The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Reader Recommendations => Topic started by: KathyK on March 22, 2016, 01:18:06 PM
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Have any of you tried one of the instant pots, e.g. the Instant Pot Multifunctional Pressure Cookers, and if so, have you found them worth having? I am slow to add appliances, but this sounds like something worthwhile and energy (watts) saving, too. They have even developed a "smart" programmable one.
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None of my kitchenware has IP addresses. None.
And it shall remain so.
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The Instant Pot DUO version, 6 quart capacity, is definitely worth it -- I'm a huge fan. This appliance is an automatic pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, can sauté or heat up foods, & can even do popcorn. It is the one appliance that DS has in his college apartment; it has a small footprint & is simple enough that he uses it constantly. Just the pressure cooker function alone will enhance & speed meal prep. Currently this model is selling on Amazon for $114.
The Smart/Bluetooth version of the Instant Pot is much more programmable -- unless you are going to do this, & most people won't, I'd save money & buy the DUO instead.
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I ADORE my IP, but I wasn't willing to pay extra for the Bluetooth. I figure the technology will be replaced long before I'm ready to give up my IP. Not worth it IMO.
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I do not have the Bluetooth. I use my IP all the time for soups and beans, and now DH, who loves gadgets, has discovered it and will be making ribs for dinner. Can't wait!
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I don't have the Bluetooth one, but I love my Instant Pot. I've made rice, sweet potatoes, whole chickens, pulled pork, pot roast, and some one pot chicken thigh dishes with it.
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I have the DUO as well and love it. I will never do rice on my stovetop again and have enjoyed everything else I've made with it.
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Took the ribs after we'd eaten them (delish!) and cooked them and the meat scraps under high pressure for 40 minutes with water, a bouillon cube and trimmings of carrot, celery and onion. Got a gorgeous gelatinous stock, which I am now using, with a bit of chuck steak and some odds and ends of vegetables, to make beef vegetable soup (also 40 minutes under high pressure) for dinner tonight.
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I have the Cusineart pressure cooker. Holy crap I love it! I use it at least 3-4 times a week. Never once thought I needed Bluetooth though.
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We travel full time and live out of hotel rooms. We didnt get the blutooth model, but we love the IP and it is in regular rotation in her hotel kitchen setup. She's taken it to a level where we rarely eat out and are typically dissapointed when we do. Cool machine.
We are have and really love our portable induction burner. You have to buy magnetic skillet/pot etc for it to work, but it doesnt heat anything else up but the pan. Very nice
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I was planning on getting an Instant Pot, but then my grandparents got me a Nuwave induction cook top for Christmas last year, complete with a pressure cooker. I hadn't considered this option before (they got the cooktop for me because they like to use it for fondue!) but it offers a lot of the same functionality as the Instant Pot, so there's no reason for me to get both. It's programmable by temperature and time, so I can very easily sear food before pressure cooking, or set it to turn off automatically in a certain amount of time. It can even change temperatures with the programming, but I haven't had a real need to use that yet.
There are certainly differences between this system and the IP, but I thought I'd mention it in case you hadn't considered an induction system before. It might suit your needs. It's energy efficient but very versatile.
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Wife bought a DUO 2 years ago and it is amazing. Cooks a bajillion things, faster than normal and without the muddiness of flavor that seems to come from a slow cooker. When rushed, we can make a complete meal in roughly 30 seconds of prep and then 15 minutes of cooking which is amazing.
She bought the bluetooth model a few weeks ago because she wanted a 2nd IP, but I'm not sure its actually worth it. The DUO seems fine and is what we use 80% of the time.
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The Instant Pot DUO version, 6 quart capacity, is definitely worth it -- I'm a huge fan. This appliance is an automatic pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, can sauté or heat up foods, & can even do popcorn. It is the one appliance that DS has in his college apartment; it has a small footprint & is simple enough that he uses it constantly. Just the pressure cooker function alone will enhance & speed meal prep. Currently this model is selling on Amazon for $114.
The Smart/Bluetooth version of the Instant Pot is much more programmable -- unless you are going to do this, & most people won't, I'd save money & buy the DUO instead.
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I bought the Smart/Bluetooth version on sale after talking myself into the idea of using the app and programmable recipes and I regret it. I wish I would have skipped the fancy features and just gotten the same Instant Pot for cheaper. I find I play around with most recipes anyway, or adapt recipes I already like to pressure cooking, so the Smart feature isn't helpful for me at all. Skip it.