Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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​Compare Multi-Cookers: Instant Pot or Cuisinart?

Instant Pot Multi Cooker
Instant Pot Multi-Cooker (Photo Credits: Instant Pot)
You enjoy cooking, but you don't have too much time to devote to it. So you're wondering whether to get a couple of these specialized cookers (like a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, etc.) to help you prepare healthy and delicious meals without requiring too much of your time. Well, you might not have to get a slew of cookers after all: a multi-cooker might be the answer! 

A multi-cooker is a kitchen utensil that can be used for a number of cooking functions such as slow-cooking, pressure cooking, sauteing, browning, steaming, frying, rice cooking, etc. It offers a number of advantages:
  • It saves money, as one has to buy only one cooking utensil instead of many different types. 
  • It  saves space in your cupboards as you have to store only a single cooking utensil instead of a number of them. This is great for small kitchens where cupboard space is scarce. 
  • It also saves cleanup work as you don't have to dirty a number of pots.
  • It has  built-in and simple to invoke push-button cooking programs that eliminate the  complexities   of cooking by regulating temperatures and cooking times as required.

There are many of multi-cooker brands out here. But being complex multi-function products, very few offer the top quality, features and durability you would expect as a good cook. Instant Pot IP-DUO6 and Cuisinart MSC-600 are no doubt among the best multi-cookers you can buy today. Not only are these extremely popular, but, at the time this article was received, they had received excellent reviews from Amazon customers who have bought them and tested them: an average rating of at least 4 stars (out of 5 stars) for each of them. 
​

In this article, we will compare multi-cookers Instant Pot IP-DUO60 and Cuisinart MSC-600, and we will provide detailed descriptions as well as recommendations.

If you're in a hurry and wish to see Amazon product and price information for the selected multi-cookers, please click the following link:
Selected Multi-Cookers on Amazon



Comparing the Instant Pot and Cuisinart Multi-Cookers

The two multi-cookers selected for comparison are shown below:

Instant Pot IP-DUO60
(Photo Credits: Instant Pot)
Cuisinart MSC-600
(Photo Credits: Cuisinart)


The following table compares the features of the selected multi-cookers:
​Table Notes 1 - 11 Explained:

Note 1:
​Please note:
  • Instant Pot IP-DUO is also available in 5 and 8-quart capacity sizes.  
  • Cuisinart MSC is also available in 4 and 7-quart capacity sizes.  
When you click the product links for Instant Pot IP-DUO and for Cuisinart MSC in the Amazon section below, you will be given a choice of capacity when available..

Note 2:
Even though the inner pots of both products are removable and dishwasher washable, the removable inner pot that come with Instant Pot does not have handles, and therefore is not suitable to bring to the table for serving. 

Note 3:
  • Cuisinart multi-cooker allows setting the exact desired cooking temperature, up to 400°F. .
  • ​Instant Pot provides 3 temperature selections for browning/sauté mode and 3 temperature selections for the slow cooker mode (low, medium and high). All other operation temperatures are internally set and cannot be modified.

Note 4:
Note that though both cookers allow you to set the length of the cooking time. However only Instant Pot provides a delayed cooking feature.

Note 5:
  • Instant Pot is equipped with dual pressure settings: High (10.2 ~ 11.6psi)  /  Low (5.8 ~7.2 psi). High pressure reduces cooking time by up to 70% and low pressure avoids overcooking delicate food.
  • Cuisinart MSC-600 does not have pressure cooker functionality, but if you are looking for a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker you can always consider the Cuisinart CPC-600AMZ (see Amazon products section below).

Note 6:
The Cuisinart cooker and Instant Pot both come with a steaming rack.

Note 7:
  • Browning is best controlled by the Cuisinart cooker which allows increasing and reducing the cooking temperature as desired.
  • Instant Pot provides also three temperatures selections in browning/sauté mode.

Note 8: 
Both cookers will go automatically into keep warm mode after the cooking has completed. The cookers can also be set manually into keep warm mode.

Note 9: ​
  • Cuisinart is not a pressure cooker; therefore it does not need as many security functions as the other two cookers. But when cooking is complete, the unit immediately goes into the keep warm mode for 8 hours after which it turns itself off completely for safety
  • ​Instant Pot has 10 safety mechanisms shown in the figure below:
Instant Pot Safety Mechanisms
(Photo Credits: Instant Pot)
Note 10: 
With both units, all parts that come in contact with food are BPA free.

Note 11:
The Amazon prices shown were in effect at the time this article was written and may have changed. For exact prices, please refer to the Amazon products section below. 
​

So which multi-cooker is best for you?

When you compare multi-cookers Instant Pot IP-DUO60 and Cuisinart MSC-600, both appear to be excellent products as can be seen from the comparison table above. But they are different in some ways, and you will need to make a choice based on your priorities. Here are a few points that may help you in deciding which of these two cookers suits best your cooking needs:


1If you are looking for pressure cooking or rice cooking modes as part of the functions offered by your multi-cooker, then you should get the Instant Pot as the Cuisinart does not offer these functions explicitly. But of course, you could still cook rice with the Cuisinart by controlling the cooking using appropriate timer and temperature settings.


2If you are looking for browning/sauteing cooking modes as part of the functions offered by your multi-cooker, then you could get either cooker, but with the Cuisinart, you can control better these functions by increasing and decreasing the temperature as required. Instant Pot cooker provides a choice of three cooking temperatures for sauteing/browning.


3If you are also looking for a yogurt making mode as part of the functions offered by your multi-cooker, then you should consider the Instant Pot. The other cooker do not offer this function.


4If you are looking for an explicit steaming mode as part of the functions offered by your multi-cooker, then you may want to get the Instant Pot or the Cuisinart. Both multi-cookers even come with their own steaming rack.


5If you are looking for a stainless-steel inner pot because you don’t like non-stick coatings, then you may want to consider Instant Pot. The Cuisinart cooker comes with an aluminum inner pot with non-stick coating.


6The digital display on the Instant Pot multi-cooker displays only timer data. Temperature is not displayed and can not be explicitly set. You can only choose certain specific temperatures as explained in Table Note 2 above. On the Cuisinart cooker, both timer and temperature is displayed and can be explicitly set.


7Instant Pot multi-cooker's removable pot does not have handles, so it cannot be used to serve at the table. On the other hand, the Cuisinart muti-cooker's removable pot has stay-cool handles and can be taken to the dinner table.


8If you like to cook longer and larger cuts of meat, then the Cuisinart is more suitable. The Cuisinart pot is 19" long, while the Instant Pot inner pot is 13" in diameter.


9Even though both cookers allow timed cooking, only the Instant Pot cooker is equipped with delayed time cooking functionality. The Cuisinart unit's timer can only be used to set the cooking duration.


10Finally, if warranty is important to you, note that the Cuisinart unit comes with a 3-year limited warranty, while Instant Pot comes only with a 1-year limited warranty.


In conclusion, because of the large number of functions it offers, because of its stainless steel inner pot, because of the large number of safety measures it has built in, and because it is so easy to use and obtain excellent results, our number one choice is the Instant Pot multi-cooker.

Compared Multi-Cookers Are Available Below on Amazon

You will find below, on Amazon, the multi-cookers considered here. 
​Please click the Amazon US link image below for the multi-cooker of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
​Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.​

Instant Pot IP-DUO60
Multi-Cooker

Cuisinart MSC-600
Multi-Cooker
Please Note: As mentioned above, the Cuisinart MSC-600 does not have the pressure cooking functionality. If an electric Cuisinart multi-cooker with pressure cooker function is desired, you can always consider the Cuisinart CPC-900 Multi-Cooker shown below::

Cuisinart CPC-900
Pressure Cooker

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