The Instant Pot – My Thoughts One Year later…..

18 Nov

The Instant Pot was such a huge craze around Black Friday 2017 – I had kind of passed it over before that. I’m not a huge fan of cooking, and I don’t like all my food to be mushy….my slow cooker has been collecting dust for years.

Until my friend Erin told me to get one – and if I didn’t like it she would buy it from me. Such a strange, yet intriguing endorsement. She loved hers that much and knew I would too.

So, I picked one up at an Early Black Friday sale, a 6qt for I think around $80. Wasn’t too sure on sizes, so just got the one that was on sale. It was NOT love at first sight! I made my husband test it, then made him use it the entire weekend. It scared me – it comes to pressure, it hisses, it releases steam like crazy. It wasn’t until I was home alone one day and feeling sick and decided to make soup that I got comfortable with it – and then totally, madly fell in love.

Happy to report that a year later, the love affair is going strong. Maybe even stronger every day! I often feel like I’m a salesperson for them, I talk it up so much!

Here’s a weird thing to admit – before buying the IP, I can’t remember ever really eating broccoli. Maybe once in a blue moon, with cheese somewhere? Now, it’s on my weekly rotation at Costco – and I go through the whole bag, every week! I use it in broccoli cheddar soup – I could eat that every day! But I also just steam it in the IP, and kiddo asks if I’m making the good broccoli and then she eats it all? So….that’s worth $80 right there!

I don’t make too many of the recipes you see online, I tried a lot, and they were ok – but I mostly prefer for soups and stews etc.

Another fun fact – you use a lot of broth with the IP – it needs liquid to get to pressure. The first while I was just buying boxes of stock, and more and more. Felt like every time I was at the store I was picking more up – I did find a few good sales, but it got tedious. And not too flavourful. Til I figured out how easy it is to make in the IP! Here’s my recipe for Stock in the Instant Pot – I’m always amazed at how much you can get out of an $8 rotisserie chicken!

So, apart from soup – we’ve made ribs, meatloaf, all kinds of rice dishes, pastas, super yummy and easy risotto, stews with frozen meat that ends up fall apart tender and on and on and on. Some stuff you cook does need to be crisped up in the oven for a few minutes, but not too often and not too big of a deal.

I found in summer I didn’t use it as much – pulled it out to boil eggs and things that I’ve found so easy in the IP – but once it started to cool down a bit, I find it out on the counter all the time.

I like how you don’t have to preplan everything. You get home, throw in what you have including frozen meat and you’re eating pretty soon. I make soups with things I froze this summer, zucchini, tomatoes, cheap turkey meats I cooked and froze etc – and start to finish they’re ready in under a half hour. Without thawing anything.

I don’t know how much it has saved us in the last year – but I’d say about a ton. 🙂 We eat out way less often, if you’re in a rush when you get home you can still make something quick and easy and healthy – and just things like making stock and soups saves you a fortune. So much healthier too! OH – and did I mention chocolate lava cakes! Yum!!!

So, if you’re debating one til Black Friday – I say go for it!! Don’t be scared, read the booklet and go nuts. Just check which size would work best for you – there’s 3, 6 or 8 quart.

And find me on Facebook as I’ll be posting all the best Instant Pot deals I find!

 

2 Replies to “The Instant Pot – My Thoughts One Year later…..

    • I think soups are my fave – we’ve tried a lot of different things that have been good, but soups are my go to. Chicken noodle, cheddar broccoli, butternut squash – I usually just make them up to with what we have, stock, canned beans, pasta, veggies….and becomes so yummy in there 🙂 OH, and stews!!! Makes the best stews in there too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.