Instant Pot
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| Inventor | Robert Wang |
|---|---|
| Inception | 2010 |
| Manufacturer | Double Insight |
| Models made | Duo 7-in-1, Duo Plus 9-in-1, Ultra 10-in-1, Smart Bluetooth, Max (all are pressure cookers) Aura Pro, Aura, Gem (slow cookers) Accu series (immersion circulators) Ace (blender) |
| Website | instantpot.com |
The Instant Pot is a Canadian brand of kitchen appliances. The brand's original and primary products are electronically controlled, combined pressure cookers and slow cookers. The original cookers are marketed as 7-in-1 appliances designed to consolidate the cooking and preparing of food to one device (multicooker). The brand has since expanded to include non-pressure slow cookers, sous-vide immersion circulators, and blenders.
History
The concept of a multi-purpose cooker has been around since 2006 with the patent from the Midea Group, which would go on to manufacture the Instant Pot,[1] detailing the function and simple structure of what would become the Instant Pot.[2]
In 2008, after getting laid off from his engineering job, Robert Wang along with Yi Qui and one other friend, all former employees of Nortel in Ottawa, Canada, started working to resolve an issue parents in his area were facing: how to create healthy meals for their children in a time efficient way. [3] And so they created the Instant Pot.[4] Wang is credited as the inventor of the Instant Pot. This beginning model operated as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice / porridge cooker, yogurt maker, sauté / searing pan, steamer, and food warmer.[5] This model was under development for 18 months.
Double Insight
Double Insight Inc was founded by Robert Wang, Yi Quin, and three other Canadian partners in 2009.[6] They are the distributor and designers of the Instant Pot. [1] Wang has a PhD in computer science with a specialty in artificial intelligence.
The company became profitable in 2012, with the Instant Pot as their main product. In 2016, Double Insight sold more than 215,000 Instant Pots on Amazon's Prime Day.[7][8]
Recalls
In July 2015 the Instant Pot Smart-60 cooker was recalled, affecting about 1,140 units in Canada and the United States. The defect caused electric current to leak, which could potentially shock the product's user. There were four reported instances of this shock before it was recalled.[9]
In February 2018, five production runs of Instant Pot Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicookers were recalled because they were overheating and subsequently melting due to a manufacturing issue.[10]
Manufacturing
Instant Pots are manufactured by the Chinese company Midea Group.[11]
Modes of operations
- High Pression Mode - Timed boiling food with water, 4 times faster than stove top; pressure lid in place.
- Low Pressure Mode - Timed boiling food with water, slightly faster than regular boiling on a stove top; pressure lid in place.
- Searing Mode - Untimed frying of food with up to a few tablespoons of oil; cooking lid removed.
- Slow Cooker Mode - Crockpot mode
About of water needed for boiling is a fraction needed for stovetop boiling due to pressure lid retention of water. where on a stove you might use 4 cups, in a pressure pot you need only a cup.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Double Insight Inc. recalls Instant Pot Smart Pressure Cooker". healthycanadians.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ Electric pressure cooker patent, 2007-06-30, retrieved 2017-11-26
- ^ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/how-laid-dad-built-instant-pot-one-internet-s-favorite-n822681.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Ottawa entrepreneur's Instant Pot has attracted a devoted following of home cooks". Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ "Fired From His Own Startup, This Founder Invented Amazon's Hit Product of 2016". Inc.com. 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ Murphy, Jessica (2017-03-06). "How a cooker developed a cult following". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ "Amazon — Press Room — Press Release". phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ Clark, Melissa (2017). "Why Do Cooks Love the Instant Pot? I Bought One to Find Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ "Instant Pot Pressure Cookers Recalled by Double Insight". Consumer Product Safety Commission. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
- ^ Bennett, Brian (2018-02-23). "An Instant Pot multicooker is melting -- but not the one you think". CNET. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ "Double Insight Inc. recalls Instant Pot Smart Pressure Cooker". healthycanadians.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-20.