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Can I get a little Instant Pot help?

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    Can I get a little Instant Pot help?

    My wife wants one but I have no idea which one to buy, I guess I'm just supposed to know these things. Anyway, I googled them and it looks like there's a few hundred thousand different models. I could use some help picking out the right one.

    It's just my wife and me and I can't remember the last time we pressure cooked anything so it'll be a somewhat new cooking venture for us. I see that some of them have a cake baking button, a yogurt making button, etc., are they useful functions or just add-on gimmicks? I don't cook outside much in the winter, can this thing really replace grilling? Damn I'm confused!

    Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated!

    #2
    The 6 quart is plenty for two. Oddly, on this Amazon link, the 8 quart is less $. I paid $79.00 for this one, with a $ 15.00 credit at the time of purchase for anything else. That should be a common price point.

    An accessory set of 7 - 12 items is nice to have too, if you want to get all the capabilities at once.


    Comment


    • SmokingSteve
      SmokingSteve commented
      Editing a comment
      Uh oh! Page not available/not found.

    • JGo37
      JGo37 commented
      Editing a comment
      SmokingSteve yes it's gone now - sorry...

    #3
    I'm in the same place you are so I'll be waiting to see responses as well.

    Comment


    • JGo37
      JGo37 commented
      Editing a comment
      EdF 's link is a tell-all...

    #4
    Mine is an instant pot 6 QT bluetooth version from around 2015 era. Any instant pot is dang dang good. The difference is features with bluetooth, wifi and such. Forget all the fancy buttons though, they are just shortcuts to time and pressure settings. It's a pressure cooker, and I have never used anything except the start button, the manual temp and or time buttons. If ya want rice, you can either hit the preset rice button, or just set 5 minutes high pressure. Same thing. You will have a blast with the thing!

    Comment


    • Polarbear777
      Polarbear777 commented
      Editing a comment
      I never use the presets. Brown rice 28 minutes works well.
      I have a 6qt and if the 8 was about the same price if definitely go with that. Remember you have to leave some room so you won’t fit 6 full quarts to cook.

      I use the 12qt stovetop PC when I need real volume.

    #5
    ribeyeguy, I Just Purchased A Ninja FoodI, For Eunice's Birthday, It Has Only Used A Couple Of Times So
    Far❗️❓❗️ One Arm Roast, Not Seared Or Browned, But Pressure Cooked❓ Apparently The Arm Roast Came Out "TENDER" But Bland❓❗️❓ Tonight, Eunice, Was Making Pork Chops, Seared, Seasoned And
    Pressure Cooked❗️❓❗️ I'll Try To Get You The Chef's Honest Opinion‼️ Dan

    Comment


      #6
      There are three sizes. I think that's you major consideration.

      Comment


        #7
        I think I have the 6 quart. It’s a nice piece of equipment but not some miracle cure. In fact I used it this afternoon for chili. I also used it to make turkey stock for thanksgiving which was a breeze. The only thing I haven’t really liked that I made in it was chicken wings. You cook the wings in the instant pot, air dry the skin over night and then fry or broil the next day. I was not a fan of the resultant texture which was too soft and tender.

        I haven’t used any of the preset buttons

        Comment


          #8
          Here's a little buying guide to the models, though I think it may be a year old. https://www.hippressurecooking.com/w...right-for-you/

          Comment


          • JGo37
            JGo37 commented
            Editing a comment
            wow - every time i think I know everything...

          #9
          I got the 8 quart does it all model. So far I can say I’m not disappointed. It works very well.

          The yogurt settibg isn’t a gimmick. It works. I haven’t used it, but I know people who have. The other settings are just temp/pressure shortcuts. If using the slow cook setting, remember to press the pressure relief button or use a non pressure lid.

          As for capacity, I’m not regretting going with the 8 quart. I have yet to pack it to capacity, but that just means I have the ability to cook more if needed.

          It doesnt replace grilling, but it does a decent job with pulled pork. You can cheat with liquid smoke but you can’t fake the bark. However, it gets the job done much faster. I also like it for stews, chili, sauces, and soup. Being able to sauté in the pressure cooker is neat. Makes for good one pot meals. It is also excellent for dry beans. 20 minutes at high pressure and the dry beans aren’t dry anymore.

          Comment


          • CaptainMike
            CaptainMike commented
            Editing a comment
            What dis guy sed!

          #10
          My mother had a pressure cooker when I was a young’un. From what I can tell, an Instant Pot is a fancy pressure cooker.

          Comment


          #11
          If you have the need to make rice or cook beans from dry without soaking, nothing can beat it.

          good for the sort of things you want to braise quickly.

          72 hours at 135F in SV is roughly equivalent to 8-12 hours in 225F air or about 45-60 minutes under high pressure as far as tenderizing tough cuts (beef). (Obviously factors other than tenderness differ between the methods)

          Comment


            #12
            We bought the 8qt a couple of months ago. No complaints, but it's good for whatever you think it's good for so you just have to figure out what's good for you and then you'll know what it's good for. Or something like that...

            Comment


            • CaptainMike
              CaptainMike commented
              Editing a comment
              Attjack I'm going to do leftover turkey stock tomorrow. I think the more we use/try them, the better idea we have about what they are really good for. We've had a couple of total failures, but more than a few successes.

            • Attjack
              Attjack commented
              Editing a comment
              We're definitely into the prime season for pressure cooking. I'm curious to see if I'll still want to use my slow cooker. I should have my answer by next spring.

            • JGo37
              JGo37 commented
              Editing a comment
              Well said...

            #13
            Hi There!

            I use to think that an Instant Pot was a bit of a gimmick, but after seeing some of the positive comments from several members here I decided to explore what is was all about.

            Long story short I purchased an Instant Pot recently, I bought the 6 quart Duo model and I am loving it! So far everything I have tried turned out great. I have used it to make veggie soup, rice, turkey stock (it has a sauté feature, so I first of all browned the backbone, neck and giblets and then the veggies in the IP so I didn't have to use a separate pan for this), turnip, cabbage and I have been happy with everything!

            For a small family I would recommend the 6 quart, the reason being that it is a pressure cooker and must come up to pressure before it starts to cook, so the larger the pot the more volume it has and the longer it takes to come up to pressure.

            I am happy with the Duo model as I usually only use the manual buttons and not the preset ones, and I don't need bluetooth etc. But each to their own.

            If you have a separate rice cooker, a slow cooker and/or an old style pressure cooker or any combo of these the IP will replace all of them.

            The IP is basically a pressure cooker with a built in computer so you program it to cook for a certain time and it shuts itself off after that time and then goes into a keep warm mode if you want.

            Hope this helps you decide what to get!

            Cheers!!!....

            Comment


            • BriggsBBQ
              BriggsBBQ commented
              Editing a comment
              I was the same with the IP. Now I am so happy that I do not have a rice cooker, slow cooker and pressure cooking.

            #14
            Most of the internet recipes have been written for the 6 quart Instant Pot, but that is slowly changing. For size for a family of four or so, the 6 quart is more than adequate. If you're always doing big batches of stuff, then an 8 quart would be the way to go.

            My favorite thing to to on the Instant Pot is what I call my "rear-end save" when I have forgotten to plan something for dinner. You can pop frozen chicken pieces into the Instant Pot, add some liquid and spices, and in 20 minutes or so you have your protein for the meal hot and ready to go. Here are the instructions, along with a ton of ways to use said cooked chicken: http://flavorrd.com/2015/07/instant-pot-insta-chicken/

            And hard boiling a batch of eggs in the IP is amazing. Once cooked, the shells come right off in two large pieces. I use 6-6-6:

            1. Put eggs on rack or in egg holder*. Add 1 cup water and put the lid on.
            2. Manual set for Low pressure 6 minutes.
            3. When timer goes off, let IP sit for 6 minutes more before opening and removing the eggs.
            4. Place eggs in ice water bath for 6 minutes. Peel and eat or store in fridge for future use.

            I always remove the shell when the eggs are cool before storing. That way I don't get that green sulphur ring around the yolk.

            *Here's the egg holder I use:
            Click image for larger version  Name:	614KmYwq26L._SL1200_.jpg Views:	1 Size:	84.7 KB ID:	601425
            https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

            As others have said, you don't really need most of the preset buttons because after a few tries with something, you modify the time settings anyway. I use mine once a week or so. Sometimes for the same meal I have the IP going, the Joule sous vide burbling away and charcoal heating on the grill. Win-win-win.

            Kathryn

            Comment


            • JGo37
              JGo37 commented
              Editing a comment
              I've been baking eggs but that's not a solution for the shells. Can't wait to get an egg rack and do the 6-6-6. I just added this to my Amazon list.

            • fzxdoc
              fzxdoc commented
              Editing a comment
              JGo37 , you can do them without the egg rack in the IP--just pile them on the rack insert that comes with the pot. I like the distribution on the egg rack better though. Don't forget to add the water!

              Kathryn

            #15
            I have an off brand one and have really enjoyed using it. I've done, ham and beans, multiple soups, multiple stocks/broths, fresh jalapeño hot sauce, stews, etc. One additional thing I'd recommend is that you definitely get one that comes with a stainless steel insert. No matter how careful you are with a nonstick insert, it will eventually start flaking off. Also, with SS you will be able to get better sears on whatever you're cooking.

            Comment

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