Instant Pot ~ Do you love it? (2,436 views)

Julie,

YES YES YES!! INSTANT POT! The two of us love ours. We got the one that seems the most popular with most of the folks I've read online. It's the DUO 6-qt. Got it at Amazon for $99. It's hard to find in brick and mortar stores and when you do, it's more money, I think.

I think I put the link to Amazon for it up in the first post I did on the subject (if you want to find direct link to it...look in this section up at top probably where I put the bulk of the links I've posted so far.

EASY cleanup. Super easy to use. Does more than you might think...because it also has the Saute feature...and a Steam feature, etc.

Great for eggs, potatoes, artichokes, meat, soups, ANYTHING?? I dunno yet. hehe (I was blown away by the potato/whole egg thing I did the other day...FOUR MINUTES of pressure and potato salad is almost ready!!!!!!!!! NO POTS OF BOILING WATER. NO WATERY POTATOES. I'm yelling. haha I get all too worked up over this thing!!!!!!!! sorry.

haha What all do you want to know? Lid: easy to put on. Pressure: NO FEAR ANYMORE...safe and easy and forget being scared of pressure forever!!!! Walk away freedom: forget about it...leave home...be free...go outside... run to the market... the thing turns itself to KEEP WARM....for hours (up to 10, I think). I had no idea how tethered I was to the stove until I got an Instant Pot!!! RELIEF.
We sometimes eat dinner and while doing so, let us cook us up some artichokes, etc while we eat! I hear that you can do corn on the cob WITHOUT REMOVING THE OUTER STUFF!! (Friend does it.)

One of the best kitchen things I ever bought!

PS: Lots of inexpensive cookbooks on subject are available plus can use general pressure cooker books, too, I think. AND, should something need more time, just close lid and set it to go to pressure again for a few more minutes. WONDERFUL!

I'm laughing here at your exuberance! OK I'm sold!! I was just looking at them again on Amazon and see there's both a DUO and a LUX version. Do you have any idea what the difference is? I'm sure I can go to their site and figure it out if not. I think I would use this mostly as a slow cooker or for steaming, but who knows. The other nice thing, since I live on a boat and my stove is smaller than a household stove and is 3 burners, this will give me another pot to cook with or to keep something warm. Actually keeping food warm would be very handy for when friends come over for dinner. It uses a lot of fuel and heats up the boat. OK now I'm excited!

Let's see...as I remember, the Lux is earlier version and doesn't have some of the settings. And there is a Smart, but that is for folks who want to use smart phone...for what? I think it phones them when food is ready?? And they can program it using phone? I dunno. What helped me decide to get the DUO was a utube video where the gal explained what each are and showed them. That link MIGHT be up in the links I posted. Been awhile.
PS: people rave about it for making rice, btw. Even oatmeal. Sounds like it will work out well for your circumstances. If you go to Amazon and search for IP cookbooks and then open a sample, you might also get ideas for other things to make. I know that people like it for bread puddings. Yogurt, of course.

I get so excited when I like something. Feel sorry for friends, relatives, kids I can call on the phone or email anytime I want. (BEV WILL VERIFY!!) Or neighbors. I'm also pushing my new Dyson wand V8 vacuum that I just bought for $400 (using coupon) at Bed, Bath and Beyond. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE YOU MUST HAVE, JULIE!!! It would be great on a boat. It's my second Dyson and this one is cordless and OMG OMG OMG OMG... I cannot rave ENOUGH!!!!! The SUCTION is amazing!!!! It weighs about 5 pounds!!!!!! Stop me now, Julie. I'm floating to the ceiling with excitement!!

I have made beans in the 6-quart without problems, but I do think I would enjoy having the 8-quart for those times I want a whole lot of freezable beans or broth or soup (if I was a meat lover, meat and poultry as well). For freezer food, I mean. Makes plenty in the 6-quart, however. Don't think it's for small amounts only. It makes enough soup for a few nights main dish, for instance, for the 2 of us, but I wouldn't mind having the larger one and then I'd never have to think about pasta or bean foam ever again. Not that I think about them now, but....

BTW: DID YOU KNOW -- you can freeze soaked beans and them cook them later when you want beans? I saw this in a utube video. The gal does it all the time so she has beans at the ready when making her favorite vegetable/bean soups. (Same applies to quick soak beans.)

The blogger at www.dadcooksdinner.com/ has tested every different iteration of the Instant Pot. You'll find info about the different models there.

I will hunt up that link or just do a youtube search. I also looked at the differences on the IP web site and the DUO looks like the way to go. It's weird how bedbathbeyond and other online retailers don't carry the Instant Pot but carry so many similar products by other brands. But I'm planning to stick with Instant Pot. I don't cook a lot of rice for some reason but I do cook a lot of beans, soups and the like. DH and I are vegetarian and I saw a recipe the other day which got me on this path to get a cooker that was as slow cooker recipe with layers of potatoes, pizza sauce and pizza vegetables like artichokes, mushrooms, onions, peppers etc. It looked delicious and easy.

Your Dyson sounds amazing! I'm using a fairly new Ergorapido that gets the job done but I'll remember your Dyson recommendation when this one dies.

Thanks Catbatty for inquiring on that other forum and for your feedback and tip about beans! That's a great idea to freeze pre-soaked beans.

And thanks karenw for your recommendation for the IP too. I'm definitely SOLD! I just need to decide for sure which one but it will probably be the 6qt duo. Size/space is important on the boat and I think that size will be fine for my use.

Indian food, eh? It just happens that I stumbled upon something you might (or might not) be interested in. It's a Facebook group with over 70,000 members and is devoted to Indian food only AND I believe I read...Instant Pot uses for Indian food. I'll go see if I can find the info.
Editing to add - here it is -- article about group in Mother Earth News:
www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/04/best-way-use-instant-pot-indian-food/

Brenda

Update: we are BOTH (hubby and me) more in love than ever now with our Instant Pot!!!

Husband has gotten into the act. He is confidently whipping out various vegetables nightly. (For several nights it was artichokes...then ditto for broccoli, potatoes, last night was Brussels's Sprouts, tonight was Basmati rice. SO CUTE. SO HANDY!!!). No soggy veggies! Bright and fresh!!
Also, the thing seems to come up to pressure FAST FAST FAST and veggies take only a few minutes, then instant release...so it all seems so QUICK!!! Kludged together a tahini dressing to use as a dipping sauce...pretty guilt free and was nice with crisp cooked veggies. Even my husband, who is AFRAID of hummus, I think, enjoyed the heck out of that tahini sauce. hehe The Instant Pot has changed that man, I tell ya!