Anonymous wrote:I got rid of mine. I thought the food tasted bland. Prob a me problem. I’m tempted by an air fryer though….

We got the air fryer lid, and now we use it one way or another almost every day. It lives on our counter.

Anonymous wrote:I resisted this trend for years but now I love mine. I have the a Duo with an air fry function and I use that most frequently. It’s like a microwave but better. I like having the Instantpot functions as well. I make chickpeas and beans in mine frequently. The are fast and come out more flavorful in the Instantpot than on the stove. I have also used for soups and broth/stock. Again, more concentration of flavor with Instantpot.

The biggest barrier to using Instantpot is having to learn a new kind of cooking. I have to look up cooktimes and fluid levels every time I make something new, because recipes I’ve learned over the years don’t translate directly. If you are someone who enjoys tinkering, moving to IP shouldn’t be a problem. If you find it hard to start new habits, then you might end up not using it.

I agree with this. We use it a ton for beans (black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, etc) and they're way for flavorful than the stove or a can and way better texture than the can, too. Also good for rice/quinoa. Soups, stocks. My old bone stock took hours on the stove, using lots of gas and heating up the kitchen and wasn't as good. I'm debating about donating my crock pot and rice cooker but haven't because sometimes I like to do grains on the rice cooker and something else in the instant pot at the same time.

If you have a gas stove, the instant pot is healthier for air quality and more energy efficient. In the summer when it's hot sometimes plug it in on the deck so the steam release doesn't heat the kitchen.

I love my instant pot.

I use it mainly for:

Pulled pork
Pork ribs
Spaghetti with meat sauce (Kitchn)
Butter chicken
Another pasta dish I made up

It’s not that it’s better for cooking spaghetti, it’s just that it’s totally hands off and it means I can be nursing or toddler chasing or whatever at the same time.

Anonymous wrote:No you can cook up anything on the stove in 1/2 hour. And all the recipes tell you to sear on the stovetop first anyway. That caramelization is where flavor comes from.

Now my air fryer, I love.

No, you can not cook a good beef stew or pot roast or carnitas in 30 minutes on the stove top.

No you can cook up anything on the stove in 1/2 hour. And all the recipes tell you to sear on the stovetop first anyway. That caramelization is where flavor comes from.

Now my air fryer, I love.

I love my instant pot, I use it several times a week. I think it's important to know two things. 1--it's not instant. It may say "set to 10 min" but between the timing coming to pressure and sometimes having to allow an extended release (like with meats). It takes longer than you think. It's still worth it because that time is completely hands off, you can even leave the house (it turns to warm when the timing is done).

Also I find it's better for meal parts than a whole meal. So I can cook potatoes for mashed potatoes, rice as a side, steam a cauliflower, cook beans, ribs, a whole chicken. The components come out better than everything in the pot in one meal. Soups chili's and stews are great in fall and winter. I would
Often come home from work at 4:30, throw in stuff for chili, then take the kids to their sports practices and come home to dinner, but I didn't have to remember at 7am. You can also sauté in the liner, so you can caramelize onions first and then add the other ingredients instead of having to add raw onions. It does take some practice, but it has been worth it for us.

No

Instant Pot > Slow cooker. Nothing good ever came out of a slow cooker.

I enjoy mine - great for curries and I just did pork ribs in it on the advice of someone else on this forum. 30 min instant pot and then under the broiler - it took about an hour compared to 6 hours in the oven. It’s great for anything with potatoes or carrots - things that take a while on stovetop.

No