Update: Since it was not easy to get an Instant Pot (amazon.uk would not ship to me in Switzerland) I bought a Moulinex Cookeo at a supermarket just over the border in France. Maybe they are sold in Switzerland, I do not know, but I was shopping and I was in France and I saw it and I felt inspired to buy it. Turns out the Moulinex Cookeo works just fine for sauteeing, noodles, and -- this is what I most wanted it for -- programmable high pressure cooking for boiling eggs, making rice, beans, soups, and stocks. So far so good; it has worked well for me as a substitute for the Instant Pot.
So, it was inexpensive on kindle, and we made the chicken biryani last night in a traditional pressure cooker. Used the same timing and everything and it turned out great. Of course, I’m not from that part of the world so my taste of Indian and similar is highly westernized.
But it’s a good cookbook.
I’m still thinking about an Instant Pot, or substitute. For now I’ll use my pressure cooker - no instant pots to be had and no idea about the substitutes.
I think many people find the instant pot more flexible - you can do other things with it, and the timing features mean it can be left unattended and will turn itself on and off.
I like my regular pressure cooker very much, by the way.
Are you serious Tilia? You don't understand how an electronic, fully programmable instant pot that can do 7-10 different things and needs little to no monitoring can replace a manual pressure cooker on a stove? I suggest you go away and think about it for a wee while.
For anyone desperate for an Instant Pot, be aware that amazon.com has the full range back in stock now, and will ship to Switzerland. Includes several variants not previously available in Europe.
Caveats:- 1) the shipping cost from the US and tax adds a chunk. Depends on model and how urgent the shipping, but typically between about 40 and 90 CHFs. 2) the products are 120v so there are the usual complications with voltage transformers etc.
For these reasons, particularly the latter, I decided to hang on until the European models are available again.
It would make sense for some people e.g. those who already have US gadgets and a power transformer. Regarding cost, bear in mind that the US goods are much cheaper. With the postage and tax, they’re probably no pricier than they would be in Europe normally.
And the warranty, will they service a US device in Europe if it needs repairing? It's not just about cost.
Besides, have you really checked your numbers or are you just guessing? I just did a quick checkout on the following item shipped to Switzerland for which the base price is $99.99: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-M...tant+pot&psc=1
Order Summary
Items: CHF 99.90
Shipping & handling: CHF 67.48
Total before tax: CHF 167.38
Estimated tax to be collected: CHF 0.00
Import Fees Deposit: CHF 16.30
Order total: CHF 183.68
So yeah... the price has almost DOUBLED. Hardly any remote saving over the 99EUR European price...
You’re a mardy git sometimes, aren’t you? Yes, I was sad enough to create a spreadsheet yesterday on my wife’s insistence, though I don’t have it here, unfortunately. The conclusion was that it makes no sense to import the cheaper items, like the one you've used as an example. But for the smarter, more expensive versions, which are not available in Europe, the price difference is negligible as the Swiss retail price would be so much higher than US retail price — were they ever to appear here in the shops.
The deal breaker is the transformer, not the item itself. Fair point about the warranty, if warranties are important to you. They aren’t to me on goods like this.
"Mardy", simply because I don't agree and proved why it isn't cheaper? Ahh, diddums.
Instant Pots are not for sale in Switzerland, so the only prices to use are the DE prices which are in euro and ship to Switzerland. none of the models sold by Amazon.de when they come in stock will be anywhere close to cheaper when purchased from Amazon.com. Fact. Don't take it personally.
However you are right that any model that cannot be found in the EU will be better sourced from the USA simply because lack of availability here, making it cheaper by default.
I have been waiting months to find the 220 volt instant pot, Amazon UK is offering them for sale again. Will arrive in a couple of weeks, about 150 chf with shipping. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Pot.../dp/B00OP26T4K