Instant Pot–Unboxing–DUO80, Mini, Ultra and Bluetooth Smart

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Have you ever wondered which Instant Pot to buy?

Did you know they come in 3 different sizes? And one can be controlled with your tablet.

Are you wondering which one is right for you?

Let’s look at some of the different models. I’ll unbox them so you can see what’s inside the box when it ships, and we’ll go over some of the features of each.

The two standard Instant Pots are the Instant Pot DUO 6 quart and the Instant Pot LUX 6 quart. Those I go over in great detail here; also check out which button does what here.

These unboxings are for the Instant Pot DUO 8 quart, the DUO 3 quart, the Ultra and the Smart. You can get even more information on the different Instant Pots here.

Instant Pot IP-DUO80 8-Quart Unboxing

The Instant Pot DUO 8 Quart is the biggest Instant Pot you can buy and is great for batch cooking or if you have a big family. The 8 quart is available not only in the DUO series but also in the LUX series. I go into great detail about the differences in the LUX and the DUO here.

The 8 quart DUO will take the place of 7 appliances, in that it will replace your pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, hot plate and food warmer.

Of the 18 possible presets the 8 quart DUO has these 12 built-in programs:

Keep Warm–Yes
Slow Cook/Saute–Yes
Pressure Cook or Manual–Yes
Rice–Yes
Yogurt–Yes
Bean/Chili–Yes
Poultry–Yes
Meat/Stew–Yes
Multigrain–Yes
Porridge–Yes
Soup/Broth–Yes
Steam–Yes
Cake–No
Sterilize–No
Egg–No
Warm–No
Ultra–No

The Instant Pot DUO 8 quart has 1200W power and can pressure cook up to 4 hours; newer models have a detachable cord, and has 10 standard safety features:

Pressure Regulator – ensures working pressure below the safety limit
Anti-Blockage Vent – prevents food debris from blocking the vent
Safety Lid Lock – prevents accidental opening of the cooker while it is pressurized
Designed with a sensor for lid position detection – monitors whether the lid is in an unsafe position for pressure cooking
Automatic temperature control – regulates temperature based on the type of program being selected
High Temperature monitoring – avoids burning food
Automatic Pressure Controller – keeps pressure always in the safe range
Electrical current and temperature fuse – cuts off power if the current or internal temperature exceeds safety limits
Excess Pressure Protection – releases excess pressure into internal chamber in a dangerous situation
Smart detection of leaky lid (e.g. steam release is in the open position)

Instant Pot Ultra Unboxing

If you have written recipes for the Instant Pot, like to program it just so, or are just one of those people who would love to have FULL control, then this is the Instant Pot for you. The Ultra function allows you to control the cooking temperature.

Update: You can now purchase the Ultra from Amazon and other retailers.

Of the 18 possible presets the Instant Pot Ultra has these 17 built-in programs:

Keep Warm–Yes
Slow Cook/Saute–Yes
Pressure Cook or Manual–Yes
Rice–Yes
Yogurt–Yes
Bean/Chili–Yes
Meat/Stew–Yes
Multigrain–Yes
Porridge–Yes
Soup/Broth–Yes
Cake–Yes
Sterilize–Yes
Steam–Yes
Egg–Yes
Warm–Yes
Ultra–Yes
Poultry–No

The Instant Pot Ultra has 1000W power and can pressure cook up to 6 hours; newer models have a detachable cord, and of course has the 10 safety features plus one more (the quick release button) to make 11 safety features.

Instant Pot DUO Mini

The Instant Pot DUO Mini is just what the name suggests – a mini version of the standard 6 quart model. There are two Mini versions, the LUX Mini and the DUO Mini. In this video I’m unboxing a DUO Mini.

This Instant Pot is seven in one appliance. It will take the place of your pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker and steamer.

Of the 18 possible presets the Instant Mini DUO has these 11 built-in programs:

Keep Warm–Yes
Slow Cook/Saute–Yes
Pressure Cook or Manual–Yes
Rice–Yes
Yogurt–Yes
Bean/Chili–Yes
Meat/Stew–Yes
Porridge–Yes
Soup/Broth–Yes
Steam–Yes
Poultry–No
Multigrain–No
Cake–No
Sterilize–No
Egg–No
Warm–No
Ultra–No

The Instant Pot DUO Mini has 700W power and can pressure cook up to 6 hours, has a detachable cord, and of course has the 10 safety features.

Instant Pot Smart Bluetooth 6 Qt

The Instant Pot Smart Bluetooth, or the Smart for short, is a 6 quart Instant Pot that can be controlled with an app on your phone or tablet. In the app you write recipes known as scripts, plus you can download other cook’s recipes and expand your Instant Pot recipes collection.

The Smart is a multi use appliance. It will cook rice, slow cook, pressure cook, saute, steam food, and make yogurt.

Of the 18 possible presets the Instant Pot Smart has these 14 built-in programs:

Keep Warm–Yes
Slow Cook/Saute–Yes
Pressure Cook or Manual–Yes
Rice–Yes
Yogurt–Yes
Bean/Chili–Yes
Poultry–Yes
Meat/Stew–Yes
Multigrain–No
Porridge–Yes
Soup/Broth–Yes
Cake–No
Sterilize–No
Steam–Yes
Egg–No
Warm–No
Ultra–No

The Smart has 1000W power and can pressure cook up to 2 hours, has a detachable cord, and of course has the 10 safety features.

Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker Unboxing

The Kuhn Rikon is not an Instant Pot, and is not sold by the company that makes the Instant Pot. But I thought it fitting to talk a little about an alternative because those that choose to live off grid usually don’t have an endless supply of electricity, and others of us would like to have a back-up.

The Kuhn Rikon is a stovetop pressure cooker, but it has modern technology which allows you to cook things like rice and other expanding/starchy foods that would not be safe to cook in older pressure cookers.

The stovetop pressure cooker cooks faster and at a higher pressure, so there are advantages, but there are also some disadvantages. Depending on the heat output of your stove, stovetop pressure cookers need to be watched closely so that they can maintain the correct pressure, and since they cook faster they are not as forgiving with fast-cooking food. Also there are no presets on stovetop pressure cookers, but they should last a lifetime and beyond.

The gasket needs to be changed periodically, but the Instant Pot’s sealing ring needs to be replaced from time to time as well.

If you decide to purchase a Kuhn Rikon, here is what’s in the box.