Instant Pot

[rvwnsd]

I am addicted to my Ninja Foodi. I use several times a week. Especially the air fryer setting. I couldn't believe how easy it was to use. The pressure cooker setting worked really well too.

A Ninja Foodi is COMPLETELY different than an InstantPot.

 

NOT. THE. SAME.

 

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Did you hear me? COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

 

There is only one InstantPot.

 

All hail the InstantPot!!

 

Except for the InstantPot model that caught fire and was recalled. Nobody hail that one. In fact, don't even bring it up. We like to forget it was ever manufactured.

[+ JEC]

I do have and use an InstantPot. Have never used for Sous Vide. It is great for making SOME things. Note you will need to find and develop a whole set of recipes just for the IP. I use probably once a week. TERRIBLE for a slow cooker so if you think you're going to get rid of your slow cooker, don't. Lots of good recipes on pressureluck.com, he also has a youtube channel (and he's a cutish nebish-y jewish gay boy from NY). There are a few good instantpot groups on Facebook. Good luck!

[handiacefailure]

I bought a foodi at Costco and am thinking of taking it back. The air fryer function works great but the pressure cooker is too big for a single person. Hopefully I can figure out how to use it for single serve recipes

[MikeBiDude]

I bought a foodi at Costco and am thinking of taking it back. The air fryer function works great but the pressure cooker is too big for a single person. Hopefully I can figure out how to use it for single serve recipes

Do you not like to cook ahead and freeze larger batches into daily individual servings? I’m just curious, personally not a fan of that vein of gadgets. Not to say I don’t have addictive kitchen gadget syndrome, just not small electrics.

[rvwnsd]

I bought a foodi at Costco and am thinking of taking it back. The air fryer function works great but the pressure cooker is too big for a single person. Hopefully I can figure out how to use it for single serve recipes

Your post made me chuckle. I replaced my first InstantPot because it only held 6 quarts and it wasn't big enough to accommodate my recipes. A couple of tips and suggestions:

• NEVER EVER fill a pressure cooker more than 2/3 from the top. That means a 6 qt pressure cooker can hold up to 4 quarts of food. You would be surprised how little chili or soup comprises four quarts.
  
• You can brown meat using an electric pressure cooker like the Foodi
  
• A roasted chicken is super-simple in a pressure cooker. All it takes is a couple of cups of stock, a chicken, and some vegetables. You can freeze the leftovers or make them into something else
  
• Soup, chili, and stews are easy and quick. They also freeze well.
  

Give the Foodi a chance.

[+ Hoover42]

I bought the Breville version of the Instant Pot, used it twice, then gave it to Goodwill during one of my many clutter purges.

 

For me, it was too big and far too messy and smelly to be something I wanted to have around.

[handiacefailure]

Do you not like to cook ahead and freeze larger batches into daily individual servings? I’m just curious, personally not a fan of that vein of gadgets. Not to say I don’t have addictive kitchen gadget syndrome, just not small electrics.

 

Sometime I freeze things and thought about using it for that. There's a couple kinds of soup I like to make but I use my Vitamix for that (the Vitamix is one appliance I love and use a lot) My concern with the pressure cooker feature is being able to check on food. If I use the air fryer function it is easy enough to check on the food but with a pressure cooker it's sealed and you can't really open it to check on the food, especially if it's a slow release.

[handiacefailure]

Your post made me chuckle. I replaced my first InstantPot because it only held 6 quarts and it wasn't big enough to accommodate my recipes. A couple of tips and suggestions:

• NEVER EVER fill a pressure cooker more than 2/3 from the top. That means a 6 qt pressure cooker can hold up to 4 quarts of food. You would be surprised how little chili or soup comprises four quarts.
  
• You can brown meat using an electric pressure cooker like the Foodi
  
• A roasted chicken is super-simple in a pressure cooker. All it takes is a couple of cups of stock, a chicken, and some vegetables. You can freeze the leftovers or make them into something else
  
• Soup, chili, and stews are easy and quick. They also freeze well.
  

Give the Foodi a chance.

 

I was thinking of making chili this weekend (using a canned starter) and didn't think of using it to brown the meat. Maybe I'll try using it to cook the chili as well instead of the stove top.

 

I make and freeze soups a lot but have a slow cooker (was told the slow cooker function on a instant pot isn't that great) and a vitamix for a few of the cream based soups I make. I buy fresh tamales from the Mexican grocery store a lot and a neighbor said they are really good if you cook them in the pressure cooker so I may try that as well. I really want to try the yogurt function when I have more time to play around with it.

[+ g56whiz]

Braised short ribs or pulled pork in half the time! What more could you want?

[MikeBiDude]

the Vitamix is one appliance I love and use a lot

Ok, I’m with you 100% on that one! Just last night made a smoothie with watermelon/strawberry/pomegranate seeds and squeeze of lemon, sprig of mint!

[David1024]

I have to be honest, when I saw the subject of this thread, I read it as “Instant Pot” as in “Instant Marijuana”. Got quite disappointed to find that it was about cooking. OK, I guess my mind just goes to such places on auto pilot. ?

[amused1]

I'm a fan of pressure cooking so when my stove top pressure cooker finally gave up the ghost after 25 years of almost weekly use I checked out a number of electric PCs. I chose the instapot 6 qt from Costco. I used it to make 80% of my Thanksgiving dinner, including a cheesecake. Everything came out great. If you're interested in exploring pressure cooking I'd recommend one.

[harlow]

I had one but I ended up giving it to my mother. Its an awesome tool but it takes you out of the cooking process. If you like to cook and do all the stirring and labor like I do then you'll get bored with it. Thats why I gave it to my mother...she likes to set it and forget it.

[Phil_musc]

For me, it was too big and far too messy and smelly to be something I wanted to have around.

 

I felt that way about some of the guys I brought home. But I just asked them to leave - I didn't take them to to Good Will. Guess I missed the charitable contribution write-off.

[rvwnsd]

...For me, it was too big and far too messy and smelly to be something I wanted to have around.

You're supposed to wash them after each use. ? :p

[Phil_musc]

You're supposed to wash them after each use. ? :p

Like a sex toy?

[+ MysticMenace]

speaking of...I am actually thinking of purchasing an instant pot - yet there are too many options - https://instantpot.com/pressure-multicookers/

any suggestions?

 

also looking for an air fryer - heard good things about it too - open for brand suggestions for that too.

[+ MysticMenace]

should I just get one or a combo of these:

• https://instantappliances.com/portfolio-item/aura-pro-8-quart-slow-cooker/
  
• https://instantpot.com/portfolio-item/duo-evo-plus/
  
• https://instantappliances.com/portfolio-item/vortex-pro-air-fryer-oven/
  

[rvwnsd]

should I just get one or a combo of these:

• https://instantappliances.com/portfolio-item/aura-pro-8-quart-slow-cooker/
  
• https://instantpot.com/portfolio-item/duo-evo-plus/
  
• https://instantappliances.com/portfolio-item/vortex-pro-air-fryer-oven/
  

I have the air fryer attachment for the 6-qt Instant Pot. It works OK, but it isn't really big enough to cook an entire chicken or anything like that. Manu of the air fryers can fit a whole chicken. However, it did a nice job on a bone-in chicken breast. If I was in the market for an InstantPot I'd buy the 8 qt Evo Plus. My first Instant Pot was a 6 qt and I found that my recipes were suited for an 8 qt. The thing about pressure cooking is you can only fill the pot about 2/3 of capacity. If you overfill it, the pot won't reach full pressure.

 

I'd also stay away from their slow cookers and oven-type things. Their core competency is pressure cookers and they have designed one that works well. Their first foray into slow cookers caught fire. I'd get a Cuisinart or Cock Pot brand slow cooker. Besides, after you start using your pressure cooker you won't use the slow cooker very much.

[+ Billsboy4]

I love mine, Use it all the time. My favorite is saute ground meat, pour raw pasta over it, then marinara over it and cook under pressure cooker for 6 min and pasta comes out perfectly cooked and you have several meals of pasta in meat sauce.

[+ MysticMenace]

thank you! ordered myself some nice kitchen equipment - the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 8, the Breville SmartOven Air, and the Philips Smoke-Less Indoor Grill.

[Jay DC]

I love that you can take meat from the freezer directly to the insta pot. It adds a few minutes to the cook time, but not defrosting needed.