Do I want an instant pot?

[Anonymous]

I like it for beans and big hunks of meat (corned beef, brisket, etc).

With beans, it eliminates the need for overnight soaking and such. I don’t have an issue with seasoning - you can sauté and season before you pressure cook the beans. You can also cook for a few minutes after pressure cooking to adjust the flavor as smidge.

For big cuts of meat, you can basically guarantee they will be tender, vs cooking it for 2-3+ hours and hoping the meat will turn out.

I like Amy+Jacky for recipes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is mostly a waste of counter space, but I am vegetarian. I think Instant Pots are most useful for cooking meat and meat-based stews. Most veggie dishes are better (and more quickly) done on the stove or in the oven. I hate not being able to taste and adjust as I cook, or know when something is done before it turns into a soggy mess. I pretty much only use my Instant Pot for chickpeas (for hummus) and boiling eggs.

OP of the quoted post. After reading three pages of responses, I stand by my initial review. Instant Pot is a decent tool for cooking meat and of questionable value to vegetarians beyond prepping beans and legumes (like my chickpeas example).

Indians, particularly South Indian vegetarians, will disagree with you. Pressure cooking is nothing new in Indian cooking, and many grew up like me, hearing the whistle of pressure cooker multiple times a day as their moms/grandmothers cooked in the kitchen. I have a stove top cooker and an IP and I love both and use them often for beans, vegetables, and dals. I also make really good seitan in the IP. I will say that many years ago I bought a slow cooker and felt it was a better appliance for those who cook meat. I gave mine away.