That $80 Instapot copycat turned my meal prep into a disaster

I bought a no-name pressure cooker off Amazon for $40 less than the real deal and man did it burn me bad. The seal failed on the third use and rice water went everywhere across my counter. On top of that the timer was off by like 10 minutes so everything either came out raw or mushy. Ended up tossing a batch of chili that cost me $25 in ingredients because it scorched to the bottom. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper brands or is it just a waste of cash every time?

2 comments

2 Comments

david5621mo ago

Is there any chance you got a counterfeit unit instead of just a cheap one? Ive seen reports where knockoffs on Amazon use random chinese brand names that look legit but are actually pirated from the factory rejects. My buddy got one that looked exactly like a name brand but the serial numbers were all scratched off and the weight valve was plastic instead of metal. Not saying its the same deal but your seal failure and timer being that far off sounds like more than just saving money. Might be worth checking the return window before you write off all cheap cookers.

johnson.faith1mo ago

Right? That sounds like a "mystery meat" pressure cooker straight out of a nightmare. I half expected the timer to be written in crayon and the seal made of recycled grocery bags. Honestly, if the serial numbers are scratched off and the valve is plastic, that's not "budget friendly" it's a ticking time bomb in your kitchen. Better check that return window before it turns into a "collection of exploded metal fragments" window.