Instant Pot - Buyers Remorse

[LadyFlumpalot]

I've been lusting after an Instant a Pot for months now, just had a look on Amazon and as they are on sale I caved and bought one. It's still A Lot Of Money for something though and now I'm worried I'll never use it and it'll be one of those things that gathers dust in the corner of my kitchen.

Please can all you lovely people regale me with reassuring tales of Instagram/Pinterest worthy kitchens and cooking now that an Instant Pot has arrived in your lives to help persuade DH me that I've not just spaced away £100?

Thanks!

Skippii
For a 750g squarish shaped sirloin I sealed it then put it on the manual setting for 15 mins with 10 mins auto pressure release then quick release. If it was longer and thinner I would have cooked it for a shorter time. It turned out perfectly.

I got the Bella pressure cooker, 5 litre for £55, bloody brilliant. Non stick too.

That. Was AMAZING!

Well done you! Adventurous first dish! Did you like the way it worked?

I did indeed. Vegetables went a bit mush but I cut them up really small because I underestimated how much they would cook in three minutes!

I had yesterday's roast pork with halved onions, risotto rice, apricots, mushrooms and almonds. Equal volume water to rice. 0mins. Yum.

What did you make OP?

Ah I see! Salmon cooks so quick in it

Well done Flump ...now you've started, you won't stop. I use mine pretty much every day, sometimes for all 3 meals - porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch, then something delicious for super. Try the 2 sleevers butter chicken curry, or a risotto next.

PiP next, OP! Curry and rice.

I came on to say;

Mashed potato
Delia's spiced red cabbage
Chilli
Curries

Loads of other stuff!

So is it like a pressure cooker?
My Indian friend cooks all her food in a pressure cooker.

@MadauntofA there's a vegan instant pot group on Facebook and they're always talking about making yogurt. Not tried it myself though.

Chester it is an electric pressure cooker... But it's also magic!
You just chuck stuff in, press a button or two and then return at some later point and find a meal has cooked itself.
I love the fact it goes to keep warm, so when the kids kick off just at the point you'd be busy draining stuff or serving up, it sits quietly waiting for you to lift the lid and serve.
Also marvelous for when you want to walk the dogs and return to a lovely warm soup.

I am proper sold! Going to try the butter chicken tomorrow and find a good sausage casserole recipe. Healthy weekday food here I come! Yaaasss!

The cup is an American measure. You can buy a set inexpensively, and is worth it if you finding yourself using a lot of American recipes as saves the back and forth converting.

I’m really boring but one of the things I love about mine is cooking dried beans with no presoaking. Also big joints cook really well.

Beans method livesimply.me/2018/01/10/how-to-cook-dry-beans-instant-pot-pressure-cooker-recipe/

Roman lamb shoulder - bit faffy but super tasty www.tastecooking.com/dont-cook-instant-pot-just-can/

Also cooking gammon joints for homemade ham, etc.

As a steamer (I don’t have a steamer)

I am pleasantly surprised how much I use mine!

@LadyFlumpalot

I do the Hairy Bikers one in there

Sorry ~ Sausage Casserole

Does anyone know the dimensions of the box it comes in and approximate weight? I'm thinking of buying one on my upcoming trip to the UK, and bringing it home in my suitcase. Managed to do this with Panasonic bread maker in the past.

Honestly at the beginning I had to force myself. I made myself make one new meal a month. They are so awesome! Cooking an amazing meal from scratch in half an hour is beyond wonderful. After the butter chicken I recommend a risotto! Ingredients in, lock the lid and 8 mins later it's perfect 😍😍

Are these any good for veggie and fish dishes? I have a slow cooker and have pretty much given up with it, the couple of veggie casserole and tangible dishes I’ve tried in it just turn to slime. It makes lovely meat casseroles but I have a pescatarian husband.

@DrWhy it cooks salmon nicely in 5 minutes, even from frozen.
Veg can be steamed, carrots, potatoes for between 6 - 8 minutes, tender veg like broccoli or cauliflower steam for 0 minutes.
Game changer though, is to be able to cook dried beans with no soaking. It also makes a good lentil Bolognese and all soups work well.

How does everyone do their mash?

I put quartered potatoes in a pot above the casserole. Did 5mins, NPR. The peel slid off and I stirred the rest and there it was, mashed.

Does anyone know the dimensions of the box it comes in and approximate weight? I'm thinking of buying one on my upcoming trip to the UK, and bringing it home in my suitcase.

Anyone?