The Instant Pot: you may have seen mentions of these on social media or online shopping sites and heard of it from the army of fans who swear by their Instant Pot to handle all their cooking needs.
You may even be considering it as a holiday gift. If that is the case (and even if it isn’t, and you are simply curious!) and you would like to learn more about this one-stop-shop of an appliance, look no further – we’ve got you covered.
Not sure which instant pot to get? Check out this article on Corrie Cooks which discusses the difference between the Instant Pot Duo and Instant Pot Duo Nova.
What Is An Instant Pot?
First off, the inevitable question: what is an Instant Pot, exactly? Is it a cooker, rice/porridge cooker, sauté/searing pan, or food warmer? Nay, it is all of these things – and some can even fulfill auxiliary functions such as making popcorn or sterilizing baby bottles (seriously).
The Instant Pot aims to take the place of multiple appliances in the kitchen and be the go-to for almost every dish in your repertoire, especially during the time of quarantine, where we are spending more time at home and consequently have more time to whip up our own meals.
How Does It Work?
It may sound like science fiction, but the all-purpose nature of Instant Pot is very much rooted in the realm of reality. It takes advantage of a simple concept – that water boils at much higher temperatures in high-pressure environments. By creating a vacuum seal and cranking the pressure inside all the way up, Instant Pot is able to cook foods with far more heat, and thereby cooking it much faster.
You might ask: is Instant Pot just another brand name pressure cooker then? Instant Pot functions off of pressure cooker principles, but the appliance itself, now in its fourth generation, includes sophisticated safety and control systems that enable it to do things that were previously not possible in a pressure cooker.
What Can You Do With An Instant Pot?
A side-effect of this high temperature/pressure and advanced technology is that Instant Pot is able to handle a variety of other tasks that traditional cookers cannot provide, such as sterilization, meat searing, and cake making. You can even get an air-frying lid for the pot. There are countless recipes online that take full advantage of Instant Pot’s suite of features.
How Can You Get One?
Various models of Instant Pots can be found online retailing from $60 to over $100, with higher-end models having a bigger size and additional cooking functionality. As is common for tech appliances, online retailers often slash prices on this category of products during high volume sale periods and holiday seasons.
For many, an Instant Pot will serve as the perfect appliance to make relatively quick, easy, and affordable dishes – even in large portions. If you’re all about that student or hustle life, this means that Instant Pot is perfect for meal prepping!
