Is any one **NOT** in love with their instant pot?

[Notsohorriblehistory]

I’m considering buying and doing some research.

It seems like there cannot be a thread about IPs without hoards of mumsnetters orgasming over them.

It puts me off! I’d like to here from anyone who doesn’t explode with excitement at the mere mention of “instant pot”.

I’m totally average cook.
Just me and two children. I do the usual spaghetti Bol and casseroles but also a lot of fish (3x a week) so only end up doing a big casserole or bolognese once a fortnight

Thanks

I just use it to sauté and slow cook and for rice.
I find rice/ food burns to the bottom easily and can't for the life of me figure out the other settings so think it's over complicated

I use it for stews, chillis and fish.

I sold mine. It was good, but the slow cook function wasn't as good as my actual slow cooker, the rice cook function wasn't as good as on the hob, and the pressure cooker wasn't as good as my hob top pressure cooker- as I already owned other things/ had better ways I realised that I'd been caught up and sold an unnecessary , very large and expensive piece of kit I neither wanted nor need. Thankfully they sell for a fair price second hand

I like mine but don’t love it.

I use it a couple of times a week. It’s good for stews etc, either as a slow cooker or pressure cooked. Even better if you’ve forgotten to get the meat out of the freezer as you can cook frozen meat in it and it doesn’t take that long.

I made a black bean chilli the other week, had forgotten to soak the beans the night before but was able to just stick them straight in. Think it took 40 mins altogether. Maybe a bit less.

I haven’t really used many of the functions on it though

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the difference between an instant pot and a straight pressure cooker?

Got rid of mine, it was one of the worst gadgets I've bought and Ip've bought a lot.
The lid is heavy and unwieldy and has to be placed exactly so on the pan or the fucking thing won't click in place.

Also it was too big and stood high on the worktop so no chance of
being able to see the bottom of the pan without tipping it slightly.

Plus it was too big to go in the cupboard.
Lastly, the pressure cooked food tasted bloody awful tainted.
I can't think of one redeeming quality it has.

Brilliant, thank you

Nice to see a more balanced view on them. The other threads have made out the pots could solve world poverty if on the correct setting

Thank you for saving me the money and wasted time research. It’s not for me.

Now, the dyson hairdryer... that’s another matter altogether!

I didn't use mine for ages and then I only used it for a few things.

but once I started to put a bit more effort in and kind of committed to using it, I loved it more and more.

I think you do have to invest some time in it to start with and then make an effort to use it, if you see what I mean.

Having said that, I like it mostly for the convenience rather than the quality of the food it produces. I'm a shit cook though so other IP users may disgree with me

I am one of th orgasmic and Facebook nutters so I won’t stick around, but in response to an earlier poster, I think it does curries particularly well. There are whole books devoted to it.

PS I am not sponsored by Instant Pot!

Mines ok but I only really use it once, occasionally twice per week and I do tend to stick to the same things in it.

Probably my fault for not really making much effort, I'm sure I could use it loads more but I hate cooking and struggle with ideas.

I have one and wish I didn't. It's cost £30 per use.

I have a PKP which I think is very similar to the instant pot but was cheaper at the time. I think I paid £60 for it. It slow cooks better that any of my previous slow cookers and I do like that I can make things much quicker using the pressure cooker options if time is short. However, not really fussed about all the other things you are supposed to be able to do but I don't cook from scratch often.

I looked at them and have watched Youtube 'unveilings' but couldn't see what it did that I can't do in my slow cooker or the oven.So whilst I have actually tried one, I don't want/need one.

I only use my slow cooker for bolognaise or chilli as it keeps food warm on the nights everyone is in at different times.

Mine’s been in storage for over a year and I haven’t missed it. I find it fiddly to get the pressure valve to seal properly and it takes ages to reach it’s working pressure.

I have a PKP and I do love it. It didn’t get much use over the summer, but now the temperature’s dropped, I’m using it most days.

I just bought a Charles Jacobs pressure cooker - 17 functions, 8l, £50.

I like it a lot. Does excellent stews, curries and Bolognese, also rice which I never get right.

I made yoghurt, which I was tragically excited to do, but the DC don't like it.

All in all, for the money a useful buy. Haven't been brave enough to try chicken yet...

I am one of the ones who would call it life changing and certainly no one has paid me to say so but then I am poor on both time and general cooking ability and I think if those apply to you too, it's invaluable and if not maybe not

I liked but didn't love mine until I realised I could make boiled eggs in it. Perfect every time and always so easy to peel. So no more frothing rage over eggs which just won't peel properly - mine is worth it just for that to me!

I never use mine. I’ve put it right at the back of a corner cupboard. I expect the next time I see it will be when I get a new kitchen.

I have recently bought one and like it a lot (I started the current thread in Food / Recipes).

I am not a natural cook so the way of cooking appeals to me.

@BabySharkAteMyHamster Go for a really good knife set, or even just one great chef's knife (& knife sharpener).

A good knife makes food prep a pleasure. I have a fabulous carbon steel chef's knife that I love using. That one knife gets used for pretty well everything that needs cutting up in the kitchen; slicing bread, tomatoes, finely shredded veg, big hefty chunks of pumpkin, peeling, the lot!

It's always out and ready for use, unlike the multitude of appliances that are stashed away, unused and forgotten in a taking up valuable space in a cupboard somewhere.

I stick a chicken in it for half an hour, Devine it and use it in chicken pie

Debone FFS

I have a PKP and hardly ever use it. I really regret buying it tbh. In fairness I had high expectations after reading the threads on here but i am very underwhelmed by it. Dh and the DCs think food tastes funny when cooked in it and prefer stews/casseroles cooked the usual way. It's also quite big so takes up a lot of space.

Oh and the lid kinda comes apart to be cleaned, which is handy, but there is a plastic seal around it which absolutely stinks. I have only ever cooked a stew and beef casserole in it so haven't cooked anything strong smelling but it still reeks. Have tried everything to get rid of the smell but nothing works. The inner pot is a nightmare to clean too.

Reading back on this I don't actually know why I still have it!

Mine lives in the cupboard. I’m scared of it!