You might have seen ads or cooks buzzing about the instant pot. To some, it is a mashup gadget that combines slow cooker, a rice steamer, an electric pressure and a lot more. There are also Insta Pot recipes you could try out which makes it more appealing if you want to make meals on the go without having to worry about the quality.  You’ve probably never heard about the Instant Pot before. Which begs the question, what exactly is an Instant Pot?

Instant Pot

The short definition would be it is an electric cooker that is multidimensional and multi-functional. It can work as a warming pot, pressure cooker, slow cooker, yoghurt maker, or saute pan. The applications are limitless and it all depends on your creativity as a cook. You include additional features to improve the functionality of the Instant Pot.

What Makes it Different from a Slow and Pressure Cooker?

You can’t say it is different because it offers both functionalities. It should be noted that is an electric pressure cooker. There is no need for controlling the pressure manually as it is done automatically. The Instant Cooker has a saute function. This means you can slow cook vegetables and brown meat which is something that is hard to come by when looking at other types of cookers. You don’t have to worry about dirty dishes.

Why has the Instant Pot Become So Popular?

There are several reasons why this compact pot has become so popular in the last couple of years. The main reason has to do with its versatility. It is also easily accessible and affordable compared to alternatives in the market. You don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when preparing a meal. You can instantly cook a meal without having to plan far in advance which is ideal for someone who might be busy throughout the week.

How it Saves on Time

The pressure cooking functioning helps in speeding up the process of preparing a meal. It works by steam getting trapped inside the pot. This leads to an increase in temperature which ultimately raises the boiling point. The food will cook faster when the boiling point is high. Pulled pork will take about 2 hours for it to be cooked. The same food will take about six hours if it was to be placed in the oven. Cook with the Instant Pot is not recommended for some foods. This is because it takes about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure and the food only requires 7 minutes to cook.

Foods That Do Well In An Instant Pot

Beans do well in an Instant Pot given the fact that you won’t have to soak them prior. For stews, and long-cooking roasts, you can expect them to be completed in a fraction of the time that you would have used with other cooking alternatives. For long-cooking, it is important to ensure that the flavour is not lost and that is why the Instant Pot comes highly recommended.

Safety

Using the Instant Pot is completely safe even if it using pressure for cooking. You don’t have to worry about food flying around because there is a lead lock on the machine to prevent such things from happening. There are a couple more safety checks than you would find in old fashioned cooking stoves.

For First-Time Users

Patience is required when using the Instant Pot for the first time. It can take a while getting used to it but you will be glad you bought it. One of the challenges that you will have to get used to is the cooker coming to pressure. Sometimes the meat or beans will come out a little bit crunchy than you would have liked. You can always put them back to cook a little bit more. There is already a big community on Instant Pots. You can get recipe ideas and how to optimize the Instant Pot for efficiency.

There are already cookbooks that are on the market dedicated to Instant Pot cooking. You can also check out YouTube videos on the same. It is easier to follow videos especially if you’re using the same machine and the same ingredients.

To sum it up, there are several benefits to shifting to Instant Pot for your cooking. Meals that could have taken a couple of hours can be prepared in minutes. The flavour of the food remains intact.  It is also inexpensive which should be more than enough reason to try it out.