Let’s just be honest for a second—let’s skip the influencer part of my Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (that you’ve seen everywhere, like your aunt bombarding the family group text) and simply state that this thing is basically the Swiss army knife of kitchen tools: pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, sauté pan, food warmer, also possibly a UFO? At least it feels like it. And how many random things did you buy at 2am and now it just sits in a cabinet collecting dust? This basically obliterates that stuff and is probably cooler than that stuff.
Am I saying this thing is magic? No. But it does help minimize some of the craziness for your kitchen if you’re worried about having your kitchen slowly morphing into an appliance graveyard. It has more “Smart Programs” than I have brain cells after a long-weekend! You literally just dump anything in your fridge, then push a button, and boom, you’re a functional adult eating dinner instead of watching Youtube compilations of cats playing piano. Oh, and that cheesecake at 2am? Yep, it covers you there too. And honestly, I respect that hustle.
The LCD display is huge and easy to read (even at half-court and just wanting your first cup of coffee). And that steam release valve? You no longer have to play a game of Russian roulette with hot steam, which is great if you care to hold onto your eyebrows. The stainless steel pot that goes inside is solid: as in you could probably drop it and it would endure (but please do not try).
You can make six quarts, so it is great for a small crowd or for the week– think enough chili to survive a zombie apocalypse (or for lunch leftovers). If you’re someone who needs a jolt of inspiration, the Instant Pot app has a ridiculous number of recipes (800+), so you’ll never run out of good ideas. Or excuses.
The clean up? Bless. The lid and pot go right into the dishwasher. No more scrubbing until your hands look like they just came from a coal mine.
Most everyone loves this bad boy-fast cooking, direct instruction, blah, blah. There are a few people who complained about broken glass or wanted a larger pot, but hey, nothing is perfect.
The bottom line is, if you are tired of juggling your kitchen appliances and just want dinner to be less of a headache, then this Instant Pot is worth the counter space. Do it, have fun, and you may even end up liking cooking (or at least as much as you can fake on Instagram).
