Instant Pot® Review :: Save Space, Save Time, Save Money

About 6 months ago, I started seeing people posting all over Instagram and Facebook about their Instant Pots®.

I paid no attention at first, but then one day I realized I really needed a new slow cooker and a new pressure cooker. But quite honestly, I did not feel like buying two new bulky kitchen tools that I then have to store in a kitchen that is already overflowing.

I randomly remembered the name Instant Pot® and decided to check them out. And boy, am I glad I did!

The Instant Pot® is super cool in that it is a seven-in-one appliance that can replace your:

• Pressure cooker
• Slow cooker
• Rice cooker/porridge maker
• Sauté/browning pan
• Steamer
• Yogurt maker
• Stockpot warmer

One appliance to rule the world … or at least replace a bunch of other kitchen appliances.

After researching the product and reading reviews from fellow bloggers, I decided that I wanted to give it a whirl. Instant Pot then offered to send me a unit to test out in my kitchen. I was under no obligation to post a review and received no monetary compensation for this post. All views shared here are my own.

What is an Instant Pot®?

Instant Pot is a programmable pressure cooker designed with the specific objectives of being:

• Safe
• Convenient
• Dependable

This one appliance helps you speed up your cook time AND use up to 70% less energy. Instant Pot is manufactured by the No.1 electric pressure cooker factory which has produced over 50 million units already in household use worldwide. The benefits of Instant Pot can be summarized in five aspects. According to the Instant Pot site:

1. Convenient:  12 turn-key function keys for the most common cooking tasks. Planning the meal with delayed cooking up to 24 hours,  reducing cooking time by up to 70%. Read about the convenience of electric pressure cooker …
2. Cooking healthy, nutritious and tasty meals: smart programming for delicious healthy food, consistent every time.Read more on making healthy meals with electric pressure cooker …
3. Clean & Pleasant: absolutely quiet, no steam, no smell, no spills, no excessive heat in the kitchen. 6-in-1 capability reduces clutter in the kitchen. Read more about why electric pressure cooker keeps your kitchen clean and pleasant …
4. Energy efficient: saves up to 70% of energy. Find out how electric pressure cooker does it …
5. Absolutely safe and dependable: Instant Pot is UL/ULC certified and has 10 fool-proof safety protections. Read more about electric pressure safety protections …

Why Use an Instant Pot

Like I mentioned above, I was in need of a new pressure cooker and slow cooker, but I didn’t want to invest in two more appliances that needed to be stored in my cramped kitchen. The Instant Pot is a great alternative since it allows me to enjoy the benefits of multiple cooking tools in one appliance.

I live in Denver, CO, which means I am one mile above sea level. If you’re not familiar with cooking at this altitude, it can be tricky for certain things. And, if you want to cook something like beans without using a pressure cooker, then, well, you’re going to be waiting awhile.

I also use my pressure cooker for making bone broth. It dramatically cuts down the cook time and allows me to get A LOT of broth made in one day, versus my slow cooker method, which takes 24 hours for one batch. Time is at a premium right now so when I have an extra day to do batch cooking, I need to get as much done in that time as possible.

If you’re not familiar with bone broth and why it’s good for us, please read these posts:

• Bone Broth: The Under-Appreciated Superfood
• Bone Broth Basics (plus 50+ soup recipes)
• 40+ Recipes that Use Bone Broth (and not one of them is soup!)

I know pressure cooking can be scary. I was terrified the first couple times I used my old pressure cooker. I was SO afraid I’d do something wrong and the pot would explode leaving me maimed or dead.

Thankfully, I never had such catastrophes and other than one super serious burn, a pressure cooker has never injured me in all my years of using one.

The nice thing about the Instant Pot is that it takes the fear out of pressure cooking. This is a VERY safe device with a lot of built-in precautions to help take the worry out of using the device.

And don’t forget! You also have a slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and more in this one single unit.

How to Learn More About Instant Pot

I received the IP-DUO60 unit for this review. Instant Pot does have a few other models, so definitely research them to see which one might be the best fit for you. The features of the IP-DUO60 include:

• 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker–Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute/Browning, Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer
• Large, easy to use control panel with 14 built-in Smart Programs, Dual pressure, Automatic keep-warm, and 3 temperatures for saute/browning and slow cook
• Delay cooking time up to 24-Hours; Manual setting up to 120 minutes of cook time
• UL and ULC certified with 10 proven safety mechanisms; Highly energy efficient and kitchen friendly
• Includes 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 English, Spanish, Chinese and French

In this video, Laura Pazzaglia discusses the features of the IP-DUO series.

 

The Instant Pot site has a TON of information on it. Everything you need to know about their products is on there, including recipes, videos, and more. Here is a full list of resources I recommend, as well as links to Instant Pot’s social media so you can connect with them there. You can also find Instant Pots on Amazon here and often there are some pretty amazing deals there.

• Instant Pot Main Website
• Instant Pot FAQs (pre-purchase)
• Instant Pot FAQs (post-purchase)
• Instant Pot Specs and Manuals
• Instant Pot How-To Videos
• Instant Pot Recipes
• Instant Pot Facebook Page
• Instant Pot YouTube Channel
• Instant Pot Twitter Account

Now, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever used an Instant Pot? What is your favorite feature? Leave a comment below!