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We gave our old pressure cooker to the housekeeper, and bought an Instant Pot. It is the next generation of a pressure cooker, and so much nicer. It is like my first car was a 1930 Model A Ford when I was 16. Today we drive a Ford Explorer with all the bells and whistles. The Model A would get you anywhere we want to go today, but the Explorer does it so much better, more comfort, safer and a heck of a lot less noisy.
You can do most of what the Instant Pot will do with an older fashioned pressure cooker, but the Instant Pot does it so much better and easier. It is like the difference between the Model A and the Explorer. Choose which one you would rather use. It is really that type of choice you make for the Instant Pot over the Pressure Cooker.
My wife cooks many meals in her various size crock pots. (Yes, she has small crock, medium crock ,big crock and huge crock) She added the large Instant pot Christmas 2017 and uses it alot!! Our mega expensive range now get little use. With our microwave and we have a kitchen fit for a Queen.
I'm "this" close to ordering one but keep talking myself out of it because I already have a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, and am wondering if an Instant Pot is overkill?
Have any of you ditched your slow cooker/pressure cooker and bought an Instant Pot? Does food taste better than a slow cooker for example?
Yes. We still use our crockpot for some things, but we love our Instant Pot and use it much more than we ever used our crockpot. The Instant Pot (and the other electric pressure cookers) make preparing meals so much easier and quicker than a crockpot.
As for taste, I would say that there is a bit of a taste difference between food prepared in the crockpot and food prepared in the Instant Pot. In my experience, meats in the Instant Pot tend to be a little more moist and flavorful. And things like vegetables, beans, and rice/grains don't get as soggy and limp.
But, there are still plenty of things that I would never cook in either an Instant Pot or a crockpot. So, even though we use it several times a week, we still cook the old fashioned way too.
It's great. But you can't pressure CAN with it. Not safe temp yet.
It browns on saute but it's true that your meats will turn out more like a slow cooker texture with pressure cooking unless you perfect your recipes. But you're probably used to that with your stove top model.
You may have to learn the difference in temps for it's slow cooking function compared to your existing one. I think the Instant Pot slow cooking temp is lower.
You can set it and forget it WAY unlike a stove top. When I was eating meat my best use was for chicken stock or bone broth.
You throw 3 lbs of chicken wings in, nothing else, cover them in water and you have broth in an hour. For Bone Broth I'd run it a couple of times to make it deep and rich and it doesn't get bitter. BEfore, I'd use my crock pot for ALL DAY which became a problem when I FORGOT it was on and stopped running, got cold and I'd have to throw it out because four hours had passed by. Danger zone.
You can also throw a FROZEN pork roast in for an hour or so, and have food for three days if you're doing keto or some other animal protein heavy eating.
You will learn the difference between natural release where you just let it release on it's own or quick release. I personally think that meat is better with natural release, quick release kind of forces it and it gets a bit rubbery, they say. But I never let vegetables sit with natural release because I like them slightly cooked not REALLY cooked. Except for broccoli rabe which, amazingly is still ready in under 5 minutes. Maybe three!
Theres a million recipes and websites with info. Lasagna. Cakes. Yogurt. You can layer stuff in a 3 layer steamer. They even make a little spring form pan that fits in there.
And it is true like they advertise, you can either use manual or the pre-set functions and they work. "soup" or whatever.
It may not be to everyone's liking as a cooking technique but as a machine it's perfect.
I'd suggest ordering an extra silicone seal. You remove it and wash it separate from the lid. One for savory and one for sweet. They do retain some "odor" but I just used to clean mine right away, then use some MOUTH WASH LOL, and hang it up to air out and it was okay.
They also sell a clear glass lid you can use when not pressure cooking and a silicone lid so you can put the stainless steel pot in the fridge.
I even bought a small one at Target - The Mini - Ithink it's 3 quarts. So I have two The Duo and Mini. It may have been on sale for 49.00.
When gauging your time, remember the pressure build up time doesn't count. Some people get mad because it takes 10 or 15-20 minutes to reach pressure. Then ONE minute for string beans, after that LOL. But from what I heard, the stove top pressure cookers take way over 25 minutes so ...
Last edited by runswithscissors; 02-02-2018 at 08:13 PM..
I'm waiting for them to start appearing on the shelves at the thrift stores before I buy mine.
I remember back when I worked at a retailer and we couldn't keep the George Foreman grills in stock.
Now? Tons of them for a buck or two at any Goodwill or yard sale.
I think the things I've heard about food not getting really "browned" in the Instant Pot keep me from looking into them very seriously, and I love to cook.
Any, I'm writing. I've taken too many kitchen fads to the thrift stores myself (bread machine anyone?)
That's not why the Foremans are in the thrift stores.
You're seeing older ones replaced with newer ones, be they Foremans or another brand like Cuisinart.
Including larger or smaller sizes, with more modern technology like panini press functions, removable grates, waffle plates, indoor/outdoor grilles, adjustable temps etc.
In fact, there are probably about 15 brands making them. Since its introduction in 1994, over 100 million George Foreman brand grills had been sold worldwide over 15 years.
That is NOT a fad. It was amazing new kitchen technology and spawned a new crop of them.
WHY would people stop pressure cooking when it's one of the oldest technology devises around in terms of non-traditional cooking goes?
(Other than the fact that more people are eating more raw and fresh and vegetarians usually don't need pressure cookers except for beans or soups)
The ONLY thing the electric Instant Pot can't do like a stove top is pressure canning. But can a stove top make yogurt? Not sure since I never had one.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 02-02-2018 at 08:07 PM..
Mine has cut my food bill by at least 40% (easy batch cooking, less waste, less eating out). It's hands down the best appliance I've ever bought. In a fire, it's my dog, my mother's ashes, and my Instant Pot. Maybe not in that order.
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