Not too long back, a friend of mine shared how much she enjoyed having an Instant Pot. I really didn't know much about them (except that any time someone got one, they were instantly hooked!) so I started reading to find out why they were a must-have kitchen device.
Food Network did an article called, "Do You Really Need an Instant Pot? What You Need to Know Before You Buy." In this article from March, 2018, they described the Instant Pot as being a multi-purpose device that can save you time (who doesn't want that?). At the time, they said an Instant Pot could replace up to seven common kitchen appliances. They explained that by pressure cooking, meats come out tender and juicy. Not just that, but you can heat and steam to make the perfect rice, and you can saute items right in the Instant Pot before pressure cooking them. I always hate when a recipe called for browning something before putting the recipe together - more pans to clean. It sounds like you can do everything right inside of the Instant Pot and when you take it apart, the inner pot is dishwasher safe.
There are plenty of recipes online for things you can make in your Instant Pot, and I keep seeing cookbooks and magazines in the grocery store with even more ideas. But they do mention a few negatives, like needing counter space. My idea is to get rid of as many cooking appliances as possible to make room for it, so that doesn't worry me too much. They mention there being a learning curve but they point you towards the Instant Pot website for learning how to get started and how to troubleshoot issues that can arise. The thing that caught my eye were all of the videos they have, including getting started, how to, and even recipe videos.
My goal was to find an Instant Pot on sale that has the most features and will allow me to get rid of as many kitchen appliances as possible. I'm in luck - there are some great sales still on Amazon, and with Prime Shipping, you can still receive them in time for Christmas! You can order by Sunday, 12/22 (tens of millions of items, they say) and have your items delivered on Tuesday, 12/24. Some items (over ten million) qualify for one day delivery with Prime Shipping, so you may be able to order as late as Monday, 12/23.
With my goals in mind, here's the Instant Pot I'm leaning towards - The Instant Pot Smart WiFi 8-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, and Warmer. It's a six quart pot and there are 13 one touch programs that they say put cooking ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry, yogurt, desserts, and more on autopilot - with tasty results. It's compatible with Alexa and Wi-Fi so you can control it with your voice or through the Instant Pot App. It includes access to over a thousand pre-programmed recipes.
They say that their technology allows you to create tender, juicy meals every time. They talk about the Meat / Stew Smart Program allowing you to cook beef and pork any way you like it from rare up through fall-off-the-bone. The Poultry Smart Program cooks moist and tender chicken, turkey, and poultry even from frozen. There are 10+ built in safety features like an overheat protection and a safety lock to ensure safe pressure cooking. According to them, the stainless steel inner pot is dishwasher safe.
For me, I can see myself no longer needing the following appliances: the pressure cooker (which I was always a bit afraid to use), my Crock Pot slow cooker, and my rice steamer. Not bad - give up three appliances for one! I'm not concerned about the counter space issue that the article mentioned since I'll have three less appliances that this one replaces. Sounds like it's time to go and donate them after I get my new Instant Pot!
If you aren't already a member of Amazon Prime, don't worry - offers for a free trial month appear below along with several other promotions! The Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi 6 Quart ships free with Amazon Prime... the best part is when I checked, free Prime one day shipping was available for it! I think this would make a great Christmas gift for others as well. Who doesn't like to simplify cooking after a long day at work? Slow cooking was nice, but you had to figure out dinner before leaving for work. With Instant Pot, you can prepare and cook once you get home. Here's an example - I love beef stew. This Instant Pot recipe that I just found for it that's highly rated by those that have made it say you can have beef stew prepped in 5 minutes and cooked in about an hour. Here's a link to the Instant Pot Recipe Collection which contains over 1,000 official recipes that you can make in your Instant Pot! Just do a Google search for Instant Pot recipes - it sounds like there are a lot of happy Instant Pot users out there!
A follow up note... I got my Christmas present early and I absolutely love it! I went with the Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 with an air fryer (makes great French fries and tater tots with no oil). If you are still trying to decide if this is a good gift idea or which model to get, check out these posts:
Here are some other great Instant Pot deals:
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