5 most-asked Instant Pot questions answered, and hot models to consider this winter

By Dana Buenaobra and J.C./ Photo by Shutterstock

Since we live in a fast-paced world, we save time and energy. Cooking is no exception. With Instant Pots available in the market, we can cook healthy and hearty meals efficiently. But if you think an Instant Pot is all about efficiency, you haven’t got the full knowledge of it. What is an Instant Pot? What does it do? We collected the five most-asked questions and answered them so you can have a full view of the electric cooker. 

What does an Instant Pot do? 

To begin with, an Instant Pot does not guarantee instant cooking. It is a multicooker named after the Instant Brand. The Instant Pot is best known for pressure cooking and slow cooking, which is cooking at a low temperature for several hours. It is also a yogurt machine and rice cooker. Depending on different models, you can also bake cakes, air fry foods like fries, and even cook hard-boiled eggs. 

What can I cook in an Instant Pot?

One of the best ways to use an Instant Pot is to braise and stew meat. Often used as a pressure cooker, an Instant Pot tenderizes meat using pressure. Take Caribbean Jerk Stew, a beef dish with beans and vegetables. Recipe website Pinch of Nom said while the dish can take up to six hours to cook, an Instant Pot can shave down the cooking time to only 30 minutes. On the contrary, you can still use an Instant Pot for slow cooking and stew for hours if you like. 

The Instant Pot is also ideal for making porridge, grits, and mashed potatoes. And like we just mentioned, you can use an Instant Pot to make desserts like cheesecake and yogurt.  

What cannot be cooked in Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot, say the Instant Pot Duo 7 in 1 multi-use cooker, cooks a wide variety of food as long as you use the right mode for cooking the right food. That means you don’t pressure function to make yogurt, and you don’t cook poultry by pressing the yogurt button.  

If you are using the Instant Pot as a pressure cooker, Foodnetwork advised that you don’t use it for baking cookies because moisture built up in the pot won’t get cookies chewy on the edges and pillowy on the inside. Also, you don’t use a pressure cooker to make creamy sauces because high heat and pressure can cause dairy ingredients to curdle. 

When an Instant Pot is used as a slow cooker, you may find lean, tender cuts of meat become “dry and tough,” said Myfoodbook. Fish and shellfish are not for slow cookers, either. 

What are the disadvantages of an Instant Pot?

Cooking modes are overwhelming, if not intimidating. One of the disadvantages that come with multifunctional appliances is being multifunctional itself. Buying an Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Pressure Cooker is budget-saving because the machine includes pressure cook, sauté, slow cook, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, and keep warm — all into one unit. It does everything, no matter what recipes you have in hand. But before people enjoy the multifunction benefit, they will have to study the manual pretty hard, so they don’t cook the wrong stuff by pushing the wrong button.  

Other disadvantages include costly– if you compare an Instant Pot with an ordinary, single-function electric cooker, taking up counter space, and challenging to clean. 

What to consider when buying an Instant Pot? 

Instant Pots are designed with various cooking modes. TechRadar suggested the first thing to consider is deciding what dishes you prepare the most. For those who don’t air fry very often, a model with an air fryer feature is probably not for them.   

Another thing to consider is where you are going to put an Instant Pot because it has a size from 33 X 33 X 30 cm (13 X 13 X 12 inch) to 37 X 34 X 38 cm (14 X 13 X 15 inch) and weighs from 6 to around 11 kgs (13 to 24 lbs). The countertop, table, or other space should be solid and big enough for the cooker.   

We hope this answers your questions. An Instant Pot can be a good helper in the kitchen, and the money spent will be worthwhile if you learn how to use it. 

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