Instant Zest - Instant Pot Rice Maker + Video

Looking to make perfect low effort rice? Is your Instant Pot busy cooking something else? If you've been contemplating buying an Instant Zest, read my review to see if you need to add it to your kitchen gadget collection.

Jump to:

• 1. Footprint
• 2. Capacity
• 3. Ease of Use
• How Do I Use An Instant Rice Cooker?
• 4. Price
• Would I Buy This?

There are four different criteria to help me review kitchen gadgets. I used the same criteria to rate this Instant Zest. Those things are:

1. Footprint
2. Capacity
3. Ease of Use
4. Price

Watch The Video

1. Footprint

This Instant Zest is tiny. Seriously, it's SO cute. It's 3/4 the size of a IP 3 quart and perfect for cooking a side of rice and steaming some veggies on top at the same time for a smaller family.

Will It Fit Under My Kitchen Cabinets?

Yes! This Instant Zest is the perfect size for:

• Keeping under your kitchen cabinets.
• Travel or RV living
• College dorms
• Apartments with little counter space.
• People that like clean counters and put gadgets away after each use.

If you're looking for the actual dimensions for the Instant Zest, they are:

8.74L x 8.46W x 9.25H | cm: 22.2L x 21.5W x 23.5H

2. Capacity

Capacity is something to consider when buying this machine. As an 8 cup capacity cooker, it is quite small. So if you're cooking for a larger family, an occasion, or simply like leftovers, this might not be the right rice cooker for you.

This electric rice cooker cooks up to 8 cups of food at a time, but that includes the space for the (optional) steamer rack on top and the room you need for the rice to expand. If you're expecting to cook 8 cups of rice and steam veggies on top in this Instant Zest, you're going to be disappointed. Leave plenty of room for the rice to expand and steam the veggies on top.

3. Ease of Use

There are two ways to look at Ease of Use with this electric rice cooker:

Functionality

This Instant Zest works like this:

• Add Ingredients
• Press a button
• Cook and serve

However, I noticed a flaw in the functionality of this machine. See the issues I had in the preprogramming section below.

Preprogramming

This Instant Zest offers a variety of 7 different presets. However, only 5 of them are different cooking functions. They are:

• Brown Rice
• White Rice
• Steam
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Keep Warm
• Delay Start

The two that aren't necessarily cooking functions are:

• Keep Warm
• Delay Start

The Keep Warm function turns on automatically when the cooking time is over. This helps keep your rice perfectly cooked and warm while any other food you're making to accompany it is finishing up.

The Delay Start function is great if you are simply making rice to go with leftovers, making extra rice to accompany takeout, or are cooking something that takes a long time to make with a different cooking method and you want them to finish at the same time.

Please also note: The + and - buttons on the front of this Instant Zest do not allow you to adjust cooking time. This is only to increase and decrease the amount of time for the delay start.

How Do I Use An Instant Rice Cooker?

The technology behind an instant rice cooker is designed to allow you to add all of your ingredients, set the time, and cook without any hassle. If you're wondering how to cook rice in this Instant Zest, here's how:

1. Add rice and water.
2. Close lid.
3. Adjust your preset to whichever one fits the type of rice you're making.
4. Allow to come to pressure and cook.
5. Raise lid and serve.

The Trouble With Presets

Presets can be both good and bad. If you're an experienced cook, like myself, you know how much time it takes to cook something. Or you know the appropriate rice to water ratio for specific types of rice.

With this Instant Zest, I noticed that the cooking times and quantities aren't quite spot on. While it's nice to have presets to point you in the right direction for cooking times, you're going to have to experiment with rice quantities, water quantities, and which presets work for you with this machine.

4. Price

This Instant Zest is an absolute steal. At a very affordable price, you can have rice at your fingertips without babysitting in 30 minutes or less.

Sure, you can buy more expensive rice makers, but if you're willing to experiment with cooking times, you can have perfect rice quick and easy made in this Instant Zest.

What Does It Come With?

This is a pretty straight-forward appliance without a ton of bells and whistles. However, it does come with a few things you would expect from a rice cooker:

• Rice Paddle
• Measuring Cup
• Steamer Tray
• Nonstick Liner

Would I Buy This?

Absolutely. And I actually did. This is a totally unbiased review of the Instant Zest. I was so intrigued by the description of this product, I ran out and bought it on my own. And I'm so glad I did.

So, would I buy this? Here's some things to consider:

I Would Buy This If:

• You make a lot of rice.
• You're on a budget.
• You like experimenting with gadgets.
• If you have a smaller family that enjoys steamed veggies.
• You need a supplement to your Instant Pot for multiple recipes or courses.

I Would Pass On This If:

• You have a tried and true method of cooking rice, and enjoy making it.
• Rarely cook rice.
• You want a cheaper solution to a 3qt Instant Pot (not as many usable functions).
• You're impatient and expect food to come out perfect the first time you try it in a new appliance.

Overall, I think this Instant Zest is a great product for the price. If you make a lot of rice, have a tendency to "babysit" your rice, or just prefer to have a separate appliance for smaller side dishes like rice or steamed veggies, this is more affordable than an Instant Pot 3 quart. While the functionality is quite a bit less, so is the price.

If you decide to pick up one to add to your collection, you can buy one Here.

Want More Articles About Rice?

• Best Small Rice Cooker Zojirushi Micom Review
• Best Rice Cookers Of 2020 - How To Choose A Rice Cooker
• How Rice Cookers Work
• Delicious Rice Recipes
• Instant Zest Rice Cooker
• Instant Zest Plus Rice Cooker

If you found this Instant Zest review helpful, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can add this to their collection too.

Originally Published November 23, 2020