topic Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot? in Kitchen

If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

ECBG — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 22:58:49 GMT

I am still on the fence with Insta Pots. Being retired, although, I work, fixing dinner is not an issue. I have 2 large crock pots and for things that take a long time, I use a lamp timer to start it cooking. We grill ribs so that won't be a plus for me at all.

In addition, in the back of my mind, I remember the cooks in my family talking about cooking under pressure. They felt that pressure cooking couldn't stand up to the development of cooking the traditional way. Also, I don'tn want all roasts to be immersed in liquid.

There are SO many traditional cooks on here, including @house_cat , I would appreciate your opinion.

Many thanks.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

hopi — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:06:57 GMT

@ECBG

Love cooking and use to do it up really big including outdoor grilling and smoker. Every new gadget that comes out still interests me. I have a crock pot, nuwave, stove-broiler. Also a huge set of 18/10 SS pots and utensils. I add little goofy stuff here and there(ex: spurtles). That being said an InstaPot would be totally useless for the way I like food to taste.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

ECBG — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:12:05 GMT

@hopi wrote:
@ECBG

Love cooking and use to do it up really big including outdoor grilling and smoker. Every new gadget that comes out still interests me. I have a crock pot, nuwave, stove-broiler. Also a huge set of 18/10 SS pots and utensils. I add little goofy stuff here and there(ex: spurtles). That being said an InstaPot would be totally useless for the way I like food to taste.

@hopi There just seems to be such an interest in this product, I wondered about it. Thank you for your answer.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

OutofMadison — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:13:52 GMT

Well I had a clone insta pot (which I rarely used) so I decided if I got a real Insta pot I would use it more (more functions). Wrong - I avoid it like the plague - everytime I think about using it I go back to my crockpot or my little Presto Options pot that I can brown in. I think my main turn off for the Insta Pot is the clean up - the lid, the pressure valve, etc. I can't remember the last thing I tried to cook in it but I know I have had more misses than hits for me.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

froggy — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:31:57 GMT

There are many, many cooks who use a pressure cooker all the time and love it. I am not one of them. We just don't eat the kind of meats that require a pressure cooker. I much prefer roasted chicken in the oven - chickens are tender already and don't require pressure cooking. We like beef roasts medium rare, not falling apart. I prefer soups and stews either on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. But, then, time is not an issue foe me.

That being said I do own the Ninja Foodi just in case I need to pressure cook someting and it is also a slow cooker and has a browning feature.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

Skyegirl21 — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:39:34 GMT

I got one about 3 months ago, when the Q had them as TSV. It takes a while to learn it, and honestly the manual That came with it was SO POOR and not helpful. I HAD to buy a basic book to understand the thing. But once you understand it, it's easy to use-

Everything I've made has been delicious! The pressure does infuse flavor, and the meats are always tender.
But it is FAR from instant. It takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure, + cook time, then 20 minutes to release pressure (if natural release).
I like it and I'll continue to use it, but it's not for everyone....

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

fthunt — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:39:08 GMT

Reading your post - since cooking time is no issue - I'd say you really don't need an I-Pot nor want one. It's not for everyone.

However, I feel the same but yesterday after hitting the grocery store and bringing home many many meat selections.................In the afternoon I did 3 pre-cooked dishes for the freezer & fresh meals.. 1) Italian beef cooked 20 mins 2) beef tender tips another 20 mins as they were small and............3) two big chicken breast in mush soup + sour cream (will add noodles later) 45 mins to cook. Started at 2:00 - done around 4:30 and kitchen cleaned.

When weather improves I can work outside and just pull a meal from the freezer = ready to eat after cocktail hour!

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

GenXmuse — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 01:21:47 GMT

I retired my instapot to the basement. I never thought it gave as good of results as a crockpot and regular cooking methods though I enjoy cooking and don't have time constraints usually.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

Hoovermom — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 01:53:43 GMT

@ECBG: I am no cook, but I got an IP. I remember getting a pressure cooker, 44 years ago, for a wedding present. That thing scared me to death and I gave it to my MIL. Again, I admit I am no cook, but I have already given it for donation last month. Just could not get it right and always so much water. DDIL loves her, go figure.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

LoveMyBaby — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 02:47:07 GMT

@ECBG

Hi, I never got into the Insta-pot, but honestly I don't think you'd get much use of of it. My favorite kitchen appliance and recommendation is the Breville counter oven. I bake, roast, toast, and you name it - its the BEST thing I've ever purchased. Also a fan of Le Creuset small dutch ovens that I purchased from the Q, the 2.75 capacity size (that fit in my Breville oven too). Those are also great cooking vessels. I make jasmine rice that turns out perfect, no separate rice cooker needed.
That oven makes me turn out delicious meals and I appear to be a fabulous cook - which I'm not, lol!

Breville oven turns out beautiful baked goods, bundt cakes are our favorite.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

Ainhisg — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 13:19:59 GMT

This page should answer your question. Join the Instant Pot Community Facebook group to see all the delicious things you can make and wonderful things you can do. Boiled eggs that jump out of the shell with no green ring, perfect risotto and rice pudding with no stirring, etc. I'm an accomplished cook and baker but have two pressure cookers. That's how much I love that appliance.

http://www.easyaspiecanbe.com/2018/11/should-i-buy-electric-pressure-cooker.html

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

lolakimono — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 13:38:16 GMT

@ECBG

I got one a few months ago and I love it. There is a learning curve, for sure, but even BF is coming around to it.

If you watch This is Us, you know about some people (waving) are not comfortable leaving something cooking while at work all day.

I have been making beans from scratch, rice (5 minutes of cook time) vs. one hour in the oven, homemade stock and bone broth, potatoes, and BF made a GF pasta dish where we shortened the time quite a bit. I don't really cook big hunks of meat, so I haven't use it for that but I do like it. I think it's good to get the accessories, like the rack, the non-stick pot, etc. There is a FB group that I joined. They are zealots, lol, but they have a lot of interesting posts. Many use it for making yogurt and cheesecake. If you do sweet and savory items, you will need two sealing rings to avoid steaming in a taste.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

wildlifewitch — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 21:38:59 GMT

I say yes, because it makes meats more tender. It also cooks everything perfectly. Also no stove heating up the house.It makes me a better cook.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

alicedee — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 21:43:44 GMT

I readily admit I'm not a great cook. But things I've made in my Pot are just better....meat is more tender and juicy, everything is more flavorful. So for me, it's definitely been a great purchase.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

DiAnne — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 16:57:35 GMT

I do not have an Insta Pot or an air fryer. I gave my crockpots to Goodwill years ago because they just took up space, I felt they overcooked everything. Seafood or chicken does not take that long to cook.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

Razzy 7 — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 20:21:30 GMT

There are SO many traditional cooks on here, including @house_cat , I would appreciate your opinion.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you have to be talked into getting one, you likely don't need one. However the more than 2.6 million, yes that's right 2.6 MILLION folks in the Instant Pot CommunityFacebook group think differently, as would the millions and millions of folks who have purchased an Instant Pot or other digital PC. As for people saying "that pressure cooking couldn't stand up to the development of cooking the traditional way," they're wrong. They just aren't very good cooks I suspect or perhaps don't know how to get great results using a pressure cooker. Fabulous food can be cooked in a pressure cooker. If one is a good cook, she can cook delicious food in an Instant Pot or using any other cooking device. If one is not a very good cook, it won't matter what cooking tools she is using, the food will not be very tasty.

Roasts that are pressure cooked are not "immersed in liquid" when done properly. Yes, there's some liquid, but most of us likely use that to make delicious gravy or sauces.

Your use of the term "traditional cooks" suggests that cooking without a pressure cooker is the "traditional" way to cook and is somehow superior. It's not superior, it's just different just as cooking in a crockpot is different. Not using a pressure cooker and cooking the "traditional" way (whatever that is) is not a badge of honor reserved only for superior cooks. When you think about it, depending upon one's age, many of us had moms and perhaps grandmothers, who pressure cooked, so it's hard to make a case for traditional cooking not including pressure cooking.

I happen to love cooking in my Instant Pots, you may not. However, before deciding that, I suggest watching some videos on YouTube. Search on "Instant Pot." You'll find a jillion videos. Or search on "Pressure Luck Cooking" and you'll find tons of videos done by Jeffrey Eisner. I don't know of a more enthusiastic user of an Instant Pot. If you can watch his videos and not want to try one of his recipes in an Instant Pot, I'd be surprised.

And a last thought...QVC currently has an Instant Pot 6-qt Duo Plus 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker with Glass Lid available for $79.98 with 3 Easy Payments, if desired. As you likely know, one now has 90 days, not just 30 days to determine whether or not one likes a purchase. Order an Instant Pot, search on the Internet for IP recipes that sound appealing to you and watch some Instant Pot videos on YouTube and give your Instant Pot a thorough test. Maybe you won't like it, but my guess is that after 90 days to test it, you'll want to keep it. I'd give that advice to anyone thinking about getting an Instant Pot - in three months you're likely to fall in love with it.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 20:29:57 GMT

After much consideration, I decided that my pressure cooker and slow cooker are efficient ways to complete my culinary adventures. No Insta-Pot here.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

giddy up — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:44:43 GMT

I use my InstaPot more and more. I also have an older oval Techniques pressure cooker that gets used for larger items. Seems like many of my dishes involve cooking chicken, thighs are preferred for tenderness. I usually add some kind of veggy like carrots, onions, celery. On the side I sometimes microwave a steamer bag of veggies like brocolli then add to my finished InstaPot dish at the end. Recently I started making chicken noodle soup in it which is fantastic and easy to make. I have also cooked beef tips and baby back ribs with great success in it. It is also my go to device for making hard boiled eggs for use in making deviled eggs. I would say it is one of my favorite kitchen appliances at this point. I occasionally use a slow cooker but use it less and less now. I say give it a chance.

Re: If Time Is Not An Issue.....Do I Want An Insta Pot?

Monketoes — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:45:18 GMT

That would be a Big LOUD YESSSSSS from ME