The Instant Pot is easily one of the most talked about kitchen appliances on TV. The infomercials are compelling, and it gets praised left, right and center.
And if you’re in the market for a new kitchen appliance, and especially if one of your other appliances is on its way out, then you may be tempted to purchase one.
But, before you do, it’s sensible to read articles like this one, that can tell you straight whether, or not, it truly lives up to all the hype. And ultimately, whether it’s worth the money.
I’m going to kick things off with basics, before going into its various features, and delving into my own experiences with the machine.
We’ll also touch upon what people are saying about it elsewhere on the net, before summarizing its pros and cons, and going into its value for money.
By the end of the article, when we reach our final conclusion, you will be in a position to decide whether it’s a purchase for you.
Please feel free to scroll ahead to any section that jumps out at you. Here goes! Quick Note – There are actually several appliances that come under the Instant Pot brand.
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to concentrate on the most popular version, the Instant Pot Duo, which you can view (and purchase) via this link.
What exactly is an Instant Pot, anyway?
Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is basically a multi-function pressure cooker/slow cooker that has been designed to make cooking easier, faster and more convenient than traditional methods.
It does so by using steam as the primary means of heating food, rather than relying on a stove top burner or oven. This makes it ideal for those who don’t consider themselves a good cook.
It also allows them to prepare meals quickly, while still retaining the quality of the food they produce.
The Instant Pot that we’re looking at today is the Instant Pot Duo, which is available in 3 different sizes, namely 3 quart, 6 quart, and 8 quart. The one which I tested out for myself was the 6 quart capacity option.
Instant Pot Features
Versatility
Don’t be fooled into the assumption that the Instant Pot Duo is just for making soups and stews and steaming vegetables.
You can also use it for such purposes as making your very own yogurt, cooking rice, sautéing vegetables and meats, warming food that’s been pre-cooked, and sterilizing baby’s formula bottles and pacifiers. This makes it a far more versatile piece of kit than anything else you have in your kitchen.
And this is what makes the Instant Pot Duo different from every other pressure cooker on the market.
What Are Its 7 Functions?
The Instant Pot’s 7 different functions are as follows:
1. Pressure Cooking2. Slow Cooker3. Rice Cooker4. Steamer5. Yogurt Maker6. Sauté7. Warmer & Sterilizer
Ease of Use
One of the more highly praised strengths of the Instant Pot is just how easy it is to use.
In fact, there are 13 different recipes achievable by merely placing the ingredients inside, and pressing the relevant button with just one touch.
Each of the 7 functions has its own button on the front panel of the unit, which you press to activate it. You can use each function individually, or you can combine them.
You then simply adjust the temperature, and the timer according to the recipe you’re following. You can also adjust the pressure level of the pressure cooker.
What’s more, the accompanying user manual is in full color, and is easy to follow with lots of pictures.
Speed of Cooking
Another great feature of the Instant Pot Duo is just how quickly it works as a pressure cooker – up to 70% faster than cooking on a stove.
And I would argue that this is quite a valuable feature, since when you have hungry tummies to feed, the quicker you can get their food prepared and ready to eat, the better.
Availability Of Instant Pot Recipes
I’m also pleased to report that there’s no shortage of recipes available for the machine.
There is a free to download Instant Pot recipe app which is available for both Android and Apple devices, and this features over 1000 individual recipes.
However, these recipes are for all the Instant Pot appliances, and not just for the Instant Pot Duo alone.
Moreover, you aren’t limited to recipes drawn up by the Instant Pot brand. One quick Google will bring up hundreds and hundreds of Instant Pot recipes.
Easy to Clean After Use
I’m also pleased to report that the Instant Pot Duo has a dishwasher safe stainless steel inner pot, and a dishwasher safe lid.
The outer part of the Instant Pot is also stainless steel and wipes clean very easily.
Safety Features
As with any other kitchen appliance that requires great heat, it’s good to know when there are safety measures in place, and the Instant Pot Duo boasts a whopping 10 different built-in safety features.
Pros
