InstaPot
Apparently, this is the Holy Grail of cookware. We’ll see together!
I just got an Instapot for Christmas this year and I left it in the box for almost two months. In my head, I was like, “I’m a great cook. I don’t need to take shortcuts.” Plus, I will admit, I was a little scared to have a pressure cooker in our tiny apartment, especially when I’m terrible at reading directions. Luckily, I convinced my boyfriend (an Eagle Scout), to read the manual and assemble it correctly. Then we were cooking with gas (well, not really).
I also received a beginner’s cookbook to go along with the Instapot (which I will eventually review). I did try a few recipes from there and have been pleasantly surprised. It is a very quick way to cook, but I have found a few drawbacks.
You can only make one thing at a time, so unless you are doing a one-pot meal like chili, you’re going to have to break out the old pots and pans. I found it frustrating to have to dirty my kitchen and cook the old fashion way while using the Instapot on only one aspect of my meal. Aren’t you supposed to be able to set it and forget it? Maybe I need two Instapots…
It’s a little confusing to clean. I did remove and wash the pressure seal, but it will always smell like the first dish I made in there (a curry). I did read somewhere that you may want to invest in multiple seals to address this problem, but why do I have to spend more money?
It may be even a little too advanced. I can see from the box and the buttons that I can make so many different things with it, but it’s almost overwhelming. It’s that feeling of “jack of all trades, master of none.”
On the other hand, there are really some nice aspects to it:
You can cook much tougher meats quickly. To someone on a budget (read: me), it is really nice to be able to make a cheap cut of meat palatable.
The flavors get thoroughly infused. When you eat the dish, every spice seems to have been crammed into every nook and cranny. Very flavorful.
If you are making a one-pot meal, it is really convenient. I can watch all the Netflix while it’s cooking.
All in all, I am glad to have an Instapot. It’s compact and generally convenient. I especially like that it can replace our slow cooker and fill my need for a rice cooker (as any good Asian should have one). I’ll keep you posted as I try out more recipes.