One of the most popular appliances in kitchens today has got to be the Instant Pot. I have a deep love for the Instant Pot myself and thought I’d share with you all today why it’s an appliance worth owning and some of the basics. I think a lot of people are intimidated by the thought of a pressure cooker, but let me first say, this is not the same pressure cooker your grandma has. The Instant Pot has a lid that locks in place and can’t be removed until all pressure is released.
Here’s a quick look at some of the reasons I love owning the Instant Pot.
- User Friendly
- Time Saver
- Makes Meal Prep Easy
- Shredded Meat in Less Than an Hour
- Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs with the Touch of a Button
- Safe
- Easy to Clean
- It doubles as a slow cooker, warmer, rice cooker, steamer, sautés, & more depending on which model you have.
I started out with basic model The Instant Pot® Lux™ 6-In-1 6 quart years ago and loved it. This did everything I needed, but the only problem was I was constantly filling it to the max line so I ended up upgrading to an 8 quart Duo model.
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If you’ve ever looked at Amazon at the different Instant Pots you probably we’re overwhelmed and didn’t know which one you need. Let me help you out.
Here’s a look at some of the different Instant Pot models they make and an idea of what they cost.
- Lux ($79) -basic model
- Duo ($99)-lid stand and lid is dishwasher safe
- Viva ($109)-this one bakes and doubles as a sous vide.
- Ultra ($149)-LCD display, altitude adjustments, cooking progress indicator, & more.
- Max ($149)-canning capability
- Duo Nova ($99)- closing the lid automatically closes the pressure valve(incase your forget to turn it) & this one comes in a 10 quart size, whoa!
- Duo Evo Plus ($119)-has a stovetop friendly inner pot with easy-grip handles.
- Duo Crisp + Air Fryer ($179)- the best of both worlds right here!
See all the different Instant Pot models I didn’t even mention and more details about them all on their website here.
Not sure what size you need? Here’s how to decide what size is best for you.
- 3 Quart – way too small, don’t bother unless this is an extra one for side dishes.
- 6 Quart – perfect families of up to 5 people and makes weekly meal prep a breeze! This is a good size to start with in my opinion.
- 8 Quart – for when you need to feed a crowd of 6 or more, or for large batch prep. This is the size I have. It’s big, but it’s perfect.
- 10 Quart – This one is for those entertaining large crowds or doing big batch cooking.
Some Things to Know about Instant Pot Cooking
- It takes about 10 minutes for your pressure cooker to get to pressure and another 5-10 minutes for it to quick release the pressure after cooking. So keep in mind a recipe that says to cook for 20 minutes will actually take 35-40 minutes total.
- Sealing ring must be on correctly to seal right.
- The lid must be locked before it will start to pressurize.
- The lid valve must be set to pressurize before it will start. Unless you have the Duo Nova model, which does it automatically for you.
- Inner pot comes out just like a crockpot for cleaning.
- Most come with a few attachments but you can always purchase more.
- Max Line- No food above line.
- Liquid- you have to make sure you put ½ -1 cup of water or marinade in with your food or it will burn and shut off.
- The manual button is usually all you need.
- Sauté button comes in handy! Sear or cook your meat right in the pot before slow or pressure cooking. I use this all the time.
- Natural release means the pressure will slowly escape on it’s own once cook time is up. This takes around 20 minutes.
- Quick release – press this button and hot steam shoots up! Release all the pressure in 5-10 minutes
Popular Stay Fit Mom Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Pinto Beans
- Cream Cheese Chicken Chili – This is probably what I make in my Instant pot most.
- Greek Shredded Chicken
- Sesame Orange Chicken
- Shredded Pork Roast– I make this all the time to use in other recipes. Tacos, mac & cheese, enchiladas, sandwiches, etc.
Follow us on Pinterest for more great recipe suggestions! We love seeing Stay Fit Mom recipes in your kitchen! Post your meals to Instagram and be sure to tag @stayfitmom_Krista and @stayfitmom_Tracy!
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