What do you think of the InstaPot?

[mauichef]

Instapots get the job done, and that's all that matters!

Thats like saying any car gets you from point A to point B. Or, any knife will cut
So, no it is not all that matters. Especially around here

[Kalaeb]

Instapots get the job done, and that's all that matters!

Thats like saying any car gets you from point A to point B. Or, any knife will cut
So, no it is not all that matters. Especially around here

Haha, it is when you have three kids and a 60/hr week job. I can take a little more time on the weekends, but during the week it's all about survival.

[ronnie_suburban]

I'm a big fan of the Instant Pot. I even bought one for my office, so I have a couple (both, 8-quart). But my experience has been that with very few exceptions (e.g. corn on the cob, hard-boiled eggs), you'll never get the best version of anything using the Instant Pot. It's a solid grade-B performer.

It doesn't get hot enough to sear as well as a conventional pot, so even with braises, it's somewhat lacking. With dried beans it does a very nice job but still not better than a conventional pot does, as it produces beans that are a bit too uniform in their texture. And my rice cooker does a better job with quinoa. Obviously, its best attribute is the time-saving it affords. You can really shave some time off some types of projects and especially on a busy work night, that's a major plus. But even then, I often find myself starting something in a conventional pot on the stove top and transferring it to the Instant Pot for the pressure-cooking portion of the process. So, it's definitely my friend but it's not my best friend.

=R=

[ken123]

The pressure cooker frying pan fits that middle ground. You can sear with it and then move on to the pressure cooker function. This is true of stainless pans. So you can sear meats first and then finish with the pressure cooker.

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Ken

[ronnie_suburban]

The pressure cooker frying pan fits that middle ground.

Oh yeah, just great. Nothing would thrill my wife more than the purchase of yet another kitchen appliance! At least the knives don't take up too much room!

In all seriousness, considering the tasks I typically assign to the Instant Pot, a pressure cooker frying pan would be a very nice addition to the arsenal. I suppose most stove-top conventional pressure cookers would provide the same advantages. Thanks, for the reminder. I'd kind of forgotten about them.

=R=

[Choppy]

I'm generally a big fan of the InstaPot - it's a great concept. They are very flexible appliances compared to traditional slow cooker and pressure cooker. In practice, I found most of the electronic settings somewhat gimmicky.

My girlfriend is used to traditional Mexican food and refuses to eat beans from the InstaPot. They have a "canned" taste to her. I suspect there's some similarity to the process used for canned beans, unfortunately.

My understanding is that the InstaPot cooks at a slightly lower pressure (i.e., slightly lower temperature and longer time) than conventional pressure cookers.

[ronnie_suburban]

I'm generally a big fan of the InstaPot - it's a great concept. They are very flexible appliances compared to traditional slow cooker and pressure cooker. In practice, I found most of the electronic settings somewhat gimmicky.

My girlfriend is used to traditional Mexican food and refuses to eat beans from the InstaPot. They have a "canned" taste to her. I suspect there's some similarity to the process used for canned beans, unfortunately.

My understanding is that the InstaPot cooks at a slightly lower pressure (i.e., slightly lower temperature and longer time) than conventional pressure cookers.

Yeah - canned is about right. The IP actually cooks at a slightly higher temperature than conventional braising (pressurizing allows this). That's why conventionally braised meats still have some pink/red internal color and meats cooked in the IP are pretty much gray all the way through, not that there's anything wrong with that, especially when you're pressed for time. The higher temperature is the reason for this. I've found the best uses for the IP are stocks, corn on the cob and easy-peel hard-cooked eggs that typically have yolks that are uniformly yellow from edge to edge with no green coating (5 minutes, low pressure, manual release).

[Tikidoc]

I love mine. I’m a fairly serious home cook, but, like others who have endorsed the IP here, I’m pretty busy. A typical work day is getting up before 5, going to the gym to swim, then to work from 8 to about 5, then to the barn to ride my horse with my daughter, who also rides. Typically, we get home around 8 on barn nights. My husband often cooks too, but we both use the IP to save time during the week. One of my kids is vegetarian, so we are eating a lot more beans and rice, and the IP is fantastic for both. The vegetarian kid (a teen) knows how to make rice in the IP rather than making a mess on the stove. It’s also nice during the warmer months because it does not heat up the whole house. On weekends, I am more likely to make something more involved, but even then, if it has rice or beans as a component, the IP comes in handy.

[Cassy0110]

I've been using multicookers since I moved from my parents. makes life easier. if you like it then take it without hesitation

[snowhater98]

Instapot makes stock much faster than just letting it simmer for hours on end