It is currently 4:22 in the morning as I sit at my desk writing the first paragraph of this post. The house is dark other than the glow from the small desk lamp to the left of my laptop. The curious time of my writing schedule is due in part to a 4 day migraine that prevents me from lying down and to a completely whacked out sleep schedule courtesy of an addiction I suffer from. Like most people with addictions I'm embarrassed by it and haven't talked about it before today.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, why even try it? Why try something you know is scientifically proven to be addictive after even just one use? Why??
I can tell you exactly why; because you think you're different. You think you're stronger and smarter than everyone else. You think you're the one person in the world who can try it once, say "Meh. Sure that was O.K. but I don't need to do it again.", and carry on with your life the way you always have.
I thought I was that person. I wasn't. I tried it and I liked it and I wanted to do it again.
My name's Karen and the last time I used an Instant pot was about 3 hours ago.
I'm so embarrassed. I'm so weak.
If you read blogs, cooking websites or even your friend's Facebook pages chances are you've heard about the Instant Pot. It's this year's Spiralizer. If you believe the throngs of bloggers gushing over it, the Instant Pot now surpasses the previous most important revelations in cooking; fire and frozen Spring Rolls.
I thought for sure I was going to hate this thing. I was fully and completely prepared not to like it. In fact, I was kind of looking forward to being the Black Sheep of the blogging world. I mean I like cooking. It isn't a chore for me and I like doing things the old fashioned way. The right way. If that happens to take 12 hours and require a medieval cooking utensil you can only get by stealing it from a museum ... so be it.
I was not going to be suckered into this ... this ... this GADGET.
If you read the first paragraph in this post you know what happened. I kindda like this gadget. A lot.
BUT I'm reserving my review of it until I've used the Instant Pot for a month. Every day (or close to it) I'll be making something different in my Instant Pot. In case you don't happen to know what it is or what it does let me explain.
The Instant Pot is part slow cooker, part fry pan, part pressure cooker. And a few other things as well. It's a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, a food warmer and a steamer. This one small appliance does all of these things and from what I've heard, does them well.
Knowing all of this, I still didn't think I was going to like it. For one thing, who uses a rice cooker??? Who doesn't know how to cook rice in a pot? Why was cooking rice in this pot going to be any easier or better than cooking rice in a regular pot?
And yogurt. Well, making yogourt is easy too. I make it with my eyes closed and after doing it once or twice you could make it with your eyes closed too. I don't need a yogourt maker.
And pressure cooking? This was the one thing I could see the advantages in. But even so. Would a stew that had been pressure cooked for 30 minutes be as delicious as one that had been simmered for 3 hours? I had my doubts.
But I'm a tenacious little blogger, plus I'm curious, plus apparently I totally bow down to peer pressure so hopefully nobody will offer me crack in front of a police station today because I'll probably smoke it right there and then.
So with all this love in the world for the Instant Pot why did I think I wasn't going to like it? Was I just being contrary? Probably, 'cause being contrary is usually pretty fun. But the real reason I thought I wasn't going to like the Instant Pot was because of the horrors I found while Googling recipes for it.
Roast chicken? People were cooking "DELICIOUS ROAST CHICKEN!" in an Instant Pot? I doubt it. Steaming chicken in a pressure cooker isn't roasting chicken. It isn't roast anything. Just because you browned the skin beforehand doesn't make the mass of rubber encasing the bird any more appealing as it snaps back at you when you bite into it. You might be able to cook chicken in an Instant Pot but give your head a shake. The only way you can roast one in it is if you throw the whole pot and chicken into a kiln.
So that annoyed me to no end.
Then there were the "DELICIOUS CHILI RECIPES!". Browsing around at everyone's Instant Pot chili concoctions got me really worried. I wasn't seeing chili. I was seeing soup. Watery, thin, soup you would serve in a third world prison along with a side of a 3 legged cockroach.
Now I wasn't just annoyed, I was terrified for these people whose addictions had gotten so out of control they were willing to justify its use no matter what the actual outcome.
So that is why I didn't think I was going to be impressed with the Instant Pot. And why I'm still on the fence about it actually. Which doesn't explain why every night, at around midnight I start a new Instant Pot concoction. Instant Potting has replaced reading as my before bed sleepy-time routine.
In the 4 days since I've owned The Instant Pot I've made oatmeal, chili, rendered pork fat and yes ... rice in it. I have very definite opinions about how each of these things turned out compared to how they turn out when I make them my normal, old fashioned, grab the rare museum cooking utensil, way.
In one month I'm going to meet you back here to give you my full review of each and every thing I made in the Instant Pot and whether or not I think it's worth the approximately $150 price tag.
Or whether ... it's just another gadget.
A great big, gadget you wanna crush up and snort the Instant you get it.
YOO HOO! Karen, where aaaaare you? I hope you're OK. Are you off for Easter week? I miss the Monday post (sniff). :(
Yup. I get the Easter weekend off like everyone else. :) New post up on Wednesday. ~ karen!
Yeah, I don't want an Instant Pot either, but I flat out didn't buy the rice cooker... someone gave it to me. It hogs up space in my kitchen. But I will say, when friends come over and space is limited, I like being able to put the rice cooker in another place in the apartment where it can steam the rice to its little heart's content. That's the only time I value that space-sucker.
Meantime, what I really DO want (while I wait for this fantastic, amazing conclusion on the Instant Pot) is regular updates, weekly, on what you made. I want to follow along while I'm waiting. Could you please maybe add that list at the bottom, so that I can get some anticipation going?
I wasn't going to update weekly on the Instant Pot for fear of IP overkill, but a few people have said they want a weekly update so I may do it. I've cooked something in it almost every night/ day and have a lot to say about this thing. Some good, some bad. ~ k!
No need to go into IP review... just list of what you're making. I can wait for the full review. But you may recall, I'm weirdly curious about people's eats. And equally weirdly protective of my rare museum cooking utensil collection.
And don't worry about the IP overkill. Look at the number of comments this post has had on it. I can only imagine what your analytics look like... ;)
Apartment Therapy is using pictures of your kitchen! But credited to Canadian Living :(
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-budget-materials-for-stylish-kitchen-remodels-241907?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed
:/ Thanks for letting me know Janet! I've left a comment letting them know it's my kitchen. Hopefully they'll credit me. Technically the photo belongs to Canadian Living, but the kitchen belongs to me so it's a crapshoot as to whether they'll credit me. Thanks again for letting me know, I appreciate it! ~ karen
Karen, if you hate the instant pot can I have it? I have 5 teenagers. F-I-V-E. I would put it to good use.
Never mind the Instant Pot. Your poor head. Are you better??
Have you used it with the app?
thank you. I bought mine many months ago and have yet to unpack it because im intimidated by it and set in my ways on how to cook.
I hope that when you review the instant pot you will include your thoughts on how much space the unit takes up on a counter or closet; how the browning feature works for meat, such as how many batches did you need to do in order to not crowd the pan? Is the pan coated, such as teflon, and is it scratch resistent? Although it can do many things, does it do them better? I have purchased a rice cooker, a slow cooker and an electric pressure cooker. The only one I like is the pressure cooker but I have reservations about it and this might be the replacement. Looking forward to your application of good sense and practicality!
Please don't make me wait a month to read what you think!!
I will be hanging on for your review. I have considered one as well. What I really want to know, really really really, want to know. Is how easy it is to keep clean, are there any issues with any working parts, ect? As good as all those foods are, this pot needs to be as easy to clean and still look nice since it will probably end up as something left out on the counter all the time, due to it's size and my kitchen lay out.
Such as with my big Ninja Blender. Love how it works. But hate that the lid sucks on and is very very hard to get off. I have already broken part of the lid trying to get it off. And the base is so hard to keep totally clean. Whether it makes as good a smoothie as any other blender is immaterial.
I can tell you right now Ann that it's incredibly easy to keep clean. The only thing that gets dirty is the stainless steel pot which cleans up like nothing. The underside of the lid needs a light cleaning after use but nothing is ever actually on the lid. The rubber gasket in the lid can be easily removed and cleaned separately if need be. (I had to remove it and let it soak in hot, soapy water for a few minutes after rendering lard in the Instant Pot for 24 hours. It big so it does take up a LOT of space. But I actually recommend that you leave it on the counter because you're way more likely to use it that way. :)~ karen!
If you have the attention span of a gnat, rice is extremely difficult to cook. Don't be cruel. However, I have learned that the crispy bottom of a nearly burnt pot of rice is quite delicious.
I LOVE my Instant Pot. I bought at Christmas time when Amazon had them on sale for $69. I use it at least 4-5 times per week. I've made stews, roasts, chicken legs, corned beef/cabbage/potatoes/carrots, boiled eggs, mac & cheese, pasta, rice, and everything comes out great. I'm one of those people who could NOT make perfect rice on the stovetop, so I resorted to Minute Rice. Now I can buy rice in bulk and it comes out perfect every time. I love the fact that everything is made in one pot and don't have to have multiple pots going on the stove and hoping everything is done at the same time. Check out YouTube for lots of great recipes.
oh karen! will you please use it to "hard boil" your girls' eggs and see if they're easy to peel? i've heard this is true but need confirmation before i spend that kind of money just so i can make deviled eggs again!
LOL. Fine. I'll add it to the list of things I test over the next month although I HATE boiled eggs. Barf, lol. ~ karen!
thanks :) but you don't like deviled eggs either!?! 😮
I mostly hate eggs and especially boiled ones. But deviled eggs? It's like they're not even eggs. :)
I'll be curious about your final take on it. I have some of the same issues you have/had about it and still succumbed because of the pressure cooker function. I like it for beans if I'm in a hurry but I like cooking beans on the stove better. I think they burst more under the pressure. I do not like it for rice as much as my rice cooker. I haven't tried the other functions yet.
I've got 45 years of amateur and professional cooking experience. I can and have cooked or prepared just about anything that you could name.
My kitchen, as it stands, has pretty much every useful piece of equipment needed. What it does not have is gimmicky junk that especially does only one task.
The Instant Pot is easily one of the most useful pieces of equipment that I own. It does quite a few things superbly; stocks, grains, legumes, stews, braises, and especially, hard boiled eggs.
You can throw away a countertop full of appliances, in particular, the crockpot and rice cooker. I don't believe in owning single use tools, so this cooker was ideal.
It's not ideal for everything, you'll still need a stove and oven and many things can be prepared just as quickly as normal techniques. Also, cooking with pressure is not intuitive; following recipes and trial and error is inevitable. Still, that cheesecake I made was wonderful.
My kitchen is cooler, I have more space to work with, and I'm definitely eating healthier. The utility bills are lower too.
Get a couple cookbooks to go along with it. If you have people to cook for on a regular basis, this is a really cool tool.
my mother bought one for me and I didn't take it out of the box for ages for most of the same reasons as you, Karen. But it's ability to steam hard boiled eggs so perfectly that they slide out of their shells like they were lubed up makes it worth the counter space. Ive found it does indeed do a great job at most everything I've thrown at it, too, but the eggs. are. amazing.
This. I am old have many antique kitchen utensils and artifacts that I use regularly and like to cook and have a too-small kitchen and I have never heard about this Instant Pot thing before but now I'm willing to see if it might replace some of my other modern gadgets, but not too optimistic.
But, if Karen says it will do hard-cooked eggs like everyone here has described, I will pay full price plus shipping and find something else to get rid of on my kitchen counter to have room for it. That's how tired I am of trying to peel them using every single method ever written or spoken about from before I was born to now.
Grammy, have you tried putting the egg into a mason jar with about 1/2 cup of water, put your hand over the top and shake it kind of hard? I have my own chickens so our eggs are sometimes really fresh. this method seems to work best. shakem then the shells kind of slip off. perhaps not instantPot perfect, but......
I've never tried that, Teri, but now I will. My grandson loves hard-cooked eggs, and my wonderful neighbor often gives me fresh eggs from her chickens. If your method works I can get part of my exercise at the same time I make his after-school treat. When I've tried it, I'll come back here and let you know (because Karen's nice enough to let us chat over her back fence).
Trying to leave a reply for "Mary"!
Hi Mary,
We drop off our leaves/wood in a "recycle container" on the curb, weekly.
We aren't offered a site to take them to, nor a place to get compost.
But, thank you for the suggestion! I really appreciated it.
Susan.
Dammit, Karen! Why can't you just say it's a piece of crap and not worth it and don't get it if you know what's good for you? That would make life so much easier for me. Back when everyone was ga-ga over slow cookers I caved and got one, since I hate cooking (hate it with the fire of a thousand suns) and this sounded like the best shortcut from heaven. Ever. Well, it certainly works well, but I made this amazing pulled chicken with an asian-inspired sauce in it, and now no matter what I do, it smells like this dish. I can't clean it enough to get out the smell. The gasket is a pain in the ass to get in and out of the lid. The lid is hard to twist on and off the pot. The damn thing is so big. I'm a minimalist and although I have a pretty nicely outfitted kitchen, my counters are relatively clear, which means this behemoth has to go into an upper cabinet, since it takes up too much space on the counter. I could go on, but, you get the idea. I really try hard not to glomb onto every latest thing (no spiralizer no matter how tempting), but this thing is very intriguing. Please hate it. For the sake of my wallet, my kitchen storage space, and my sanity. But if you can't hate it, please, please, please tell me how on earth you can cook both savory and sweet things in this thing without any flavor crossover?
Hint for the crock pot (don't know if it will work for the instant pot). Use a liner :) Love the plastic liner (like an oven bag for the crock pot) and makes clean up a breeze!!!! You find them in the same aisle as the plastic wrap and tin foil and ziploc bags
I have had several crock pots for many years and never had any trouble with flavour crossover.....lamb stew to Apple cinnamon oatmeal without any issues and I've never used a liner.
When I read the negative reviews for the IP they did mention that the silicone ring absorbed some flavours....on amazon they have
Packages of silicone rings for sale....I guess if the IP is all it's hyped to be then a few extra silicone rings for savoury and sweet wouldn't be too much to pay?...
Karen, I feel the exact same way you do--I LOVE the process of cooking and I love tending to it lovingly over the course of time it takes to be done. I have seen tons of praises of this pot and some delicious looking recipes on social media from friends who love it. You and I are the same when it comes to our love for doing things the right (LONG) way, so I'm going to hold off on my purchase until I read your review--hoping that it will include some delicious recipes from the month, as well. PS--your crispy sweet potato fries are a weekly go-to in our household---LOVE them!
From she who has opinions...
Got my IP on Amazon's prime day - $90 Cdn. Then found another in their scratch and dent department for my son and DDIL. We're still looking for the dent. Also $90 Cdn.
If possible go for the 7 in 1 instead of the 6 in 1. The 7 does yogurt. The best. yogurt. ever!
I would hurt anyone who tries to separate me from my Instant Pot.
And here is a thing - invented in Canada by a Canadian. Known all over in US and GB. In Canada, not so much.