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I'm also thinking after the faithful pressure cooker died this week.. looks like CHoice recommend Breville's The Fast Slow Cooker BPR650BSS from their April 2018 review of 5 models. It came out top - it was the $200 model, not the $350 "pro" version! 

Good points

• Very good overall.


• Very good slow cooking performance.


• Excellent pressure cooking performance.


• Very good for sauté and searing.      


• Very good for ease of use.    


• Very good for cooking jasmine rice using pressure cook rice auto function.


• Excellent for cooking brown rice using pressure cook rice auto function.


• Very comprehensive instructions with a separate cookbook provided. • Removable cord.


• Stainless steel steaming basket, stainless steel trivet (raises food out of liquid), rice duo measuring cup, serving spoon and heat resistant spatula provided.


• 3 way safety system of safety locking lid, steam release button and safety valve.


• Three pressure settings - low, medium and high.        • Easy to use steam release push button      mechanism.


• Removable condensation cup.

Bad points

• Limited surface area for searing larger cuts ofmeat.


• Large round unit can be difficult to store.


• Cooking bowl is dishwasher safe however not it's recommended.


• Steam release button may become hot during pressure cooking.


• No handles to remove cooking bowl or to hold comfortably.


• Water sits around rim under cooking bowl and may not feed into condensation cup.


• Fiddly to clean lid and unit requires extra attention to clean the brushed stainless steel.


• Food spills can become trapped around edge where lid locks in difficult to clean.


• Need to take care when removing the lid keep hands away from the pressure indicator as it can release steam.


• Condensation can build up under the lid and spill.


• There is no lever to rest the lid on the unit need to place on the bench.


• Only 6 hour and 8 hour time settings for slow cooking.


• No indication of preheat for sear/sauté function.        


• Regular maintenance is required to replace silicon rubber gasket and clean out the steam release mechanism.

For about 30 years I had a Presto stovetop pressure cooker that never let me down.  I picked up a mini instant pot and I do like it for some things, however I have found that it holds smells in the rubber gasket.  I have soaked the gasket in baking soda and vinegar and it still smells.  I tried putting some Japanese charcoal in it when I put it away and that didn't work either.  I find this really off putting.  I see on amazon they sell sets of the gaskets and some people recommend having a "sweet" use gasket and a "savory" use gasket.   I never had a problem with odor with my stove top model.  It is also a bit fiddly to clean.    I then inherited a full size fagor multi cooker, again it is definitely use for some things, particularly anything involving legumes, but it also retains smells.  Maybe I am just to sensitive to odors? 

No, I don't think it's just you - I find that my gasket smells too, no matter how I clean it. I will only ever use my IP for savory foods so I'm not concerned but I can see if you might do multiple types of foods you may need to have designated gaskets - curries, stocks, preserves, cheesecakes, etc. A good way for them to sell more accessories!

That smell is impossible to get out. I used to have two gaskets for my Instant Pot, one sweet, one savory. I make yogurt in my IP and that garlic whiff when taking the lid off a batch of yogurt was disturbing, even if it didn't impact the taste. I was frequently frustrated at my inability to use my IP for 10 hours at I time when I was making yogurt, so I have moved beyond having two gaskets - I now have two Instant Pots - one sweet, one savory. :)

I am interested in what multi-cookers work in Australia, my daughter moved to Melbourne last month on a one year working Visa, and she had just started using, and liking, my IP before she left.

Originally Posted by: anightowl

That smell is impossible to get out. I used to have two gaskets for my Instant Pot, one sweet, one savory. I make yogurt in my IP and that garlic whiff when taking the lid off a batch of yogurt was disturbing, even if it didn't impact the taste. I was frequently frustrated at my inability to use my IP for 10 hours at I time when I was making yogurt, so I have moved beyond having two gaskets - I now have two Instant Pots - one sweet, one savory. :)

I am interested in what multi-cookers work in Australia, my daughter moved to Melbourne last month on a one year working Visa, and she had just started using, and liking, my IP before she left.

Yes - I use mine to make creme fraiche frequently and that is when the odor really bothers me.  Recently someone told me they were successful in getting rid of it by putting the silicone gasket in a bowl with dishwasher detergent and very hot water and leaving it to soak for a couple hours.  I think I am going to try that.  If that fails I will just order a set of gaskets.  

Based on what I have tried I think enough of the odor will remain to be annoying, no matter what you try, and even if you are successful to a great degree, it will just come back the next time you cook something savory. Instant Pot now sells the color coded seals, less than $12 for a set of two for the genuine parts, which I think is well worth it compared to the time and aggravation trying to remove the odors. If you can find a sure fire, easy way to do it though, you will be a hero to the IP community. :)

Originally Posted by: anightowl

Based on what I have tried I think enough of the odor will remain to be annoying, no matter what you try, and even if you are successful to a great degree, it will just come back the next time you cook something savory. Instant Pot now sells the color coded seals, less than $12 for a set of two for the genuine parts, which I think is well worth it compared to the time and aggravation trying to remove the odors. If you can find a sure fire, easy way to do it though, you will be a hero to the IP community. :)

Yes I am ordering some of the colored seals - one I will keep just for curry since that seems to be the guilty culprit in making mine smell, another just for creme fraiche and yoghurt and then I will parcel the others out as needed. 

Removing smells : has anyone tried this hack?