Instant pot?

[DocBuzzkill]

Is it as good as Junior's? It's short 1.5 pounds of cream cheese.

Dunno.  I've never encountered Junior's.  If the latter is a genuine New York cheesecake, then it probably compares to the IP cheesecake like Russ & Daughters' bagels compare to those round bread things from Lenders.

[merigayle]

I did cheesecake when i first got it, it was great. I have done banana bread as well.

[Suesquatch]

Dunno.  I've never encountered Junior's.  If the latter is a genuine New York cheesecake, then it probably compares to the IP cheesecake like Russ & Daughters' bagels compare to those round bread things from Lenders.

 

[Suesquatch]

So you can make pernil - yummy pork shoulder- in the instant ppt in 3 hours instead of 24.   My life will never be the same. I love this thing.

[Ice Cream]

So you can make pernil - yummy pork shoulder- in the instant ppt in 3 hours instead of 24.   My life will never be the same. I love this thing.

 

[rocketgirl]

Is this the thread where I ask questions?  There seem to be a bunch of different models - 6-in-1 and 7-in-1 and 9-in-1.  I'm not not likely to make yogurt, but I'd definitely want to use it like a crock-pot, use the warmer setting for party food, might cook rice (since I don't have a rice cooker & don't cook rice enough to want one), would probably use the pressure-cooking feature just because fast is good, and wouldn't be opposed to whatever a "cake" setting is, but also don't care that much about it.  (Saving 30 minutes on a cheesecake that still has to sit in the fridge for 8 hours is kind of meh).  And I don't see needing the 8 qt for anything, ever.

Which Instant Pot model do you have?
What features do you use?
What features are overkill? 
Is it worth getting the one with wi-fi?  (Like, what are you making that you can just leave things in it without refrigeration and hit "go" from your phone right before you leave work for home?  Note, my personal commute home is usually only 10-15 minutes).
Would by you buy a different model if you had it to do over, and if so, which one?
Are you happy with the way it substitutes for a slow cooker/crock pot?
Is it more or less likely to spill in transport than a slow cooker/crock pot that does NOT have a locking lid?
Did you buy the extra silicon lid for transport, and does that help?  (And will it fit on without removing the inner pot?  Because for a party where you want to keep the food warm, I'd take the whole thing).
Anything else I need to know?

I am not a separate appliance for everything type person.  It's kind of between replacing my current crock pot with a crock pot that has a lid that locks for transport OR replacing my current crock pot with an Instant Pot (assuming I'm not going to spill during transport).  I don't want (nor do I have room for) 2 things that big in my cupboard.

Thanks!

[redkitty]

I bought an IP back in July. Just used it for the first time last week. I have the Duo, I think 6 quart. I like it, but don’t love it yet. We made rice the first time we used it. With it “preheating” (pressurizing) and cooking and depressurizing I felt it saved ZERO time compared to just cooking it 20 minutes on the stove. My kids thought it was too sticky (but if u use oil that apparently solves that issue.) I don’t cook rice enough to really need the IP. Also I did not use the rice setting as apparently that is for plain white rice and used jasmine and basmati (2 separate occasions)

We cooked a whole chicken in it yesterday. Again didn’t save me time as the chicken was spatchcocked but none of the chicken was dried out so that was nice.

I haven’t transported so can’t answer the other questions. I would suggest getting one if it was around $50, which is what I paid. I know people who use theirs way more than I use mine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[diablita]

I'm not a good person to answer the majority of the questions as I don't like it enough to even know which model I have.  It's 6 qt and doesn't make yogurt.  I'm loaning mine to a friend tomorrow who will probably borrow it permanently, leaving me space in the pantry for an air fryer.

I will say that I'm just not the target market.  As for transporting, I can't imagine transporting the entire IP thingy with food in it but maybe others have done that?

[rocketgirl]

Basically I'm categorizing the choice as between a crock pot (with locking lid so it doesn't spill!) and thing that can act as a crock pot (without spilling!) and do other shit that might be nice. 

I pretty much only use the existing crock pot for parties - either at my house or elsewhere -thus the spillage question.  I'm annoyed with having to saran wrap the lid in place and wrap the thing in a towel for transport.  Unless, I'm craving chili, I don't use it to just make shit for me.  (But if it did more stuff, or did it faster, I probably would).

[radial]

I have the Duo 60 (7 in 1) model.  I don't really use the push button programs much.  I know (or can easily look up) what manual settings to use for things I tend to slow-cook or pressure-cook, so I just punch in the appropriate settings.  I do use the saute feature when I need to sear something and the yogurt program when I'm making yogurt, but that's about it.  Wifi connectivity would definitely be on my overkill list. 

It's a pressure cooker, so it has a locking lid by definition.  But it only locks up completely when it's pressurized.  So, if it falls over on its side and rolls around on the floor of a moving vehicle there might be some seepage.  No worries about things sloshing out during transport if it stays upright, though.  I did buy a non-locking glass top for it, but that's only because I didn't want any "flavors" from the regular top and sealing gasket polluting my yogurt. 

Instant Pots don't cost very much so it's probably not worth too much analysis.  If you buy one from Amazon, you can just return or exchange if it doesn't suit you.

[rocketgirl]

I don't expect anything to fall on its side, but on the traditional crock pot with glass lid, the lid shifts, so carrying the crock pot or taking a turn in your vehicle sometimes will slosh contents and then you have chili on your sleeve or your floor mats or your car seat.

If even the "unlocked" lid for Instant Pot stays put for such things, that's an improvement. 

But per Dev's comment, what is the weight/awkwardness of carrying like, compared to a crock pot?

Also radial - your comment on the pre-program buttons, does that imply that some of the things a more-in-1 version will do with a single button, that a less-in-1 version will do just by looking up the proper settings yourself?

[DocBuzzkill]

Is this the thread where I ask questions?  There seem to be a bunch of different models - 6-in-1 and 7-in-1 and 9-in-1.  I'm not not likely to make yogurt, but I'd definitely want to use it like a crock-pot, use the warmer setting for party food, might cook rice (since I don't have a rice cooker & don't cook rice enough to want one), would probably use the pressure-cooking feature just because fast is good, and wouldn't be opposed to whatever a "cake" setting is, but also don't care that much about it.  (Saving 30 minutes on a cheesecake that still has to sit in the fridge for 8 hours is kind of meh).  And I don't see needing the 8 qt for anything, ever.

I like my IP for cheesecake not because of saving time, but because the IP acts as a bain-marie that results in a creamy texture with no cracking.

Which Instant Pot model do you have?

Duo, 8 qt, which is a monster and takes up a lot of counter space when I'm using it (it generally lives on a shelf at the bottom of our basement stairs).  Had I bought one for myself, it would have been a 6 qt, but the 8 qt has ended up being useful all the same.

What features do you use?

Sauté, high pressure, yogurt, slow cooker.

What features are overkill?

 

All the other buttons.

Is it worth getting the one with wi-fi?

I wouldn't bother.

Would by you buy a different model if you had it to do over, and if so, which one?

See above.  Would have bought the 6 qt.

Are you happy with the way it substitutes for a slow cooker/crock pot?

Yep.  Works very well.

Is it more or less likely to spill in transport than a slow cooker/crock pot that does NOT have a locking lid?
Did you buy the extra silicon lid for transport, and does that help?  (And will it fit on without removing the inner pot?  Because for a party where you want to keep the food warm, I'd take the whole thing).

I have never used my monster IP to transport anything.  Too unwieldy for my quick turns and stops in Boston traffic.    A 6 qt might be more manageable, and it looks like carrying bags are available for 6 qts and 8 qts.  However, like radial said, if it tips over, there will be spillage, but isn't that true for a crock pot, too?

[radial]

The IP top stays on until you twist it off.  It's not going to slide off just from driving around.  It's not likely to fall over either unless you get in an accident or something.  I just mentioned that part so you wouldn't imagine that you could turn it upside down and shake it around without risking some dribble out the vent hole or around the gasket.   

Yes, that's what I meant about the buttons.  I picked the one with the yogurt button because I make a batch of yogurt every couple of weeks and didn't want to fool around with the manual settings trying to get the temperature low enough for the fermentation phase of the process.  But otherwise, I could have done fine with the cheapest six-quart model. 

The IP is pretty hefty.  It has to be sturdy so as not to blow up under pressure, I suppose.  But it's not all that heavy.  The one I use is just shy of 12 lbs.  The original Crockpot brand slow cooker of the same capacity weighs in at over 13 lbs and costs half again as much.  It has a nice carry handle.  But really now, you don't take these devices on a hike or anything.  For moving between vehicle and venue, the handles on the IP work just fine. 

[rocketgirl]

I have never used my monster IP to transport anything.  Too unwieldy for my quick turns and stops in Boston traffic.    A 6 qt might be more manageable, and it looks like carrying bags are available for 6 qts and 8 qts.  However, like radial said, if it tips over, there will be spillage, but isn't that true for a crock pot, too?

Well yes.  But the crock pots that do not have a lid lock (like mine) spill with just shifting unless you saran wrap the lid.  The whole thing doesn't have to tip over.  So I want to know if the IP lid is more secure.  Secure lid is of greater importance than all the things an appliance can do.  The "all the things" is a nice to have.  The "doesn't slosh out just because I turned" is imperative.

Non-cracking cheesecake would be nice though.  (Not imperative, but nice. )

[DocBuzzkill]

Well yes.  But the crock pots that do not have a lid lock (like mine) spill with just shifting unless you saran wrap the lid.  The whole thing doesn't have to tip over.  So I want to know if the IP lid is more secure.  Secure lid is of greater importance than all the things an appliance can do.  The "all the things" is a nice to have.  The "doesn't slosh out just because I turned" is imperative.

Non-cracking cheesecake would be nice though.  (Not imperative, but nice. )

If the lid is locked, then yes, it's reasonably secure (shouldn't slosh out).

[rocketgirl]

Thanks, radial!

I think if I find a decent price, I may go for the Instant Pot and get rid of my crock pot entirely.  (I will, of course, first read the instructions and make sure I'm smart enough to use it before getting rid of anything else.)

[nadra24]

I have a 7-in-1 that has the yogurt function. I don't use that function very often but I'm glad to have it. I have transported stuff in it before and it's doable. I haven't ever used it as a slow cooker so I can't comment on that, though I have heard reviews that it doesn't function well as a slow cooker because the heat is just from the bottom as opposed to a crock pot where the heat comes from both the bottom and the sides of the cooker.

It looks like they're only $60 on Amazon so not a huge expense if you end up not liking it as a crock pot. Not too much more than getting just the crock pot, and with much more functionality.

[RioG]

What does the yogurt function do?  The recipe I have just used the keep warm button 15 min then unplug.  You scald the milk first.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[merigayle]

I have transported food in it once and it was totally fine.

[Ice Cream]

When I bought the IP, I thought it was going to make several other things I had obsolete.  Not so.
I still use my zojirushi rice cooker, my steamer, and my crock pot.  I use the IP mostly for yogurt and beans. 
My steamer is better, because I can see throught it.  I steam eggs, potatoes, and fish in it.
I always make soups in the crock pot, except bean soups.
The rice cooker is always on the counter, so that is why I prefer to use it.  I also make oatmeal in the rice cooker. The IP is stored in the guest room, so I would need to get it out of there, and it's big.  (6 or 7 qt.)

I did buy additional silicone rings for the IP.  They absorb smell.

I did not buy a glass lid for the IP like Radial did.  I use the silicone lids that you can use on any pot.  It fulfills the same need.