I’m in love. With a kitchen appliance. I can’t hide it any longer.
I used to be a slow cooker queen. I would patiently wait for six hours for my pulled pork. Four hours for my salsa chicken. Now I never wait longer than an hour and a half. Wait what?
It’s true y’all. This thing has changed this busy mama’s life. And I’m not exaggerating.
I am not good cook. It doesn’t come easily or naturally to me. I keep thinking I’ll grow to like it but I haven’t. Dinner time is a stressful time for me. I’m often trying to throw something together AND wrangle five littles. Dinner time is not my friend.
The Instant Pot changed everything for me. I don’t stress at dinner time any more. I don’t dread making dinner and I can relax a little bit more.
It sautés, browns, steams, pressure cooks, and slow cooks. It can make yogurt, though I haven’t tried that yet.
I have never once had dry meat from this gadget. Ever. Which is my main issue with the crock pot.
I am NOT an expert yet, but the Facebook Instant Pot Community has been instrumental. I also pin lots of recipes HERE and HERE and Instant Pot tips HERE.
My favorite recipes so far:
Hard Boiled Eggs (They peel in one piece almost every time)
Baked Potatoes (TEN minutes!)
Tips:
There is a learning curve. Watch YouTube videos.
Learn about natural release vs. quick release.
Buy more than one silicone sealing ring for your lid. The lid absorbs smells. I like one ring for savory and one for sweet. Yes, sweet. I’m itching to try the cheesecake!!!
Resign yourself to the fact that you will probably mess up. Though I haven’t yet.
Try lots of different things.
But most of all, know that dinner time is about to become MUCH easier.
Don’t be scared to take it out of the box and try it. You will pick it up quickly and be so grateful you bought it.
Now go. Buy it. And thank me later. I mean it.
xoxo
s
p.s. This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a little commission if you choose to use my links. If not, that’s cool too. Happy shopping!! xoxo
Yes!!!! I have a pressure cooker as well and we love it…especially on those nights where I lose track of time and forget to start dinner! Thanks for the recipe links.
My hubby bought me one today! Can’t wait to try it! I just sent him a screen shot of your blog post 🙂
I love mine!! Bought one for my niece when she got married, and she loves her’s too! Have you tried spaghetti squash or artichokes yet??? OMG, it’s the bomb
I’ve only used my once for the Salisbury meatballs from Skinnytaste and my whole family loved it! I was skeptical, but the meatballs came out soooooooo tender and tasty! I got mine on Amazon, Prime day special. Thanks for the links to more recipes:)
Thanks for this post! I bought one 2 weeks ago, got it out of the box but have yet to use it! Can’t wait to try some of the recipes you shared!
You sold me since it is on sale. I had heard about it from other people, so your recommendation sent me over the edge! Thanks Steph!
Wish I had seen this post yesterday!!!
Me, too.
Thanks for the tips Stephanie! Do you have the recipe for the pulled pork? That link is not working. Thanks!
Here you go. Sorry about that!!
http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/easy-pressure-cooker-pulled-pork/
I have seen so many rave reviews on fb, Instagram, etc but I just cannot pull the trigger on this. It is just one more kitchen appliance to find a spot for, kind of like when I registered for a griddle & quesadilla maker for my wedding. Great items, but I never pull them out anymore. I don’t have a hard time with dry meat in the crock pot though?? Maybe it’s because ours switches to warming when the time limit is up; the meat doesn’t overcook.
Hmmm. Interesting. Mine does the same and I have always had this problem. Always. Anyway I don’t consider it a useless gadget or I wouldn’t have taken time to share it. 🙂
I love the Instant Pot because it can be a pressure cooker and a slow cooker that you can brown in first so there aren’t extra pans to wash!
I leave it on the counter all the time. And counter space is at a premium at our house. The only other appliance on the counter is the Keurig.
Stephanie, I’m inspired go give hard boiled eggs one more try in the Instant Pot. I’ve tried multiple settings and end up with all hard to peel eggs every time – some with the dreaded green ring – even if I use an ice bath.
Just a heads up that the link you provide is not the pot you have. You have the 7 in 1. I was excited to see it on sale again, hurried up & ordered it. Received it & it’s not the 7 in 1. I was looking forward to actually trying the yogurt setting. So, I am sending in back and out a few bucks on shipping. We are all humans and make mistakes, I am not mad, just fix your link. Lol.
Yes, I absolutely am human and I didn’t know it wasn’t the same, that’s why I made sure to say I’m not an expert. 🙂 I apologize for any inconvenience.