No doubt you’ve heard of the Instant Pot craze that is sweeping the internet, and if you clicked on this article, you may be wondering if an Instant Pot is something that you should add to your kitchen gadget line-up. With Christmas coming up, it could be the perfect gift idea, or a great tool for hosting all those parties and company. So how great is the Instant Pot? Here’s a quick, no-nonsense guide to the infamous gadget by Rock Springs WY Storage.
It’s a pressure cooker on steroids
It cooks food in the same way that the pressure cookers we’ve been using for many decades cook. It can yield tender cuts of meat, cooked vegetables, or delicious beans in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven or on the stove.
Besides pressure cooking, the Instant Pot can also be used to saute or brown things before cooking, as a slow cooker, as a steamer, and as a rice cooker. It has preset buttons for each of these functions, offering you a lot of control and options.
It takes up a lot of space
The Instant Pot is a large piece of equipment–depending on the size you purchase, it’s similar in space to a large stock pot. It may not be the best choice for those living in small-spaces, but it also redeems itself in that area by its ability to replace several other kitchen gadgets like slow cookers and rice cookers.
It’s easy to clean
The pot is stainless steel, so it’s easy to keep clean and hard to damage. Besides the inner pot, the other things that will need washing are the parts of the lid–the inside of the lid itself usually needs a good rinsing and wiping out. The inner seal of the Instant Pot is probably the most time-consuming to keep clean. Its silicone material absorbs a lot of the smells of the foods being cooked–some users have found it helpful to have different rings for savory and sweet items.
Who is the Instant Pot good for?
Not everyone will appreciate the Instant Pot’s goodness, and that’s ok! The Instant Pot is helpful to those people who are constantly forgetting to thaw meat for dinner, or waiting until too late in the day to get a crock pot meal going (hand is raised!) In those cases, the Instant Pot comes to the rescue, taking frozen chicken breasts to moist, shredded chicken in less than half an hour, from start to finish.
It would be a great tool for working families who want a home-cooked meal when they come home, but aren’t fond of crock pot meals. There are lots of one-pot meal ideas available on the internet that can have dinner ready within an hour of walking in the door.
What are the best things to make in an Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot can be used to make a variety of recipes and dishes. One of the most obvious, it’s a great tool for cooking meat–anything from chicken breasts to carnitas to pot roast can be ready quickly and without having to “babysit” the pot. It’s also great for cooking dry beans, as it can have them ready in less than 20 minutes. Rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and other grains are all quick and easy in the instant pot. Hard-boiled eggs are ready in just a few minutes.
There are lots of other creative ways to use the instant pot. It can be used for hot drinks at parties, keeping dips warm, and can even be used to make baked goods.
All in all, if you have space in your kitchen, or use other appliances like a slow cooker or rice cooker a lot, the Instant Pot could be a great one-stop appliance to take the place of all those others. The trickiest thing about them is figuring out the amount of liquid and time needed to cook the item in question, but there are lots of great recipes on the internet to help with that.
Self Assured Storage knows a thing or two about kitchen organization, so whether you’re preparing for a big move, or just want to make some extra space for all those holiday parties, we are right here to help you clear out and safely store your things in one of our units until you need it again. Give us a call today to see how we can help you get your kitchen and house organized and ready for the holidays!
