Instant Pot - should I get one?

[BeverlyCleary]

Does anyone have one? Would you recommend it? What do you use it for? We don't have a big kitchen - is it worth the space it will occupy? If I get one how big should it be? We're a family of 4. Options are 3l, 5.7l and 8l. Thank you

here

I've decided against one on space grounds. I'd be interested in answers to this!

I know I didn't think it was within current rules, so I resisted.

(Take no notice of smartarse OP.)

I love mine. Making marmalade in it at the moment. I use mine every morning for porridge (pot in pot method) and make dhals, risotto in it. If it broke I'd buy another one instantly.

Must admit I don't use mine hugely. It's great for stock, and boiling eggs. If I'm cooking "one pot" dishes it will often stick on the bottom- at which point it cuts out with a burn message and you have to tip it out, clean the pot, put it back in.... For stuff like mash it's not much faster (if you include coming to pressure time) and you can't poke the potatoes to see how well they are done. I want to love it ... but actually just like it for a few things.

I have a Pressure King Pro (the same as instantpot but British made and a bit cheaper), I love it, I use it to cook veg/potatoes almost daily, I also do stews, casserole dishes, baked cakes,etc. I have no room for it in my kitchen so it sits on a sideboard in the dinning room.

I thought about replacing my pressure cooker & slow cooker with one, but decided against it. Weight was a problem, it would have to stay on the worktop in a small kitchen, whereas the other 2 sit on top of the FF.
Also, I've read some bad reports on here & elsewhere.

yes OF COURSE...you MUST have one

They are so useful soup, stews, risotto, porridge, steaming, yoghurt, veg, joints (of meat, in case toxicKaren gets wild!)

I would also replace mine tomorrow if it gave up. I have a 6l (just under) and it's great for 4-5 when full, or for three greedies, plus a nice few left overs
I also have the 3l one which i really would say is for 2-3 max.

There are cheaper ones about from other manufacturers, but a lot of those have nonstick inner pots, I don't like that so went for the IP.

I got one for xmas and really love it! My slow cooker was rubbish and I ended up doing stews etc in the oven instead which came out really well but this week I tried a beef stew and in an hour it had made a stew so soft it would have taken 4-5 hours in the oven. I also like that I saute in the same pot then pressure cook and you can even stick it in the oven afterwards - I did this 2 days ago when I made cheddar cobbler to go to the stew. I also sometimes saute again at the end if the sauce needs thickening after pressure cooking. It is so easy and although it is big it isn't much bigger footprint wise than my slow cooker.

This is great. Yet more evidence that it would be irresponsible for me not to get one really.

You've just reminded me that I bought one 28 months ago and STIlL haven't used it! Someone told me they were great for dal and I haven't actually tried it yet....

18 not 28!

I love mine. Often use it as a slow cooker (bought the glass lid), use it once or twice a week to cook rice, and it's awesome for quick lunchtime curry/dhal type cooking if I want something warm and healthy.

I got one for Christmas and I love it - mine has an air fryer lid as well. Amazing soup in half an hour, lovely crispy chips, perfect rice, pasta dishes for the kids in 20min. Deffo worth it. I have so many things I want to try!

Yes, it’s great. I don’t use my slow cooker anymore. I use mine mostly for cooking curries and stews but DH uses it twice a week for cooking the dog food (meat and chopped veg).

DH almost killed it twice by pouring hot liquid stock into the device without the inner pot being in place so it ran straight through and all over the worktop and floor.

In both cases, we (I) cleaned it out and left it to dry out a few days but miraculously, it’s still working ok. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I adore mine. I used it tonight to make Japanese curry. I use it as much as possible. I did have a pressure king Pro but FIL bought me the pot a few years ago, so I've just given the pkp away on olio. I recommend getting the pkp as it's cheaper and really just as good. It's great for hearty midweek meals. The food doesn't go tasteless like it can in the slow cooker. You can do meat without defrosting. But I'd replace mine immediately if it broke.

I love mine. I like the fact that whatever you do cook in it, after any inital sizzling you can pop the lid on a go about your business. It cooks the food, switches to keep warm and when you want it the food is ready. Right now I particularly love quickly frying some soffritto, lobbing in some brown dried lentils, a tin of tomatoes, some stock and some frozen spinach. Cooks in 8 minutes once at pressure. You can go for a walk and come back to lovely soup. Risotto, steamed veg, boiled eggs, porridge, pulses, biryani, rice pudding, steamed puddings, stews, chilli, soups, cheesecake all work brilliantly. You need a sealing ring for bland stuff and a different one for spicy stuff otherwise curry flavoured porridge...I love poaching a whole chicken for use in other dishes or sandwiches. I could go on at length about how much I love it. Oh, I did already!

@Sausagis.

You don’t have to empty it when the burn message pops up. I grab a wooden spoon or spatula and scrape along the bottom of the pan to remove any burnt on bits and then put the lid back to carry on cooking. It doesn’t take long to sort it out.

Thanks everyone.

So, following your recommendation ImNotShpanishImEgyptshun I'm now considering the Pressure King Pro. here

So, looking at Which Reviews:

The Pressure King Pro: 68%
This digital pressure cooker has some user-friendly features, and can create tasty meals quickly, but cleaning up will take a little longer as you’ll have to do it all by hand.
Pros
Simple to use
Lighter weight than others on test
Pre-set programs
Automatic pressure release
Slow cook function
Cons
Pot and lid not dishwasher safe

Instant Pot 69%
This Instant Pot cooks well, but it’s not the fastest to heat up or cool down, and like many other pressure cookers the metallic casing is tricky to keep clean.
Pros
Good cooking results
Easy to use
Simple to program
Cons
No automatic pressure release
Hard to keep clean

Is the lack of an automatic pressure release a big issue? Also, not being able to put the PKP in the dishwasher - is it difficult to clean by hand? Thanks.

I rarely have to release the pressure as except for rice (which can over cook on KeepWarm) the KeepWarm function just lets it depressure in its own time and keeps the food ready for when you are ready to go.

the IP inner pot is good and sturdy, stainless steel, cleans up lovely either by hand or in the dishwasher, and you can put the lid into the dishwasher too

The rest of it just gets a wipe down with a soapy cloth and a nice buff dry, it's absolutely not a bother to clean.

Thanks Laurie

I gave DS1 and DIL an Instant pot Duocrisp for Christmas. I was a bit peeved because I had been asking what they would like, gave up when no answers were forthcoming, bought other presents, then DS suggested DIL had been longing for one of these.

They were by that stage hard to track down but I found one at Lakeland, and as I had a £10 voucher, I went for it. Just as well, as I just looked and they have gone up by £30.

The good news is that they are loving its many functions. Obviously great chips but excellent stews and soups. They are going to test its sous-vide function.

A very successful present. (DS2 got a Eufy Robovac, equally delighted).

Get one, OP.