My quest into the deep, dark underporkbelly of the Instant Pot world continues. A fantastical world where hard boiled eggs literally, no joke here, this is seriously truthy ... hard boiled eggs literally walk out of their own shells after they're cooked. That's how easy they are to peel. I haven't attempted hard boiled eggs yet but all you have to do is Google Instant Pot + hard boiled eggs and there are perhaps millions of results all of which claim the same thing; Instant Pot hard boiled eggs develop nubby legs and walk out of their shells on their own. Seriously. Google it. Nub Legs.
The second most magical thing about the Instant Pot is the pulled pork apparently. I cook my pork in a smoker and even though I'll try it in the Instant Pot, I can guarantee I won't become an Instant Pot convertee when it comes to pork products. Much like dry ice ... what makes pork magical is the smoke.
I told you a couple of weeks ago that I'd be testing out the Instant Pot for a month before I reviewed it. I'm a little more than halfway down the Instant Pot rabbit hole and figured you'd be wondering how it was going and what I'd been doing with it.
I have vague criteria for whether or not things get a passing grade. Like does it taste good? Is the texture right? Is it actually easier than how I normally cook the thing or is it just a different way to cook it? And of course, speed. Plus there's just that general gut feeling, like Yeah that was worth it. Or Wow that was stupid.
Wow that was stupid was my immediate thought after making yogurt in it. Although, I gave it another shot and my reaction was Yeah, that was worth it. The one thing that was, is and will always be stupid about the Instant Pot is their instructions and the recipe book that comes with the pot. It is, without a doubt, the worst I have ever read. It doesn't explain anything properly, doesn't really tell you how to use the Instant Pot and sometimes just flat out doesn't include necessary and useful information for someone who is using the pot for the first time.
Thank God for the people of the Internet. Without the blogs, sites and reviews of the Instant Pot on the net I would never have figured out how to do anything properly in it. That's the thing about the Instant Pot. There is a learning curve. It isn't huge, but it's there. It takes a few attempts at making things in the Instant Pot to understand how it all works and what the buttons all mean.
Of things things I've already made I can tell you the big winner was the chili. It was incredibly fast, easy and had ... I hate to say this out loud but ... it had better flavour than any chili I've simmered on the stove for hours. It was incredible.
Of the things I'm going to make in the next couple of weeks I'm probably most confounded by the cheesecake. EVERYONE talks about the Instant Pot cheesecake. Really? You cook a cheesecake in the Instant Pot? Sometimes while browsing Instant Pot blogs (yes there are entire blogs dedicated to cooking with the Instant Pot) I wonder if these people aren't a bit nuts. Like Paleo people, ya know? There are also Paleo Instant Pot people which is a whole other level of crazy with bacon on top.
Last night I delved into the world of combining a few things because people are also always going on about one pot meals in this thing. The chicken and rice above isn't quite a one pot meal. I cooked the rice first with a 1:1 ratio of water to rice which is recommended. It came out nice and loose and fluffy but slightly undercooked. Then I cooked the chicken in the Instant Pot along with some peanut sauce and julienned carrots for the recommended time of pressure cooking on high for 10 minutes. Which had me worried since it wouldn't even take 10 minutes to cook these chicken slices in a pan. Not even close. Plus with pressure cooking you have to wait for the pot to come up to pressure, cook for the allotted time and then release the pressure. So we're up to around 30 minutes now for 4 little strips of chicken that could be cooked in 3 minutes in a pan. Why they recommend 10 minutes of pressure cooking for this little bit of chicken seemed weird, but I'm no Instant Pot expert so I did as I was told.
The chicken was done perfectly. Hard as a rock, dried out beyond belief and of a texture that closely resembled splintered, petrified wood. Just like mom used to make. So the chicken was a total fail. It was edible in that I could actually chew through it, but I do have all my own teeth and very strong jaw muscles due to a lot of clenching and biting my tongue while living with the fella for 12 years.
I know the easy fix for this is to just cook it less in the Instant Pot, but seriously, it'd be way easier to just cook it in a wok or pan. Cooking little strips of chicken in an Instant Pot that should only take a couple of minutes in a pan is just dumb.
And yet here I stand before you ... with high hopes for a cheesecake.
Like a dummy.
Hi Karen. I went straight out and ordered an Instant Pot after reading your post. I made a Mexican chicken recipe which was good. But now, despite cleaning the sealer ring as recommended by the Company and also soaking it in baking soda and vinegar solutions, it still has an odour and made my steel cut oats taste of tacos. Have you had any issues with flavour/odour lingering?
I haven't had problems with that (partly because when I store my Instant Pot I store it with the lid upside down so the ring is always getting air), but others definitely have that issue. Two suggestions I've read about are soaking the ring in a strong vinegar solution to clean it and other people go to Ebay and buy an additional ring. They use one for savory dishes and one for sweet/or bland like oatmeal for instance). ~ karen!
I love a good chili so that sounds promising, but 30 min for 3 min chicken. Ain't nobody got time for that 😂
Cheesecake. Made in an Instant Pot. By you. With commentary.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Already smacking my lips in joyful and happy dubious anticipation!
I'm a new reader. I found your blog based on my search for an iphone holder while I'm exercising. (Genius, by the way!). And I looked at your menu structure and thought... Here's a gal focusing on "my stuff" (as opposed to "mom stuff" and "wife stuff" and "professional stuff")... instant girl crush!
But your underwhelment (new word!) at the Instant Pot makes me sad! Hopefully cheesecake will change your mind. I adore mine. For a year, it made basic not-so-fun ingredients: rice, potatoes, shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs etc. In year two, I've got a few accoutrements and some bravado and I've done pot in pot cooking, a cheesecake or two, poached eggs, yogurt, mac and cheese, and more. The saying is that a watched pot never boils. In my house with two kids under 3, an unwatched pot always seems to boil over and make a mess, meaning I'm doing more cleaning and cursing. So the IP has been invaluable in that I can put stuff in, close it up, and walk away (and do other stuff).
Glad to have found you! And look forward to reading more!
PS: Rock on front yard edible landscaping!
Ha! Well ... I haven't failed it yet. I just don't think (and will never think) that it can do the things that so many bloggers claim it can. My #1 pet peeve being "Roasted Chicken". But other things it's doing very well. So ... I'm keeping an open mind. And very full stomach. ~ karen!
When I read your initial post about the Instant Pot it reminded me that a good friend of mine was raving about how much she loved hers. She's very busy and single and it's great for her to make broth and yogurt, among other things. She did say to get a second ring, whatever that means, to make yogurt because you don't want your yogurt to taste like pot roast. I thought that was good advice. She said she liked it and sounds like she uses it often but she doesn't have a lot of time to cook, so it's a good option for her.
I was really excited about baked potatoes when I first got my IP...nope, gross. Totally not cooked in the center, I'm interested in how it works out for you. French dips were amazing, shredded chicken tacos were awesome. The warm up and cool down phases are annoying, I didn't know about that when I bought it and it adds like 35 minutes to the time so I'm not sure how things like hard boiled eggs can be better in the IP. I'm with you, it's great for some things but I can't imagine using it more than once or twice a week, maybe. I think I'll get more use out of it in my rv where it will probably take the place of my slow cooker.
If you count the time it takes to heat the water on the stove, the Instant Pot time for hard boiled eggs is comparable for a couple eggs but it doesn't get longer as it does on stove top for a large number of eggs. However, the real benefit is that the peel almost falls off if you make them in the Instant Pot.
I am hoping you do a review of Sous Vide cookers.....Or....maybe you already have???
I am grateful that you are getting this all figured out so I don't have to. I hope you try air fryers next. I want to buy one but I am scared....and skeptical. Love and admire your many talents!
Thanks Robyn. :) I'm there for ya. ~ karen!
Yes air fryers! A better way to do "oven fried" fries would be awesome.
The comments about pressure cookers reflect a lack of understanding of what the Instant Pot is. It's an electric pressure cooker that can work as a slow cooker. If you have a stove-top pressure cooker you like, stick with it. If you want a pressure cooker that is a lot easier to use, get the Instant Pot. It has a lot of buttons but most of them are pointless.
It does a spectacular job with eggs, steaming them rather than boiling, and they are simple to shell. I've found it to be great with chili, stews, quinoa, brown rice, and "carnitas"/pulled pork. I was also able to take some frozen fish out of the freezer and make a perfect soup with no defrosting.
And the one thing I didn't expect before I bought it - it's terrific for reheating meals. Haven't touched the microwave since I got it. Put a heatproof dish on the trivet, some water in the bottom, and it reheats without hot spots or drying.
The biggest problem is that a lot of people try to make things with the Instant Pot they shouldn't and they rave about it even if it isn't that good. It's like the early days of food processors when people would use their processor to do all sorts of things that didn't benefit from it at all and then required cleanup.
Oh, one more thing - the odor-absorbing seal. You can buy two color-coded rings made by Instant Pot from Amazon for a little over $10, or knockoffs for less. Very easy to use one for food that will create odors.
When I saw that you thought the instructions for the Instant Pot were the worst ever, I thought "Oh, no, they're not!" My Dad bought an item once that had such bad instructions that they are about the funniest thing I ever read. Usually, I'd make you guess what the item was. I'll send the answer in a little while. Now, I'm not good at making this into paragraphs, but otherwise, this is verbatim. USE EXPLAIN MADE IN TAIWAN R.O.C. 1) Please with [RU YIN WISHES EXPAND AND CONTRACT KAN]soft turn left or right to turn round and round. To feel hollow, you can pull up to you need size. 2) To fix, please again with [RU YIN WISHES EXPAND AND CONTRACT KAN]soft turn round and round to person habit turn left or right, so can fix, will not fall down. 3) If need recover [RU YIN WISHES EXPAND AND CONTRACT KAN], please soft turn round and round to turn back to feel hollow, turn put down, you can recover. What do you think these instructions are for?
Omg, I have no idea but laughed all the same!
Lost in Translation!!!!
Please tell!
The answer is: a pole trimmer, used to trim tree limbs. My Dad typed it up on his computer and made copies. Over the years it has made so many people laugh. When my Dad was still alive, all one of us had to do was say "You can recover", or "so can fix, will not fall down", and we'd laugh uncontrollably. :)
That. Is. Hilarious. I would LOVE to get instructions like that one day! With anything! ~ karen
I must be incredibly out of touch. I had not even heard of an Instant Pot until reading about it here. Think I'll wait 'til Karen's done reviewing it first. And then not buy one lol. Right up there with a spiralizer . . . meh. Cripes do I sound like an ol' fart or what eh?!
I am putting my decision to buy or not buy an Instant Pot on your reviews. :-} No pressure - pun intended. Several friends in my age group (we qualify for everything senior) swear by them, but I am very skeptical so am looking forward to your opinion.
My bog crock pot bit the dust last weekend so, I too, am awaiting more of your fabulous blogginess on the Instant Pot. Lard??? OK will look forward to hearing about this artery clogging preparation and use of the IP....
I think all of the smoke taste gets into the meat after the first 1/2 of cooking, so why not try a combo smoke and instapot for the pork?
I bought an Instant Pot last year, and I do like it, but I don't love it. We've made stock, soup and lots of beans in it. I should try rice and hard boiled eggs. I agree w you, Karen, the guide that came with the pot sucks! I also bought the 'Pressure Cooker Perfection' cookbook from America's Test Kitchen and I have to admit, that is a little confusing also. I read recipes in my spare time, and I love cooking, so it surprised me that this piece of equipment is kind of daunting. Anyway, I'd recommend it for someone who does not already have a pressure cooker and is willing to fool around with the recipes a bit.
I forgot. Lard, wow. But it's the chili I'm hoping you'll share. How about some beans?
Why can't something occur to me before someone else does it? Sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker makes sense as does brown rice. Eating more of both seems good. I don't read your info as negative. I really don't see it as saving anyone from a useless purchase. Having an egg walk out of its shell is a miracle in the kitchen, all those raggedy Easter eggs. I did read that boiled eggs go bad faster than fresh, surprised me. This research is very interesting.
Crock pot lid broke yesterday, and I am waiting for your review to see if I will just replace it with an Instant Pot. I don't use a crock pot very often, so I would like to replace it with something I would use more often. Like you, I'm a bit skeptical of the IP hype. Anxiously awaiting the full review.
Try your local thrift store for a second lid!
It worked for me!
I found a new insert for mine on ebay for $7 bucks. The manufacturer websites sometimes sell replacement lids.
Like a lot of things in my house that were made 25 + years ago...the product is still going strong but the manufacturer is long gone.
That's why thrift stores are great...people purge what they perceive as "ugly" or out of style stuff that was actually made to last vs stuff made in the last 10 -15 years.
Been married 35 years....my toaster from my single years finally gave up the ghost after 32 years. The replacement has barely last 4.5!!!
The only time I approached a manufacturer they told me, we don't make that model anymore!
But I really appreciate the helpful though Renee.
Take care,
Shelagh
My findings? Anything that is good in the crockpot is as good or better in the Instant Pot...with the added bonus that you can sautee/brown in the same pot. Granted, haven't tried eggs or yogurt yet. Anything that takes less than 30-40 min. on the stove is not going to be faster cooked in the Instant pot. We're fans of stews and curries around here, so it's a win!
You've hit the nail right on the head! I think that the IP super-enthusiasts love it so much that they'll cook anything in it, and then "regular" folk see that and dismiss it as hype. The IP is clearly superior for long-cook items, and it's great to be able to turn it on and forget about it (as opposed to babysitting a traditional stovetop pressure cooker). But for tender, quick cook foods, it's not the device to use.
Thanks for the research & development on the instant pot the manufacturers failed to inform on. I have a galley kitchen without much storage so I believe I'll pass. I understand breaking down & rendering pork shoulder would be wonderful I can already accomplish that the old slow poke way with a wonderful fragrance wafting through home.