Instant Pot vs. Air Fryer

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New appliances are invading the market every day, which makes things confusing, and you end up wondering whether you should get them or not.

In this article, we will be talking about instant pots and air fryers. Both of these appliances make it easier to cook different meals.

But, should you be getting both?

Short Answer:

If you are looking to get a wide variety of food, then you should get an instant pot. You won’t get that deep-fried food that you may crave, but you will be using it more than an air fryer to prepare more meals.

Another reason we think it is better to get an instant pot is that most of the food prepared using an air fryer can be made by deep-frying in a pot or a pan instead. 

On the other hand, to replace an instant pot, you need to use a pressure cooker.

All this aside, if you eat a lot of fried food and you want to go healthy with it, then an air fryer is your best option.

Instant Pot vs. Air Fryer – Full Comparison

How Do They Work?

Instant Pot

An instant pot depends on building up pressure inside the cooking pot by using water or broth to produce steam. 

The steam accumulates in the pot under pressure and is then forced into the food cooking it at high speed.

Air Fryer

An air fryer depends on superheated air in addition to a small amount of oil. The heated air then circulates around the food cooking it.

What Can You Cook With Them?

Instant Pot

There is a large group of foods that you can cook with an instant pot. This list includes rice, soups, meat, beans, poultry, multigrain, porridge, eggs, vegetables, pasta, and yogurt.

If you think about this variety of food we just mentioned, you will be able to conclude that you will be using your new instant pot on a daily basis. And the best part about using it is that the food will “instantly” be ready.

If you decide to get an instant pot ultra, you will get a dedicated egg function, as well as sous vide function. Besides, there is a cake setting included helping you make cakes and other desserts.

And lastly, you might be a little surprised to know that a lot of instant pots come with a sauté pan that you can use to stir fry foods with just a small amount of oil and also to sear meat.

This means that you can prepare a large number of different recipes using the instant pot.

Air Fryers

An air fryer is mainly designed to be a healthy replacement for deep frying. You might think that this is a bit limiting; however, this is not true.  

An air fryer can be almost as versatile as an instant pot. A lot of people don’t know that they can use an air fryer to fry, grill, roast, and bake.

So, basically, you will be able to use the air fryer to prepare French fries, fried chicken, and potato chips, or any other fried food.

 Also, you can use them to grill vegetables and meats, bake cakes or make casseroles and you can find a lot of recipes on things you can make using an air fryer.

What Is the Difference Between the Foods Prepared in Each?

You will find an overlap between the things you can make in an instant pot and an air fryer.

The difference is that newer models of instant pots can be used to make yogurt and eggs. 

You can also use them for cooking rice. You will not be able to make any of these using the air fryer.

Another difference is cooking vegetables. Some vegetables are better prepared in an air fryer. 

These vegetables are the ones that you would typically grill, like corn or asparagus. But, most of the other vegetables will not be cooked right using an air fryer because they are usually steamed, vegetables like broccoli and carrots.

And lastly, you won’t be able to get any crispy or crunchy food using the instant pot. This is an advantage to using an air fryer.

Final Verdict

Both instant pots and air fryers are useful kitchen appliances. If it is possible, we think you should get them both because one of them is usually better than the other when preparing a particular meal.

However, if you can only afford to get one of them, you will have to do the math yourself.

An instant pot will most definitely help you prepare a larger amount of meals. And if your goal is to get something that will help you make more meals faster, then this is the right way to go.

Yet, you need to keep in your mind that you will be compromising the delicious taste of fried food, but if this is something that you can’t settle for, then you better get an air fryer.  

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