Talk to me about instant pots

[YorkieTheRabbit]

I’m considering getting an instant pot or similar. I don’t have a slow or pressure cooker. Are they really useful or is it something that gets stuck in a cupboard after a few weeks? Thanks

I have a pressure king pro and I use it a lot. It cooks root veg much quicker than in a pan and is good for rice. Can do a whole chicken in an hour or less and good for cheaper meats. Just need to remember to use a lot less liquid when cooking!

Thanks Mrsmoggy I’ve looked at the king pro, a few of the reviews mentioned that the inner pot coating was peeling off, have you noticed that?

I mainly use mine for rissotto, chicken burritos and macaroni cheese. There is an awful lot more that you can do with them, but I probably use it once a week.
People on the FB groups rave about the yoghurt function and the pressure cooked chicken.
Has it changed my life; no. Is it a useful bit of kit; yes.
I'd only buy if it's on sale and there are different sizes available depending on how many you are cooking for. The mini is meant to be coming out very soon over here.

Thanks chibi the instant pot is £89.99 on Amazon at the moment which I think is a decent price, from what I’ve seen. These only two of us but I work on the premises of what holds a lot holds a little. Yogurt sounds interesting

I make Greek yogurt weekly. It's great for chicken and gammon also brilliant for rice based dishes. I use mine several times a week and have had if for about a year now

I shall just ditto grannycake's post as it's just how I use my IP. (I made a cake in it this afternoon, as an experiment. It is... interesting, and I won't be doing it again)

Thanks granny how do you do the gammon ?

No not had any peeling, or any issues with it so far. I love it, think it was £60 when I bought it

Use it once a week at least , definitely not every day though! I would say you need to have worktop space to leave it out so that you’ll use it - if it’s packed away you would be less likely to think to use it.

I love mine. I love cooking and was very dubious about it (it was a gift) but it's bloody brilliant. I use it about 2/3 times a week, sometimes more.

I just put the gammon on a trivet over about 300 mls of water and cook on high pressure for about 23 mins. This is a small supermarket joint. If we're eating it as a main meal I may add a glaze and finish it off in the oven but it's usually for lunches so I just slice it and pack into a Tupperware box

I usually use the stock for a rice dish like Cajun rice later in the week

Brilliant for pulses and risotto I’d never be without one but I am a cook from scratch every night person

You only actually need a Thermos flask to make yogurt

BEST THING EVER!

Honestly.

We use it for every single meal. So so simple and lovely to shove it all in, out a lid on and then wander off and sort out bedtime without having to nurse something in the oven/on the hob.

Spaghetti and meatballs in 5 MINS. Actually 5mins. That's the sauce and the dried pasta all cooked together in 5 mins. Magical!

We have the crockpot multi cooker or something I think btw. Essentially a cheaper version of an Instant Pot.

Happy to provide some more meal ideas and recipes!

I use mine every day, loads of YouTube recipes. I chuck everything in pot and then go off to watch telly and it's all ready. If you master the time and water amounts you don't have to worry about anything. Mostly I follow the recipe to the T. It's great for Indian food. Google for cheesecake recipes in instant pot, one of my fav.

I would also avoid anything with non stick lining inside. Had a Murphy Richard one and the coating wore off in 6-8 months. IP has stainless steel and you can buy an extra pot. I have 2 one for savory spicy food and one for sweet dishes.

Thanks everyone, you’ve convinced me
Workspace isn’t an issue so it can stay out all the time. We like pasta and Indian food so sounds ideal.
I’ll no doubt be back asking for recipes once I’ve got it!
Thanks again

We use ours most days, even if it’s only for doing something boring like cooking potatoes super-speedily. It’s great. We had a Pressure King Pro but it conked out while still under guarantee and I put the refund towards an Instant Pot. The IP feels much sturdier and better made.

I use mine almost daily. On a weekly basis I make yogurt, cook a chicken for sandwiches/salads, make stock. Daily uses include brown rice, potatoes, chick peas, pulled pork, soup, chilli. During winter months I use the slow cooker function for stews, pot roasts, etc.