I believe Betty C did….
While her husband was making her a nice healing batch of soup, I was doing the same. This one to be exact. I made it as spicy as I dared to help fend off a persistent virus.
And it became clear that my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker is not long for this world. The safety release valve has been failing and there is no reliable replacement part available, I suppose due to the age of the cookware. The one they had available, they pulled because it was defective.
So now I’m stuck. I don’t really want to (nor can I really afford at the moment) to pay another $200 for a pressure cooker AND I am intrigued by the electric ones as a more affordable alternative.
My question is: who has an electric pressure cooker (often called instant pots), what brand (Insta Pot seems to be the one all my friends have) and how do you like it? It will be in heavy rotation in my kitchen, so durability is a concern.
Help a cook out if you can…
Bonus puppeh:
As I’ve been writing this, the ducks keep wandering past my window. Probably looking for a warm spot in the sun. I get the feeling they are blaming me for the cold snap.
Happy New Year!
Jerzy Russian
I guess they figure blaming Obama seems pointless and silly.
ETA: How cold does it have to be before the ducks say “fuck a duck, it is cold out here!!”?
schrodingers_cat
I have an old school pressure cooker by Hawkins, the same brand my mom used to use, it was a gift by my friend, she got it for me from Canada. I mainly use it for lentils and dal (hulled lentils) and to boil potatoes.
Mnemosyne
My friends love their InstaPots so much that I’m tempted to replace my crockpot with one. If nothing else, cleaning the liner would be much easier since it’s stainless steel and not ceramic.
Thom Rogers
Insta Pot hands down. And a great price at Amazon.
schrodingers_cat
@Mnemosyne: I am behind the times, I guess, I just bought a slow cooker recently. I was going to buy an Instapot if I had not received the pressure cooker as a gift.
TaMara (HFG)
@Jerzy Russian: They’ve been putting themselves to bed at about 7 pm (nice, toasty nesting box with 6 inches of straw) any night it’s below 20 degrees. Otherwise, I have to chase them down and carry them to bed.
Roger Moore
I got an Instant Pot recently, and I’ve been pretty pleased with it overall. The ability to serve as both a pressure cooker and a slow cooker/keep warm pot is very handy. And the electric models are much easier to deal with than the stovetop style. They adjust the thermostat automatically to keep the pressure in the right range, so there’s no need to fiddle with the setting on the stove to balance between letting the pressure drop and having too much steam coming out the release valve. Being able to set it and forget it rather than be constantly tending things is a huge benefit.
waspuppet
Instant Pot is great. Actually, I use mine about 90% as a slow cooker.
the Reverend Lowdown
My GF and I went with a Cuisinart. We made some good food in it. After a year, the rubber seal went bad. It’s replaceable and all but everyone that we know has the Instapots that they love and I haven’t heard of any problems with them. We might just go that route as well.
Mike J
I’ve only yet made two things in my pot, risotto one night and pulled pork the next. Both came out great and with much less time and effort than otherwise. 7 minute risotto, pulled pork in an hour. Note that the pork was not of the same quality as digging a pit and cooking a pig for several days, but it was as good as using a crock pot.
JMG
Alice swears by her Instant Pot. It makes great risotto. It’s also amazing for making chicken stock.
Mnemosyne
@schrodingers_cat:
My family always had crockpots, so mine is about 12 years old. Pressure cooking wasn’t a big thing when I was growing up in my part of the Midwest, so I never learned how to do it. I like that the InstaPot can apparently do both functions, which is what makes it tempting. ?
Another Scott
My dad had an electric Sears pressure cooker that he used every Sunday to make a dinner of pinto beans for us kids. He must have bought it before the late ’60s. Never had any problems with it.
I’ve briefly looked at the Instant Pot things, but I honestly don’t cook enough to make it worthwhile. E.g. I cook rice in the microwave (Rice setting on the Panasonic). I’m making a pot of mixed dried beans now (soaked overnight, simmered about 3 hours, adding some pork loin shortly), but only do that about once a year.
I’ve got a slow cooker that I use even less. :-/
Let us know what you get. Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
Jay Noble
@Mike J: That whole digging a pit thing and throwing a body into seems to upset the neighbors . . .
:-)
TaMara (HFG)
@Another Scott: Interesting thing is, I actually bought my pressure cooker when I realized there was no way to cook beans at altitude. No matter how long you soaked and cooked them they were….crunchy. Pressure cooker solved that. Then I was hooked on the things it could do.
Catherine D.
My mother’s latest Instant Pot has problems with the browning and keep warm functions. I’m looking at two other brands.
ETA – I have a Ninja multifunction that I love for slow cooking, but I’d like to add a faster option.
TaMara (HFG)
One of the features I like about the Insta Pot is the stainless steel pan – most of the others I’ve looked at have aluminum. Which I try not to cook in and sounds less durable.
Ruckus
@Jay Noble:
You have two options.
1. Have a big enough farm that the neighbors can’t see. (Also if their farm is big enough they may be more worried about you seeing them than the opposite)
2. Invite the neighbors to the cookout. That way they won’t be suspicious.
Juice Box
I have an Instant Pot. It’s okay, but I tend to pull out the stovetop pressure cooker in preference. The stovetop comes up to pressure faster and reaches a higher pressure so that it cooks faster. I got rid of the old slow cooker when I received the IP and mostly use the IP as a replacement as well as a yogurt maker. I just cook rice in a saucepan because it takes no more time than the IP and it works a bit better for small amounts.
The IP has a stainless steel cooking pot while the other brands generally have non-stick linings. One minor problem with the IP is the silicone gasket. Unlike the rubber gasket on a regular PC, it picks up odors. That doesn’t affect what you’re cooking, but it bothers some people.
Pharniel
Our Insta Pot was ~$70 on sale.
It’s been pretty solid so far – I mostly use it for rice but have also done ribs, stock, roast, and oatmeal and it’s not thrown any issues our way.
donnah
I love my Instant Pot! I’ve made incredible mac and cheese with it, quick, cheesy, and creamy. I’ve enjoyed great pot roasts and stuffed chicken breasts. It’s easy to learn how to use and it saves so much time.
I know you can get tons of recipes online, but I found a wealth of them in Great Food Fast by Bob Warden. It’s got a variety of tasty, simple recipes that I’ve loved.
I got my Instant Pot a couple of years ago online because they weren’t in stores, but now they’re easier to find. Totally recommend!
Another Scott
@TaMara (HFG): Ah, yes things are different at altitude – I’d forgotten that little detail ;-) We’re about 50 feet above sea level here.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
bemused senior
At age 69 I have reached small appliance overload. My daughter’s family lives with us, so I have her small appliances (including a nice slow cooker) available as well as mine. Perhaps I’d buy an IP if I didn’t already have a traditional pressure cooker and my daughter’s slow cooker and an old timey yoghurt maker and a very old “crock pot” received as a wedding present.
Roger Moore
@Jay Noble:
It helps if you invite them over for the barbecue before digging the pit.
normal liberal
As Catherine D. noted above, check into the reliability of bells and whistles. I bought a fairly expensive Breville version, the “Fast Slow Cooker,” or close. It worked beautifully until the LCD panel died, making it impossible to use the controls or program the thing. This may have been a supply chain problem, as a microwave from the brand bought at the same time had the same issue, but was usable without the LCD.
Since I just became a one-person household, I’m looking at the 3 qt. instant pot, the slightly older model with buttons rather than fully electronic controls. I’m still mulling. Sur la Table has a 4-qt. model from a Spanish company, but made in China like all the rest.
Downpuppy
Safety? Screw that. Back in the day,when a relief valve would wear out, we’d just get a big bolt & nut, and make a washer out of a wine cork.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Amazon runs a special on these almost every week. Right now the 6 quart one is $119 (I just checked).
Adam L Silverman
@TaMara (HFG): Just sent you an email with a bunch of options. Prices ranging from $119 for an InstaPot to about $70 for a T-Fal.
Adam L Silverman
@Jay Noble: Not if the body is the neighbor’s. Cuts down on the complaining.
Steve in the ATL
@Mike J: pulled pork? You can take the boy out of Memphis but….
Roger Moore
@TaMara (HFG):
You should be able to cook beans in Colorado without need for a pressure cooker. I’ve regularly cooked them in my sous vide setup at 88C, which is below the boiling point of water even in Leadville. Of course that requires cooking overnight, so it’s possible that you just didn’t let it go for long enough.
Wag
I got an insta pot for Christmas and am looking forward to trying it out this evening. Going s try some bbq Wings.
Later this week we’ll try this. https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/instant-pot-butter-chicken/
dnfree
I got an Instant Pot (6 quart) for Christmas. Started off slow, making a rice/beans/tomato recipe with brown rice. It came out well and the rice was correctly cooked. I understand it is very good for beans (dried), but I haven’t tried that yet. You can buy (and in fact it’s suggested to buy) extra gaskets so I just ordered a set of two for about $15, free shipping.
Steve in the ATL
@Adam L Silverman: that’s what I got. So far have only made rice (first try was not as good as my stovetop rice) and carnitas (awesome, and so easy).
Share some recipes, please! And bear in mind that I don’t eat red meat.
Windpond
I highly recommend only theI nstant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer. The learning curve is a bit involved at first, but totally worth the effort.
TaMara (HFG)
@Roger Moore: Your version of cooking and my version of cooking are VASTLY different. ;-)
TaMara (HFG)
I think based on your experiences and my friends, it will be an instant pot Duo. But right now they are much higher priced than earlier and mostly out of stock. So I’ll wait until a good sale (hear that Kuhn, hang in there for a while longer). Thanks everyone.
Adam L Silverman
@Steve in the ATL: I don’t have one. I’ve just noticed they’re on discount at Amazon all the time. I make rice without any issues on the stovetop. I don’t make enough soup or stew or chili to justify the counter space at this point. So I’ve got no recipes to share. Sorry.
lurkypants
If you do get an Instant Pot, a couple of tips:
1) Buy an extra insert — they’re not that expensive, and it helps if you have several things that need cooking in succession, or your insert is soaking in the sink;
2) Buy extra silicone gaskets and designate one for savory foods and one for sweet foods.
Olivia
My daughter in law has an Instant Pot and she loves it. My daughter bought me a Cuisnart electric pressure cooker several years ago. I never used it much, maybe 10 times, and not at all for the last 4 years. I dug it out recently to make some soup and while the cooker works fine, the digital control doesn’t. So I can’t get it up to pressure or keep it at a constant temp. I have used regular pressure cookers for 40 years and aside from my cast iron fry pans, my pressure cooker gets used more than anything else. I have a Fagor (not electric) that I love and it works perfectly. I am thinking about getting a new one because I noticed that they have one with a regular cover for when you aren’t using pressure.
Tarragon
If you’re coming from a real pressure cooker it’s important to know that the Instant Pot does not get up to the same pressure and temperature. It is specifically not hot enough for pressure canning.
NYCMT
I don’t like Instant Pots because of the inscrutable and unreliable electronic subassembies.My pair of Fagor spring valve pressure cookers (duo and Splendid) that have soldiered on for fifteen years and as long as I have heat, I have cooking power.
Fr33d0m
As I see it, if you use your pressure cooker allot at multiple pressures, or use it for canning, then stick with old school, otherwise the IP is a good multi-tasker. It helps that the cost is relatively low.
HeleninEire
LOL. This blog needs a “there’s a new thread post” to alert us. Yutsano and I practically got married at the end of the last post and y’all missed it! Cuz it was an hour ago!
Gravenstone
After some reluctance (I vividly recall a pressure cooker blowing its lid when I was a little kid – fortunately no on close so no injuries, but gods what a mess) I bought the Instant Pot Smart (essentially, the Duo with an added Bluetooth app) a couple of months ago. Only used it a handful of times so far, but I love it. Still feeling my way around some of the recipes (pulled pork could have used a few more minutes under pressure, not as pull apart as I prefer, for example). The removable SS pot is wonderful and easy to clean. For the commenter above who took issue with the silicone pressure seal, those are designed to be replaceable, so accumulating odors should not be an issue. And if the prices are indeed coming down, then now might be an opportune time.
TaMara (HFG)
@NYCMT: My Kuhn is almost 20 years old and I loved it, hate to seeing it become unusable. The Fagor Duo looks like a good model…my only temptation with the electric is the ability to walk away and let it do its thing.
TaMara (HFG)
@Tarragon: I have heard that…I’m not sure what it means for regular cooking (mostly pot roasts, soups, potatoes and rice) but luckily, I don’t can and even back when I did it, I was never brave enough to pressure can.
trollhattan
Knowing nothing about the brand I googled and found Williams Sonoma has good pricing on a few Instant Pot models at present.
For this general sort of appliance I heartily recommend looking at Zojirushi brand. They make very capable, high-quality stuff.
mvr
@TaMara (HFG): I don’t know if this is helpful, but depending on the model you might find a used token of your current pot on eBay and swap out the part, at least if you like the one you have.
Roger Moore
@bemused senior:
Sounds to me as if you’re the perfect market for an Instant Pot, since getting one would let you get rid of several of the appliances you currently have.
Another Scott
@TaMara (HFG): CamelCamelCamel is your friend if you are looking for historical prices at Amazon, and want to know if their current price is a good deal or not.
it looks like the 6-quart Black Friday price was $75.
Cheers,
Scott.
delk
Instant Pot. Makes decent risotto and turns beef stew meat into butter. Been happy so far with it.
jacque strapp
My wife writes about food for a living, so our Instant Pot gets used quite a bit, several times a week at least. We’ve had it for I think 2 years now with no trouble.
jeffreyw
Made hoppin’ john in my instapot today.
Alain the site fixer
Instant Pots are awesome. I miss mine I left in Colorado, but with so much gear (and two stovetop pressure cookers), I just haven’t been able to justify buying another. And now that I’ve inherited my mom’s considerable kitchen gear, I have realized that I’ll never get one unless I buy a vacation home somewhere or a camper/RV!
MattF
@trollhattan: I’ve got a Zojirushi rice cooker, and it cooks perfect rice– white or brown– as well as oatmeal, beans, other grains (barley, quinoa, etc.) I’m a fan– but that said, I wouldn’t use it to cook meat, and there’s no pressure cooking.
debbie
The guy in the ad up top selling stretch sets is creepy looking. I can’t imagine that would help sales much.
Catherine D.
I can’t deal with stovetop pressure cookers – too many childhood memories of pea soup on the ceiling ?
ETA I love Zojirushi products, but it doesn’t look as if they make pressure cookers.
charluckles
We use our InstaPot several times a week and I just bought one for my folks for Christmas. The best new kitchen tool in sometime.
satby
I had a stovetop pressure cooker I seldom used because cleaning it was such a pain. I got the Instant Pot (Duo I think, the one that makes yogurt too) and I’ve used it more in two months than I had used the other one in the last 5 years. The insert fits in the dishwasher, or washes out fast and easily in the sink. I do really like mine too. Also got it on Amazon on one of the sales.
Lyrebird
Have used a competitor to the Instant Pot at a relative’s house, not a huge fan.
If you’re used to regular pressure cookers, can you get over to an Indian or Pakistani grocery store? I think I got my first pressure cooker (given to a friend when I moved, sfaik still working great) at a now-defunct store on Wilson Blvd in NoVa. $40 maybe??? Replaced the rubber gasket once for $10?
trollhattan
@Catherine D.:
This is supposedly a pressure rice cooker, I can’t tell whether it can be used for other things. Being an induction cooker I’ll guess it’s pretty costy.
I just love their products.
Kristine
@TaMara (HFG): I have to chase down my husky mix no matter how cold it is outside. I’m in NE Illinois. It’s been cold of late, with 20-30 below F wind chills. And she won’t come when called because she wants to stay outside so I suit up and go get her and it’s obvious that she’s cold but too stubborn to come indoors. Because critters that she can chase come out at night and if she can’t chase them, then Life Has No Meaning.
Waratah
@Mike J: Thank you I wanted to know if the instapot made good risotto. Now I know what I want to spend my money gifts on.
eclare
@Kristine: I have witnessed my dog make the most efficient backyard bathroom breaks I have ever seen…currently 20, low tonight is 8. But she is a Staffie Bull Terrier, so not much fur.
waspuppet
@Juice Box: Yeah, I find that if you follow the instructions/measurements to the letter when cooking rice, it comes out absolutely perfecto. But I’ve tried a couple of times to make smaller amounts, and can’t get the proportions right.
I don’t know whether you have a dishwasher, but a lot of people don’t know the plastic ring can go in there.
Overall, I love my Instant Pot, though as I said above I use it as a slow cooker about 90%.
Kay (not the front pager)
After an exploding pressure cooker caused broken light bulbs in the ceiling, third degree burns from shoulder to wrist, skin grafts and repeated revision surgeries, I cannot recommend any pressure cooker.
Manyakitty
Boyfriend bought me an 8-qt Power Cooker Plus, which I take is a direct competitor to the InstaPot it comes with a nonstick insert. I used it to make roasted boneless, skinless chicken breasts and potatoes. It also has a useful sautee setting. According the the manual, it reaches the necessary heat and pressure for canning. I’m currently turning the leftovers from my last (okay, only) adventure into stovetop soup. I added some veal sausage, barley, and dried shiitakes. Good day for soup everywhere, I guess.
eclare
@Kay (not the front pager): Oh gosh, I can understand that. Sounds awful.
Feathers
I know that people used to “real” pressure cookers are often disappointed by the instant pot, but I really like mine. One thing to note is that it really doesn’t have the same temps as a standard pressure or slow cooker. I just use recipes written for the instant pot, but I am not a finicky cook, so you may be disappointed. If you want to keep all of your old recipes and not rework, I’d go the EBay route mentioned above.
Catherine D.
@trollhattan:
I make risotto in my Zo breadmaker on the jam setting. Stirs and I don’t have to!
LAO
@eclare: I’m laughing because my staffy/beagle mix simply refuses to go out in this horrible freezing cold. She’s a real princess.
TaMara, I’m a huge fan of the instant pot but I’m a crap cook.
orchid moon
Got an Instant Pot recently, and it’s great. Finally kicked my 44 year old pressure cooker to the curb. I love that you don’t have to monitor it, and that it goes to warm when completed. The cookbooks for the Instant Pot have been hit or miss, in my opinion.
trollhattan
@Catherine D.:
Really? We have one (the large model with two paddles). Must investigate!
eclare
@LAO: Oh, I have to walk out there too, and tempt her with her special treat: a Cheeto.
Mike Noordijk
This inexpensive pressure cooker has been great. Also induction compatible. NuWave 31201 Pressure Cooker, 6.5 quart, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0170LT3VS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MgRsAbKXE9J11
LAO
@eclare: I live in an apartment, she’ll let me put on her coat, put wax on her paws, walk to the elevators, get on the elevator and enthusiastically greet the doorman. At that point, all cooperation ceases and she plants her 35+ pounds self and refuses to budge. I’ll pick her up but then she just stares me down. You can take a dog outside to pee but you can’t make her pee.
PS using a Cheeto is brilliant.
Dia
Got the family a Breville Fast Slow Pro based on reviews in seriouseats.com. The computer interface makes it especially easy to use, but when the Breville’s suggested settings diverge from Kenji Alt-Lopez’s on seriouseats.com,, use his suggestions & not the machines defaults. I recommend it
eclare
@LAO: Yes, I am aware of how stubborn terriers can be, nothing like 35-45 pounds of dead weight. Some of the best advice I ever got from a trainer, make one treat an extra special treat. She only gets one Cheeto for going outside when it is cold, she gets several when she goes into her crate when “mama has to go to work”. Not any other time, ever. She loves them, and they are cheap.
Sab
@Kay (not the front pager): That’s terrible. TaMara warned me a year ago not to try to learn how to use my mother’s 70 year old Revereware pressure cooker.
J R in WV
My late grandma used a pressure cooker a whole lot. Even though one afternoon something got stuck in the main steam outlet, the one with the little weight bobbing back and forth. She was in the living room doing a crossword puzzle when the safety plug came out, and 3 quarts of vegetable-beef-tomato soup wound up on the kitchen ceiling!
No one was harmed, and she took the pressure cooker lid to a hardware store and they installed a new safety plug in it. The kitchen ceiling was odd until she had it painted by a pro who knew how to seal the old surface before putting the ceiling white coats on. The tomato kept bleeding through grandma’s paint jobs.
I imagine it would have been all different if she had been standing there when the action started. Although if she had been standing there, she would have noticed the rocker wasn’t going phut-phut-phut any more. I think a tomato seed may have gotten up into the primary escape valve…
If I intend to cook dried garbanzos I need to use the pressure cooker – soaking them you still need to cook them for hours and hours. Once I was going to take humus to a picnic, just nope. Still hard little lumps when pintos would have been really soft. Navy beans are the next hardest, need a long soak AND a long cooking cycle, OR a pressure cooker.
trollhattan
@J R in WV:
Mom had a tomato paste can explode on the can opener and we were finding tomato blobs for a decade afterward.
Kitchens should be wrapped in “caution” tape.
LAO
@eclare: I’m going to have to give that a try. Thanks. (I gave up on the crate 9 months ago and installed a gate, less complaints about her baying ?).
eclare
@LAO: I use the puffy Cheetos, not the crunchy.
Kristine
@eclare: @LAO
My Gaby’s part terrier, which explains a lot.
I need to try the special treat trick. Chicken or turkey breast meat might work.
Chris Whitehead
A guy I used to work with recently wrote a book/cookbook about instant pots, “How to Instant Pot.” His web site is willitwaffle.com, and if it’s anything like his first book it’s a helpful, fun read. I’m pretty sure he evaluated a few pots on his blog a while back, but of course I can’t find it. Will post again if I do.
matt
I have Instant Pot – the brand is Instant Pot, not Instapot. It is amazingly good, and I use it several times a week. Saves me a ton of time.
SgrAstar
@Thom Rogers: Instant Pot.
Jay S
Be aware that there are several 6 quart models of Instant pot with different features. The 6 in one lacks the handy holes in the handles to stand the lid and hold it out of the way when open that the newer models have and no yogurt maker cycle (I use that in my 7 in 1 in the rice ferment mode for a bread dough rising environment.) The 6 in 1 is usually what the discount department stores carry for $60-90, but I would and did go a step up. An extra liner would be great but I don’t have a place to store one. I haven’t kept up with the newer ones but most of the cycles are just presets and can be ignored, you can just use manual settings for pressure cooking. As noted not for canning unless explicitly stated.
Jay S
I checked model names and the 6 in 1 is from the Lux series, and you are looking for a Duo, so you have already eliminated the low end Lux.
MaryLou
This site (DadCooksDinner), https://www.dadcooksdinner.com, has great reviews of and recipes for pressure cookers and the Insta-Pot. He loves his Insta-Pot. I don’t think you’d go wrong with that purchase.
Jim Bales
We, too, have an Instant Pot. We, too, love it!
It has led to home-made hummus, home-made “refried” beans (never actually fried, but you would never know), soups, etc. The wife loves to use it to hard boil eggs that turn out to be the easiest to peel.
Fast, and so simple that even a Physicist like me can use it ;-)
Best
Jim
pseudonymous in nc
Another happy Instant Pot owner, though I also have the Fagor Duo as an old-school stovetop pressure cooker. Use it for steaming, rice/grains, beans, the works, though not meat because we’re veggie here.
They make a smaller version too now, which is good if you have limited space or are cooking smaller quantities than make sense in that big pot.
O. Felix Culpa
Love my instant pot. It’s especially good for cooking beans. I used it yesterday to cook wild rice for a soup and it did a great job. It’s also nice because you can saute in the pot prior to using it as a slow cooker.
TaMara (HFG)
Thanks everyone !
Plarry
I have an Instant Pot 7 in 1 and a Kuhn-Rikon Pressure Cooker for the stovetop. I haven’t used the K-R since I got the IP; the great thing about the latter is that you don’t have to monitor it. One of the earlier commenters pointed out that it is slower in coming up to temperature than a stovetop model, and that is true; also, the saute mode is perhaps not as hot as what you’d get on the stovetop. But the convenience of putting everything in the pot, setting the time, and forgetting about it is awesome.
Using it as a slower cooker and a rice cooker is great, too. I haven’t used all the modes yet, but everything I’ve tried works well. The fact that all removable components are dishwasher safe is another bonus. Highly recommended.
May
Yes, instant pot! I cook all the time and really don’t like old pressure cookers, but this does that and so much more. I may give away my crock pot or keep it for big parties. Also, yes about the beans. Instant pot and beans is the best.
chopper
fagor has made good electric multi cookers for decades. solid brand. kuhn pressure cookers are good but are a bit sensitive if you ask me.
Jane2
I have an Instant Pot and I love it. I’ve had a pressure cooker for years, and find that the IP does it all as well. I steam, sauté, pressure cook, and slow cook in it…not into using it for yogurt or baking.
singing truth to power
Fagor makes a high-quality and reliable non-electric pressure cooker. They also make a very good electric multi-cooker (I have one), as does Secura (my daughter has that one). My favorite is still my manual Kuhn Rikon. Super reliable, and faster than the electrics.
RetrieverMom
Instapot. I opted for the 8 qt because I make big batches of soup to freeze. I used the pressure cooking, slow cooking, steaming and sauteeing features. I love it! Mine is used at least 3 times a week. I bought the optional glass lid for slow cooking. So far so good! Put my pressure cooker, rice cooker and slow cooker in the basement and have more room in the pantry!
baquist
Very late to the party, but I adore my Instant Pot. It lives on my countertop; I use it at least every other day and usually daily. Soup, rice, beans, slow cooking, stew, steamer, easy peel hard boiled eggs, and so on and so forth. I highly recommend it. If and when mine dies from its workload it will be replaced immediately.
singing truth to power
@trollhattan: I can’t speak highly enough about Zojirushi products. My first was a smaller bread machine about 5 years ago. It is a whiz, and makes a 1# loaf that works well for a small household. Next came a rice maker with a brain, that even makes sprouted brown rice, that is really good for you (although I can’t right now say why). Most recently, I got a travel mug, which is better than any mug I’ve had in many decades of making coffee. Keeps it hot forever, is more spill and leak-proof than any other I’ve had. Go, Zoji!!! Make more stuff to tempt me!
singing truth to power
@J R in WV: I’m a pretty decent cook, and have used dried beans a lot, but dried garbanzos and I don’t get along. They defy me. I long ago gave up and now use good canned garbanzos for hummus now. Just rinse them really well, and they lose any remnant of that canned smell/taste.