Review of Sage The Fast Slow Pro vs Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker

Here we provide a comprehensive review of the Sage The Fast Slow Pro Slow/Pressure Cooker versus the Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker. Some things go out of fashion and some things never change. High waisted jeans were out and now they are back. Mobile phones started out massive, got smaller, now they are larger than my face.
Although recent innovations have enhanced our lives, they’ve also changed our attitudes forever. We now demand instant gratification. No longer can we wait six weeks to watch an entire TV series, we want to binge it all in a night.
And so this seems to also apply to our eating habits. Although many will lovingly prepare a fresh meal each night, we are also prone to fast food, takeaways and instant meals, like never before.
But all is not lost if you’re cook from scratch aficionados like us. Enter the Sage The Fast Slow Pro Slow/Pressure Cooker and the Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker.
Set and Forget
The zenith of these two trends comes in the form of the all-in-one cooking pot. Pressure cookers have led a charmed life, being both fiendishly hard to master, and a potential health hazard to boot. Whilst slow cookers are much like their name, the tortoise to everything else’s hare — never going particularly in or out of fashion, just plodding along faithfully in the background.
But the Instant Pot changed all that. This must-have kitchen appliance combines both pressure and slow cooking in one device as well as rice cooker, sauté/browning, yoghurt maker, steamer and warmer features. The Instant Pot spawned many imitators, but there are two pre-eminent devices on the market today.
But which comes out on top?

Sage The Fast Slow Pro Cooker?

Or the original Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker?
Whether it’s life on the road, at home, or in some grey and dreary office, we’re all so time-poor and often meals spent at the dinner table and cooking are the first things sacrificed. Appliances like the Instant Pot and the Sage The Fast Slow Pro provide excellent methods of creating simple, delicious, and healthy meals with minimal fuss.
The Sage The Fast Slow Pro combines a pressure cooker and slow cooker to give you versatile cooking options without taking up too much space in your kitchen. The weight and dimensions are quite similar. The Instant Pot is also an electric pressure slow cooker but offers a small, lighter device, which is the perfect size for two people. Weight might be a more significant factor than you give credit, especially if you recall our previous blog on campervan insurance.

The Sage, although beautiful to look at, does have the much more punchy price tag — £199.99
Instant Pots range between £80-£130
Sage has a premium look and finish — it’s stunning, with stainless brushed steel effect and cool LCD screen.
Instant Pots favour individual push buttons, which is clear, but quite confusing, especially for a novice.
Sage uses a rotary dial to navigate, which I find very intuitive.

The Pros:

Sage The Fast Slow Pro Slow/Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker

- Hands free steam release button
- Two pressure safety systems
- Looks great, especially LCD interface
- Customisable pressure adjustment
- PTFE and PFOA-free non-stick pot
- Easy to use with comprehensive user manual
- Auto pressure-release feature
- ‘Reduce’ feature turns leftover liquids into a sauce in minutes
- Two-hour automatic keep warm feature
- Three types of steam release optimised for food type

- Instant Pot Recipe Book
- Excellent Yoghurt maker
- Sous vide capability (requires a vacuum sealer and pouches)
- 24-hour delay start option
- 10-hour automatic keep warm feature — great for rice cooking)
- Stainless steel pot
- Dishwasher-proof
- Comprehensive user manual

The cons:

Sage The Fast Slow Pro Slow/Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker

More expensive
Reported by some to retain strong food odours, even after cleaning
No delay start feature
No Yoghurt maker
No Sous Vide option

- Cheap display looks dated
No hands-free steam release — but manual quick release on the lid
Confused user-interface which takes a while to get used to
Silicone seal prone to food odours

So, what’s the verdict?
Both the Sage The Fast Slow Pro Slow/Pressure Cooker and the Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker work excellently. They need care when setting up to ensure the pressure features work correctly, but I’ve never encountered any long-term issues.
There is no doubt the Instant Pot offers more on paper, but what will you actually use? I was excited by the idea of Sous Vide cooking — but in reality, how often will you use this feature, if at all?!
The main difference, I think though, is the quality of the finished meal. If you aren’t as fussy about your food, then the Instant Pot will more than cover your needs. It only has high or low-pressure settings, which basically means cook faster or slower, which limits your ability to control.
The beauty of the Sage is its preconfigured settings will automatically adjust the pressure, time and temperature to optimise cooking according to your selected food, be it soup, lamb shanks or rice. Instant Pot is similar, but not quite as flexible with the settings it provides. Both offer speed (roast chicken in 30 minutes), but the Sage, I think, provides a dollop of finesse, which elevates its performance.
The price, though, is certainly enough of an incentive to choose the Instant Pot Slow/Pressure Cooker, which still produces stunning, simple, and delicious fast or slow cooked meals.
We hope you’ve found this Sage The Fast Slow Pro and Instant Pot review useful!