular uses for an instant pot is sous vide, a French term that means ‘under vacuum.’
Sous vide cooking involves sealing food in airtight bags and submerging it into a water bath at a specific temperature and time.
Low heat circulates the food for a few hours until you are ready to eat it. The food will be tender and moist when you eat it, but it does require some advanced planning.
When is the Best Time to Sous Vide?
Sous vide cooking is a great way to cook tougher meat cuts. But, if you have never heard of sous vide before, you may wonder what kind of food would benefit from this kind of cooking?
Foods that are often cooked using sous vide include steak, chicken drumsticks, duck breasts, salmon fillets, and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and asparagus.
As long as you seal the food in an airtight bag with some liquid, then place it in a hot water bath for anywhere between several hours or more.
Do I Need a Special Sous Vide Machine?
You can get all the fancy tools and equipment for sous vide cooking, but you do not have to.
Many chefs start using sous vide simply by placing their food in a plastic zip-lock bag, adding some liquid like oil or water, then sealing it before submerging it into boiling water.
Sous vide will pasteurize your food without overcooking it, which is great for tough cuts of meat that often taste bland if cooked for too long.
Then, once your food has reached its perfect temperature, you can use an instant pot to reheat the food so that it is warm enough to enjoy when you eat dinner.
Which Instant Pot to Buy: Is There a Difference?
When it comes to selecting an instant pot, then it is pretty much a matter of personal preference. The first thing that you will want to look for when buying an instant pot is whether or not it has sous vide functionality.
You can find instant pots with sous vide function in different sizes ranging from 6 quarts, 8 quarts, and all the way up to 12 quarts.
You might want to get an instant pot with a larger size that they often come with more features and settings for cooking different types of meals.
When looking for an instant pot, you should also consider what kind of programmable settings it has and whether or not it comes with a steamer.
Different models have different kinds of features, but you can also find newer models that cost more than $100.
The Best Instant Pot Models Perfect for Sous Vide Cooking
Instant Pot Max
- Sustained 15psi, not only cooks food faster, you can now do home pressure canning;
- Large touch screen makes programming seamless, you can set time, temperature, pressure level, delay start and Warm;
- Nutriboost technology works by creating a boiling motion during pressure cook to break down food, adding nutrition, flavor, and taste to soups and bone broth;
The Instant Pot Max has a 6-quart capacity and is the perfect multi cooker for preparing larger meals for family and friends.
It has a simple one-touch control panel, and the instant pot is fully programmable so you can save time. It is a multifunctional machine equipped for slow cooking, sous vide and sautéing.
It’s also perfect for keeping your meals warm. Many cooks also use the Instant Pot Max for stewing and canning fruits and vegetables. It cooks food perfectly and in a shorter amount of time.
The Instant Pot Max has eight smart programs which make it possible to cook your food from frozen without the need for thawing.
The Instant Pot Max also comes with a stainless steel steamer basket and multi-use rack so you can cook two foods together at once.
It also includes an app that comes with a collection of recipes, a timer, plus cooking guides.
Instant Pot Ultra – Instant Pot Sous Vide Functionality
- Instant Pot Ultra-electric pressure cooker is the next generation in kitchen appliances. A central dial with a simple turn and press provides added precision in program selection and adjustment
- New features: Altitude adjustment, cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button. The ultra button for custom programming. The new features include sterilize, cake and egg programs
- Replaces 10 common kitchen appliances: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer
The Instant Pot Ultra is an 8-quart electric pressure cooker that comes equipped with a stainless steel steam rack, fine mist stainless steel lid, and tempered glass lid.
The inner pot is made from high-quality food-grade stainless steel, which is safe for cooking sous vide style because it does not react with acidic foods and can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
The Instant Pot also has eight smart programs, plus a delay timer so you can cook your meals at any time of day, even if you are away from home.
It includes an easy-to-use control panel that features buttons for choosing the program, adjusting temperature, and setting delays.
Since this instant pot model is larger than other models on this list, it comes with two additional safety mechanisms: natural pressure cook release and a setting that automatically turns off the cooker when the cooking cycle has finished.
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus
- SIMPLE, STRESS-FREE VENTING with an intuitive steam release switch that automatically resets when lid is closed
- 9-IN-1 APPLIANCES pressure cooker, slow cooker, sauté pan, rice cooker, yogurt maker, seamer, food warmer, sous vide and sterilizer
- QUICK ONE-TOUCH COOKING with 15 customizable Smart Programs: pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, soup, broth, cake, egg, rice, bean, grain, porridge, oatmeal, sterilize, yogurt and sous vide
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus is an 8-quart programmable multi-use pot that you can use for slow cooking, sautéing, steaming, or making yogurt.
This inner pot is made of stainless steel and has three types of coating: porcelain enamel anti-warp base and stainless steel induction bottomed heating element.
The Instant Pot comes with the same features as the Ultra model, but it doesn’t come with a tempered glass lid.
You also have more control over temperatures when you use this instant pot because it includes settings from 90 degrees up to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
One feature you will love is the sous vide immersion circulator. It is ideal for making gourmet meals.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp
- The hottest new multi-cooker from the makers of the all-time bestselling Duo series, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker and air fryer with 2 convenient, removable lids
- Put cooking on autopilot with delicious results; Pressure cooks, sautés, steams, slow cooks, sous vides, warms, air fries, roasts, bakes, broils and dehydrates
- Innovative EvenCrisp technology ensures a perfect crunch every time; Imagine biting into fall-off-the-bone ribs with a perfect air fried crust
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is an 8-quart electric pressure cooker that is ideal for making crispier meals. It makes your favorite fried meals without all of the oil.
It has five pre-programmed settings, including broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, and air fry. The Duo Crisp is lightweight, which makes it easy to move around and transport if needed. It also has the sous vide button.
The instant pot has an LCD control panel that shows you the temperature setting, cooking times, keep warm function, plus other useful information such as food icons and estimated time for your meal to be ready.
Sous vide cooking in an instant pot is one of the best ways to prepare meals. The machines are versatile and can be used for preparing a variety of recipes, plus it saves time you would otherwise spend in your kitchen cooking.
If you are on the market for an instant pot, add one of these models to your shopping list. You can use these pots for a variety of recipes.
From making soup to slow cooking meats, the Instant Pot is one of the best kitchen appliances you will ever own.