Insta pot vs Slow Cooker (Crock pot)

[805Bowhunter]

We’ve been using a slow cooker for years for wild game and have loved it. Unfortunately after almost 20 years, the slow cooker died. A lot of people we know have moved to an instapot and it does seem appealing because of the time reduction. Does anyone on here have any thoughts specifically for cooking wild game? Just curious. Thanks in advance!

 

[Geewhiz]

They do the same thing as a crock pot but faster if you use a pressure setting. I love ours. Also ours has settings so you can use it without pressure which in that case is the same thing as a crock pot.

 

[Loper]

We had both. Had the crock pot first then got an insta pot. I haven’t used the insta pot without pressure, not for any reason other than I have the crock pot and use that. Any game cooked has been in the crock pot so I can’t comment on the insta pot for cooking game. If I were starting over I’d just get the insta pot and use it for pressure cooking and slow cooking. One less kitchen gadget to store.

 

[KyleR1985]

Instapot is a better tool.

The only thing a crockpot does that an insta pot doesn’t is boil a whitetail skull to do a euro mount.

A crockpot looks slightly less offensive on the counter.

In every other respect you’ve got a better option. I use ours multiple times a week.

 

[Woolley Bugger]

Instant pot is invaluable. You can just set it and walk away. For game, I usually get good results with or without pressure cooking but I make a lot of strews with tough cuts of beef that really benefit from the pressure cooking.

The IP is also great for other things like making rice, steel cut oatmeal, and Korean egg soufflé.

 

[beerbucksducks]

I have both and haven’t really used the slow cooker since getting the instant pot. It just takes up room, so it’s headed to goodwill.


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[LongWayAround]

We had an instapot for a few years. It definitely has a convenience factor. I felt like saute function was essentially useless. It would kind of "pulse" getting super hot and then reducing. I never got a good brown on anything in it.

I went back to an old fashioned crockpot. You get much better milliard browning because of the way the heat it transferred from the cooking vessel. Obviously, you still need a skillet or something to sear if you want prior to the slow cook.

Dutch oven is definitely the king for being able to sear in the pot and continue the browning reaction while cooking, but it's also the least convenient of the three.

 

[LostArra]

We had an instapot for a few years. It definitely has a convenience factor. I felt like saute function was essentially useless. It would kind of "pulse" getting super hot and then reducing. I never got a good brown on anything in it.

I went back to an old fashioned crockpot. You get much better milliard browning because of the way the heat it transferred from the cooking vessel. Obviously, you still need a skillet or something to sear if you want prior to the slow cook.

Dutch oven is definitely the king for being able to sear in the pot and continue the browning reaction while cooking, but it's also the least convenient of the three.

Agree
Our Instapot is a dust collector. (wife uses it to hard boil eggs)
Dutch oven and 35 year old crockpot cover our needs and with less buttons.
I spent a year or two trying to really like the Instapot and found it's only benefit for me was cooking dried pinto beans when you are in a hurry.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Instapot is more versatile but isn’t a great slow cooker.


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[wowzers]

I use an old 4qt presto pressure cooker. You can make stew or carnitas in like twelve minutes. Plus I can take it to camp with me.

 

[Kurts86]

The instapot is really good for certain things, it’s a great rice cooker for those without a really high end stand alone rice cooker, it’s good for chili but I’m not impressed with it for cooking meat. Sure it’s faster but there is not replacing the time element of a crook pot or Dutch oven to tenderize certain wild game cuts. I’m glad I have one but I wouldn’t give up a crock pot or Dutch oven for an instapot.

 

[sodaksooner]

Ive got both and honestly just use the crock pot more, maybe just out of habit. I like being able to throw something in in the morning before work and set it and know it'll be ready when I get home. Evenings are more hectic for me versus the morning before work. I like the instapot, but for me the crock pot style works better, and it's a touch easier to clean. I guess I could use the instapot the same way, but just really like our old crock pot. Plus just love the smell of stuff cooking.

 

[R boar]

I use instant pot all the time, but as a slow cooker. I rarely use the pressure setting. The saute setting works good for browning meat and onions etc.

I often make a stew in the morning and bring it to work and slow cook it from around 6am to noon. The instant pot has a handle on top so I can carry it to the truck with one hand while it's full of stew.

I don't ever wish I had a standalone slow cooker.

 

[CMF]

I can put a frozen deer roast in an instapot and be done in 60-90 minutes and comes out just like slow cooked.
I can throw squirrel, rabbit or turkey legs in there for 30-60 minutes and the meat falls off the bone, ready to make quesadillas or wild turkey carnitas.
Like mentioned already, you can still use instapot as a slow cooker too.

 

[CMF]

. The saute setting works good for browning meat and onions etc.

This reminds me it's good for making chilli too. You can brown the meat in it, cook it, and keep it warm for serving all in one pot.

 

[KyleR1985]

Browning meat in the pot before slow cooking is a giant time saver.


I’ve cooked shanks (I can’t think of a tougher meat on a game animal) in the instapot and crockpot and can’t tell a difference. One renders that sinew way more efficiently.