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I did corn on the cob in the thing and agree it come out very well. But for the sake of time and hassle, I'll stick with my microwave and wet paper towel method.
BTW - pork seems especially well suited to the instant pot.
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Nah, it's all good. I'm not a great cook and I love a shortcut. I'm sure that I'll like it.
One comment: I like the thing, Really, I do. But it doesn't reduce cooking time all that much. It takes 15 minutes or so to come up to temp before it starts cooking anything. Then, you cook whatever for somewhere between 20-30 minutes. Then, in most cases, you have to let it naturally release, which takes about 10-15 minutes. There are a lot of things that I could prepare on the stovetop cooking it for an hour. And for certain things, like stews, it probably does cook quicker - but I normally make those in the crock pot anyway.
I've yet to try it as a slow cooker, but I'm looking forward to that.
One comment: I like the thing, Really, I do. But it doesn't reduce cooking time all that much. It takes 15 minutes or so to come up to temp before it starts cooking anything. Then, you cook whatever for somewhere between 20-30 minutes. Then, in most cases, you have to let it naturally release, which takes about 10-15 minutes. There are a lot of things that I could prepare on the stovetop cooking it for an hour. And for certain things, like stews, it probably does cook quicker - but I normally make those in the crock pot anyway.
I've yet to try it as a slow cooker, but I'm looking forward to that.
For me, the benefit is the "set it and forget it" aspect. So yes, it takes a while to come up to pressure although usually less than 15 minutes for me unless it's really full. But you aren't standing there tending to it like on the stovetop. And you can speed the process by turning on saute while you are prepping your food so that the unit is already hot when you put the liner in and the lid on.
Also, I've found that making two smaller batches of something can work better than trying to make one larger one. I bought an extra liner so I prep it all at the same time, split into two, and then cook each batch sequentially. The smaller batch cuts the time enough so that it's only a few extra minutes to cook two instead of one, and I have been finding that the results are better. This is for batch cooking where I plan to freeze several portions, not for trying to make enough for a quick dinner, of course! lol!
For releasing pressure, it depends on what it is, so I use a combo of natural and quick.
As for the slow cooker feature, that's not the IP's strong suite. The heat source is all at the bottom whereas it goes a bit up the side in a slow cooker. You can use it that way, but I don't think it works as well as a standard slow cooker. If someone didn't already have a slow cooker, you could get away without buying a second device. But if you already have one, I'd stick to that vs. getting rid of it in favor of the IP.
Just finished making a split pea soup for DH (I hate the stuff). According to him, the flavor was excellent - very deep, but he prefers when the peas come out mushier, creamier (most of these held their shape - like lentil soup). He also likes it thinner, and I told him to add more chicken broth. That was better, he said.
...he prefers when the peas come out mushier, creamier (most of these held their shape - like lentil soup)...
I "motorboat" my split pea soup to get that perfect creamy consistency.
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I'm sure that I'll like it.
