Anyone here use the Instant Pot?

[Goblinmonger]

I'm considering getting one and just wondering. I found a YouTube channel of vegan recipes for it, so I'm feeling good it's not just for meat eaters. I would get the 7-in-1 since I make my own yogurt. I think I would use the pressure cooker if it were available to me.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Hesitations?

[Warpy]

1. I know people who have them and love them.

I use pressure cooking at this altitude for cooking larger beans like soy and chickpeas, otherwise they never seem to get done no matter how long I leave them in the slow cooker. My big canner with a stainless steel bowl in it works just fine.

I do like the design of this item with the removable inner pot. One objection to an electric pressure cooker I tried some years ago was having to wrestle the SOB to clean it out. This one would be a breeze.

If you've got the kitchen space to devote to it, it looks like a winner.

[Goblinmonger]

2. I have the room

since the kids are out of the house, it is just my wife and I. As a result, I would likely go with the 5 quart (though we do like to make huge batches of chili and freeze some and have lunches off it for a week--so that's an argument for the 6 quart).

I think the removable pot looks awesome, too. And it's stainless, so you can scrub the crap out of it with a pad if things get stuck.

The only negative I've heard is longevity, but I'd take the $10 gamble and get the 3-year protection on it though Amazon in case that is an issue.

[packman]

3. Thinking about getting rid of my crock pot

and replacing it. Never had a pressure cooker and this seems like a good bet. Love how it has a "porridge" setting on it - seems rather quaint.

[Goblinmonger]

4. I wonder if the porridge setting

would work to cook steel cut oats. Be still my heart.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

5. I have one and love it

If I could offer a suggestion: Get the accessory glass cover for the inner liner, it makes it much easier to use as a slow cooker since it doesn't seal completely, like the pressure lid.

If you have a taste for cheesecake, you might want to get a small springform pan and an internal stand for it.

You'll wonder how you did without it, when you start using it regularly. I was able to use it for three different side dishes at one Thanksgiving dinner.

[Goblinmonger]

8. I saw the glass lid offered on Amazon

That makes sense. I will certainly get one--the complete seal doesn't sound good for slow cooking.

[Goblinmonger]

11. I did order the glass lid with it.

Thanks for that. As soon as I was putting things together it was very clear why I would want one.

[PavelKO]

6. I do not use it...

I do not have any instant pot, and even if I had one, it would not do, because they have lost my grandmother's cookbook. Nothing can replace it.

[procon]

7. Just buy a regular pressure cooker for about half the price.

I've written two cookbooks featuring all kinds of pressure cooker recipes. They are great for all kinds of veggie dishes from steamed veggies to soups, sauces, dried beans, squash, 'baked' potatoes, rice and grains, pasta, and hot cereals, even casseroles,cakes and breads. A pressure cooker also cooks fresh fruits and desserts like baked apples, Apple Betty. If you eat dairy, you can make flans, cheese cakes, even boiled eggs.

Cooking times are about 1/3 of regular cooking methods, and even faster than the brand you are looking at which cooks at a lower psi (pressure setting) than a regular stovetop pressure cooker.

[Goblinmonger]

9. Thought about it, but this kind of helps decrease clutter.

I make my own yogurt and my maker is getting old. My crock pot is nothing special anymore. Rather than getting a pressure cooker, a yogurt maker, and a crock pot, I can get one and not have so many devices. Plus there are a couple other features that could be cool.

[Goblinmonger]

10. Got my Instant Pot yesterday. Tried it this morning.

It isn't as intimidating as all the reviews I read said it would be. Yes there are a lot of options, but it seems rather intuitive to me.

I made some steel cut oats this morning. I wasn't overly happy with the recipe (too sweet, for one) but the oats were cooked damn near perfectly. And it was super easy. I put the stuff in, set the "porridge" timer to 10 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes and it was done. Was very quite while cooking. Releasing the steam was very simple. I had to leave for a meeting before school, so my wife will have to wash it out, but it looked like it would be pretty simple.

I think I'm going to really like this thing.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

12. Easy to clean

With the separate cooking pot that comes right out. It's easier than a stovetop type.

[Goblinmonger]

13. Additional updates and thoughts on the Instant Pot (tl:dr--I LOVE it)

I made chili. Soaked the kidney beans overnight. Really liked that I could saute right in the pot (which I know you can do in a stovetop pressure cooker). Got the onions, peppers, and spices ready to go and put in the beans and water. Pressure cooked for 10 minutes with a 15 minute natural cool down. The beans were PERFECT. I will lose less water next time just for my chili consistency tastes, but it was fabulous. Only down side is that I think the slow cooker setting heats at a lower temp than my slow cooker. I was tempted to do a "soup" cook for about 5 minutes, but wasn't sure and didn't want to try with chili I needed to have for my kids home to visit for the weekend.

Made a coconut steel cut oat recipe the next morning. Also awesome. Better than the earlier batch. This recipe had a 2 minute pressure cook rather than 10 and I thought that was much better. The oats were cooked perfectly. Even my son that doesn't like oatmeal all that much thought it was great. He wanted the recipe because his girlfriend is vegan and it had no milk (used coconut milk). His roommate has a stovetop pressure cooker.

Next thing to try: cream of wild rice soup and make sure the yogurt maker works.

[Goblinmonger]

15. Final update: I FREAKIN' LOVE THIS THING

I still think that the heating element is running a little low in temp (high on slow cooker doesn't cause anywhere near a rolling simmer and the yogurt "boil" setting is not getting my milk up to 185), but otherwise it is great.

That I can saute and then add beans to pressure cook for soup/chili is great for cleaning up. It is SUPER quite and not as frightening as the ones with the weight on the lid. I really like the taste/texture of non-bean items that I cook with the beans for soup. I did a potato soup and it was like it had simmered for hours but even better with the potato texture.

Glad I spent the money on it. Well worth it. I'm going to heat some water with a thermometer and verify whether it is running a little low in temp, but that is a minor thing that should be easily remedies (I did a 3-year protection plan through Amazon for very little money just in case I broked it).

[spinbaby]

16. I love mine

What I really like about it is that, after it's done cooking, it turns itself down to warm. Its warm setting is exactly 150 degrees (I checked), which is a safe holding temperature that doesn't cook food further.