Summary
I was pleasantly surprised by the Cosori pressure cooker. Not only did it look super modern and very sleek, the cooking performance was on par with the Instant Pot I have been using for the last year. Add into the mix, the accessories and glass lid you get as well as a greater number of presets on the control panel, it is a super product and one I have no hesitation in recommending. The last time I checked, they were being sold at less than the equivalent Instant Pot version.
The Instant pot vs Cosori challenge
I have a brand-new Cosori pressure cooker to review. I’ve never used it before but I have had my Instant Pot pressure cooker for almost a year now… and I love it. I use it all the time and it really fits in with my lifestyle. If you are a busy mom like me, it can really be a lifesaver.
I want to put it to the test… Instant pot vs Cosori…and find out whether it is worth it and does it perform better, perform worse or are they pretty much the same. I fully expect the Instant Pot to be slightly better…but let’s see what happens.
In this review, I’m going to let you know what it comes with and then move onto a side by side comparison with the Instant Pot. I will do this by testing out a couple of food items that are fairly common with pressure cookers. This will let you know what the performance is like in the real world.
Unboxing the Cosori
So, let’s take a quick look at the Cosori. It has a little valve at the top to release the pressure, very similar to the one on the Instant Pot pressure cooker. The Cosori also comes with a very nice steamer rack which is a lot taller than the one you get on the Instant Pot. This will actually make the test a little more interesting as which will steam better…the Instant Pot with its short-legged steamer or the Cosori.
The Cosori also comes with a glass lid which is very practical. The Instant Pot does not come with a glass lid. This was a very nice surprise and definitely welcome. You can get a glass lid for the Instant Pot but you need to order it separately…which means you need to pay for it.
The Cosori also comes with some utensils, much like the Instant Pot. Another welcome inclusion with the Cosori is the additional seal for the top of the lid. Since these can get damaged, it is nice to have a spare.
Both the Instant Pot and the Cosori also came with recipe books with a few recipes to get you started. It’s nice to have but ultimately, there are so many recipes at hand these days, they don’t add a lot of value.
One thing you should note at this point. Many recipes are designed for the Instant Pot, specifically naming it instead of using ‘electric pressure cooker’. It needs to be noted that not all pressure cookers perform the same, there are differences. However, the changes are minute and you will learn to adjust over time. This should not be considered a deal breaker.
Obviously, they come with manuals too which outlines the care and maintenance as well as the instructions for use.
Design
In terms of footprint, the Cosori one is slightly larger than the Instant Pot but the pots inside are the same size.
The design is a subjective matter and a matter of taste. I think it is fair to say that the Cosori is the more attractive of the two when sat side by side. The lines are sleeker and the overall impression is that it is more modern. That is not to say that the Instant Pot is unattractive, it is not. Again, this comes down to personal taste.
The front panel also looks more modern on the Cosori and I prefer it. It looks cleaner and more premium in my opinion. The Instant Pot looks very recognizable but it is beginning to show its age. However, both are well laid out and it should be simple to navigate your way around them.
The Cosori also has a number of cooking options that are not available on the Instant Pot. I have a habit when using the Instant Pot of selecting the manual option and setting the time limit. On the Cosori, it gives you a number of options, for example, cooking brown rice or steaming vegetables. This makes the Cosori simpler to use.
Another point to mention is the lids of the cookers. The Instant Pot is covered in plastic but the Cosori has a metal finish. In my view, the Cosori looks more attractive but you need to be careful. This can get hot so the risk if burning yourself can be higher than the Instant Pot.
So, let’s move on to the cooking performance.
Cooking performance
I wanted to do a couple of simple tests to show you the capability. Now I could have gone and cooked a complex recipe that would look really impressive served up, but it would not necessarily leave you in a better position when making a choice. Therefore, I thought it was better to do something simple.
Potato
I have chosen to steam a large potato as my first test. This will allow you to see the power of the pressure cooker and the ability it has.
I put the steamer racks into the pots with a cup of water. In them, I placed a large potato. Hopefully by the end, I would end up with something resembling the taste of a baked potato. The Cosori actually had a setting for steamed potatoes so I set it at that, which was 25 minutes. The Instant Pot has to be set manually…for which I set the same time.
The result…after 25 minutes of cooking time alongside another 15 minutes of pressure release time, the potatoes were ready. Just to be clear, this test is not designed to necessarily show which is better, if anything I wanted to show that they were comparable at the very least.
The potatoes you ask…they both came out splendidly well. I was very happy with the results. Fantastic consistency and they were both cooked all the way through. Remember this is a very large potato. This test showed that both the machines were comparable.
Brown rice
My next test was cooking brown rice in the pressure cookers. As you probably know, cooking brown rice is a little more difficult that white rice. So, I put in one cup of rice with four cups of water.
As I mentioned earlier, the Cosori has an automatic setting for this….in this case it was 15 minutes of cooking time. I set this to start and manually set the Instant Pots to the same cooking time.
After 15 mins of cooking time, I left them for another 10 minutes to go through natural release of pressure. I gave them a mix to fluff the rice before I plated them.
The results…again they were comparable. Both cooked the rice really well, no sharp bits and they both kept the shape without turning it mushy. Overall, I would say it was a success and proved that the Cosori is just as capable as the more established Instant Pot.
Final thoughts
Having owned the Instant Pot for a while now, I have grown accustomed to use it to make a quick meal. As somebody who works and has a family and home to run, it can be a lifesaver. The Instant Pot was me dipping my toe into the world of pressure cooking.
I have to say that when I set out with this comparison, I fully expected the Instant Pot to be the winner. They have a longer track record and a brandable name that people refer too.
At best, if the Cosori was least comparable…or close, I would be happy. As it turns out, it was just as comparable which was a surprise to me. I was really pleased with the level of performance.
So, which should you buy? Well, Instant Pot has a strong brand name in this area but I think you should consider more factors. The cooking performance was similar so I guess it comes down to other factors.
Personally, I much prefer the look of the Cosori. It is more modern and sleeker, something that would sit well on my kitchen counter. I also liked the fact that it had more preset options and the layout was more practical.
The build quality on both is excellent and the manufacturers guarantee is the same of a year.
If I had to pay my money again…I would go for the Cosori.
What I like about the Cosori
- The looks
- The preset ranges
- The cooking performance
- The accessories
What I don’t like about the Cosori
- The lid can burn you if you aren’t careful
- Recipes are designed for Instant pot’s mainly so you have to consider this
Well that concludes my test and the Instant pot vs Cosori debate is closed in my eyes. There are some that will swear by Instant Pot but mainly as they are the most recognizable brand. The Cosori is more than capable in my eyes and you should definitely consider this when looking for a new pressure cooker.
If I had to pay my money again…I would go for the Cosori.
If you own either an Instant Pot or the Cosori, please can you leave a comment below. Let me know how long you have owned it and what you think. What would you change on it and where can it improve?
I look forward to hearing from you. If you enjoyed reading this article or you think that your friends might like to read it, please can you share it on your social media. Thank you so much…see you soon…Jayne x
Since you are here…can I ask a favor?
It would be really nice if you could share this image on social media…it’s just a couple of clicks for you but it means the world to me.
Thank you so much…