When using the instant pot as a slow cooker, low is equivalent to keep warm, medium is similar to low and high is similar (but slightly lower) to high on a slow cooker. If you’re using the high setting you need to give it extra time to compensate for the lower temperature - generally an extra 15 mins for every hour
Thanks Obama lol FDA said slow cookers are dangerous because they caused 0 illnesses so your food now has to be much hotter to make more dry and more tasteless and more tough food to be safe to eat lol.
Been doing research on trying my IP as a slow cooker and something I've seen commonly is that the low on IP is the same as "keep warm" for slow cooker, medium on IP is "low" and high on IP is like a "medium/high" for slow cookers. Maybe that would help next time! ❤ Loved this test!!
Hi guys, just to say that like others in the comment sections, I have had no issues using the slow cook option on the Instantpot. You can use the pressure lid, but you must keep it vented throughout (its jn the manual for my model) or a different lid that can fit on top of the pot. I don't have space for additional electric cookers, so being able to use the Instantpot as slow cooker really helps when I don't want to pressure cook meat.
I just tried this personal test of my own recently and loved it: I pressured cooked it for 45 min then turned it on slow cooker. It was amazing and turned out even better than when I do it all day in my crock pot. I just use a box of beef broth, an onion, carrots celery, fresh garlic,salt and pepper. It is the exact thing I always do in my crock pot only this time I pressure cooked it first. It was officially instapot ‘done’ but not tender. This works amazing and was falling apart done in three hours. It’s super easy and I don’t do any precooking or braising. Try it. You might be surprised how good it is and super easy. P.S. cleanup is much easier since I just put the pot in the dishwasher. I have an 8qt and it fits fine. I usually use the crock pot bags for easier cleanup but I worry about the chemicals leaching into my food.
@@lolaoh2001 I pressure cooked it on high then shut it all the way off. I did a quick release and then put my glass lid on and set it on medium slow cook. If you don’t have a glass lid just put it on venting. It makes a very moist, fall apart roast. 😊
There is an additional glass lid you can purchase if you're going to utilize the slow cooker feature on your Instant pot. The lid helps keep more of the moisture inside the food.
Yes, I definitely thought that the tempered glass lid was supposed to be purchased and used for the slow cooking function. I bought one for mine, but I haven't tried it yet.
But it doesn’t make it cook at a higher temperature which is the problem. The instant pot is a terrible slow cooker plain and simple. The temperatures it uses are far too low. others have tested it and come to a similar conclusion. And in the end why would you want to wait eight hours for a roast that you could probably cook in 30-40 minutes using the pressure cook setting?
I have used my IP, many times as a slow cooker and I have never ever had any issues. I have cooked 2 chuck roast (8 hours) , a chicken (6 hours),half a ham(8 hours),and no problem!😊
I luv using my Instant Pot and the authentic glass Instant Pot lid to slow cook beef roast. I prep it and put the roast in to cook before I go to work. It's perfect when I get back home, just like using my actually Crock Pot.
I've used my Instant Pot to slow cook multiple times and never experienced those issues. I also used a Power Quick Pot and no issues there. Like others have mentioned, I used a universal glass lid or the Instant Pot branded one.
Recommended heat for instant pot for pot roast is slow cook on high heat right from the beginning! This is the first time I have disagreed with your tests.
I know the general advice is to use the high, but like I mentioned in the video, the manual specifically says low on the Instant Pot is the corresponding button to slow on a slow cooker. In order to make the test as fair and comparable as possible, I used the same temperature 😊. Thanks for watching!!
Obviously it was NOT the same temperature. Like another comment said, the manufacturer recommended slow cook of a roast is NOT low… so the comparison was faulty.
Before I would my IP as a slow cooker, I would do a test with just water in the IP and in my slow cooker, then temp the water, not the roast. I think this is the only way to make sure the settings will equal the conventional slow cooker. The only other thing I would worry about is that the IP gets all of its heat from the bottom of the pot whereas my slow cooker is heated from the sides. Heating from the sides might keep the heat at a more even control. Keep up the great work Lisa, love your videos!
Since the low setting on your instant pot is clearly not as hot as the low setting on your crock pot, have you considered a new comparison of the crock pot on low vs. the medium and high settings on your instant pot for pot roast?
Yeah, my take was use a higher setting is all. lol. I get a great bubbling simmer when I use my IP for slow cooking on medium and high. I use my IP for slow cooking all the time and get great compliments when I serve to others. Her pot is faulty maybe.
GREAT REVIEW However--- Just turn em both up to highest setting with a little oil same type in each and at the one hour mark use a digital or the pen and check the temp test over ..
Traditional crock pots have three settings; keep warm, low, and high. The instant pot settings are low, medium, high. Comparing them, the instant pot low is compared to the crock pots keep warm. The medium on instant pot is the crock pots low. Highs are both high. You cooked that chuck roast on keep warm essentially lol
This was an interesting test. I love my IP and have used almost all of its functions, except the slow cooker button. When making pot roast I always use the pressure cook function so it speeds up the cooking but it's good to know what the limitations are.
I tried the slow cook function on my IP long ago, but can’t remember how it turned out! LOL I’m so used to Crock Pots, anyway, & stick with those when slow cooking. Thanks, Lisa!!
I got rid of my Duocrisp Instant pot and got the Ninja SPEEDI. Has ONE lid, that is attached, and DOES EVERYTHING! I don't miss juggling 2 lids and cleaning slimy gaskets. IT ALSO WEIGHS 7 LBS LESS! So glad I made the change.
In my experience on older models, high on IP = low on slow cooker (plus a few hours of time). It was not it’s strength but newer models are better at it. Love yr comparative tests and overall content. Tfs
Wow. Thanks Lisa. I’ve used the slow cook function a couple of times with smaller pieces of meat and been happy. Great test. I’ll be using the slow cooker in future. Thank you.
Recently I was looking in my wife's mother's cookbook. And I noticed some recipes had a star by them. The footnotes add that these recipes had been adapted to be cooked in a pressure cooker. The cookbook was copyrighted 1947. Wow!!! talk about your mother's cooking recipes in a pressure cooker. What a whole new source of tried-and-true recipes. This is going to be interesting and fun.
I use mine as a slow cooker all the time with no issues. Did you have the sealing ring in the lid? Even though it cooks on venting instead of sealing, you still need that ring to keep the heat and moisture in. I actually got rid of my slow cooker because the instant pot works so well for both.
2 days?! 😮 I'm so glad I watched this! thank you so much for the comparison videos! I wanted to do IP roast bc like you, I didn't want to sear in a separate pan, but now I'm going to stick to my slow cooker.
If your Instantpot couldn’t bring the temperature up past 154 F, how could it ever pressure cook? The Instantpot has a sauté function which is NOT a “sear function” …… “apples and oranges”. Despite all the fancy settings on the control panel, one basically has two parameters: time & temperature. “Bubbling means liquid @ 212 F, so the thermostat needed to be run up in the Instantpot the first time it was checked. Once both pots are bubbling at the same rate, the cook time will be equal. The CrocPot has a Low, High, & “Keep Warm” setting. The Instantpot has Low-Normal-High. Normal on the Instantpot more closely = Low on the Crocpot. Low on the Instantpot is more of a “keep warm” setting. When vented, a higher heat setting just controls the boil rate, once 212 F is achieved. One last question: Why would one cook in an Instantpot for 8 & 1/2 hours in an under-heated slow cooker mode when one can use the pressure cook function and do it in about an hour? This Instantpot recipe was “tried” the first time on camera. It was certainly not tested first to prove it was true. A basic “dress rehearsal” run should be completed before presentation in order to live up to your channel name. Constructive feedback not withstanding,I wish you success on future videos. 👍
I tried the slow cooker function twice. The first attempt-chili was awful. It was continually burning so I finished it on the stove. My 2nd attempt was much better. I made smoked turkey legs with kale, mustard greens and turnips. It turned out so well! I did things a little different than before. I cooked on high for about high for 15 mins (I think), added the onions, garlic and spices. I cut the temp to low and cooked for several hours more until the turkey was fall of the bone tender. Oh, I used the glass lid you can buy extra.
I'm surprised that you used the low setting for your instant pot when the general advice is to use the high setting, and you telling us how to use the pots.
I know the general advice is to use the high, but like I mentioned in the video, the manual specifically says low on the Instant Pot is the corresponding button to slow on a slow cooker. In order to make the test as fair and comparable as possible, I used the same temperature 😊. Thanks for watching!!
I found out that the instant pot in low was like keep warm on a slow cooker normal was like slow cooking and hight was like medium cook I love using my instant pot for slow cooking i use the middle normal slow cook button button No good cooking on slow cook on instant pot as that's keep warm 😅
I gave up on the IP slow cooker awhile ago and just use my Crock Pot for slow cooker! The I P is great for pressure cooking, I used to use a on-the-stove pressure cooker. I need a butler’s pantry for all these appliances, but that’s not going to happen! Oh well, I’m grateful to have them all!
Despite what Instant brand says, the Low, Normal, and More settings on the IP don't match up with Low, Medium, and High on a slow cooker. The Low on the IP is definitely more like the Keep Warm setting on a slow cooker. After a few failed attempts at using the slow cooker setting on my IP, I went back to using a traditional slow cooker when I want to slow cook a roast or something similar. The IP is awesome at pressure cooking and yogurt making, but slow cooking? Not so much.
I have been watching your videos and got the OP 3 L Duo plus. The water test went well thanks to you. The slow cooker not so great. After 2 hours it was still stuck on heating. I turned it off. Then changed from Medium to High and after 5 hours it was done. Phew !
I use mine for a crockpot all the time. I don't have a lot of room in my kitchen, so I don't own a crock-pot. I've nev er had an issue with using it as a slowcooker.
Hi, I read the comments how you should’ve done slow cook on high so I ignored your verdict. Cooked my pork butt for 6 hrs on slow cook/high and when I checked at 3 hrs, it was a ROCK and the liquid was warm. Sooo.. I COMPLETELY agree with you. My Instantpot is not meant for the slow cook option. Thank you for your thorough review!
PERFECT timing on this video! I was gonna buy a crock pot from Target or Goodwill literally today, but I thought let me see some videos of there are any out there. I have an instant pot & a ninja foodi which I love both but I know my ninja slow cooker function does NOT do well in my opinion. I can’t wait to watch this & get your thoughts.
@@Lisa.Childs I’ve tried it on a few things- roast, pinto beans, I can’t remember what else but it didn’t seem to get done as well or come out tasting as good. I May go back & try again but even tho I consider myself a very experienced cook, I feel like I will just get the same results. I have saw Julia Pacheco make baked potatoes in a slow cooker so I will definitely try the IP & ninja foodie for both. LOVE your IP yogurt recipe btw!
My daughter recently slow cooked a pot roast in the Instapot with the exact same result as yours. She decided she couldn’t wait any longer and cooked it with pressure for 30 minutes and it came out tender and delicious. To bad we didn’t find your video first. Thanks for sharing.
Maybe a slow cook with a pressure finish is a good thing on a normal basis. Best of both worlds. But I use the high setting to slow cook in my InstantPot and it comes out great.
This is interesting thank you! I wonder if pressure cooking would be more successful though. A great comparison - I’ve watched your channel for months before buying the instant pot/airfryer. Really enjoy your help. 🥰🥰🇬🇧☘️💐💐💐💐💐
The sear function on my Duo Evo Plus is pretty decent, though because it’s narrow compared to a skillet, the sear reflects that. Still so handy. Have to say not tempted to use the IP for slow cooking though.
I think a better research approach would have been to fill both devices with water and see at which temperature it stabilizes. If the instant pot goes to about 158F that would mean that it functions more as a Sous-Vide than like a Slow cooker and you need to adjust the settings. If the Slow cooker gets above boiling point it is clearly not a slow cooker but more like a meat boiler.
Lisa, good job… I personally agree! I’ve never had my best outcomes when slow-cooking in my IPs. They’ve been too narrow to properly sear before cooking and never really hot enough. The only upside I could imagine is that because current slow cookers run so hot and fast to keep food at “safer temps” (unlike the legacy ones that let you cook all day at much lower temps), perhaps the IPs longer, low-temp setting might let you actually prepare a dish in the morning and expect it to be ready at dinner time. You know… actual “slow cooking “! 😂
I made this last night minus the gravy. I prefer mine with more of a light Au jus sauce over rice and it was bomb!!! The only way I would make it again. My house smelled heavenly. Thanks so much for the recipe. :)
You definitely didn’t give the instant pot a fair shake :( you need to go with high next time from the first go around. Nobody who knows anything about the IP uses “low” for the slow cook function!
Lisa, I’m so thankful you did this test! My InstantPot model is the duo pressure cooker and air fryer. I was going to sell my slow cooker because I have one machine that can do the same tasks as three machines. I’m sure I have the world’s smallest kitchen and lack of storage is a real problem. I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of my slow cooker now! What cut of beef did you purchase?
@wrinklessprinkles1843 Test your IP first. My IP works great as a slow cooker and I make my beef cheeks and top blade beef and chuck roast in it all the time. My IP bubbles just like her crockpot did at medium setting and done in 5 - 8 hours. I use a glass lid though. Is that the difference? Or her IP is faulty. I am testing now with pork rib brisket with the regular lid because this made me curious.
Wrong! You should’ve been on “High” for the instant pot roast. That’s closer to the temperature of the crock pot. “Low” on IP is closer to “Keep Warm” in crockpot land. Try again with the right settings next time😢
Thanks, Lisa…I watched this before when you first did it but wanted to remind myself why the Instant Pot is so not the way to go if a person wanted a true slow cook function…I think the only advantage in using the Instant Pot for a beef roast is that once it reaches the correct temperature reading for beef 145* it would be better for slicing it say for a sandwich or in a gravy over toast or potatoes…
Thank you! This is why I got a slow cooker as well. I made chicken twice in the IP and neither one turned out. One batch was all dry like jerky. (There was liquid in with the chicken. ) I tried the 5 min hard boiled eggs and set it to high, it kept beeping and going to low. Took 20 minutes and the eggs were all brown inside and smelled like vinegar. I hard boiled some others from the same carton on the stove and they came out normal. The main problem I have is while I’m figuring out what buttons to push (double checking the recipe ) the cooker takes off cooking on its own lots of beeps and clicks and off it goes.
I have slow cooked in my instant pot pressure cooker many times and have never had a bad meal.I have a Ninja slow cooker and you can fry,roast in it as well. Also couldn’t you put it on pressure cook to finish cooking if roast is not done perfectly.
That’s great to hear! And yes I could have pressure cooked it to finish, but that’s not the point of using the slow cook feature. It should work as advertised without having to use other cooking methods, imo
I have an instant pot mini and it definitely boils when I use the slow cooker function so maybe your pot is too big or just not full enough but you could always pressure Cook part of the time and then keep it on a slow cooker sitting for a few hours
Sounds like you should have set the Instant pot on med / normal, instead of low to get a similar heat in both. But I could easily be wrong as I haven't tried a pot roast or anything similar as we simply don't have those cuts of beef here.
Thanks. I just remembered I have one of these but it’s Crockpot brand. I’ll take your advice into account! I’d hate to show up at my parents thinking the food will be done. Does anyone know if it travels well sealed?
Traditional slow cookers have elements along the sides and the bottom whereas the IP only has an element on the bottom. The rule of thumb for the IP slow cooker feature is cook on the high setting and add 15 mins per hour to conventional slow cookers. So for a fair comparison between these two the IP roast should have cooked for just over 10 hours on the high setting.
Im considering giving my daughter my slow cooker and start using the sc feature on my Instant Pot. By the end of this video my thoughts were I better keep my sc and buy her one. After reading comments, some are saying they purchased a lid, which helps the sc feature achieve better results. It would be great if you would get the lid and retest. Meanwhile, my daughter will be getting a new sc. (although SHE asked to have my old one) 😅
Why don't you just try your SC setting on your IP? Mine works great. I never use my regular crock pot anymore, just use the IP slow cook. After her video, I even tested using the regular pressure lid instead of my glass lid. Pork brisket ribs came out beautiful in 6 hours on the medium setting. I still prefer my glass lid though beause I like to see through it to see what's happening. I never use the low setting. I use medium and high.
Instant Pot slow cooker low-med-hi temperatures are similar to pre-FDA meddling with slow cooker temperatures, post-FDA meddling slow cooker temperatures are one or two settings higher.
Instantpot does cook meat properly on high heat but it takes 8-10h with 100ml or no broth at all. In your case it took 2 days because you chose low heat setting and put in about 500ml of broth.
I have both pots, the Instant Pot is good for risotto, pasta, steamed vegetables, soups and maybe even some desserts but for slow cooking the Slow Cooker is unreachable and inimitable, absolutely the best
This video was so helpful. You don’t even know. 😂 yeah I’ve tried it as a slow cooker and nope. Didn’t work for me. Now realize it just takes muuuch longer in pressure cooker.
The instructions that said the settings in the instapot is the same as a slow cooker is not true. Low is the same as keep warm, médium equals the low setting on a crock pot and high is the same as high on a crock pot. You used the low setting which only keeps food warm. You should have used yhe médium setting
It actually helps to know that, not so that I could slow cook meat, but so that I can do bone broth overnight if I want to. I believe as long as the temperature is over 140 degrees, bone broth would be safe to use, and it sounds like the low setting at least had it at 150 something degrees.
Same here on the bone broth. I have yet to find a video where they actually put the temperature probe in the liquid to see what temperature it's cooking at. It does appear the low setting on the crock pot is quite as it is rapidly boiling, no telling what the IP is cooking at.
I haven't done a pot roast using the IP slow cooker function but I've used it for chili/beef stew/soups many times..indiscernible taset between the two. I don't fill it to the line though...
I have yet to get the slow cook function to work for me. 2 or 3 times I tried barbacoa or pot roast or pulled port, each time resorting to pressure cooker after cooking 8+ hours. I finally decided pressure cooking was the best way and it shreds easily and it moist every time. Plus I can time the meal much better when I am not adding hours beyond what a recipe called for. Then I tried a 1 pot meal the other night and after 6 hours, the cream cheese still hadn't even completely melted. I see someone below mention testing with water in the base. That might be interesting just to see. Like others I have read that low is similar to warm. Instant Pot says the settings are exactly the same as a conventional slow cooker for what that's worth. 🤷♀
not a fair comparison at all. Different browning methods, didn't wait for the IP to get to temp before browning, also deglaze was your liquid but not poured over like CP. low on IP is way lower temp than low on CP. This just wasn't a proper comparison at all. 5 min RUclips search would have shown you how to do it properly. and yeah its going to take longer due to temp variations...that's why its a pressure cooker same result in less time with pressure.
I would just let it cook for 24 hrs like i do in the crock pot. Start around 6 or 7 pm, leave for work at 5 am, flip the roast and its ready when i get home at 6pm. I wouldn't cook a roast in an instapot when i have a 2 crock pots. It can be done though. Good test for comparison. As a mechanic thats why we have specific tools for certain jobs. Cheers!
I don't have a slow cooker so I use my instant pot or Ninja Foodi. I season, sear and then pressure cook the meat for about 20 minutes. Then I add everything else and slow cook on high. I don't pressure cook the potatoes or vegetables because I don't like them mushy
I realize that you were doing a comparison test. However, this is a pressure cooker I would never use it as a slow cooker even if it said I could. And I don't understand why you just didn't go ahead and pressure cook the roast it would have been done in tender within an hour and a half
That must have been very frustrating. I also had problems initially with slow cooking, in fact it took me a while to get to grips with using the I.P. in any function but I'm getting there. I sear meat successfully in my I.P. same model, I heat the pot first. Your piece of meat really was too big for your pot to cope with. For slow cooking I cook for an hour on high first and use the glass lid. I then turn down to medium. The low setting is okay for maybe a stew but not a joint.
thank you. even the instapot slow cooker acts in a similar manner. low is too low. If you time it right you can do an over night and a 6 -8 hour next day high and it's about just right. ridiculous to be honest.
No offense but these kinds of tests are wildly variable on the model of Instant Pot. The older ones like the one you’re using are bad at slow cooking but the newer Instant Pots (basically anything from the Duo Evo Plus on) are fantastic slow cookers and perform just as well as dedicated single purpose ones, America’s Test Kitchen has a video testing this and I slow cook in my Duo Evo Plus regularly with fantastic results. Even your statement about the searing function not being as good really only applies to the old ones without the stainless steel pots. tl;dr: this video only applies to older models. if you have a newer one none of this is accurate.
The thing is, I’ve polled tens of thousands of my audience in different ways, and the vast majority of my audience has my model of Instant Pot. It’s definitely the most popular! I’m happy to hear the newer models perform better!
Huh... I kept my Instant Pot in the sealed position and on High temperature to make my Slow-cooker soups. They both turned out fine. Slow cookers aren't supposed to be vented; that lets all the heat out, just like leaving the door open on a slow oven. Sabotaged your results, you did.
It does say in the Instant Pot Evo Plus manual to vent while slow cooking. I used the slow cook option to cook mutton curry and it was fine, tender. I had no issues at all. Either way, I'm glad that yourself and others have pointed out in the comments that the slow cook option does work in the Instant Pot.
I put my potatoes in the last 30 minutes of cooking time in my slow cooker. I tried my instant pot slow cooker side nope its garbage . Seems like the instant pot seems to shut off so i wont use it on slow cooking. . I just use the pressure cooking side and do my roast for 2 hours.
The info in the manual is not correct. The MORE setting on the Instant pot is equal to the medium on a conventional slow cooker. (you can find that info all over the internet). So the Instantpot does not really have a HIGH setting. If you use the glass lid and the Normal setting and figure this is the Medium or Normal setting on a slow cooker, then everything will turn out great. I use it for pulled pork all the time and it comes out fantastic. Of course I use the Instantpot as a pressure cooker more often, but it does work well as a slow cooker if you understand it's limitations.
So it’s not a good crockpot then it’s too low temp for that. Do you know what the temperature might be good if you were doing a Buffay though because you don’t want it to be too hot it like let’s say we made a pot of chili and we might in Oak Park course they have keep warm, but it might be too hot I I don’t know. I’d be interesting to know what the temperature is for. Keep warm and slow cook because this isn’t not gonna be as good as a crockpot, I can tell your, right.
I don’t have that actual Insta pot. I have a Faberware one that has a slow cooker option & not any of the yogurt, sauté & some other options like yours. So I got to some negative & positive with mine.
I'm curous.. as to why the vent needs to stay open while slowcooking? That means steam can escape, right? When you slowcook, you don't vent either. i'm confused.
I've tried the slow cooker function on my ip but it's never really worked right. I read and have heard from basically everyone that it is not a good slow cooker.
When using the instant pot as a slow cooker, low is equivalent to keep warm, medium is similar to low and high is similar (but slightly lower) to high on a slow cooker. If you’re using the high setting you need to give it extra time to compensate for the lower temperature - generally an extra 15 mins for every hour
Thanks Obama lol FDA said slow cookers are dangerous because they caused 0 illnesses so your food now has to be much hotter to make more dry and more tasteless and more tough food to be safe to eat lol.
Well, to be fair she did try that and even a while on HIGH.
Been doing research on trying my IP as a slow cooker and something I've seen commonly is that the low on IP is the same as "keep warm" for slow cooker, medium on IP is "low" and high on IP is like a "medium/high" for slow cookers. Maybe that would help next time! ❤ Loved this test!!
The second she said it, I knew that she did it wrong. It should have been on high the whole time so her experiment is useless.
Every thing doesn't have to be made in china for it to work properly
THANK YOU for this! ❤
This is what I understood as well. I use medium for low and high for high.
Hi guys, just to say that like others in the comment sections, I have had no issues using the slow cook option on the Instantpot. You can use the pressure lid, but you must keep it vented throughout (its jn the manual for my model) or a different lid that can fit on top of the pot. I don't have space for additional electric cookers, so being able to use the Instantpot as slow cooker really helps when I don't want to pressure cook meat.
I just tried this personal test of my own recently and loved it: I pressured cooked it for 45 min then turned it on slow cooker. It was amazing and turned out even better than when I do it all day in my crock pot. I just use a box of beef broth, an onion, carrots celery, fresh garlic,salt and pepper. It is the exact thing I always do in my crock pot only this time I pressure cooked it first. It was officially instapot ‘done’ but not tender. This works amazing and was falling apart done in three hours. It’s super easy and I don’t do any precooking or braising. Try it. You might be surprised how good it is and super easy. P.S. cleanup is much easier since I just put the pot in the dishwasher. I have an 8qt and it fits fine. I usually use the crock pot bags for easier cleanup but I worry about the chemicals leaching into my food.
Question So you set it on pressure for 45 min, and then was it med or was it high for 3 hrs??
@@lolaoh2001 I pressure cooked it on high then shut it all the way off. I did a quick release and then put my glass lid on and set it on medium slow cook. If you don’t have a glass lid just put it on venting. It makes a very moist, fall apart roast. 😊
I did the same thing in reverse. Slow cook for two hours then pressure cook for 45 min. Let it slow release for 24 min.
There is an additional glass lid you can purchase if you're going to utilize the slow cooker feature on your Instant pot. The lid helps keep more of the moisture inside the food.
Yes, I definitely thought that the tempered glass lid was supposed to be purchased and used for the slow cooking function. I bought one for mine, but I haven't tried it yet.
I like the glass lid too!
Agree with all! You have to use a glass lid.
I got it too after I slow cooked some chicken breasts using the regular lid. What a difference it made.
But it doesn’t make it cook at a higher temperature which is the problem. The instant pot is a terrible slow cooker plain and simple. The temperatures it uses are far too low. others have tested it and come to a similar conclusion. And in the end why would you want to wait eight hours for a roast that you could probably cook in 30-40 minutes using the pressure cook setting?
I have used my IP, many times as a slow cooker and I have never ever had any issues. I have cooked 2 chuck roast (8 hours) , a chicken (6 hours),half a ham(8 hours),and no problem!😊
I luv using my Instant Pot and the authentic glass Instant Pot lid to slow cook beef roast. I prep it and put the roast in to cook before I go to work. It's perfect when I get back home, just like using my actually Crock Pot.
@@CricketsBay do you set at high temp for the slow cooking or regular temp?
At what temperature setting?
And what about the taste when used as a slow cooker?
Used the wrong setting on IP
I've used my Instant Pot to slow cook multiple times and never experienced those issues. I also used a Power Quick Pot and no issues there. Like others have mentioned, I used a universal glass lid or the Instant Pot branded one.
Recommended heat for instant pot for pot roast is slow cook on high heat right from the beginning! This is the first time I have disagreed with your tests.
Bingo
I know the general advice is to use the high, but like I mentioned in the video, the manual specifically says low on the Instant Pot is the corresponding button to slow on a slow cooker. In order to make the test as fair and comparable as possible, I used the same temperature 😊. Thanks for watching!!
If you do it on high, though, the meat isn't as tender.
@@crobinso2010 instant pot High slow cook is Crock pot low cook
Obviously it was NOT the same temperature. Like another comment said, the manufacturer recommended slow cook of a roast is NOT low… so the comparison was faulty.
Before I would my IP as a slow cooker, I would do a test with just water in the IP and in my slow cooker, then temp the water, not the roast. I think this is the only way to make sure the settings will equal the conventional slow cooker. The only other thing I would worry about is that the IP gets all of its heat from the bottom of the pot whereas my slow cooker is heated from the sides. Heating from the sides might keep the heat at a more even control. Keep up the great work Lisa, love your videos!
yeah yeah thats exactly what I said I just suggested oil.. but water would suffice just plain comparison of them both set to high
Since the low setting on your instant pot is clearly not as hot as the low setting on your crock pot, have you considered a new comparison of the crock pot on low vs. the medium and high settings on your instant pot for pot roast?
Yeah, my take was use a higher setting is all. lol. I get a great bubbling simmer when I use my IP for slow cooking on medium and high. I use my IP for slow cooking all the time and get great compliments when I serve to others. Her pot is faulty maybe.
2 other videos say low setting on IP slow cooker is just a "warming" setting. Need to use the medium or normal setting to match crockpot on low.
GREAT REVIEW However--- Just turn em both up to highest setting with a little oil same type in each and at the one hour mark use a digital or the pen and check the temp
test over ..
Traditional crock pots have three settings; keep warm, low, and high.
The instant pot settings are low, medium, high.
Comparing them, the instant pot low is compared to the crock pots keep warm.
The medium on instant pot is the crock pots low.
Highs are both high.
You cooked that chuck roast on keep warm essentially lol
I agree.
This was an interesting test. I love my IP and have used almost all of its functions, except the slow cooker button. When making pot roast I always use the pressure cook function so it speeds up the cooking but it's good to know what the limitations are.
I wish I did see this video prior to me failing with instant pot and cooking with slow cooker method lol great video keep up the good work
I tried the slow cook function on my IP long ago, but can’t remember how it turned out! LOL I’m so used to Crock Pots, anyway, & stick with those when slow cooking. Thanks, Lisa!!
I usually do a combination of cooking methods. I start out with pressure for a short period and then switch to slow cook setting.
How long would that take using same recipe as shown? Thinking about buying another slow cooker for beef but good idea here.
I got rid of my Duocrisp Instant pot and got the Ninja SPEEDI. Has ONE lid, that is attached, and DOES EVERYTHING! I don't miss juggling 2 lids and cleaning slimy gaskets. IT ALSO WEIGHS 7 LBS LESS! So glad I made the change.
I agree. I have a Ninja Speedi and love it!
In my experience on older models, high on IP = low on slow cooker (plus a few hours of time). It was not it’s strength but newer models are better at it. Love yr comparative tests and overall content. Tfs
Wow. Thanks Lisa. I’ve used the slow cook function a couple of times with smaller pieces of meat and been happy. Great test. I’ll be using the slow cooker in future. Thank you.
Recently I was looking in my wife's mother's cookbook. And I noticed some recipes had a star by them. The footnotes add that these recipes had been adapted to be cooked in a pressure cooker.
The cookbook was copyrighted 1947.
Wow!!! talk about your mother's cooking recipes in a pressure cooker. What a whole new source of tried-and-true recipes.
This is going to be interesting and fun.
I use mine as a slow cooker all the time with no issues. Did you have the sealing ring in the lid? Even though it cooks on venting instead of sealing, you still need that ring to keep the heat and moisture in. I actually got rid of my slow cooker because the instant pot works so well for both.
2 days?! 😮 I'm so glad I watched this! thank you so much for the comparison videos! I wanted to do IP roast bc like you, I didn't want to sear in a separate pan, but now I'm going to stick to my slow cooker.
If your Instantpot couldn’t bring the temperature up past 154 F, how could it ever pressure cook?
The Instantpot has a sauté function which is NOT a “sear function” …… “apples and oranges”.
Despite all the fancy settings on the control panel, one basically has two parameters: time & temperature. “Bubbling means liquid @ 212 F, so the thermostat needed to be run up in the Instantpot the first time it was checked. Once both pots are bubbling at the same rate, the cook time will be equal.
The CrocPot has a Low, High, & “Keep Warm” setting. The Instantpot has Low-Normal-High. Normal on the Instantpot more closely = Low on the Crocpot. Low on the Instantpot is more of a “keep warm” setting. When vented, a higher heat setting just controls the boil rate, once 212 F is achieved.
One last question: Why would one cook in an Instantpot for 8 & 1/2 hours in an under-heated slow cooker mode when one can use the pressure cook function and do it in about an hour?
This Instantpot recipe was “tried” the first time on camera. It was certainly not tested first to prove it was true. A basic “dress rehearsal” run should be completed before presentation in order to live up to your channel name.
Constructive feedback not withstanding,I wish you success on future videos. 👍
I always wondered about the slow cook feature on my IP. Thank you Lisa for test results between IP and SC. This was very informative.
I tried the slow cooker function twice. The first attempt-chili was awful. It was continually burning so I finished it on the stove. My 2nd attempt was much better. I made smoked turkey legs with kale, mustard greens and turnips. It turned out so well! I did things a little different than before. I cooked on high for about high for 15 mins (I think), added the onions, garlic and spices. I cut the temp to low and cooked for several hours more until the turkey was fall of the bone tender. Oh, I used the glass lid you can buy extra.
The glass lid makes all the difference.
I'm surprised that you used the low setting for your instant pot when the general advice is to use the high setting, and you telling us how to use the pots.
I know the general advice is to use the high, but like I mentioned in the video, the manual specifically says low on the Instant Pot is the corresponding button to slow on a slow cooker. In order to make the test as fair and comparable as possible, I used the same temperature 😊. Thanks for watching!!
I found out that the instant pot in low was like keep warm on a slow cooker normal was like slow cooking and hight was like medium cook I love using my instant pot for slow cooking i use the middle normal slow cook button button No good cooking on slow cook on instant pot as that's keep warm 😅
@@blondiejam924 Thank you for that info!
this was an excellent side by side. I was debating whether to buy a separate slow cooker (i have the instant pot) this video left no doubt in my mind.
I gave up on the IP slow cooker awhile ago and just use my Crock Pot for slow cooker! The I P is great for pressure cooking, I used to use a on-the-stove pressure cooker. I need a butler’s pantry for all these appliances, but that’s not going to happen! Oh well, I’m grateful to have them all!
I made a chuck roast today in the slow-cooker. I am keto so I used almond flour. Best roast I've ever made. Thanks.
Despite what Instant brand says, the Low, Normal, and More settings on the IP don't match up with Low, Medium, and High on a slow cooker. The Low on the IP is definitely more like the Keep Warm setting on a slow cooker. After a few failed attempts at using the slow cooker setting on my IP, I went back to using a traditional slow cooker when I want to slow cook a roast or something similar. The IP is awesome at pressure cooking and yogurt making, but slow cooking? Not so much.
What would happen if you slow cooked on "Normal" instead?
I have been watching your videos and got the OP 3 L Duo plus. The water test went well thanks to you. The slow cooker not so great. After 2 hours it was still stuck on heating. I turned it off. Then changed from Medium to High and after 5 hours it was done. Phew !
I use mine for a crockpot all the time. I don't have a lot of room in my kitchen, so I don't own a crock-pot. I've nev er had an issue with using it as a slowcooker.
Hi, I read the comments how you should’ve done slow cook on high so I ignored your verdict. Cooked my pork butt for 6 hrs on slow cook/high and when I checked at 3 hrs, it was a ROCK and the liquid was warm. Sooo.. I COMPLETELY agree with you. My Instantpot is not meant for the slow cook option. Thank you for your thorough review!
PERFECT timing on this video! I was gonna buy a crock pot from Target or Goodwill literally today, but I thought let me see some videos of there are any out there. I have an instant pot & a ninja foodi which I love both but I know my ninja slow cooker function does NOT do well in my opinion. I can’t wait to watch this & get your thoughts.
I haven’t tried the slow cook on the ninja foodi! Is it really not great?
@@Lisa.Childs I’ve tried it on a few things- roast, pinto beans, I can’t remember what else but it didn’t seem to get done as well or come out tasting as good. I May go back & try again but even tho I consider myself a very experienced cook, I feel like I will just get the same results. I have saw Julia Pacheco make baked potatoes in a slow cooker so I will definitely try the IP & ninja foodie for both. LOVE your IP yogurt recipe btw!
My daughter recently slow cooked a pot roast in the Instapot with the exact same result as yours. She decided she couldn’t wait any longer and cooked it with pressure for 30 minutes and it came out tender and delicious. To bad we didn’t find your video first. Thanks for sharing.
For Easter I also had to Add a high pressure cook for 24 minutes to complete my shredded beef 🥩
Maybe a slow cook with a pressure finish is a good thing on a normal basis. Best of both worlds. But I use the high setting to slow cook in my InstantPot and it comes out great.
This is interesting thank you! I wonder if pressure cooking would be more successful though. A great comparison - I’ve watched your channel for months before buying the instant pot/airfryer. Really enjoy your help. 🥰🥰🇬🇧☘️💐💐💐💐💐
The sear function on my Duo Evo Plus is pretty decent, though because it’s narrow compared to a skillet, the sear reflects that. Still so handy.
Have to say not tempted to use the IP for slow cooking though.
Thank you for this video! I saved the heartache and frustration by watching this video!
I think a better research approach would have been to fill both devices with water and see at which temperature it stabilizes. If the instant pot goes to about 158F that would mean that it functions more as a Sous-Vide than like a Slow cooker and you need to adjust the settings. If the Slow cooker gets above boiling point it is clearly not a slow cooker but more like a meat boiler.
Lisa, good job… I personally agree! I’ve never had my best outcomes when slow-cooking in my IPs. They’ve been too narrow to properly sear before cooking and never really hot enough. The only upside I could imagine is that because current slow cookers run so hot and fast to keep food at “safer temps” (unlike the legacy ones that let you cook all day at much lower temps), perhaps the IPs longer, low-temp setting might let you actually prepare a dish in the morning and expect it to be ready at dinner time. You know… actual “slow cooking “! 😂
I made this last night minus the gravy. I prefer mine with more of a light Au jus sauce over rice and it was bomb!!! The only way I would make it again. My house smelled heavenly. Thanks so much for the recipe. :)
You definitely didn’t give the instant pot a fair shake :( you need to go with high next time from the first go around. Nobody who knows anything about the IP uses “low” for the slow cook function!
Lisa, I’m so thankful you did this test! My InstantPot model is the duo pressure cooker and air fryer. I was going to sell my slow cooker because I have one machine that can do the same tasks as three machines. I’m sure I have the world’s smallest kitchen and lack of storage is a real problem. I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of my slow cooker now! What cut of beef did you purchase?
Thanks so much for watching! I always get beef chuck roast!
@wrinklessprinkles1843 Test your IP first. My IP works great as a slow cooker and I make my beef cheeks and top blade beef and chuck roast in it all the time. My IP bubbles just like her crockpot did at medium setting and done in 5 - 8 hours. I use a glass lid though. Is that the difference? Or her IP is faulty. I am testing now with pork rib brisket with the regular lid because this made me curious.
I have use the slow cook function on my IP. Do not use the pressure lid, use an glass lid.
Wrong! You should’ve been on “High” for the instant pot roast. That’s closer to the temperature of the crock pot. “Low” on IP is closer to “Keep Warm” in crockpot land. Try again with the right settings next time😢
In the instant pot low is the equivalent of warm in the slow cooker. Use high as this should work
Thanks, Lisa…I watched this before when you first did it but wanted to remind myself why the Instant Pot is so not the way to go if a person wanted a true slow cook function…I think the only advantage in using the Instant Pot for a beef roast is that once it reaches the correct temperature reading for beef 145* it would be better for slicing it say for a sandwich or in a gravy over toast or potatoes…
The low setting on the IP is the same as keep warm on a crock pot. I cooked mine on the high setting and it simmered just fine.
Thank you! This is why I got a slow cooker as well. I made chicken twice in the IP and neither one turned out. One batch was all dry like jerky. (There was liquid in with the chicken. ) I tried the 5 min hard boiled eggs and set it to high, it kept beeping and going to low. Took 20 minutes and the eggs were all brown inside and smelled like vinegar. I hard boiled some others from the same carton on the stove and they came out normal. The main problem I have is while I’m figuring out what buttons to push (double checking the recipe ) the cooker takes off cooking on its own lots of beeps and clicks and off it goes.
I followed the instructions that came with my ip for slow cooking. The result was perfect and no different from my crock pot
I’m wondering if perhaps something is up with your IP, because mine slow cooks like a champ. Thanks for the demo, we always appreciate your work!
I have slow cooked in my instant pot pressure cooker many times and have never had a bad meal.I have a Ninja slow cooker and you can fry,roast in it as well. Also couldn’t you put it on pressure cook to finish cooking if roast is not done perfectly.
That’s great to hear! And yes I could have pressure cooked it to finish, but that’s not the point of using the slow cook feature. It should work as advertised without having to use other cooking methods, imo
I have an instant pot mini and it definitely boils when I use the slow cooker function so maybe your pot is too big or just not full enough but you could always pressure Cook part of the time and then keep it on a slow cooker sitting for a few hours
Sounds like you should have set the Instant pot on med / normal, instead of low to get a similar heat in both. But I could easily be wrong as I haven't tried a pot roast or anything similar as we simply don't have those cuts of beef here.
Yes, using medium level is what other IP videos are saying.
Love your curiosity. I thought I was the only one who was always experimenting!🤣🤣🤣
Thanks. I just remembered I have one of these but it’s Crockpot brand. I’ll take your advice into account! I’d hate to show up at my parents thinking the food will be done. Does anyone know if it travels well sealed?
They claim you need to use medium not low on the instant pot.
Traditional slow cookers have elements along the sides and the bottom whereas the IP only has an element on the bottom. The rule of thumb for the IP slow cooker feature is cook on the high setting and add 15 mins per hour to conventional slow cookers. So for a fair comparison between these two the IP roast should have cooked for just over 10 hours on the high setting.
Very informative
Thank you for sharing 🙏
Im considering giving my daughter my slow cooker and start using the sc feature on my Instant Pot. By the end of this video my thoughts were I better keep my sc and buy her one. After reading comments, some are saying they purchased a lid, which helps the sc feature achieve better results. It would be great if you would get the lid and retest. Meanwhile, my daughter will be getting a new sc. (although SHE asked to have my old one) 😅
Why don't you just try your SC setting on your IP? Mine works great. I never use my regular crock pot anymore, just use the IP slow cook. After her video, I even tested using the regular pressure lid instead of my glass lid. Pork brisket ribs came out beautiful in 6 hours on the medium setting. I still prefer my glass lid though beause I like to see through it to see what's happening. I never use the low setting. I use medium and high.
I pressure cook mine first for 30-60 minutes depending on the thickness and then I slow cook it (all in the instant pot).
Instant Pot slow cooker low-med-hi temperatures are similar to pre-FDA meddling with slow cooker temperatures, post-FDA meddling slow cooker temperatures are one or two settings higher.
Instantpot does cook meat properly on high heat but it takes 8-10h with 100ml or no broth at all. In your case it took 2 days because you chose low heat setting and put in about 500ml of broth.
I have both pots, the Instant Pot is good for risotto, pasta, steamed vegetables, soups and maybe even some desserts but for slow cooking the Slow Cooker is unreachable and inimitable, absolutely the best
This video was so helpful. You don’t even know. 😂 yeah I’ve tried it as a slow cooker and nope. Didn’t work for me. Now realize it just takes muuuch longer in pressure cooker.
The instructions that said the settings in the instapot is the same as a slow cooker is not true. Low is the same as keep warm, médium equals the low setting on a crock pot and high is the same as high on a crock pot. You used the low setting which only keeps food warm. You should have used yhe médium setting
Love your testing abilities!😁
Just checked the video to verify she used the keep warm setting. Wasn't disappointed.
It actually helps to know that, not so that I could slow cook meat, but so that I can do bone broth overnight if I want to. I believe as long as the temperature is over 140 degrees, bone broth would be safe to use, and it sounds like the low setting at least had it at 150 something degrees.
Same here on the bone broth. I have yet to find a video where they actually put the temperature probe in the liquid to see what temperature it's cooking at. It does appear the low setting on the crock pot is quite as it is rapidly boiling, no telling what the IP is cooking at.
I haven't done a pot roast using the IP slow cooker function but I've used it for chili/beef stew/soups many times..indiscernible taset between the two. I don't fill it to the line though...
I have yet to get the slow cook function to work for me. 2 or 3 times I tried barbacoa or pot roast or pulled port, each time resorting to pressure cooker after cooking 8+ hours. I finally decided pressure cooking was the best way and it shreds easily and it moist every time. Plus I can time the meal much better when I am not adding hours beyond what a recipe called for. Then I tried a 1 pot meal the other night and after 6 hours, the cream cheese still hadn't even completely melted. I see someone below mention testing with water in the base. That might be interesting just to see. Like others I have read that low is similar to warm. Instant Pot says the settings are exactly the same as a conventional slow cooker for what that's worth. 🤷♀
Can you use the slow cookers bags in an instant pot
Good information, never tried the slow cooker on mine. Thanks ❤👍
Thanks! Your explanations are excellent, and your camera work is great.
Thank you very much!
You could added the extra penny and made it 5 bucks, you weasel. 🤣
not a fair comparison at all. Different browning methods, didn't wait for the IP to get to temp before browning, also deglaze was your liquid but not poured over like CP. low on IP is way lower temp than low on CP. This just wasn't a proper comparison at all. 5 min RUclips search would have shown you how to do it properly. and yeah its going to take longer due to temp variations...that's why its a pressure cooker same result in less time with pressure.
I would just let it cook for 24 hrs like i do in the crock pot. Start around 6 or 7 pm, leave for work at 5 am, flip the roast and its ready when i get home at 6pm.
I wouldn't cook a roast in an instapot when i have a 2 crock pots. It can be done though.
Good test for comparison. As a mechanic thats why we have specific tools for certain jobs.
Cheers!
Thank you!
How did you get the “Instant Pot Manual”?? I didn’t get that with mine. Purchased from Amazon.
It should have been included when purchased but you can always find the manual to every appliance they sell on the Instant Pot website!
My daughter uses hers on slow cook to make soup and broth. Works well for that.
Almost all instapot models suck at slow cooking. The original Duo crisp model is the only one with a high enough thermostat to slow cook reliably.
I don't have a slow cooker so I use my instant pot or Ninja Foodi. I season, sear and then pressure cook the meat for about 20 minutes. Then I add everything else and slow cook on high. I don't pressure cook the potatoes or vegetables because I don't like them mushy
I realize that you were doing a comparison test. However, this is a pressure cooker I would never use it as a slow cooker even if it said I could. And I don't understand why you just didn't go ahead and pressure cook the roast it would have been done in tender within an hour and a half
Maybe cook it at a higher temp in the instant pot?
Today I learned you can use an instantpot as a crackpot. 😂 I just bought a white crockpot. I guess I'm an old school boomer. 🤷♀️
That must have been very frustrating.
I also had problems initially with slow cooking, in fact it took me a while to get to grips with using the I.P. in any function but I'm getting there.
I sear meat successfully in my I.P. same model, I heat the pot first. Your piece of meat really was too big for your pot to cope with.
For slow cooking I cook for an hour on high first and use the glass lid. I then turn down to medium. The low setting is okay for maybe a stew but not a joint.
Most slow cookers I ever owned OVERCOOKED everything. I would set the IP @ slow cooke HIGH.
thank you. even the instapot slow cooker acts in a similar manner. low is too low. If you time it right you can do an over night and a 6 -8 hour next day high and it's about just right. ridiculous to be honest.
No offense but these kinds of tests are wildly variable on the model of Instant Pot. The older ones like the one you’re using are bad at slow cooking but the newer Instant Pots (basically anything from the Duo Evo Plus on) are fantastic slow cookers and perform just as well as dedicated single purpose ones, America’s Test Kitchen has a video testing this and I slow cook in my Duo Evo Plus regularly with fantastic results. Even your statement about the searing function not being as good really only applies to the old ones without the stainless steel pots.
tl;dr: this video only applies to older models. if you have a newer one none of this is accurate.
The thing is, I’ve polled tens of thousands of my audience in different ways, and the vast majority of my audience has my model of Instant Pot. It’s definitely the most popular! I’m happy to hear the newer models perform better!
Huh... I kept my Instant Pot in the sealed position and on High temperature to make my Slow-cooker soups. They both turned out fine. Slow cookers aren't supposed to be vented; that lets all the heat out, just like leaving the door open on a slow oven. Sabotaged your results, you did.
It does say in the Instant Pot Evo Plus manual to vent while slow cooking. I used the slow cook option to cook mutton curry and it was fine, tender. I had no issues at all. Either way, I'm glad that yourself and others have pointed out in the comments that the slow cook option does work in the Instant Pot.
i have tried 2 instapot - it absolutely does not slow cook At all
Hands down, the Instant Pot gets a bad wrap as a slow cooker. Easy fix: put on sauté mode to heat up, put on crock pot "high". Works for me.
I put my potatoes in the last 30 minutes of cooking time in my slow cooker. I tried my instant pot slow cooker side nope its garbage . Seems like the instant pot seems to shut off so i wont use it on slow cooking. . I just use the pressure cooking side and do my roast for 2 hours.
The info in the manual is not correct. The MORE setting on the Instant pot is equal to the medium on a conventional slow cooker. (you can find that info all over the internet). So the Instantpot does not really have a HIGH setting. If you use the glass lid and the Normal setting and figure this is the Medium or Normal setting on a slow cooker, then everything will turn out great. I use it for pulled pork all the time and it comes out fantastic. Of course I use the Instantpot as a pressure cooker more often, but it does work well as a slow cooker if you understand it's limitations.
So it’s not a good crockpot then it’s too low temp for that. Do you know what the temperature might be good if you were doing a Buffay though because you don’t want it to be too hot it like let’s say we made a pot of chili and we might in Oak Park course they have keep warm, but it might be too hot I I don’t know. I’d be interesting to know what the temperature is for. Keep warm and slow cook because this isn’t not gonna be as good as a crockpot, I can tell your, right.
I use pressure cooker function for zero minutes and then vent and switch to slow cooker. It’s a neat trick.
You never told us what, setting you used low medium or high
I don’t have that actual Insta pot. I have a Faberware one that has a slow cooker option & not any of the yogurt, sauté & some other options like yours. So I got to some negative & positive with mine.
I'm curous.. as to why the vent needs to stay open while slowcooking? That means steam can escape, right? When you slowcook, you don't vent either. i'm confused.
Thanks so much ❤
I've tried the slow cooker function on my ip but it's never really worked right. I read and have heard from basically everyone that it is not a good slow cooker.
I have never had good luck with using my Instant Pot as a slow cooker. Always end up pressure cooking to finish up the dish.