We have a pressure cooker, which I almost never use because it’s a nuisance to clean, and seems sorta scary. But my husband uses it a lot for beans. We have a rice cooker which we never use because it’s not worth giving it dedicated space, and that means that finding it and taking it out is more trouble than just using a pot. But we have rice with perhaps half of our suppers. We have an assortment of stock pots and le creuset casseroles that we use to make soup and stew.
This could potentially be used for all of those roles. And also for making yogurt and perhaps for proofing dough?? Does it go that cool?
Oh, it’s also a slow cooker, but we have two of those (wedding presents) which we never use because pretty much anything we could make in a slow cooker tasted better made some other way, and getting up early to prep is at least as unpleasant as waiting longer for supper.
So, should I buy one? Do you have one? Like it? Can you compare it to a traditional pressure cooker? It says it doesn’t get quite as hot (rated to a lower pressure) as a traditional pressure cooker – is that ever a problem?
If I get one, which version should I get? There are about 8 on the market, now. Is it a problem to make a small amount of food in the large (8qt) one? For instance, 3/4 cup rice?
I am obsessed with my Instant Pot to the point that I get annoyed when I have to use the stove. I can cook a whole frozen chicken in one hour. I use it all the time to make enormous batches of beans (black beans, no soak, one hour) that I freez for my husband. Pork roast? Bam. Fresh soup? Bam. Single best kitchen implement I own. Way quieter, safer, and more versatile than a regular pressure cooker. I’d go for the 8 quart but I’m not sure about small quantities of rice. I cook rice in big batches and freeze it.
I use a bain marie bowl to do rice in the Instant Pot. Add your measured rice, water, and other ingredients to a bowl, put the bowl in the Instant Pot with a cup of water in the bottom, and cook normally. Good for small batches.
By the way for cleaning, I’ve found the best solution is fill up the pot, add vinegar and hit sautee. Once the water gets hot it should clean out easy. Great for rice.
I love mine. I made the best ever chicken stock yesterday. Right now I’m cooking up a batch of garlic confit.
A few nights ago I cooked up some chicken (from frozen!), tomatoes, and potatoes for dinner in about an hour. I’ve also made beans several times without having to worry about presoaking - though that will cut down on cooking time if you remember to do it.
My Instant Pot has lived out on my counter ever since I first used it.
I have the 6-quart as there is just the two of us. I have made yogurt, cheesecake, mac and cheese, and pulled chicken with no problems and everything has tasted great! Looking forward to ribs later in the summer, soups and stew in the colder weather.
Highly recommend. There are several FB groups dedicated to InstantPot worship and recipe exchanges, tips and recommendations.
