Are you still loving your Instapot?

[Anonymous]

I like it well enough, but for whatever reason I keep forgetting I have it. If I thought about it, it would help with the "we don't have anything for dinner because no one took anything out of the freezer" problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use a pressure cooker every day to cook food, but I have to say that 8 times out of 10 I reach for my stovetop cooker over the Instant pot. The Instant pot is great for cooking dried beans without soaking, but other than that, I don't use it all that much. I prefer the control and speed of a stovetop pressure cooker (which is much, much faster).

I'm opposite. I just gave away my 2 stove top pressure cookers. I'm Indian and basically grew up with one on constantly. Now that I have a very busy job (I'm a doctor and am at the hospital most days) I love the fact I can walk away from it.

I even do a ton of raw IP freezer meals and freeze them in the size of the IP and just pop them in the IP, put delay start in and come home from errands to a meal . I also can instruct the kids on what to take out of the freezer and get going while I'm still at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A huge plus is that I don’t have to watch it. Nothing will burn — it just cooks then switches to warm. It’s wonderful having one less thing to pay attention to. Because it does things so well and so easily, I’ve been cooking things that I wouldn’t usually do. It makes perfect boiled eggs, and the shells slip right off. That led me to making potato salad for the first time in years. The bonus chicken broth has me experimenting with soups, veggies and grains. I’m a convert. This thing is great.

Love mine so much I bought a second one and sometimes use both at the same time. I use it for making rice, curry, risotto (can sauté the onions in the pot first and then add the rice), Mac and cheese, seitan. It is great for frozen chicken, beef, pork. I’ve even used it to make plain pasta to add to a casserole because I needed to take the dogs out for a walk and wasn’t able to stay by the stove to boil a pot of water [definitely not al dente but I did not care] So easy, set it and forget it.

Good for thanksgiving or potlucks if you are transporting side dishes to the host’s house because the lid locks and you can bring the whole pot with you and just plug it in and put it on keep warm when you get there. I’ve made mashed potatoes, Corning pudding.

As others said, it is great for soups and stews. Before I had an instant pot, I used a crockpot. Now, I’ve converted slow cooker recipes to pressure cooker recipes (the instant pot is not good as a slow cooker, IMO, because it heats only from the bottom, unlike slow cookers which heat from the sides as well).

I also use it to cook dried beans.

That said, it’s a gadget. If you don’t feel like learning a new gadget then it is not worth it. If you’re bored and looking for a change and/or won’t have a stove top or don’t want to babysit food on the stove, you might like the instant pot (or whatever brand of electric pressure cooker)

[Anonymous]

I use it all the time. Amazing for dried beans and stocks and soups.

I especially like it for my kids to heat up soup or stews or chili for themselves for lunch on the low saute, set time for 8 minutes or so, depending on the quantity. It shuts off automatically and I don't need to worry about them using the gas burners on the stove. It also had a burn detector.

Clean up is easy, just put the insert and silicon ring in dishwasher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Never use. It’s a pain to clean large insert. Customer service never responded. Tried rice, disgusting.

We can debate the utility of the appliance, but how is the insert any more difficult to clean than a pot?

DP: It’s not at all difficult to clean, but if you’re used to nonstick surfaces, it might take more effort than some people are expecting.

If you are only used to non-stick surfaces, what you are doing can only very generously be called cooking. Unless you're on an egg-only diet, I guess.

I use my non-stick skillet for ??? everything I use a skillet for.

You can get a non-stick insert for the Instant Pot too.

I spray the inside of the pot and then put it in the dishwasher.

Op I use it enough that it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

I precook ribs before grilling. And stock. But I love cooking. It just saves me a burner.

[Anonymous]

Love ours, use it all the time. One thing we started doing in the pandemic was taking it with us when we drove somewhere for an AirBnB or VRBO rental. We would freeze meals ahead of time, or bring easy supplies, and then use the instant pot to make dinner. It meant we didn't have to go shopping when we were there but we could also spend days outside (hiking, at the beach) and come home to a very quick dinner.

I'm not sure we will ever do a driving rental again without bringing it. It makes travel meals so easy.

[Anonymous]

I use it regularly for:

Chicken stock (I like to cut up/roast whole chickens and I gather the carcasses in the freezer)
Burrito bowls
Spaghetti with meat sauce (Kitchn recipe)
Ribs
Butter chicken

I intend to figure out dry beans but haven’t yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use a pressure cooker every day to cook food, but I have to say that 8 times out of 10 I reach for my stovetop cooker over the Instant pot. The Instant pot is great for cooking dried beans without soaking, but other than that, I don't use it all that much. I prefer the control and speed of a stovetop pressure cooker (which is much, much faster).

I'm opposite. I just gave away my 2 stove top pressure cookers. I'm Indian and basically grew up with one on constantly. Now that I have a very busy job (I'm a doctor and am at the hospital most days) I love the fact I can walk away from it.

I even do a ton of raw IP freezer meals and freeze them in the size of the IP and just pop them in the IP, put delay start in and come home from errands to a meal . I also can instruct the kids on what to take out of the freezer and get going while I'm still at work.

Can you share some of freezer meals? It very interesting idea, just can't figure out what kind of recipes would work like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use a pressure cooker every day to cook food, but I have to say that 8 times out of 10 I reach for my stovetop cooker over the Instant pot. The Instant pot is great for cooking dried beans without soaking, but other than that, I don't use it all that much. I prefer the control and speed of a stovetop pressure cooker (which is much, much faster).

I'm opposite. I just gave away my 2 stove top pressure cookers. I'm Indian and basically grew up with one on constantly. Now that I have a very busy job (I'm a doctor and am at the hospital most days) I love the fact I can walk away from it.

I even do a ton of raw IP freezer meals and freeze them in the size of the IP and just pop them in the IP, put delay start in and come home from errands to a meal . I also can instruct the kids on what to take out of the freezer and get going while I'm still at work.

I am you. No longer touch my pressure cooker. Use my Instant Pot 2-3 times a week for dal, curried beans/chickpeas, khichidi or biriyani. Like on weekends I put everything in the pot while the kids are breakfasting, take them to a park or playground, come home at noon - oh hey, fresh hot lunch is ready!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, use it all the time. One thing we started doing in the pandemic was taking it with us when we drove somewhere for an AirBnB or VRBO rental. We would freeze meals ahead of time, or bring easy supplies, and then use the instant pot to make dinner. It meant we didn't have to go shopping when we were there but we could also spend days outside (hiking, at the beach) and come home to a very quick dinner.

I'm not sure we will ever do a driving rental again without bringing it. It makes travel meals so easy.

This is a great idea. My DH laughed at me when I brought our air fryer to the beach last month, but it’s perfect for warming up fries and anything else that needs to be crispy. Maybe we’ll bring the Instant Pot along for the ride next time.

Gadgets are so much fun. I sometimes feel that I love them so much because my parents would never get me an Easy Bake Oven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, use it all the time. One thing we started doing in the pandemic was taking it with us when we drove somewhere for an AirBnB or VRBO rental. We would freeze meals ahead of time, or bring easy supplies, and then use the instant pot to make dinner. It meant we didn't have to go shopping when we were there but we could also spend days outside (hiking, at the beach) and come home to a very quick dinner.

I'm not sure we will ever do a driving rental again without bringing it. It makes travel meals so easy.

This is a great idea. My DH laughed at me when I brought our air fryer to the beach last month, but it’s perfect for warming up fries and anything else that needs to be crispy. Maybe we’ll bring the Instant Pot along for the ride next time.

Gadgets are so much fun. I sometimes feel that I love them so much because my parents would never get me an Easy Bake Oven.

It’s not too late! 😉

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, use it all the time. One thing we started doing in the pandemic was taking it with us when we drove somewhere for an AirBnB or VRBO rental. We would freeze meals ahead of time, or bring easy supplies, and then use the instant pot to make dinner. It meant we didn't have to go shopping when we were there but we could also spend days outside (hiking, at the beach) and come home to a very quick dinner.

I'm not sure we will ever do a driving rental again without bringing it. It makes travel meals so easy.

This.

We have a cabin and I also do IP freezer meals. I will bring down 7 dinners and then only worry about packing breakfast, lunch and snacks which is minimal. Makes for a super relaxing trip. I also use the delay start function and will have the IP and out tice cooker on delay start and come back from a day of being outside to a super easy meal and quickly sink into the sofa with the family and watch a movie.

[Anonymous]

Stupid pandemic purchase on my part. Between getting it to pressure, cooking, releasing steam, it takes as long as any other cooking method. I think I used it twice.