Best replacement pot for your Instant Pot
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We're a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We love cooking with our Instant Pots, so we know the ins-and-outs like our own kitchens! Here's the best inner pot to use for your Instant Pot cooking.
The Genuine Instant Pot Ceramic Non-Stick Interior Cooking Pot is the best replacement inner pot because the non-stick ceramic coating on top of the aluminum pot ensures no food gets stuck and it's super easy to clean.
Our pick
Genuine Instant Pot Ceramic Non-Stick Interior Cooking Pot
Non-stick Instant Pot cooking
The ceramic inner cooking pot has a smooth, non-stick surface, so none of your food will stick to it as you cook rice, brown meats, and more. This also means it's much easier to clean once you're done cooking. However, keep in mind that this is an aluminum pot that's coated in a ceramic material, because actual ceramic would crack under pressure.
Who should buy this non-stick Instant Pot liner
If you hate how food sticks to the stainless steel pot that came with your Instant Pot, then this ceramic one is the way to go! Its smooth surface ensures that nothing sticks to it once it's hot enough to cook in, and it's so much easier to clean than the regular stainless steel. It's perfect if you want to make Instant Pot cooking even easier.
Is it a good time to buy this ceramic Instant Pot liner?
Instant Pot only has two options for the inner cooking pots: stainless steel or ceramic non-stick. If you purchase this now, you won't be regretting it a month later, because it's generally just one or the other in cookware.
Reasons to buy
- Non-stick surface
- More forgiving if your food is accidentally burned
- Easy to clean
- Cheaper than replacement stainless steel pot
Reasons not to buy
- Need to use non-abrasive cooking utensils.
- Stainless steel is better for browning meats and other foods before pressure cooking.
- Not fully ceramic, just aluminum with a non-stick ceramic coating
Ceramic Inner Pot provides less headaches in the kitchen
The Instant Pot already comes with the stainless steel liner by default. The stainless steel is great, especially for browning meat, but it's annoying when food gets stuck to it as you cook. You know that dread you feel when you're browning food or trying out a new recipe and you get the dreaded "BURN" display? That means you're going to have a tough time cleaning later.
Fortunately, the folks at Instant Pot know exactly what problems may arise, and understand that many people want non-stick inner pots for a variety of reasons. The Genuine Instant Pot Ceramic Non-Stick pot is made of aluminum and coated in a ceramic non-stick material. It's smooth to the touch and you can tell from a glance that nothing's going to be sticking on to this surface.
The non-stick ceramic coating means no more stuck bits of food all over your pot, so food like rice and mac-n-cheese is easier to cook.
With the non-stick ceramic pot, your rice won't be sticking to the bottom. Browning food before pressure cooking won't result in pieces clinging on to the sides or bottom of the pot. When it comes time to clean, you won't have to be scrubbing vigorously to get rid of that stuck-on bits of food, or clumps of cheese from mac-n-cheese (I know!).
The only thing that you'll need to be more cautious of is making sure that you use wood, plastic, or rubberized utensils rather than metal. Since the ceramic is a coating, it could scrape off if you use metal utensils, like spatulas. But this is a generic rule-of-thumb for all non-stick cookware.
The only drawback to the ceramic non-stick pot is the fact that browning food won't be as good as with stainless steel. So if you're preparing foods like a chuck roast or chicken pieces before pressure cooking, then it may not have as much flavor from the Maillard Reaction. But if you don't mind that and prefer the ease of use, then the ceramic non-stick pot is the way to go.
Alternatives to the Ceramic Non-Stick Interior Cooking Pot
If you don't care about having a non-stick pot, then you can always opt for more stainless steel pots for your Instant Pot cooking needs.
Runner-up
Genuine Instant Pot Stainless Steel Inner Cooking Pot
The default pot for Instant Pot
The stainless steel version is what your Instant Pot came with. Stainless steel cookware in general is durable and provides great flavor when it comes to browning your food, and it's relatively easy to use and clean.
Having a second stainless steel pot readily available for your Instant Pot means you can transfer your food over if something gets burned in the first one, so you can still salvage it. It's also useful to have in case you want to cook two dishes with your Instant Pot without cleaning the first pot.
Optional lid
Genuine Instant Pot Tempered Glass Lid
Cover your pot
Regardless of your pot choice, you may want a glass lid to cover and protect your food after it's done. The tempered glass lid lets you see your food when you sauté, make yogurt, or steam food, or just cover your food as you serve.
The Tempered Glass Lid is see-thru so you can see your food at a glance (not for use during pressure cooking). It's also is a good way to cover your food when it's done cooking but still out for people to serve themselves.
Bottom line
The Genuine Ceramic Non-Stick Interior Cooking Pot is the best choice for your Instant Pot. No food will stick to it, cooking rice won't cause you a fuss, and cleaning it becomes effortless compared to the stainless steel pot.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Christine Chan is the residential Instant Pot fan at iMore. She has several Instant Pots and uses them multiple times during the week, cooking delicious meals for her and her husband. You can find her on Twitter with random ramblings and Instagram for amateur iPhoneography shots of her husky, Wolf.
Lory Gil is the Site Editor and expert on all things Apple. She also knows a thing or two about cooking and the appliances that can help make it easier.