Instant pot or slow cooker

[Bodicea]

Need a new slow cooker which I use a lot. Came across the instant pot in my research and am intrigued. It has a lot of fans. I don't know anything about pressure cookers. Do I need one in my life?? I will def use the slow cooker function and I do eat a lot of porridge ( saw it has a porridge setting) but is it worth it? I am worried I will end up with a v expensive slow cooker. Can someone explain to me in simple terms when is so good about a pressure cooker and how it will improve my life.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Just marking my place 🙂

[Gatekeeper]

Me as well, our slow cooker has just given up the ghost

[redpriestandmozart]

I have had mine three weeks and I think I'd rather get rid of my car than my pot. I am using it nearly every day, all the timings have been spot on everything cooking perfect. There is no smell or noise like a pressure cooker, you set the time and walk away, no need to wait for steam to come up or time it. When it is ready it beeps, remove lid and serve. I am pretty sure it is totally food proof. I am in love with it lol I put 2 old slow cookers and a pressure cooker in the bin.

[ReedBunting]

instant pot definitely! I sold my slow cooker soon after getting it.

[SarahLinden]

I've only had my Instant Pot for a week but it's changed me from being a slow cooker evangelist (I've got three) to wondering if I'll ever bother using a SC again.

Food just tastes so much better in the Instant Pot - I've just done a brisket of beef with carrots and new potatoes in 40 minutes and the texture of everything was just perfect. Previously, I'd ruin beef in the SC - it was either boot leather or lean mince would dissolve into sludge.

So it's no contest for me - the only con is that it is expensive and there are cheaper automatic pressure/multi cookers out there, of course.

[redpriestandmozart]

• Fool proof not food

[ReedBunting]

I'm amazed how tender meat can be in just a few minutes.
also it's great when you have small children who need attention in the middle of cooking something - so for example I can put potatoes on to cook ready to mash afterwards, and when done it will switch off and keep warm - whereas if I was cooking them in a pan on the hob I'd have to come back to the kitchen and drain them or risk turning them to mush.
oh and the cheesecake you can make.....

[PoppyAmex]

I've been using my InstantPot for about 7 months and it changed the way I cook. Love it and would never go back.

[PoppyAmex]

Pressed "post" too quickly...

Pressure cooking has been described to me like a slow cooker on speed and I thought it's a good description - food tastes a lot better and it preserves the vitamins and flavours better than almost any other method of cooking.

It took a while to get used to timings, but now it's second nature.

I also get all the flavour without risking the "mushy" consistency of the slow cooker.

On a separate note, it does puddings, cooks rice AMAZINGLY well, does yogurt and steams veggies.