If you read my Under Pressure post, you already knew I had a phobia of pressure cookers until The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book got me excited about pressure cooking.
A few friends have been raving about Instant Pot and I was curious to see what all the excitement was about.
Instant Pot is a 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker–Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute/Browning, Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer and includes a 6Qt 3-ply bottom stainless steel cooking pot, stainless steel steam rack with handle, rice paddle, soup spoon, and measuring cup. Instructions, recipes, and cooking time tables in multiple languages are included.
Truth be told, I was a bit skeptical about the browning or sautéing function, but Instant Pot proved me wrong. I made the Sweet-Spicy-Salty Drumsticks from Mark and Bruce’s book and they browned up nicely in the pot – and I was able to make these less than photogenic but tender and delicious drumsticks for lunch today. While the pot was cooking the drumsticks, I was in somewhat of a panic – no noises, rattling or explosions were coming from the other side of the kitchen. Yes, I was quivering on the other side of the room with fears of being run through by a errant drumstick missile.
The pressure cooker is nearly completely silent and an occasional click you will hear, but nothing else. As I type this post, I have rice cooking in the Instant Pot and I keep turning around checking out the device. It has yet to move, explode or broadcast a demonic voice instructing me to “GET OUT!” The instructions and the pressure cooker itself are fool proof. And again – wonderful results – the rice is fluffy and perfectly done. Is there anything less photographic than white rice?
Many of my friends are using the Instant Pot on a daily basis and I believe I will be using it several times a week myself and more. I love the fact that I can donate or pass on my other devices and use this one pot for so many purposes. Space saver, time saver, energy saver and wonderful investment…it is truly a great machine. Yogurt making is in my near future as well as making stock in the pressure cooker. I particularly love the warming function that will help when we are entertaining or my husband is running late from work.
My friend, Vivian Savares states “The Instant Pot is perfect for a working mom or dad, who wants to cook a good family meal even on a weekday. The preset features definitely help, but I love the timer feature, which I can set to start up to 24 hours in advance.”
Another friend, with two young children, Lindsay O’Connor shared, “I love how quickly I can get a healthy delicious meal made for our busy family. From making steel-cut oats for breakfast, dried chickpeas cooked for hummus or crispy chickpeas for a snack, and duck ragu & risotto for dinner. The Instant Pot can take you from breakfast to dinner with everything in between.”
Now for the good news, the wonderful people at Instant Pot are offering my readers a special discount if you purchase directly from their site. If you use this link to order your Instant Pot, I will receive a small affiliate fee and if you include the promotional code “cbjunkie” you will receive $50 off any model that you choose. I have the IP-DUO60 — the model that includes the programmable yogurt function. Shipping is free and with the $50 off any model – the price is less than most of the other big sites.
Instant Pot provided me with the IP-DU060 to review. All opinions are my own. I stand behind any item or product I recommend.
Thank you Jenny for this link, ordered this morning and will be looking forward to joining the club of pressure cooker users without fear!! I must compliment you on your writing style Jenny!!! Thanks again, I ordered the IP-DU060.
I ordered the same one you have, Jenny, as it looks to be so much better than the pressure cooker I have now. I have a Todd English Greenpan that I got from HSN a few years ago. It’s okay, but has annoying limitations. Only one pressure setting, one saute setting, and you can only set the timer up to 30 minutes. If I want to cook for longer than that, I have to wait until the 30 minutes is up and set it for the additional time.
Ever since I got Mark & Bruce’s book, I’ve gotten more excited about pressure cooking and have used mine more. When I get the Instant Pot, I will use that even more, because it is going to be so much better. The old one will go into the box of stuff that will either be donated to Goodwill (for a tax write-off) or sold at a yard sale if I feel like having one. Thank you so much for providing the discount code!
Thank you so much for the review Jenny, I have been wanting to get a pressure cooker but have been scared to death of them since seeing my grandmother’s blow up when I was a child. It’s great to to hear first hand experiences.
I ordered mine today.
What I will really be interested in is a follow up review after a couple of years. Just to see how it lasts.
I know people that have been using it daily for over a year — and have no complaints.
Thank you for the discount! We are awaiting for our new IP!
Great review Jenny! I already love the Instant Pot, but I think I love it a little more each time I use a different feature. i made brown rice in it the other night, and it came out perfect. I used it to simply steam vegetables last night, and they were delicious. I have made several dishes pressure cooking using both the manual and preset features, and have had everything turn out perfectly.
Jenny, you are a sweetheart for doing this. 🙂