An Instant Pot in Every Kitchen

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nternet cooking sites are all abuzz with the latest rage — the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Who would have thought? This is the perfect gift for newlyweds, busy moms, foodies, those who own RVs and people who live in small spaces — especially college students in dorms. It can replace quite a few appliances in your kitchen because it is a slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker, egg cooker, yogurt maker, warmer, and sauté/browning pan (someone posted on the Internet that they make wine in it)! You can even cook frozen meat safely and do all your cooking in one pot — less cleaning (and it's stainless-steel and dishwasher safe)! Some newer models (ones with Bluetooth technology) enable you to do sous vide cooking. The newest model due out this year will even feature a canning function. The best part is that it cuts down cooking time and is energy efficient.

This Canadian invention first appeared on store shelves in 2010 and to date there have been almost 5 million units sold. During Christmas 2017 the Instant Pot was one of the top five best selling items on Amazon, and all done with only word-of-mouth positive reviews (no commercials or print ads).

Instant Pot communities with thousands of members devoted to the “Art of the Pot” have sprung up on Facebook, blogs and message boards. Some of these people even go as far as naming their appliances! The true fanatic even decorates their pot(s) with decals. Instant Pot cookbooks have flooded the shelves and Internet. It truly has a cult following!

I was skeptical at first because I remember my mother warning me about the dangers of hissing and rocking pressure cookers (and telling me horror stories of meals that had ended up on the ceiling). However, curiosity got the better of me and I actually joined one of these Facebook groups to learn more about this revolution. After much deliberation and stalling, I finally bite the bullet and bought one (the 6-quart IP-DUO60). This version has a yogurt setting and I have read that you can even make a cheesecake in it.

My first Instant Pot “creation” was BBQ pork ribs done from a recipe I found online. Oh my! These were the tastiest, juiciest and fastest ribs I have ever made. In the past I used to drag out the stock pot, fill it with a whole onion (skin and all), add spices, cut up ribs and enough water to cover, and then boil the s**t out of it for at least 2 hours. Then, after taking the meat out, I’d put them in the oven for another 30 minutes or so to brown up. With the Instant Pot these ribs were ready to eat in 40 minutes. Wow!

I’ve been using the Instant Pot now for a few months and I must say that it has become my favorite kitchen appliance — so much so that I bought another one! The second one will be used for desserts, eggs yogurt, and sweet dishes such as custards (and did I mention cheesecake?). (Update: I've made yogurt many times and even made a banana cheesecake in it and it was wonderful!)

It is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it appliance…an indispensible device (in my kitchen anyway)! I wish I had bought one sooner.