Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen
Is an instantpot worth getting? why or why not?
1  2  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 6:07 pm
I don't have a lot of extra room for storage, but is an instantpot worth getting? What do you like and dislike about it and does it really save a lot of time if you have to wait for pressure to equalize after? What do you use an instant pot for if your is pareve or meat? I've been on the fence for the past few years about it, should I get one?
Back to top

amother
Red


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 6:08 pm
I bought it on Black Friday two or three years ago and have used it precisely twice. As you said, the whole pressure thing makes it counterproductive for me. That being said, since I have it, maybe I'll try it again one of these days.
Back to top

tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 6:08 pm
I like it but wouldn’t recommend it if you want to save time. Not a real time saver for me. Quicker to broil or roast things
Back to top

mha3484




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 6:22 pm
I like it. I think that there are some foods that come out better tasting when cooked via pressure versus braising on the stove. Its super helpful for shabbos and yomtov prep. I like the set and forget aspect where you can put ingredients in and go off and do something else and not worry about the pot boiling over but food can take a long time to cook its not a magic solution.
Back to top

alef12




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 6:29 pm
Yes!!!!!
You can make things that normally take many hours or all day in a fraction of the time and often with better results. What it is NOT is a replacement for a slow cooker. It is a pressure cooker, but one you can just set and walk away as opposed to the stove top ones I was using before.
I've been making an effort to share more on my Instagram (I'm @homegrownkosher on IG if you're on there and want to take a look) when I use it since I get asked all the time what I use it for. It REALLY shines for soups, stews and tough meats.

Today, for example, I made super smooth pea soup. Usually takes 4-5 hours of cooking to get them smooth (I HATE "piecy" split pea soup, when the split peas stay hard). It was 25 minutes at pressure which really took like an hour and half until it finished and I got around to releasing the last of the pressure but I didn't have to babysit it at all. (On the stovetop it burns if I don't constantly stir it) and it was way faster than the stove top method.

I made AMAZING ribs the other week. Like the type that normally take all day in the oven or on the stovetop. Fall off the bone tender.

I make chicken stock all the time. Use it as a base in all my soups and lots of other things. Takes all day on the stove. Takes less than 3 hours total in the instant pot.

I could go on Smile
Get the 8 qt not the 6 imho
Back to top

youngishbear




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 7:28 pm
Two favorite uses:

1 - putting up a soup before work and coming home to it done to perfection. Chicken soup, bean soup, vegetable soup, etc. No babysitting required, and it keeps it warm for hours once the cooking part is done.

2 - freezer-to-table basic chicken and potatoes in an hour. The pressure cooking ensures thoroughly cooked chicken even if I forgot to defrost it beforehand (and if you knew me at all, you'd know that was the default setting).

Because it doesn't lose moisture like regular cooking, it's good for many things that would require me to make sure it doesn't dry out during the process, like meatloaf. It is definitely faster than cooking for some things, though not others. I once used it to cook a perfect cholent very close to shabbos (and transferred to a pot afterwards because I don't know how or if it can be used on shabbos).
Back to top

trixx




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 7:50 pm
I've made shabbos in it in 3 hours (and soup last and left to cook). Gefilte, rice, mashed potatoes, beets for salad, hard boiled eggs, chicken soup, bone broth... It sat in the closet for a year bc I was scared of it but it's the best thing now. I don't even use for soups and stews and I still get so much use out of it
Back to top

Nadja




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 7:54 pm
I have one, but have hardly used it...
Back to top

amother
cornflower


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 7:58 pm
I bought one a couple years ago..... It's sitting and had never been used. Personally wouldn't spend money on it....
Back to top

amother
Babyblue


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 8:00 pm
Bought one cause all the hype, but have used it maybe 3 times. I assume that if I would know how to use the machine and have the exact recipe handy, I may use more often. Also, lazy to take out and pack away as its a big klutz
Back to top

amother
Teal


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 8:20 pm
Yes yes yes!!
I literally make everything in it! Life saver device. Make my whole shabbos in it. Fish, Soup, eggs, chulent, chicken , meat, compote ... Cooked my whole pesach in a diff one ( with corona and kids home and sick and never made pesach...) use it in avg 3-4 days a wk.
Love it !
Back to top

amother
Aquamarine


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 9:03 pm
I have one and it’s extremely convenient when I need something cooked quickly. I get home at 4 and then start supper. It’s worked very well for the things I’ve tried, but it has to be for a recipe that has liquid and is supposed to end up very soft.


Does anyone have any recipes to post? I love using mine when I can, but I haven’t figured out that many things to make in it.
Back to top

liveandlove.ima




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 9:21 pm
MIL swears by it! personally don't have one but her food is really good and tasty and she makes them express
Back to top

amother
Olive


 

Post Mon, Nov 23 2020, 9:24 pm
I love and use my instant pot multiple times per week for over a year now.

I really hesitated on this purchase. One, I remembered the dangers of old school pressure cookers and I was a bit terrified. (This pot is super safe idiot proof though - so no worries there). Two, it's big and bulky and I worried I might regret giving space over to this monster. (It's still big and bulky and I can't see the point of buying a smaller, lower capacity one - but it more than earns it's space).

When I first got this it was mainly a chicken soup maker. I then branched into other soups. Eventually I figured out the timing to make many more things. Fall off the bone ribs and chicken, steamed veggies, stews, even pasta.

Everyone raves about the reduced cooking time but honestly I don't know how reduced it really is. For me it's more not having to stand around watching a pot scared it will boil over and make a mess. That's the great big plus for me.
Back to top

devo1982




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2020, 12:49 pm
youngishbear wrote:
Two favorite uses:
2 - freezer-to-table basic chicken and potatoes in an hour. The pressure cooking ensures thoroughly cooked chicken even if I forgot to defrost it beforehand (and if you knew me at all, you'd know that was the default setting).

Because it doesn't lose moisture like regular cooking, it's good for many things that would require me to make sure it doesn't dry out during the process, like meatloaf. It is definitely faster than cooking for some things, though not others. I once used it to cook a perfect cholent very close to shabbos (and transferred to a pot afterwards because I don't know how or if it can be used on shabbos).


#2 is my favorite part about it and why it's better than a slow cooker, IMHO. I am not organized enough to remember to pre-defrost the meat for the slow cooker, then set it up overnight. Definitely not organized enough to get it set up in the AM before heading out the door. Pressure cooker removes both of those constraints, so where I used my slow cooker maybe five times in the years I owned it, I use my IP constantly. But I would think about what you cook and how you cook to see if it makes sense for you.
Back to top

FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2020, 1:10 pm
An Instantpot makes sense if you are a very frugal shopper. Cheaper cuts of meat, dried beans, etc. all come out so much better when cooked under pressure.

Bone broth is extremely healthy, and you can save up all your leftover chicken bones in the freezer until you have enough to do a big batch. Add vegetable peels, onion skins, and other bits and ends that you've kept in the freezer, and you'll have a really tasty soup base. Since it's literally zero waste, you are getting free soup!

Cooking dried beans, peas, lentils, and chick peas are all much more affordable than buying canned. If your family likes hummus, you can make a big batch all at once, and it will be silky smooth. Storing dried beans takes up a lot less space than a bunch of cans, so that space can be used to store the Instantpot.

You can make really moist parve cornbread, instead of it coming out all dry and crumbly. Just use your favorite recipe, but cook it under pressure according to directions.

White potatoes and sweet potatoes cook in no time at all. Then you can dice them, toss with olive oil and spices, and put them in the oven to roast for a few minutes just before serving. Otherwise they'd be in the oven for hours, and you'd still have hard pieces with burnt edges.

If you want to use fresh pumpkin (not canned) to make pumpkin pie, the pot is the best way to get a soft puree.

Basically, anything hard or tough becomes tender, and you keep most of the nutrients from cooking out.
Back to top

Tzippy323




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 24 2020, 11:03 pm
I purchased an instant pot today at a very good price (Black Friday deal). I want to use it for pareve things because in addition I will be preparing my jams and jellies in it so I can do my canning without waiting all day for my fruits and stocks (vegetable, celery, onion) cooking. What other pareve things could I make in this? Cake? Suggestions please.
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Nov 25 2020, 4:16 pm
Is it worth getting the brand name or are there good knock off brands and which?
Back to top

amother
Natural


 

Post Wed, Nov 25 2020, 6:34 pm
I think its a must in every yiddisha home I had a 6 qt just bought an 8 qt needed cause it had different features...I work all week with no cleaning help and kids home.... for example this shabbos im having guest about 12 people so yesterday night made my chicken soup in one pot an other my roast today will make my chulent in one other some bottoms for the kids its not burning everything comes out soft and delicious....
Back to top

amother
Outerspace


 

Post Wed, Jan 12 2022, 1:48 pm
Just bumping this up. Curious if the hype of instant pop from a few years ago was worth it. I know I'm late to the game but ollooking for time saving devices to help in kitchen.I work out of home and im not otorganzied. Lookin for things to simplify and speed up my cooking after work.
Back to top
Page 1 of 2 1  2  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Why does everyone hate on Maaser so much?
by amother
44 Today at 3:54 pm View last post
S/o why seminaries ask if a girl was in therapy PSA
by amother
30 Yesterday at 12:31 am View last post
How to go about getting paid on maternity leave
by amother
20 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 11:29 pm View last post
hates getting dressed/undressed
by amother
5 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 10:33 pm View last post
Why do day camps start so late this year???
by amother
7 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:45 pm View last post