It’s all over Pinterest. Our Aunt Cindy bought one and won’t stop raving. It’s even being hailed as a faster, easier slow cooker. So basically, we needed to get our hands on one immediately—and it's glorious. Here’s why you need to buy one, too.
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If you love your slow cooker, the Instant Pot is gonna blow your mind. It’s essentially seven appliances in one—a slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan and stockpot warmer. But the best part: It’s speedy. Whereas Crock-Pot recipes can take up to eight hours, the Instant Pot cooks food way faster using even less energy.
Cooking meat in a Crock-Pot usually takes about six hours, but why wait? This tender, juicy faux-tisserie chicken comes together in just 45 minutes. All you have to do is place the whole bird into your Instant Pot, add some broth and rub it with some spices (we love paprika and garlic). Let it cook on high pressure, flipping it once, for 30 minutes until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender.
The problem: Mornings are hectic, and you don’t have time to think about breakfast. The solution: add the instant pot to your a.m. routine. This easy quiche takes less than half an hour, but all you have to do is throw together whisked eggs, veggies and cheese. We’re also huge fans of these adorable mason jar steel cut oats that take just 25 minutes.
If there’s one type of food we make the most in our Crock-Pot, it’s soup. And while slow-cooker soup is delicious, it takes hours. So, we started using our Instant Pot instead. From chicken noodle soup and minestrone to ramen and beef barley, you'll be slurping hot bowl in under an hour.
Everyone says that boiling eggs is foolproof, but a confession—we always end up overcooking them or struggling to peel the shells off. Not with Instant Pot “boiled” eggs. Cook them on high for five minutes, and voilà: Perfectly cooked, easily peel-able eggs in no time. Plus, this method lets you cook a dozen eggs at a time, so you can make them once and keep them in the fridge for the whole week.
Sure, you could reach for the boxed stuff…or you could make rich and decadent homemade mac and cheese in the same amount of time. It’s a no-brainer.
In the same amount of time you could pick up the phone and wait for your Chinese food to arrive, you could make a homemade Asian-inspired feast from scratch. Just add the chicken and sauce to the Instant Pot and set it to medium-low. Pair it with some 30-minute steamed dumplings and easy veggie lo mein and call it a party.
Confession: We’re terrified of baking. Leave those brownies in the oven for two minutes too long and they’ve already burnt to a crisp. So rather than turn on the oven, take out your pressure cooker. To make this salted caramel cheesecake, just prepare the crust, set it in the Instant Pot and pour the cheesecake mixture over it. After 35 minutes, it’s ready to set aside and cool. Piece of (cheese)cake.
