Over the years, I have purchased hundreds of items from Amazon, and for the most part, got what I expected. I never reviewed any of them. But from the moment I received my Instant Pot, I felt that I had purchased something that not only exceeded my expectations, but will make my life easier (and more delicious)!
I am a holistic nutritionist and a follower of a lower carb/paleo/primal lifestyle (and yes, it is not only a food regimen, but a lifestyle). Many of the meals I prepare require advance planning and preparation, and I am OK with that, realizing that it is an investment in my family's health and wellbeing. I was looking for something that would support my food choices and perhaps make it a little less time-consuming. I have used a crockpot extensively over the past years and while I appreciate the ease of use and the ability to put a meal on the table soon after I got home in the evening, there is that "everything tastes the same" factor I was running into with my family.
So I began thinking about ways to cook my meals faster and realized that a pressure cooker may be the answer. But, I am scared of pressure cookers. Even though my head tells me that people have been using them for many years with no problems, my heart said there was a strong chance I could blow up the entire kitchen, myself included. I had no idea there were electric, programmable pressure cookers out there that would virtually eliminate that worry until I began researching them, first on Amazon, and then on other websites. I eventually purchased the Instant Pot over the others because of the stainless steel insert (no aluminum), the size of the pot (I wanted a larger capacity), and the ease of use.
The day it arrived, I plugged it in and began reading the manual. The manual was very helpful, even included a suggested trial run to familiarize one with the basics. My first meal was potato soup (I know potatoes are not low carb or paleo, but once in a while you gotta have potato soup). I was amazed at how easy and delicious it was to make this soup that would normally take a couple of hours. I just coarsely chopped the vegetables, threw those in the pot, added the seasonings and the liquid, started the pressure cooker option, and in 20 minutes all I had to do was use my immersion blender to puree the soup, add some cheese, stir and it was ready to eat. AND the soup was every bit as good as my slower version that keeps me tied to the kitchen to stir and monitor until it's done. That is the hidden beauty of this appliance, that while it's cooking your food, you are free to do other things such as harass your kids to get their homework done. No more watching over a pot!
My second recipe was lemon pepper chicken wings. There is a searing option, so first I browned the wings in a bit of butter, then added lemon pepper, salt, and 2 more tablespoons of butter. Put on the lid, set the pressure cooker for 25 minutes, and out came the most delicious, fall-of-the-bone wings just loaded with flavor. The family went wild!
I also made mushroom gravy (no flour) pork chops in 30 minutes in the pressure cooker - the gravy was so good my son ate in on top of some gluten free noodles the next day for lunch - and a breakfast meat loaf in the slow cooker, also a winner.
I am also using this to reheat food since we don't use the microwave anymore and I'm finding that it seems easier and makes less of a mess than going stovetop.
That's a pretty long review for a first-timer but I am so enthusiastic about this product that I just had to share.
IP-DUO60 Size: 11.8" H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D Features: -Works as pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, porridge maker, steamer, saute/browning, yogurt maker and warmer. -Dual pressure settings for fast and flexible cooking: Cooking with the high pressure reduces cooking time by up to 70% and the low pressure avoids overcooking delicate food. -14 Built-in micro-processor controlled programs: Soup, meat/stew, bean/chili, poultry, saute, steam, rice, porridge, multi grain, slow cook, keep-warm, yogurt, pasteurize and fermented rice slow cook for 0.5 to 20 hours. -Yogurt maker function can heat milk for pasteurization and fermentation, making yogurt in either jars or cooking pot for up to 5 liter of milk. -3 Temperature settings for saute, slow cooker and keep warm functions. -Manual keep-warm setting for up to 99 hours and 50 minutes and automatic keep-warm for up to 10 hours. Capacity: -6 Quarts. Dimensions: Size 11.8" H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Height - Top to Bottom: -11.8". Size 11.8" H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Product Weight: -11.64 lbs. Size 11 H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Height - Top to Bottom: -11". Size 11 H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Width - Side to Side: -13.4". Size 11 H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Depth - Front to Back: -13.4". Size 11 H x 13.4" W x 13.4" D - Overall Product Weight: -10 lbs.
- Enter your model number above to make sure this fits.
- 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker--Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute/Browning, Yogurt Maker, Steamer & Warmer
- Large, easy to use control panel with 14 built-in Smart Programs, Dual pressure, Automatic keep-warm and 3 temperatures for saute and slow cook
- UL and ULC certified with 10 proven safety mechanisms; Highly energy efficient and kitchen friendly
- Include 3-ply bottom stainless steel cooking pot, stainless steel steam rack with handle & manual and recipes in English, Spanish, Chinese and French
- Note: indeed it is recommended filling liquid no higher than the MAX line on the inner pot, but for dry food, such as a chicken, pot roast, or steaming vegetables, the inner pot can be filled with food over the MAX line. The inner pot capacity is rated 6Qt for the full size. Outer Rim is not made of stainless steel and coated with a thick heat-resistant paint.
