Kitchen

[Mindy D]

Is the Instapot helpful for softening foods such as vegetables and meats when you cook in it? 

[chessylady]

I agree with the teacher. I have owned the 6 quart instant pot for about 4 years. I use it at least once a week. It makes perfect brown rice in 20 minutes. I even made a cheesecake in it. Keep your crockpot but with the instant pot you can cook meat from frozen which you can't do with a crockpot. There is a great plantbased blog by Jill Nussinow who goes by The Veggie Queen. I have her cookbook The New Fast Food which is entirely vegetarian recipes cooked in an Instantpot. I too live alone but I like to cook. It also makes great hard boiled eggs, Her Asian eggplant recipe tastes like it came from a Chinese restaurant.

[dimin]

I'm eyeing a Crux pressure cooker/fryer combo half off at Macy's. I only wonder if 1450 or1475, can't remember, is enough watts? Now air fryers are up to 1700 watts. 

[SXMGirl]

@LindaLatte  I have a 6 qt Instant Pot and there are two of us, but many times it is just me.  Last night, I made lentil soup and it was just enough for two dinners.  Quick, delicious, and easy.

[RedTop]

Yes, I highly recommend them.  Mine is an 8 quart and I bought it at Belk.   

[Sooner]

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@dimin wrote:

I'm eyeing a Crux pressure cooker/fryer combo half off at Macy's. I only wonder if 1450 or1475, can't remember, is enough watts? Now air fryers are up to 1700 watts. 

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@dimin  In my long life I have had a Presto and a Fissler stovetop pressure cooker; a Cooks Essential oval one that was huge and heavy; a Cuisinart AND a ******or.  

NONE have worked as well or as easy to use as the Instant Pots.  So I just wanted to say that. . . I don't know about a Crux, so can't comment, but I will say I love my IP and it's the only one we have used a LOT.

[queendiva]

I am also a household of one. I have a 6 qt. Ninja Foodi, which pressure cooks, slow cooks, convection bakes, air fries and more. I use it when I cook, which is not all the time. Also recommend a 6 qt. machine as that is what most PC/ Instant Pot recipes are measured for.

[dimin]

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@Sooner wrote:

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@dimin wrote:

I'm eyeing a Crux pressure cooker/fryer combo half off at Macy's. I only wonder if 1450 or1475, can't remember, is enough watts? Now air fryers are up to 1700 watts. 

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@dimin  In my long life I have had a Presto and a Fissler stovetop pressure cooker; a Cooks Essential oval one that was huge and heavy; a Cuisinart AND a ******or.  

NONE have worked as well or as easy to use as the Instant Pots.  So I just wanted to say that. . . I don't know about a Crux, so can't comment, but I will say I love my IP and it's the only one we have used a LOT.

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Thanks @Sooner, it's Macy's brand. It's like a Foodi, does it all. The IP can do it all too with 2 lids. This one has 1 lid with 2 inserts that go under the lid, one for cooking and one for air frying. The only time I tried pressure cooking was with the QVC Technique model that I eventually tossed.  It seems like you have a lot of experience pressure cooking.  The bad news is I'm on buying restriction until I clean the kitchen

[LilLadyNJ]

I have an Instant Pot and I use it all of the time. I cook for one most of the time and I have the 6 quart and find that it works great for me. Even though it's 6QT, you don't have to worry about cooking small quantities. I use it to make soups and stews. I know that people use it to make yogurt and cakes, but I have no need to use it this way. I do not have a crockpot.

[shoesnbags]

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@Tallgal wrote:

I love my Instant Pot!   I purchased mine from QVC a few years ago.  I own a 6 qt pot.   There are only 2 of us.   I use my pot frequently.   So glad I made this purchase.  I typically use the manual pressure setting.  I have made pulled pork and chicken, cooked a whole chicken, cooked a turkey breast, made soups, cooked a whole spaghetti squash.   

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@Tallgal 

I've never cooked spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot - I always use the oven.  Would you mind sharing exactly what to do to cook spaghetti squash in the IP?