Review: Pampered Chef Quick Cooker

Pampered Chef has their own pressure cooker based multi-cooker ala Instant Pot with a unique look and outlandish list price $240-299.  I’m glad we only paid $23.

Bottomline:
Is it worth it?  No
Is it better than a $70 InstantPot? No

The Good:

• Pressure cooking works well and is simpler and quieter than a stovetop pressure cooker
• Outside stays cool due to insulated plastic outer cover
• Sear mode works well for things like reducing sauces, but not searing as you’ll see below
• Lid is easy to lock, unlock, and remove
• The carrying handles work well 
• Accessory kit is high quality and I’ve read others say it’s amazing, I have not used it yet
• Everything I’ve made so far tasted great.  The ribs recipe which came with it was simple and great. 

The Bad:

• Controls are the worst.  One problem with Instant Pot is having to click + or - a million times to set the time, so I was excited to see a dial which could save time and hassle.  However the dial only selects the mode, not the time. You still have to click + or - repeatably every bit as bad as Instant Pot.  But unlike Instant Pot which has a button for each mode so you can set with one click, you must spin the Quick Cooker’s dial until the proper mode lights up...spin, look, spin, look, spin, look...ridiculous. Is it a big deal? Not really but I’d be embarrassed if I was Pampered Chef. 
• There is no way to control the temperature, so you can’t use it for Sous Vide,  The custom mode only sets pressure and time and it only works for pressure cooking, not slow or sear..
• The steam vent design differs enough from Instant Pot to make steam direction accessories not work
• The steam vent does not always close tightly so steam leaks as it’s heating.  You must fiddle with it while steam is coming out to get it to seal.  Not expected or safe.
• Searing in a deep pot has very limited usage.  Searing a big hunk of meat should be OK but searing diced chicken is unbearable.  It sticks firmly, needs tongs to flip, there is no way to slide a turner/spatula under it, the surface area is small so it needs to be done in batches which means removing one batch to add the next and managing a mess.  Just use a large skillet or fry pan on the stove, easier, faster more effective.  This is the same for all pressure cookers.
• Slow cook only has one temperature which I tested to be 185.  That is a normal low temp on a Crockpot.  Instant Pot has 3 slow cook temperature settings low, mid, high.  
• It’s unclear if the clear Instant Pot slow cook lid will fit and Pampered Chef does not offer one.  Not required but nice to see what’s going on without having to open it up and release heat and moisture.
• A cheap Crockpot has 2 temperature settings, and wide pot and clear lid.  As a result, the Quick Cooker is a poor slow cooker.

General Information:

• Proof keeps water at about 95 with top off (too low for sous vide)
• Slow cook keeps water at about 185 with top off (too high for sous vide)
• Warm keeps the temp at about 165 with top off (too high to souls vide)

Conclusion:

• We had a couple lifetime warranty Pampered Chef pans fail and the credit they gave us allowed us to get the Quick Cooker with accessory kit for $23, otherwise I would have bought a different machine. 
• If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a true multi-cooker could be a versatile tool in the kitchen.  I would look for one which has multiple temperature settings for slow cooking, precise temperature controls for sous vide, a stainless pot like the Instant Pot and Quick Cooker because a non-stick one will wear off and simpler controls.  I would not worry about how many modes it has because they are all just different temp/time/pressure settings and most are max temp and pressure.  Being able to set all 3 allows unlimited “modes”.   
• If you absolutely have to have the Pampered Chef cooker wait for a sale, they have been discounted 50%, but know you are buying one of the worst multi-cookers for more than the most popular one even at 50% off.
• This might be a better all around multi-cooker for 1/2 the price though I have no experience with it:

Update: I found out who makes the PC Quick Cooker - Midea in China.  The Amazon reviews are pretty positive about it and those selling it now are asking over $600 for it. I'm guessing in China is sells for the equivalent of $50.  I stand by my assessment, there are better machines for less money.

Update: Searing works pretty well for reducing a sauce.  If you cook meat for instance and want to turn the juices left into a sauce use sear, add additional ingredients and stir.  It will for that fairly well and reasonably quick.  You are still leaning over a deep pan and getting steaming sauce in the face but it smells great, so you have that going for you.  You are also not likely over a vent as you would be on the stove, so look up at the ceiling after using your Instant Pot for a couple years and I bet you'll be able to tell where it sits when in use.