The Instant Pot has literally saved dinner time, parties, get-togethers and hanger meltdowns for me. I feel somewhat indebted to it, so consider this an ode to the Instant Pot.

Let me preface this post by saying this is not a sponsored post. Instant Pot has not now or ever contacted me regarding partnering (although if they did I’d be overjoyed). I just love it so much and I wanted to share my love of it with you

If you follow me on Instagram (I no joke just typed Instant Gram) you have seen me use my Instant Pot regularly. I even put a tutorial up last week of me making my Mongolian Beef recipe. I was surprised at how many people were so excited to see how it’s used! I tend to take things for granted in the kitchen, so if you ever want a tutorial on something, let me know! I’m always happy to show my tips and tricks, fails, successes, messes and everything in between.

For reference, this is the Instant Pot that I own (affiliate link) there are other options and models and some may look a little different/function a little different. There are always user manuals should you decide to read them 😉

What is an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot is a brand, there are other products that do the same thing, however, this is the only brand I have used (so I’m biased). It is primarily a pressure cooker that usually has other built-in functions like slow cooking, rice cooking, sauteeing and more. It is pretty comparable in price to a slow cooker but I think there is way more value for what you pay for, and it just produces the most amazing instant pot chicken thighs…they’re to die for.

The Instant Pot comes in a few sizes and with a few modalities. There is a 7-in-1, 9-in-1, 10-in-1 and one that allows you to connect to it with your phone’s Bluetooth, talk about space age. I personally don’t even know what my Instant Pot is capable of as I use it primarily in the

It also appears that the 6 Quart, 10-in-1 Instant Pot is the lowest price it’s been in awhile on Amazon, go snag it for yourself! (Affiliate link). #TreaYoSelf

Instant Pot vs. Slow Cooker & Why I Love It

I am seriously considering getting rid of my slow cooker. I never EVER thought I would say that as I was an avid slow cooker user. It seems though, since the purchase of my Instant Pot over 1-1/2 years ago, I rarely (if ever) use my slow cooker. It is currently collecting dust and probably insanely jealous of my love affair with the shiny silver pot that sits next to it.

If you care, here are the top 5 reasons I love my Instant Pot and think it has replaced my slow cooker:

1. Easy to use (once you get comfortable). It can be intimidating at first, but give it time and you’ll be hooked
2. Creates dinner in a pinch. I can get home from the gym at 7 and be eating by 8 latest with minimal work. Dump some ingredients in the pot and boom, dinner is served.
3. Makes meat melt in your mouth. No oke, I don’t know what I was doing before with my life. The Barbacoa Tacos are SO.MUCH.BETTER. in an Instant Pot, as is every other meat dish.
4. You can cook meat from frozen and you won’t even know it was ever frozen. Put frozen chicken in there with some water and spices and pulled chicken is ready to go.
5. It takes up less space than my slow cooker and can even slow cook. That’s right, it can slow cook, hence why I think it’s time to say goodbye to my slow cooker.

Instant Pot 101

Since a lot of people are nervous to use or purchase and Instant Pot, I wanted to give you an easy step by step guide on how to use it. It is simple and fun! Embrace it.

Step 1: Plug in your Instant Pot (and make sure that the cord is fully plugged into the cooker on the bottom back, push hard). This should be a given, but you just never can be too sure.

Step 2: Take the lid off, set aside.

Step 3: Place ingredients in Instant Pot (if you need to saute/brown something first you may need to hold off on adding every single ingredient).
*Note: if you have a leaner cut of meat (i.e chicken breast) and not much liquid from the ingredients, I highly recommend adding ~2Tbsp minimum to allow steam to form and pressure to build.

Step 4: Put lid back on by turning to lock. Ensure that the knob on top is turned to “Sealing” and not to “Venting” we want the pressure to build, not vent quite yet.

Step 5: Choose the function you want (i.e. Meat/Stew, Poultry, etc.) and then adjust time by using the + or – buttons. Don’t press anyting else (I know it’s tempting).

Step 6: At this point, the Instant Pot will beep and say On. It will be pressurizing and no number will appear until it’s time to cook. Numbers will count down when pressurizing has occurred and cooking has began.

Step 7: As soon as the time is up you will here some beep-beep-beeps. Don’t worry this will stop pretty quickly. At this point, you have 2 options, proceed to a or b.

• Step 7a: Flip the knob on top to “Venting” from “Sealing”. BEWARE! The steam will start spewing from the knob and you will wonder if hot lava is coming soon (it’s not). This is the fast release pressure that is for those who are impatient and for meals you don’t want to overcook.
  *Note: If you are more patient, or the meat you are using is a bit tougher (ie. steak) then skip this and go to 7b.
• Step 7b: After the beeps, allow the timer to count up. I usually leave whatever I’m cooking for ~10-15 minutes (depending on when I remember). At this point, if you still can not turn the top off, turn the knob from “Venting” to” Sealing” to release any remaining pressure. Go ahead now and open the top.

Step 8: That’s it! You may need to saute something post cooking per instructions, but the top doesn’t need to go on after that! If you find that your meat is not cooked to your liking, you can re-start the process!

Final Note: I have heard a lot of people say they are scared to use the pressure cooker as they are worried they are going to blow it up. While I cannot say for sure this will never happen, I’m going to go on a limb and say I think it’s not going to happen. There will be sounds and steam that seep out of your Instant Pot as it is pressurizing & cooking, this is normal. Put yor big girl/boy pants on and get cooking!

Pro Tip: set your Instant Pot and walk away. Don’t watch it. It will alert you when it’s finished and will stay on the warming function until you decide to eat, it will be okay!

Need some Instant Pot Inspiration?

Here are some excellent sites with plenty of Instant Pot recipes for your cooking & eating enjoyment!

Damn Delicious

Nom Nom Paleo

PaleOMG

The Real Food Dietitians

& Yours Truly

 

Do you have an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker)? If not, did this help you decide once and for all you need one?!

xoxo,

Sassy

I may be compensated through affiliate links in this post and on this site. However, all opinions are my own. Compensation helps with any expenses needed to keep this blog going.