Are Instant Pots Really That Great?

Instant Pots are commonly touted as the kitchen appliance to end others. But is that really the truth? Should you believe the hype, or should you skip the Instant Pot?

What Can Instant Pots Do?

As you’re probably well aware, Instant Pots are capable of cooking just about anything, from chili to roast beef. But they’re really just pressure cookers with a few extra features. The only thing that’s new about Instant Pots is that they’re affordable and safe to use.

Rather than doling out all of the Instant Pot’s features and capabilities like an instruction manual, we’re going to run through a quick and dirty list of what the Instant Pot can do:

• Pressure Cooking: Again, Instant Pots are pressure cookers. They’re great for recipes that call for a pressure cooker, like roast beef or tender chicken.
• Sauteing/Pan Frying: Instant pots have a saute function, which means that you can use them in place of a pot or pan when something needs to be sauteed. This is useful for recipes that require sauteed ingredients, like sauces or stews.
• Slow Cooking (Kind Of): Instant Pots have a slow cook function which lets off more steam than the typical pressure cook function. This option isn’t really a replacement for dedicated slow cookers (more on that later), but it’s a useful function that’s worth mentioning.
• Cooking Frozen or Dry Foods: Instant pots are great for quickly cooking frozen foods, like frozen peas or frozen chicken breasts. They’re also great for rapidly cooking dry foods, like beans, boiled peanuts, or brown rice.
• Oil-Less Cooking: Because Instant Pots cook with steam, they’re great for people who want to avoid cooking with butter, fat, or vegetable oil. Instant Pots are also a great stand-in for veggie steamers, in case you’re wondering.
• Preparing Ingredients: Instant Pots are great for preparing ingredients for other recipes. You can use an Instant Pot for cooking potatoes before you fry them, for example.
• They’re Safer Than Pressure Cookers: People are afraid of pressure cookers and for a good reason. One dumb mistake could turn your average pressure cooker into a bomb. But, Instant Pots are super safe to use, as they digitally monitor pressure and prevent any accidents from happening.

Alright, so now you know what an Instant Pot is capable of. But that brings us to the next logical point—where do Instant Pots fall short?

Instant Pots Can’t Do Everything

You can’t cook everything in a frying pan, and you can’t cook everything in an Instant Pot. Here’s a quick list of the things that an Instant Pot can’t do:

• Slow Cooking (Kind Of): Yes, we just said that Instant Pots have a slow cook function. But it isn’t perfect. We’ll get back to this, don’t worry.
• Anything Crispy: The Instant Pot can’t be used as a pressure fryer or a deep fryer. You can get crispy foods by using the Instant Pot to pan-fry foods, but if that’s the goal, then you’re better off using a pan.
• Pressure Canning: To do any sort of canning, you need a pressure cooker with a temperature gauge. The Instant Pot doesn’t measure temperature.
• Stir Frys: Because of the Instant Pot’s lid and limited surface area, it’s terrible for any kind of stir fry, even on the saute setting.
• Pasta and Noodles: Some people may want to cook noodles in the Instant Pot, but that’s a bad idea. Pasta and noodles are best cooked uncovered. Not to mention, you have to turn off and depressurize the Pot before you can check whether or not your pasta or noodles are cooked properly.

Instant Pots (and pressure cookers in general) are specialized devices. They can’t do everything, but they can do a whole lot. It’s worth thinking of the Instant Pot as an oven, but with steam. Ovens can do a lot, but you probably don’t use your oven for cooking everything. The same goes for Instant Pots.

Can Instant Pots Really Replace Other Kitchen Appliances?

Instant pots are equipped with a ton of pre-programmed buttons, ranging from “slow cook” to “yogurt.” The slow cook option allows the Instant Pot to let off some steam (not build up pressure), but the other settings don’t do anything special, they’re just pre-set pressure cooking times. In fact, most Instant Pot chefs suggest avoiding these buttons in favor of the simple “pressure cook” button.

Knowing this, it’s worth asking whether or not an Instant Pot can replace your other appliances. And the answer is a solid maybe. It depends on what you’re cooking and what you’re coking with.

An Instant Pot can replace your rice cooker, veggie steamer, or hard-boiled egg maker a little better than it can a slow cooker. In some instances, the Instant Pot can replace your slow cooker, too.

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