Hi Friends –
If you’ve been following the blog for the past year, you’ve likely noticed that I have a clear love for my Instant Pot (affiliate link). I bought mine last year on Cyber Monday and have used it religiously, at least a couple times a week, since then.
I’ve also shared several Instant Pot recipes on the blog (click the link to browse them all!)
{Instant Pot Pork Chili Verde}
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I often bring you guys along for the ride when I make things in my Instant Pot. And almost every time I do, someone asks me if they should get one.
My answer is a resounding YES! With the caveat being I think you should wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday at this point. Or put it on your holiday wish list (and remind the people buying for you that they’ll probably go on sale in a few weeks).
{Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup}
Here are a few more details about the Instant Pot:
It’s fast. I’ve always had a strong love for a crockpot, but the Instant Pot is better. Basically, anything you can make in the slow cooker in 6-8 hours, you can make in the Instant Pot in 30 minutes. That’s ideal for nights when you get home and realize you forgot to put something in the crockpot before you left that morning.
But it’s not instant. Yes it is quick and you can make almost anything in 30 minutes or less of actual cooking time, but it does still take time for the pot to come to pressure and start cooking (usually about 10 minutes). So keep that in mind when you see a recipe for “3 minute XYZ”. It might be 3 minutes of actual cook time, but it’ll still take time for it to get to pressure and start cooking.
{Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce}
It’s multi-functional. First of all, it sautes. My crockpot didn’t have the saute function so whenever I wanted to brown meat or veggies before cooking, I’d have to do that on the stove, then transfer to the slow cooker. With the Instant Pot I can do everything right in the pot. Second, the Instant Pot can also act as a slow cooker, so if you really do want to cook something low and slow, you still have that option. Third, you can use it as a warmer. If you’re a fan of making homemade bread or pizza dough, you can use the yogurt setting on the Instant Pot to proof the dough.
But it can be a little overwhelming. There are a lot of buttons on the front of the Instant Pot. When you first get it, it can seem overwhelming, and even after having it a year, there are still buttons and functions I haven’t used. However, I still think it’s worth it. You can use manual mode for almost anything and just ignore a lot of the buttons if you want to.
{Instant Pot Shredded Hummus Chicken}
It’s great for food prep. You can definitely make full recipes in the Instant Pot but it’s also great for food prep. You can make a big batch of pulled pork or chicken, cook some rice, grains or beans to use in dishes throughout the week, use your veggie scraps or chicken bones to make broth, hard boil eggs, or steam vegetables. Prior to having my Instant Pot I actually had just a pressure cooker that I used weekly to “hard boil” eggs and cook dried beans for a couple years before it fell off my radar.
But it might take a little practice. There are more and more Instant Pot recipes being published every day, but it can still take a little while to get the hang of it. I started off overcooking a lot of my recipes because I just didn’t believe they would be done as quickly as they are.
The possibilities are endless. You can make everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert right in the Instant Pot. You can even place another bowl within the Instant Pot to use the steam to cook things so they won’t get stuck and burned to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert pot. An added bonus is that the pot within the Instant Pot comes out easily and you can even put it in the dishwasher, along with the lid!
But it still requires some effort. If you’re someone who really wants dinner on the table quickly with no effort in the evenings, a crockpot might be the better option. You can have things ready and waiting when you walk in the door. Although you can use the IP as a slow cooker, if you’re using it as a pressure cooker, you still have do a little work to get stuff into the pot and turn it on. I think it works best for people like me who have enough time in the evenings to cook dinner, but like to keep things simple and make things that require only a little effort and are ready fairly quickly.
So, bottom line is, yes I love my Instant Pot and I think a lot of you would like one too!
And stay tuned for more Instant Pot recipes from me! I have Instant Pot Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas and Instant Pot Gingerbread Bread Pudding recipes coming your way in the next couple weeks!
UPDATE: A few of you have asked about the size. I have the 6 quart and think it’s fine. I haven’t had any space issues with the things I’ve been making. The only downside is if you’re looking to proof things in it or cook something in a smaller bowl within the pot, about the biggest bowl that fits in there is 1.5 quarts. So the 8 quart Instant Pot would probably be able to fit a bigger bowl within it!
Want a second opinion? My friend Sally shared what she likes and dislikes about her Instant Pot on her blog last week!
Let’s chat!
Do you have one?
Are you going to get one?
What kind of Instant Pot recipes do you want to see next?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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This was so helpful!! I’ve been debating instant pot vs. crockpot for the last week or so and have decided to go the instant pot route. Wondering if you have a suggestion on size? 3qt vs. 6qt? Thanks!
i would definitely get a 6 quart!
I just talked to my family about getting one after some friends raved over it.
We food prep and it’s a long process but we’re committed to it. Knowing things can be done this quickly and we could cut our time in half is exciting.
We’re heavy crock pot users so this is right up our alley. We’ve put it on our Black Friday list!
awesome! hope you snag one!
You’re asking a question I have not the answer to for myself, but mine is “should I have bought this darn IP”. My love-hate relationship with the appliance is this; when it works right of the bat it’s a delight and a delicious dinner is easy, but when it doesn’t I end up with no dinner! or it takes a few extra hrs. My big problem is that since I’ve always been a stove-top and oven cook, first I had to learn to cook without sight & smell, my 2 biggest weapons cooking, and next figuring out all those blasted buttons that sometimes work, sometimes don’t work. I’ve tried finding simple instructions other than that useless chart it came with but there aren’t any. Even the recipe books I’ve purchased only refer casually to use this setting – such as turn on low, turn on pressure. But what to press when exactly is lacking ( have 6 or 7 IP recipe books so far). I use it weekly but always hate that time until it works.
no issues with getting burned by steam?? My mom recently got horribly burned by an old pressure cooker and nwo I’m nervous
i haven’t had any issues. as long as you just flip the switch to release the steam and then stand back it should be fine!
I am so glad you decided to do your blog on this,. I was thinking of getting a Instapot but can’t decide on a 6qt or a 8qt. Any suggestions. Thanks!
i have a 6 quart and think it’s fine!
The timing on this is perfect for me. I’ve gone back and forth on the instant pot, and read a few posts other places about them that were helping sway me last week. Thanks for your opinion on it, I’m slowly being convinced to buy one.
I just made 5 cups of rice in mine while I fed my baby. I didn’t have to worry about it burning or boiling over as I would in a regular pot. I will freeze most of it for a quick side during the week. It cooked for 20 minutes and it took about 10 minutes to get up to pressure.
I LOVE my crockpot, but have been so curious about Instant Pots. This was so helpful in making my decision!
I keep reading about it everywhere but I have no plans to get one. First of all, cost. But also I like having something cook all day while I’m gone – I like those recipes that are 8-10 hours because that’s how long I’m gone in a day. I didn’t know you could cook the meat in the IP but don’t you have to take the meat out to drain it anyways? Maybe it just intimidates me but for right now I think I’ll stick with my crock pot. This was a lot of good information though and much better than just the ‘buy it’ tips I see. Thanks!
i usually just use a ladle to get some of the extra grease out. It’s not for everyone. I loved my crockpot for a lot of years so I totally understand!
I just ordered the 3 qt one (as I cook for 1-2 people) on Amazon for $60. I’ve hadn’t both sizes sitting in my cart for a wholeness and noticed them going on sale almost weekly and cheaper then Black Friday prices. I’m looking forward to using it this winter for hot stews and soups!
I agree with all your points for sure! The only issue I’ve run into is trying to use the slow cooker function. Have you tried it yet? I find the high on IP is really like warm on a crockpot. I did some research and turns out this is because IP has heat only on the bottom and crockpots have it on the bottom and sides. I still love my IP but now I feel like I need to buy a crockpot still (I got my IP when I gave my crockpot to my Grandma in law)
Great review and helpful info Linsday! I’ve been eyeing it but I’m still on the fence!
This is all good info, and I think I may just add it to my Holiday wish list this year. I tried one at a photo shoot, and was surprised about the timing to get the pressure up- so I think that’s good that you mentioned it.
So someone gave me the CuisinArt electric pressure cooker. Seems to be pretty similar? I’m about to take a look through your recipes for ideas!
def think it’d be similar!
Still on the fence about purchasing an Instant Pot. I had a pressure cooker a very long time ago and got rid of it. I am kind of nervous about them. The idea sounds great though. Would like to try your recipes in a crockpot for now until I make up my mind to buy an Instant Pot. Read reviews from Consumer Reports about them.
i really like mine!