You don’t need to pay a hefty sum (or go large) to get OLED in a laptop. Acer has unveiled a refreshed laptop line headlined by the Swift 3 OLED, an enhanced version of its thin-and-light mainstream portable. The highlight, as you’d guess, is a 14-inch “2.8K” display that promises OLED’s signature high contrast, accurate color (100 percent of DCI-P3) and 500-nit HDR. Add in a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio and it might be a good fit if you want lush visuals without buying an exotic PC.
The Swift 3 OLED runs on 12th-gen Intel Core H-series chips with Iris Xe integrated graphics, PCIe Gen 4 SSDs and as much as 16GB of LPDDR5 memory. It ships to the US this July starting at $900. While we wouldn’t call it a budget laptop, that’s a relative bargain given the display tech.
Acer
The are upgrades for convertible machines, too. The 14-inch Spin 5 (shown at middle) comes with a 1600p display and configurations that offer up to a 12th-gen Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. You’ll also get two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an improved cooling system that should net more performance under heavy loads. Opt for the Spin 3 and you’ll get ‘just’ a 1080p 14-inch display, but you’ll also have the twin Thunderbolt 4 ports, SSD storage and a range of 12th-gen Core CPUs.
The updated Spin 5 arrives first, shipping in July with a $1,350 starting price. Acer delivers the new Spin 3 in August at an $850 base sticker.
And yes, Acer is expanding its eco-friendly Vero line. You’ll find new 14- and 15-inch Vero laptops that meld 12th-gen Core, Thunderbolt 4 and 1080p displays with bodies made partly from recycled and ocean-bound plastic. Desktop users can spring for a 24-inch Veriton Vero all-in-one with up to a 12th-gen Core i9 and GeForce MX550 graphics. The Vero portables ship to the US in September starting at $750 regardless of size, while the Veriton Vero will wait until October to sell for $799.
3D TVs may be dead, but Acer isn’t giving up on the dream of going beyond 2D just yet. It’s spent years hyping up its SpatialLabs technology, which lets you view stereoscopic 3D content without any clunky glasses. Now that innovation is headed to the company’s gaming laptops, starting with the new Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. The company says you’ll be able to play more than 50 modern and classic games in 3D, including Forza Horizon 5, No Man’s Sky and God of War (no Halo Infinite yet, sadly).
Naturally, though, you’ll have to pay a huge premium to be an early glasses-free 3D adopter. The Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition will start at $3,400 when it arrives in the fourth quarter. You’ll get some killer hardware under the hood, like Intel’s latest 12th-gen CPUs, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to NVIDIA’s RTX 3080, but it’s clearly not meant for the typical gamer. It weighs a hefty 6.6 pounds, and the small amount of supported 3D titles makes this laptop seem even more like a niche product.
Acer
Still, the display nerd in me is eager to see how Acer actually implements this technology. I was impressed by some early SpatialLabs demos years ago, but it’s another thing to transform a game into a fully 3D experience. The technology relies on a combination of eye tracking (which helps the image stay in focus without additional glasses), real-time rendering and a stereoscopic 15.6-inch screen. Acer is also bringing SpatialLabs’ 3D hardware to its ConceptD7 laptop this year.
If you’re just looking for a thin gaming laptop, without any fancy 3D screens, Acer is also updating the Predator Triton 300 SE with 12th-gen Intel chips, RTX 3000-series GPUs and 16:10 OLED panels. A 16-inch model with a 240Hz 1,440p display is joining the existing 14-inch version, giving the company options for gamers who want the lightest possible machine or something with a bit more breathing room. The smaller model tops out with an RTX 3060, but the larger one can squeeze in a beefier 3070 Ti.
We’ve generally liked Acer’s gaming hardware over the years (except when they introduce useless concepts like swiveling screens). Based on my brief hands-on time with the Triton 300 SE, it seems like yet another solid option for a stylish-yet-portable gaming rig. The new OLED screen is clearly the star of the show, delivering deep black levels and glorious colors in a few Halo Infinite matches, but its 90Hz refresh rate may disappoint gamers used to faster LCDs. Those folks can just opt for the 165Hz 1080p and 1,440p LCDs, instead. The 14-inch Triton 300 SE is lighter than the Razer Blade 14, clocking in at 3.7 pounds instead of 3.9, and its overall build quality feels just as premium.
You’ll find the 14-inch Triton 300 SE in July starting at $1,600, while the 16-inch version will arrive in August for $1,750.
Acer’s creativity-oriented ConceptD laptops are joining the wave of OLED upgrades. The PC maker has updated its ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro portables with a 16-inch, 3,840 x 2,400 OLED screen that promises very high contrast while preserving the all-important color accuracy for visual editing. You can expect 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, Pantone Matching System colors and Delta E<2 calibration. Acer also promises HDR support, although the display’s 400-nit brightness will limit that output.
Both systems promise up-to-the-minute specs, including 12th-gen Intel Core chips (up to the i7-12700H), up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and as much as 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 and a full-size SD card reader should also help creatives. The differences largely come down to GPUs. The ConceptD 5 is more mainstream with GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, while the Pro version uses the workstation-focused RTX A5500.
The ConceptD 5 comes to North America in August with a $2,500 starting price. The Pro edition will only be available in Europe and the Middle East this September, when it will sell for €2,599 (about $2,740). That’s not a small expense, but it could be easy to justify if your livelihood depends on a powerful laptop.
Acer’s no-glasses 3D is finally available beyond a laptop. The company has trotted out SpatialLabs View and SpatialLabs View Pro portable monitors that bring the more immersive screen tech to gamers and creators. Both 15.6-inch displays deliver stereoscopic 3D for content that either has a profile (for over 50 games) or the right export plugin. The screens can convert 2D content to 3D, and they’ll still be useful as 4K monitors with a 400-nit brightness and 100 percent Adobe RGB color coverage.
The differences largely come down to tweaks for particular audiences. The Pro builds on the regular SpatialLabs View with both creative tech and an “intelligent industrial design” to help deploy in the field. You can even use a VESA wall mount when you want a more permanent presence than the integrated kickstand (present on both models) can provide.
You’ll have to wait until summer for either model. Acer hasn’t yet outlined pricing, but these stand-alone monitors should be considerably more affordable than the $1,700 the company originally charged for its lowest-priced 3D laptop. It’s just a question of whether or not you want a 3D monitor in the first place. The glasses-free visuals could add a pleasant spin to otherwise familiar experiences, but there’s little doubt they’ll carry a premium compared to ‘plain’ 2D screens.
Few kitchen appliances have reached the same cult status as the Instant Pot. Years after its initial rise to fame, it’s as popular as ever, with new and improved models coming out every year. There always seems to be additional functions like customizable buttons, sous vide cooking or air frying. With more than 100 fan-created online groups, over 140,000 reviews on Amazon and accolades from the likes of The New York Times, it’s no question that this kitchen marvel is a hit.
It’s a winner with the Engadget staff, too; not only have a few of us bought it for ourselves, we’ve recommended it in past gift guides. Sure, it’s not a tech gadget per se (although there is a WiFi-connected version with an app), but it does have a lot of crossover appeal thanks to its promise of all-in-one efficiency.
But what do you do when you get one? With so many recipes on the internet and so many different things you can do with it, where do you even start? In this guide, I’ll attempt to give you a primer on the first steps you should take when you get one, some tips and tricks on how to use it and a few favorite recipes and source links. A lot of this comes from personal experience; I’ve been an Instant Pot owner for a few years. I’ll also note that the listed recipes reflect my own taste, but hopefully this guide will provide a good start for your own culinary adventures.
How Instant Pots work
For the uninitiated, the Instant Pot is an “all-in-one” kitchen gadget that promises to replace a rice cooker, a yogurt maker,a slow cooker and more. But the real reason the Instant Pot has risen to fame is that it’s also a very good electric pressure cooker. This lets you cook food at an accelerated rate; imagine pulled pork in an hour instead of five or a chicken curry done in 10 minutes. And because it’s electric, you just press a few buttons and walk away. Unlike a stovetop pressure cooker, there’s no need to keep a constant eye on it.
There are several Instant Pot models to choose from. Some of the lower-end ones lack the yogurt mode, and a couple of the higher-end models have extra features like sous-vide cooking and canning, but all of them have the pressure cooker function, and indeed, much of this guide focuses on that.
Which Instant Pot model is right for you?
The 6-quart Instant Pot is ideal for most people, but if you’re a singleton or a student, then the 3-quart model is best. For large families, or simply those who like to make a lot of food, the 8-quart model is a good choice.
If you’re interested in trying sous vide but don’t want to make an investment in a standalone device, then the Instant Pot Pro, the Duo Plus, the Pro Plus, the Duo Crisp or the Max are good choices.
If you’re really into pressure-canning and preserving foods, then the Instant Pot Max is the one for you. It’s the only one that’s capable of reaching 15 PSI, which is needed for pressure-canning.
Making yogurt with the Instant Pot is really easy because it can maintain the same temperature for hours. Models that have this feature include the Duo, Duo Nova, Smart WiFi, Ultra and Duo Plus.
A brief word on other Instant Pot models:
The Duo Plus (starting at $100) is an upgraded version of the Duo Series. It has two additional functions: sous vide (for temperature-controlled cooking) and sterilizer (a steam shortcut for sterilizing items like baby bottles). There’s also a cooking progress status bar plus an anti-spin design that keeps the inner pot in place when you’re sautéing.
The Pro (starting at $150) is designed for enthusiasts, offering an assortment of upgrades over existing Instant Pots. The inner pot has an extra thick bottom that can go on the stove, plus it has handles so it’s easier to lift. It comes with 28 customizable programs for different foods, and there are five favorites buttons that you can assign to frequently cooked meals. The steam release switch has been upgraded to reduce noise and splatter, and there are even steam release reminder alerts with 5- and 10-minute pre-sets. The Pro is also one of a few Instant Pots that’s compatible with an optional QuickCool lid, which helps you release pressure faster.
The Pro Plus ($200) includes many of the same features as the Pro, except it has WiFi connectivity as well, which allows it to pair with a companion app. This lets you release the steam remotely, or program when you want to do it after the cook is done.
The Duo Crisp + Air Fryer ($200) is basically an Instant Pot that comes with an additional Air Fryer Lid, which adds dry-heat cooking methods like baking, broiling, dehydrating and of course air frying. There’s also a $200 Pro version that pairs the air fryer lid with the Pro model mentioned above.
The Star Wars Instant Pots ($100) are a great choice for avid Star Wars fans or anyone who appreciates novelty appliances. They’re really just rebranded versions of the Duo, with the same exact functionalities and features. They come in five iterations: Little Bounty, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, BB-8 and R2-D2.
Getting started
The Instant Pot has three parts: the housing with the cooking element at the bottom; the stainless steel inner pot; and the lid, which comes with a sealing ring plus a steam-release valve. Setup is as easy as putting the inner pot inside the housing and plugging it in. You’ll also want to attach a tiny condensation collector on the back if the instructions call for it.
The first thing to do is a “water test,” which not only helps familiarize you with the basic pressure cooker features, but confirms your appliance is in proper working order.
To do a water test, put three cups of water in the pot, twist the lid on — it’ll make a sound when it’s locked in place — and set the pressure cooker on high for two minutes. The way to do this varies from model to model; on the Duo machines, you’ll have to press Manual, select High, then dial down the time to two minutes. On something like the Ultra, you just need to go to the Pressure Cooker menu, dial it to two minutes and select High.
Then make sure your valve is set to “Sealing” so that the Instant Pot can build pressure. On the Duo machines, this means rotating it so the arrow points up, while on the Ultra, the valve will automatically be set to Sealing.
Then press “Start.” From there, the Instant Pot will build up that pressure to High, maintain it for the set two minutes, and then stop. In some cases, you’ll hear hissing and see steam coming out of the Instant Pot. This is totally normal. You’ll know the Instant Pot is under pressure when the float valve pops up and the hissing quiets down.
The lid cannot be opened when the Instant Pot is under pressure; you must depressurize it first. Once the cooking is done, you can let the pot naturally depressurize (also known as “Natural Release”), which simply means leaving it alone for 20 or so minutes until the float valve comes down.
Or you can do a manual release (also known as “Quick Release”) by switching the valve to “Venting.” To do that on the Duo models you rotate the valve; on the Ultra, press the steam release button on top. This method will release a lot of steam, so I suggest doing this under a range hood if you have one. Again, once the float valve comes back down, you’ll know the Instant Pot has been depressurized.
Doing the water test teaches you the basics of sealing the Instant Pot, setting it and depressurizing it. Plus, if anything goes wrong along the way — especially if it doesn’t seal the pressure — you can call the retailer or manufacturer to troubleshoot or ask about a return or exchange. It’s a step that many people skip, but I recommend it for beginners.
Instant Pot accessories
The Instant Pot is ready to use right out of the box, but if you want to get even more functionality out of it, then you might want to consider some accessories. The following are just a few suggestions that we think will elevate your Instant Pot experience.
Tempered glass lid
The main reason to get an Instant Pot is to use it as a pressure cooker, but it has other functions too. If you want to use it as a slow cooker or you simply want to keep your food warm, you’ll want to invest in a tempered glass lid like our Editor-In-Chief Dana Wollman did. This lid will also keep your food covered if you want to transfer the inner pot to the table or the fridge.
Steaming food in the Instant Pot is quick and easy, but you’ll want specific equipment to get the job done right. Instant Pot makes two styles of silicone steamers; one is a stacking model that you can use for dumplings or fish, and another is a collapsible one that is ideal for batch-cooking vegetables. If you need even more capacity, we recommend this Hatrigo mesh steamer basket.
Along your Instant Pot discovery journey, you might come across a phrase called “PIP cooking.” This stands for Pot-in-Pot and involves putting another vessel inside the Instant Pot. This method is great if you’re cooking foods that don’t contain liquid (such as cheesecake) or you simply want to cook in smaller quantities. One of our favorite accessories for this is the Aozita Stackable Steamer, which not only acts as a steamer, but also contains tiered containers so that you could cook multiple foods at once.
If you use your Instant Pot for both savory and sweet applications, then we suggest getting extra sealing rings so that the odor of one doesn’t affect the other. You don’t really want your cheesecake to smell like pulled pork or vice versa.
As the name suggests, the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid essentially turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer. It’s a good option if you don’t want two appliances taking up space on your kitchen counter, and this add-on does a decent job of “air frying” foods. Still, the Lid really only works for small batches as well as smaller pieces of food. Even a hot dog is too large to fit inside the air fryer basket.
If you’re going to use the air fryer lid to add roasting and broiling capabilities to the Instant Pot — so you can brown a roast chicken or melt the cheese on a lasagna, for example — then it’s not a bad option. But as far as air frying goes, I’d recommend saving up and investing in an actual air fryer instead.
Tips and tricks
Let’s go over a few tips and tricks on how to best use the Instant Pot. This is not an exhaustive list, as different people might have different takeaways from their usage of the Instant Pot, but these insights are what work best for me.
Don’t worry about all the buttons
When you first get the Instant Pot, you might be overwhelmed by all of the different buttons on the front of it. There are ones that say “Meat/Stew,” “Chili/Beans,” “Multigrain,” “Egg” and even “Cake.” With the exception of a few, most of these are simply shortcuts that Instant Pot programmed ahead of time. You might never need to use them.
The most important buttons to know are “Sauté,” which (as you might expect) lets you sauté things in the pot, and the aforementioned “Manual” or “Pressure Cooker” function. The rest are pretty superfluous, with the exception of “Keep Warm,” “Cancel” and non-pressure cooker functions like the “Slow Cooker” or “Yogurt” (which helps maintain the cultured milk at a specific temperature).
Add at least half a cup of liquid, and don’t go over the maximum
One of the things you’ll learn about pressure cooking is that you don’t need to add as much liquid as you would in regular recipes. But you’ll still need to add some because the pressure cooker requires moisture to build that pressure. Otherwise, the Instant Pot could overheat and show an “OvHT” or “BURN” error on the display. On the other hand, you shouldn’t fill it up beyond two-thirds capacity, which is handily marked on the inside of the inner pot. The Instant Pot probably won’t explode on you — it has a lot of safety features to prevent that — but you probably shouldn’t test its boundaries.
Cooking times aren’t always accurate
Setting the pressure cooker timer for two minutes doesn’t mean the entire cooking time is two minutes. You have to take into account the amount of time the Instant Pot needs to come to pressure and the time it’ll need to depressurize. The more stuff you have in the pot (and the colder it is), the longer it takes. Because of that, a “five-minute” chicken curry could really be more like 10 or 15 minutes from start to finish.
Clean it carefully and frequently
The inner pot is dishwasher safe, which is convenient, but the rest has to be cleaned by hand. Also, don’t make the same mistake I did and accidentally spill something hot directly on the cooking element. The outer shell is hard to clean because you can’t put it in the sink — electricity and water don’t mix, after all — and you risk damaging the appliance. As for the lid, hand wash it after every use. You’ll also notice after a while that the sealing ring — the rubber/silicone gasket on the inside of the lid — might develop an odd smell as it absorbs the scent of the food you’re cooking. I recommend soaking it in a vinegar solution, or you could also put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.
Consider a separate sealing ring
If you find yourself cooking desserts in addition to savory meals — it’s great for making cheesecakes and puddings — I recommend a separate sealing ring just for that. You probably don’t want your cheesecake to smell like pulled pork, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
You can’t cook everything with it
Sure, you can cook everything from dog food to jam in the Instant Pot, but it’s not a miracle worker. You can’t deep fry in it. You can’t bake a pie in it. Don’t be ridiculous.
Recipes and guides
Now you’re all ready to cook, and you’re probably dying to know what to make in it. Due to the popularity of the Instant Pot, you’ll find no shortage of cookbooks and recipe tutorials online. The Facebook group I mentioned is a good place to start, and there are countless YouTube tutorials as well. Here are just a few of my favorite resources:
Amy and Jacky are part of the OG Instant Pot community, and their site is great for beginners. Not only will you get the low-down on the aforementioned water test, but you’ll also get great recipes for bone broth, “fail-proof” rice, yogurt, cheesecake and more.
Whether or not you’re into the “paleo” lifestyle, you’ll like Michelle Tam’s list of Instant Pot recipes. Pressure cookers are great for shortening the amount of time for cooking braised meats, and she has a lot of recipes that cater to your inner carnivore. Her Instant Pot pulled pork recipe is still my go-to, and the short ribs are great as well.
My personal favorite site for pressure-cooker recipes is probably Serious Eats. All of these recipes are fantastic. I’ve tried the chicken stock, the mushroom risotto, the chicken pho, the chicken and chickpea masala, and they’ve all been outstanding.
Another personal favorite is The New York Times’ Cooking section, which has a list of wonderful pressure-cooker-friendly recipes. My favorites are from Melissa Clark, who has written two Instant Pot cookbooks: Dinner In an Instant and Comfort in an Instant. There’s a recipe in Comfort in an Instant for spaghetti and meatballs that I was hugely skeptical of but turned out to be one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever made. I also love the recipes for chicken korma and shrimp biryani.
Other sources
Here are a few other guides that I found very useful in my own Instant Pot journey, and they contain links to many more recipes and sites than I have space for here:
With all of this information in your arsenal, you should have no fear in picking up an Instant Pot. Thankfully, not only is the base model pretty affordable at less than $100, Amazon frequently puts it on sale either on Prime Day or on Black Friday. So if you haven’t bought one just yet, it’s not a bad idea to wait until one of those times of year to get one at a deep discount. And when you do, come on back here, read through the guide once more and venture off on your own pressure-filled culinary adventures.
Images: Detroit Free Press via Getty Images (First Instapot); Portland Press Herald via Getty Images (Instapot / chopping board); Boogich via Getty Images (cooking)
Amazon has introduced its next generation of Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids tablets, which it says is faster and can last longer than previous models. The new Fire 7 has double the RAM of the previous generation and is powered by a quad-core processor that’s 30 percent faster, allowing the tablet to deliver a smoother performance and to more quickly switch between apps. It also has 40 percent more battery life and can last for up to 10 hours while browsing and watching videos. And, unlike previous Fire 7 models, it now comes with a USB-C port instead of a micro-USB.
The new Fire 7 has two-megapixel front and rear cameras. While they won’t be taking the clearest pictures you’ll see, they can be good enough for video calls with their 720p HD video recording capability. As expected of an Amazon device, it comes with Alexa and can play videos and music, open apps, check the weather and call or message anybody with just a voice command.
Meanwhile, Fire 7 for Kids comes bundled with a kid-proof case in blue, red or purple. It has a two-year worry-free guarantee and a one-year Amazon Kids+ subscription, which gives children access to age-appropriate educational content from Disney+, Sesame Street Workshop, PBS Kids, National Geographic and other sources.
Now that the Matter smart home standard is finally close to launch, Samsung is doing its part to help device makers get ready. The company’s SmartThings unit has launched an early access program that will help some smart home companies test their first Matter-friendly products. The initial roster of 10 brands includes a multiple well-known names like Eve Systems, Nanoleaf, Wemo and Yale.
The program will verify that devices will support both SmartThings hubs and control through the SmartThings app. You ideally won’t need a dedicated hub just to bring this technology into your household. Matter will support a range of assistants (including Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri) as well as connectivity like Bluetooth LE, Thread and WiFi.
The effort comes just days after Google committed to rolling out Matter in the fall. The standard has endured multiple delays, and it’s not yet clear how well it will work in practice. However, Samsung’s testing should increase the chances of a smooth debut – it may just be a question of choosing the devices that best suit your needs.
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