A:AnswerI got this as a gift for Christmas from an instant pot fanatic. While there's some differences, over all they are minor.
Most parts are interchangeable between the instant pot 6 qt and the insignia 6 qt, from the silicone O ring and locking pin ring to the lid and liner. Even the drip container on the back are interchangeable.
The largest differences are the "settings" capabilities between the two. Both have manual settings that work very similar, which is what most people will use, but the instant pot allows you to custom set high, medium an low pressure where the insignia you don't have that option and high, medium and low pressure are determined by how long you're cooking for.
As a rule, cooking instructions for the insignia is identical to the IP, but I've found that on rare occasions I've needed to prolong the cooking time slightly. If a recipe calls for a "range" like "cook cheese cake for 10-12 minutes" I'll always go for the longer amount of time. I'm a member of a couple different IP Facebook groups and any suggestions, recipes I've used from there work just as well. Just like the IP, the insignia has a "keep warm" feature as well as other popular features like sautee and presets like chicken and rice.
Because of the interchangeable parts, aftermarket items like spring form pans, vegetable steamers and the such that are marketed for instant pot will work and fit in the insignia.
If you plan on making yogurt, then the IP is the better choice of the two according to consumer reports article comparing the two, but every other side by side comparison resulted in identical results.
On a personal note, I'm tickled pink with my insignia and use it several times a week so it's a permanent staple of my countertop. I rarely use my stovetop because it's capable of doing the majority of what I would use my stovetop for. I'm strongly considering getting another electric pressure cooker but will likely go with instant pot, not because of any issues with the insignia but because I'm tempted to try my hand at making yogurt. I've eaten some IP yogurt and it is really really good, but that's the only reason why I am considering it.
A:AnswerNo,it is teflon but I have the Instant pot and tried my stainless steel pan in the Insignia pressure cooker and it fits so a stainless steel pot could be ordered from Instant pot
A:AnswerYes there’s a booklet with instructions and a few recipes. But the instructions are very very poorly written and essentially worthless. They don’t match the utensil in the box and you are better off just following a recipe from a good cookbook for pressure cooking.
A:AnswerNo, the only accessory I have is a steamer basket because it helps to remove hard boiled eggs front the cooker. I also have the Instant Pot brand of cooker, and the insignia works just as well as the instant pot. I'm happy with both and use them all the time.
A:AnswerIt took me A LOT longer than I'd like to admit to figure this one out, but it SLIDES in TOWARDS the stainless steel from behind. Hopefully that makes sense
A:AnswerSafety instruction from the manual #30: "Never deep fry or pressure fry in this multi-cooker. It is dangerous and may cause a fire or serious damage."
A:AnswerPressure Cooker Bone Broth (I found this online)
Ingredients
Bones (I usually use chicken bones that are leftover from our weekly Instant Pot roast chicken, but you can also use 2-3 pounds beef, lamb, non-oily fish or pork bones)*
Assorted veggies - I usually toss in half an onion, a few carrots, a few stalks of celery, and fresh herbs if I have them on hand
Splash of apple cider vinegar (about 1-2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt.
Filtered water
*If you're using beef, lamb, or pork bones you'll want to roast them in the oven at 350F for about half an hour before starting with step #1. It does wonders for the flavor.
Instructions
Place bones in Pot and top with veggies, apple cider vinegar, and salt.
Add water until the pot is 2/3 full. If you have time, let the pot sit for 30 minutes so the vinegar can begin to pull minerals out of the bones.
Select the 'Soup' button and set the pressure to "low" while increasing the cook time time to 120 minutes. (I actually decrease the time because the timer resets at 120 after you decrease to zero.)
After two hours, allow the Instant Pot to depressurize naturally.
Strain the broth and discard the bones and vegetables. Pour broth into jars and store in the fridge.
A:AnswerI'm the one that asked this question in the first place and I ended up order a set of 6 Qt generic blue and green gaskets from Amazon and they fit perfectly! So no, the Insignia Multi Cooker is not unless after the gasket needs to be replaced, others will fit it.
A:AnswerThe interior pot seems to be a non-ferrous metal, coated with a thin layer of substance like ‘silverstone’ or cerakote or powder coat, but probably not Teflon. Instructions say not to use metal utensils or scrubbing devices on the pot. Cooking residue seems to release very easily.