Let’s Talk: Pressure Cooking {why + what kind + resources}
Whether you are new to pressure cooking or experienced, this post has tons of valuable tips and info- everything you need to know!
I delved into the world of pressure cooking a few years ago after I decided to get over my unearthly fear of exploding pots, put on my big girl apron and make it happen. I mean, if my grandma could do it, so could I. Right? Plus the appeal of making cheesecake in a pressure cooker was just too much to resist.
I’ve had lots and lots (and lots) of emails over the last six months or so about pressure cooking. It seems as though it’s coming out of the gray shadows of old generations and becoming a bit more mainstream and even slightly trendy. Many of you want to know: if I pressure cook, how I pressure cook, what I use to pressure cook and mostly, do I have a flippin’ InstantPot yet.
So let’s talk about pressure cooking for a sec. When I decided I wanted to learn more about it (after reading that the pressure cookers of today most likely were not going to explode like grandma’s old tank), I started reading reviews. Blogs. Forums. Everything I could get my hands on to figure out what kind of pressure cooker I wanted to get. After spending more time on this than should be deemed acceptable (my toilets and exercise routine suffered), I settled on a regular, old stovetop model: this lovely Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker.
The #1 main reason I went for a stovetop vs. electric was capacity. I have a large family (five hungry kids and two always hungry adults) and I am often cooking for others. I wanted to be able to make a lot of food. Many of the electric models maxed out at sizes that didn’t appeal to me (especially when you factor that many pressure cooker recipes like soups and stews can only fill the pressure cooker halfway for safety reasons).
I know the Kuhn-Rikon isn’t the most budget-friendly model out there, but again, after reading all the reviews known to man, I wanted a foolproof stovetop pressure cooker that I was absolutely sure (ok, at least 98.9% sure) wouldn’t explode on me and would last pretty close to forever. And this one has such incredible reviews (durability, safety, size, etc) that I knew it was the one for me (plus, I have several other Kuhn-Rikon items in my kitchen and already new the quality was unsurpassed). There are a lot of other fantastically reviewed stovetop pressure cookers, all of which are largely safer than the pressure cookers of several generations ago, on the market so do your research if you are in the market for one.
In case you are new to the world of pressure cooking and are wondering why one would ever want to pressure cook in the first place, here are a few of the reasons why I love it: It’s faster for many foods. It’s more efficient and uses less energy. The nutrition in food is better preserved thanks to the fast cooking times and high temperature. And in the interest of full disclosure, I just feel like a rock star when I pressure cook anything.
Updated to add: I forgot to mention one of the main reasons I love my pressure cooker(s) is because they can cook a frozen piece of meat in a shockingly short amount of time (compared to conventional methods) and for someone that regularly forgets to thaw meat, this is just wonderful.
I think a pressure cooker is a great idea for anyone who loves flavorful, delicious, versatile food and wants the challenge of making it in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Busy mom or adventurous cook (or both!) – a pressure cooker is something to look into.
Now, I’m not going to lie, the first few times I used my pressure cooker, I was disappointed. It wasn’t everything I hoped it would be. 100% of that was because I was so scared to let it come to high pressure (those double lines below) that it compromised the food I was cooking. Again, my healthy fear complex was coming into play. Also, pressure cooking on an electric stove vs. a gas range is a bit different and I’ve learned to heat the pressure cooker to desired pressure on one burner and once it comes to pressure, immediately move it over to another burner that’s been sitting on low temp (or whatever temp is needed to maintain the pressure).
Now that I’m more comfortable with it, I use my stovetop pressure cooker all the time. At least weekly but there are some weeks where I’ve used it every single night. It’s honestly revolutionary once you wrap your mind around the benefits.
One night I was making this taco soup and forgot I didn’t have any canned black beans. But I did have dry beans (thank you, almighty food storage)! In no time, my pressure cooker magically transitioned those dry beans into tender morsels and dinner was saved. Pretty slick.
But. Stovetop models are clearly not the only solution, especially for newbies.
Over the last few months, I’ve been inundated with emails from many of you asking me about the InstantPot. Sounds like many of you have bought one, received one, or put one on your wishlist. They are quite the popular appliance right now and with more than 4,000 5-star reviews, it’s easy to understand why. I didn’t have one and really had no intentions of getting one since I love my stovetop pressure cooker so much (and let’s be serious, I just don’t need another appliance in my already packed kitchen, Brian’s shaking his head fervently in agreement). However, a few weeks ago, on a very sad day in December, my beloved slow cooker that I’ve had since we got married (13 1/2 years ago) quit. Died. Left us. After a proper mourning period, I hopped onto Amazon and figured out what I should do. New crockpot? Or should I go for the InstantPot to see what all the rage is about (the InstantPot slow cooks as well as pressure cooks). Even better, I emailed the InstantPot company to see if they’d send me one for an honest review (and future giveaway – woot!). They kindly said yes. I did a bad cartwheel. And my InstantPot showed up that week.
So let’s talk about the InstantPot. This thing is a beast. It can do like 436 things (<- slight exaggeration). Yogurt. Slow Cook. Rice. Pressure Cook. It’s definitely a workhorse. The capacity is decent. Six quarts (same size as my old slow cooker but a little smaller than my stovetop pressure cooker). Because there are so many functions, the learning curve takes some time, in my opinion. As in, what the heck button am I supposed to push? But there is a user manual for manual-needers like me.
So far I’ve made yogurt (turned out great but I like my stovetop method for now just based on familiarity, I think) and risotto (delicious) and 5-minute steel cut oatmeal (fantastic although 5-minutes is a bit misleading if you count the time it takes to come to pressure and then cool down). I’ve also made several recipes from my site – just adapted them to the pressure cooker (see bottom of the post). And of course we’ve made pressure cooker potatoes. Possibly one of the best thing to make in a pressure cooker, electric or stovetop (that and pressure cooker green beans, ohmygosh yum).
I mean look at all those options. It’s mind boggling (and a little overwhelming).
I know you want to know. Which would I buy again? What’s the best choice? Has the InstantPot changed my mind about stovetop pressure cookers?
Having used both a stovetop and an electric pressure cooker now, I’m hard pressed to say which one I’d choose over the other (I know, I know). I have a very soft spot for my Kuhn-Rikon stovetop pressure cooker. But I’m not going to lie, I am loving the InstantPot. Last week, there were three nights I had them both going at the same time. And last night, I made this amazing riff off of a favorite baked pork chop and apple recipe in the InstantPot while using my stovetop pressure cooker for a batch of white cheddar garlic mashed potatoes, still having time to dump out the potatoes and whip up a batch of pressure cooker turkey bacon green beans before the pork was done. It was all prepped, cooked, and on the table in less than an hour and was one of the most delicious meals ever. #pressurecookingforlife
The main advantage of the InstantPot (and other electric models) is that it is fix it and forget it. I can set the InstantPot to pressure cook my taters and walk away and help child A, B, C or D with homework (or even run out and get the mail or maybe hide in the pantry and eat chocolate chips for a sec), whereas I always keep a pretty close eye on my stovetop pressure cooker when it’s going just in case it goes over pressure and I need to pull it off the heat. It obviously doesn’t self-regulate like the InstantPot. But. It’s bigger. And I love that. Plus, I’ve used it as a regular stockpot for a large batch of soup and a few other things.
At a glance, here’s the pros and cons of each:
(this is clearly not a comprehensive list, just a few of my personal highs and lows of each)
It’s easy to see there are advantages and disadvantages of both, and like I mentioned above, if you are interested in pressure cooking, start reading up on and it you’ll figure out which pressure cooker is right for you.
A quick note about those pressure readings: the InstantPot, even at high pressure (maxes out at 11.6 psi), doesn’t cook as high as my stovetop (up to 15 psi) which means if you’re using a recipe that says cook at high pressure, you may need to add time on the InstantPot (most electric pressure cookers max out at around 11 or 12 psi).
Either way you look at it, pressure cooking is a fabulous way to cook food. I love it. Like, I’m kind of obsessed. It took me a long time to get over my fear; don’t be like me!
Depending upon your interest, I’ll do more posts (and videos) on pressure cooking in the future but don’t forget that the world wide web is a goldmine of pressure cooking information and recipes.
Here are a few of my favorite online resources.
Hip Pressure Cooking (so many reviews, resources, tips, videos, forums and recipes); here’s her post on the Kuhn-Rikon (it kind of sold me on it) and on the InstantPot (pretty informative!)
Pressure Cooking Today (Barbara is a seasoned food blogger who has some great recipes for pressure cooking + tips on how to use electric models)
Dad Cooks Dinner
Miss Vickie’s (a little old school but some great info and recipes)
How to convert a normal recipe to pressure cooking.
There are hundreds of recipes on my site (and across the web) that aren’t official pressure cooker recipes, per se, but they are very pressure cooker friendly. Honestly, one of the easiest ways to figure out how to convert a recipe over to pressure cooking is to google another similar recipe (for instance “pressure cooker beef stew”), take a glance at the cooking times and adjust it for the recipe you want to use (like this fabulous beef stew which is remarkably delish in the pressure cooker).
There are also handy dandy pressure cooking charts (I have this one bookmarked on my iPad) that make figuring recipes out pretty easy and the little manual that came with my Kuhn-Rikon has been invaluable, too.
So far I’ve made the following recipes from my site in my pressure cooker with phenomenal success + many others from across the web including that amazeballs cheesecake.
Phew! And I think that’s it.
I’m clearly a little longwinded when it comes to pressure cooking.
So tell me.
Thank you so much for this post! I got an InstantPot for my birthday last month (also to replace a much-loved crock pot, but wanted to get something more versatile) and have only used it a couple of times with so-so results. I wanted to find more recipes and suggestions for it but hadn’t taken the time to research. Thanks for doing that for me and sharing it! You are the best! I often call you “my good friend, Mel” when giving you credit for a great recipe or idea (i.e. “Oh you liked that, huh? Yeah, my good friend Mel gave me that recipe.” Or, “I know I’m pretty smart, but it was actually my good friend Mel who taught me how to cut the cherry tomatoes like this!” One of my kids actually thought it was pretty cool we were friends!) So thank you again for a really fabulous post! Whether or not I make everything you send out (and I do make a lot of them!) I love to read your blog. You are a talented writer, as well as a cook! Thanks for the time you spend to do this–it always brightens my day! And I seriously can’t wait to make something in my InstantPot!!! β€οΈ
Hi Mel, thank you for posting on pressure cookers. I too received the IPot and there hasn’t been a day that has gone buy I haven’t had a use for it! Perfect hard boiled eggs every time, loads of nutritious meals and cheesecakes to die for!! For a bit of news (drum roll) the Instant Pot is coming out with a 8 quart this year!!!
I just got (yay Christmas!) a pressure canner that can also be used as a pressure cooker. I’ve only used it for canning so far, but that’s probably because it holds 23qts. so it’s kinda huge. I’d love to cook more in it though, and if I use it enough, it might be worth investing in a smaller, more “pull out and clean quickly” one. I’d love to see more posts, tips, videos, etc! You are my go to source for all things cooking!
I use my pressure cookers (8 quart and 23 quart) on our homestead for butchering. I like to put boneless meat in my freezer, but am not the best butcherer. I cook the carcasses of my livestock (chickens, rabbits, and partials of other animals (bear pelvis, deer rib cage, etc)). Then I pull the cooked meat off, similar to cleaning up the turkey after Thanksgiving, and freeze it for fast meals. It has been so nice, then it doesn’t matter if I get all the meat off the bone because it won’t go to waste. It cooks fast and works perfect for this use.
After this post I will need to look into cooking meals with them just because I can. Thanks.
For Craig’s B-day I am going to make pressure cooked cheesecake and lasagna… Wish me luck… this could change my world…
Oh man, I LOVE my pressure cooker!!!!! Thank you for these other resources too – I’m always looking for more ways to use it and help! You are amazing!
I have a Kuhn Rikon that my parents bought me for my wedding 10 years ago. I love it passionately. It has enough safety features built in that I have never, ever worried that it was going to explode, although there is a bit of a learning curve and I never leave it unsupervised. I have made pot roast in it almost every Sunday and there is absolutely no tastier way to make it. One of the things that i love about a stovetop pressure cooker is that you can sear the meat before you put the lid on. This is a crucial step that adds so much flavor! You could do that with an instapot, but it would require dirtying another pan and I’m too lazy for that:) I am intrigued at the idea of getting an instapot to replace my slow cooker though!
I agree on the searing thing, Brenna. I meant to mention that in my post. One feature of the InstantPot is that it has a saute function that gets the bottom of the insert really hot. I browned my pork from last night in it before pouring in the broth and switching it to pressure cook. I don’t think it gets quite as hot as the stovetop (using my Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker) but it’s still pretty handy and definitely being able to brown the meat without adding another pot is crucial.
Haha, I was just looking into a pressure cooker a few weeks back for faster dinner fixes for our sometimes impatient 4 hungry boys! My husband might never forgive you for adding fuel to my fire of wanting one π
I’ve been hearing all about these InstantPots, but I never really thought I needed one… until now!
This was so informative! I definitely need to look into pressure cookers for every day use. I’ve only used them for canning. The instapot might be just the thing for having a tasty dinner ready after an afternoon of teaching piano!
I too have been scared to try them but this was so helpful! I am going to start looking into them and maybe they will make my birthday wish list next month. Thanks!!!
My experience with pressure cooking is watching my grammie and mother use it for canning meats and green beans. They scared me as a child, and still evoke fear! My husband has been wanting one, he worked at a hardware store and sold a bunch to his “old lady clientele” (his words), they loved it for potatoes. We have been looking at them for a few months, but I was still scared – not anymore! Thank you Mel for the informative post – we may have to revisit the pressure cooking world!
This post is SO timely for me as i’ve been doing similar research lately and trying to make a decision between the two. I would love to see recipes and tips…i don’t have time to find new blogs and cookbooks about the stuff. I just want Mel’s tried and true recipes and tips that NEVER disappoint!
I’m definitely ready to jump on the pressure cooking train. I’ve always been scared — even within the last month I’ve seen a picture on FB with a lid lodged in the kitchen ceiling and the oven range hood in need of replacement. So, thank-you for helping calm my pressure cooking fears. My Mother in Law has always used a pressure cooker with amazing results. Putting on my wish list!
I have the All American 15-quart pressure cooker/canner, and I’ve canned everything from chicken broth to dried beans in it. Amazing! But I’ve never simply cooked something in it. So now I’m thinking an instant pot would be handy, and I could actually cut down my number of kitchen appliances since it could replace my crock pot and rice cooker… I think I might want one for my birthday.
I have to go now so I can google pressure cooker cheesecake! π
I have an Instant Pot (the cooker so nice I bought it twice- accidentally melted one on the stove-oops!) and I use it all the time! I make yogurt in it at least once a week, often more. I only keep dried beans in the pantry now because it’s so easy to pop them in the Instant Pot and they take up so much less room than cans. I’ve done rice but honestly I usually forego for a regular pan, my rice is hit or miss in the pressure cooker, it can burn to the bottom. And I’ve made countless dinners in it. I had a hard time figuring out the slow cooker temp settings, it seemed to be a little different than my crock slow cooker (which I sacrificed to make room for the Instant Pot). Some dinners were burning on the medium setting, some were still not done on the low setting. Just something I had to adjust my time/temp for next time.
One thing about this particular pot is that the silicone ring picks up the odor of whatever is cooking in the pot, and though I don’t think the ring ever imparts any flavor to what is cooking, I have a “yogurt ring” and a “everything else ring” just because the yogurt sits for 8+ hours with it.
Were you able to purchase an extra ring or did you have two because of the two-pot purchase?
Hi! I bought an extra directly from Instant Pot when I got the slow cooker lid, before wrecking the 1st pot π I keep the one that came with the 2nd pot as a back-up in case I have a seal fail in the future.
Oh man! I had heard of an InstantPot but thought it was only a rice cooker! Thanks for the review and links to websites. I may have to ask for one of these bad boys – too bad Mothers Day is a few months away!
I received an electric pressure cooker for Christmas and have tried a few things. My favorite thing to make in it as of now is hard boiled eggs. They are so easy to peel and perfectly cooked! Looking forward to seeing more posts on pressure cooking!
Hubby bought me a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker a few years ago for my birthday. I’ve used it for so much more then I planned… food storage beans. π I love it! Can’t imagine life without it. Still a little leery of the stove top kind, but this post makes them seem not so scary.
I love this post! I’m not too great at thinking outside the box and adapting other recipes to work in the pressure cooker, so I really appreciate the information. I have both the InstantPot and a stove top pressure cooker as well. I’ve used stove top pressure cookers since I was a teenager, but the InstantPot is my favorite! I absolutely love it for busy days when I feel like I’m driving kids around until dinner time. I feel comfortable letting my teenagers watch it if I’m not at home since they know how to use it as well, and the keep warm function is very helpful so I don’t have to be right there when the food is done. We have four kids, but three are teenagers (boys) and the size usually works fine for us. I use my InstantPot at least a few times a week, for everything from brown rice, beans, and cooking full meals. Mine doesn’t have the yogurt setting on it, but we got a thermal cooker for Christmas and I have found that it is by far the easiest way to make yogurt. (I’m loving the thermal cooker too!) Thank you again for the recipe suggestions – can’t wait for part two!
Ha! The word “petcock” still haunts me from my childhood. I was always sure that thing was going to blow and that would be it. I’ve never used the pressure cooker I received as a wedding present for anything but a stove top pot because of not wanting it to explode. I think I would be sold on the Insta Pot! Thanks for the post, Mel!
Thank you for posting this! I just got the Instant Pot for Christmas and I love it! I am brand new to pressure cooking – although my mom used hers several times a week when we were growing up – I have such vivid memories of it whistling away on the stove. I am in the process of searching for recipes so keep them coming!
I have had an 8-qt electric pressure cooker (no longer available) for years, and I love it! I love that I can just set it and walk away. When it finishes, the pressure drops on its own and it keeps the food on warm. It’s a great mix of the simplicity of a slow cooker with the crazy-fast speed of a pressure cooker.
And I would second the motion for you to try brown rice. We cook ours in broth, but it comes out so fluffy and delicious! I always make a big batch and keep some in the freezer so it’s easy to pull out for dinner.
The timing on this post is perfect! I just got my Instantpot yesterday. So far I have boiled eggs and water. haha.
I only use my pressure cooker that double as a canner for canning season. I’m too scared to use it with other foods (until I read this, that is). Refried beans sounds great in a pressure cooker!
I have a pressure canner that I adore for these reasons: canning beans, chicken, beef, and chicken broth. It might be fast to cook beans in the pressure cooker but just nothing beats opening up a can of home canned beans and home canned shredded beef and having beef and bean burritos on the table in ten minutes from the time I stepped foot in the kitchen. Everyone I talk to always says “oh, eating home canned meat and beans sounds scary/weird.” But I won’t cook it any other way. Especially with the beans—I always feel like crockpot pinto beans are bland, even after adding spices. But when it cooks in the jar with the spices (and some V8) the flavor is amazing.
Ah Mel, you are so hip. I just got a pressure cooker for Christmas. Your timing is impeccable. I am both nervous and excited to give it a try. Thanks for your vote of encouragement. You are always my kitchen inspiration! Thank you for that.
I’ve been a pressure cooker user for a good solid 10+ years, since before I was even married. Haha I love the things! I have 3 stove top Kuhn Rikons and one cuisinart electric one. I definitely use my electric one the most because it’s so nice to set the timer and walk away and not have to constantly be eying that second red ring . That being said, if you don’t already have the “cadillac” Kuhn Rikon , it’s the giant waffle bottom skillet one, it’s awesome! So I’d say the either one. But really that electric has my cooking heart.
Oooh, Brittany, I need to check out the cadillac!
I would love for you to post some pressure cooker ideas. I have a stove top version and I have used it some but not much because it is intimidating.
Honestly never even considered pressure cooking until today… Now I NEED to try it!
Thank you for this post. I’ve often wondered if you pressure cook. I, too, embraced pressure cooking right around the same time as you. I have the electric Cuisinart and love it! Funny, I was going to make that beef stew next week in the crock. I will now do it in the pressure cooker!
Mel, add this post to the list of the many reasons why I love you and your blog! Like others, I received an Instant Pot for Christmas and I’ve used it every single day since. I literally just searched your site yesterday for pressure cooker recipes and ended up adapting the black beans and rice for the Instant Pot (divine!). I am so glad to see you love it too! Thanks for keeping me and my hungry family fed and happy. π
I’ve been contemplating a pressure cooker since the Instant Pot was dirt cheap on Amazon. I should have bought it then- it was a STEAL!! Regret.. oh regret. I’ve since joined several FB groups pertaining to the subject-(pressure cooking not regret) π Pretty sure that’s what you call putting the pot before the horse… lol I would probably never use a stove top version- too skeered. But I will be watching like a hawk if/ when the price goes down.
You make me laugh, Andrea! Actually, I would probably join a regret FB group. π
I’ve been thinking about asking you about pressure cooking! I have a WMF (very similar to yours) and I love it. I haven’t ventured much with it because I can’t find recipes my kids will eat so I’ve just been waiting for you π My favorite thing (so far) to make with it is brown rice- soft, fluffy, tasty brown rice in 30 minutes or less?! Love it! Add some broth/stock instead of water and I’m pretty much in rice heaven π I know there’s a zillion other things to do with a pressure cooker, but mine is used on a weekly basis for rice. And, as always, thank you for so many amazing recipes!!
I will definitely be trying brown rice now, Kelli!
Yay! I’m so glad to see this post. I wasn’t one of those who emailed you, but I was wondering if you were going to talk pressure cookers! I have an InstantPot and love it!! I’m so excited to see other recipes on your site that I can try. I especially love it for cooking proteins – my pot roasts have never come out more tender, and I love beef broccoli in the InstantPot. And cheesecake. Of course. Looking forward to seeing more of your recipes in a pressure cooker. π
I’ve never even thought about using a pressure cooker until today… and now I’m really intrigued! I think this might be my next kitchen purchase.
I have a stove top pressure cooker that I am terrified to use. I have an electric stove as well so I wasn’t sure how it would work. I wish you could come over and hold my hand through it, haha! I want to try it out but I’m so scared!
I have a new pressure cooker just sitting in my pantry. Just couldn’t get up the nerve to try it. Thanks for the reassurance!
I think I’m the only person not interested at all in the Instant Pot. There are three big drawbacks for me: 1) I’m a single and don’t need a 6 qt anything. 2) I already have 2 slow cookers and a stove top pressure cooker. 3) It’s made in China. Plus, I’m trying to become an appliance-free cook, using only those that do things I can’t do or are more physically difficult to do — like the blender, food processor and sometimes a mixer.
I was also scared of pressure cookers even though both of my grandmothers and my mother used them very successfully. I think they mainly used pressure cookers for canning, so I didn’t realize lots of recipes could be made using a pressure cooker. Thanks for the information!
Ok, I’ve had the instant pot in my amazon cart for 2 weeks now. If YOU love it with 5 hungry kids, then I know I have to have it–thanks, Mel π
This is so helpful! I am one of those people who’s been interested in buying a pressure cooker – it looks so appealing! – but just have no clue as to how it really works and wonder if I’ll use it to make more than one or two things. I love that cooking time chart because it makes me feel like I could use it to make a ton of different things. I don’t have a big family so I’m still a bit on the fence but this is a great resource. Thank you for doing this!
Hey Monica – pressure cookers are great even for one or two people! There are so many sizes available – it’s amazing.
Thanks for that, Mel! I will keep it in mind…if I can make some basics – chicken, rice, oatmeal… – I would be happy and can build from there. I will look forward to ‘part 2’ from you! Thanks again!
I cook for just two and have the 6 quart size. Having a bigger size lets you cook with a pot or a bowl inside another pot and you can stack them. Since you can cook a small amount such as 1 cup rice and 1 cup water, it’s great for one or two servings, but it’s bigger capacity lets you cook for a small crowd if need be. For many ideas, join the Instant Pot Facebook Community. It’s awesome!
Thank you for this post. My mom gave me an instantpot for Christmas last year and though I have loved it, I haven’t really used it for a lot of different things. Mostly I just use it to cook dry beans (and then I freeze them) because it’s so much cheaper than canned beans. My husband’s favorite is “refried” beans. That man loves burritos so much he literally ate them for 2 meals a day, 3 months straight when I was too pregnant and barfy to cook. Refried beans are so easy in the instantpot even first trimester me could handle it. (Not that I ate them.)
My mom has a HUGE stovetop pressure cooker that she only pulled out to cook chicken for chicken and dumplings. The pressure release thing on top would rattle around and freak me out a bit…so I’m with ya on the “I’m scared the thing will blow up and take out the kitchen with it”. My sister just got an InstaPot for Christmas and has used it for all the dinners in her house since then…like every. single. dinner. She is feeding a family of 6 and says it is one of her favorite appliances. Looks like I’ll need to put this on my birthday wish list!
I have an Instantpot and LOVE it! I love the fix it and forget it, being able to make dried beans quick, being able to cook a frozen roast and have it soft and tender in just a few hours (as if it had been in a crockpot all day) and the list could go on. Life is forever changed with that baby!
Another here who is “in the process”. I have purchased 2 pressure cooking cookbooks, read and looked at pressure cookers ad nauseum and now have an Instant-Pot in my “saved for later” cart on Amazon! I missed the Black Friday sale on them.
My final decision for the Instant Pot – I cook for just me, I don’t currently have a slow cooker and it is an electric take-along option for my RV which has propane stovetop. And all of those 5 star reviews from folks who are using it for a variety of things.
I am certainly interested in any pressure cooker posts you plan for the future.
I’ve been on the fence about pressure cooking and so curious about instant pot so thank you!!!! I might have to put it on my want list for my brmirthsau or Mother’s Day .
Thank you so much for this post! My MIL got me a pressure cooker for my birthday but the only thing I’ve made in it so far is chicken breasts to cut down on prep time. The links are going to be a great help.
I am so, so, SO happy you did this post…I have been contemplating an instapot for awhile but haven’t “bit the bullet” so to speak. Based on your glowing reviews, I think I may have to put this on my birthday list! I didn’t realize I could take a regular recipe and convert it to a pressure cooker!!!!!!! (I though I had to use recipes made exclusively for a pressure cooker) a humongous THANKYOU for this post!!!!!!!!
I had no idea there was such a thing as an electric pressure cooker. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I used my stove top pressure cooker continuously. In fear though, I would not leave the kitchen island area (stove in island) for even a minute. When I went back to work, the pressure cooker got demoted to the downstairs built in storage.
Before kids, I came home from a long day at work and decided to can quarts of deer meat. My husband loves to take deer meat sandwiches for lunch. I was exhausted so decided to sit on the couch for just a minute while the pressure cooker steam built up so I could set the timer. A while later having fallen asleep instantly, I woke up to an explosion that took out my overhead stove vent and a large kitchen ceiling area. Clean up was horrible and expensive.
My mistake and I still loved and using my pressure cooker for years after that episode. The only difference was my husband now kept a very close eye on me when using the pressure cooker. π
This post intrigues me making me think I have missed my pressure cooker. Thank you for bringing forth this idea for a new kitchen tool. I going to start asking around and generating conversations with my friends concerning electric pressure cookers to discover if I am the only one still “in the dark ages”. My husband, who is a huge “Mel” fan because of the delicious recipes you have brought into our home, may not be quite as thrilled with you now. π
Oh my goodness, Sheila! I don’t think I would have recovered from the deer in the pot explosion very well. Bless you for getting back on the horse, so to speak. Don’t tell your husband it was me that encouraged this, k?
This was very informative. I am so happy to know that I am not the only one who was “afraid” of pressure cooking. When I was little, my grandmother’s house always had the scary pressure relief valve rattling. It used to really frighten me an I never got over it. I will have to try my previously unused and dusty pressure cooker.