How much of the IP excitement is . . . .

[KungFuPanda]

. . . people discovering pressure cooking for the first time?  My pressure cooker needs new gaskets.  I think it just needs that white gasket on the lid seal.  However, it's so old that the numbers are worn and I can't figure out how to get new parts specific to my model.  That IP sure is shiny and neat and new, but until my pressure cooker died I HAD all of those capabilities in my kitchen . . . but it's so cool.  I can't decide.  I can just get a new pressure cooker for $30.  I can get a 9-in-one IP for about $120.  Are there advantages beyond not having to brown food in a pan before putting in the crockpot?  Do most Instant Pot users see a difference between the IP and their old pressure cooker? Or is this a generation that never embraced pressure cooking before?  I can store a pressure cooker with my pots.  I'd need to create a special place for an IP.  I'm not sure I need an IP, but I kinda want one just because I want one. Apparently I use my pressure cooker to death, so going even a week without one will impact my life.  I'm having trouble deciding.  I also feel like it's a waste to replace my pressure cooker over one tiny gasket, but the gaskets are critical and mine are about 25 years old at least.

[sarasue7272]

I replaced my broken crock pot with the instant pot. I also have a pressure cooker. I find the IP much easier. I have never burnt anything in it. I love that I can set it and forget it. With the pressure cooker I have to stay close and listen to it.

Mine was only $60 on sale. I only use it as a pressure cooker, and very rarely a slow cooker. I think a lot of the hype is because many people don't use pressure cookers these days, but the ip is a really great pressure cooker.

Edited October 17, 2017 by sarasue7272

[KungFuPanda]

There IS that element of getting the rocker going just right.  

 

Heeey . . . . I wondered if any of my local friends retired their old school pressure cookers and need to rehome them???

[Ellie]

I did not love the stove-top pressure cooker I owned 30 years ago. I love my IP. :001_wub:

[madteaparty]

I had and used a pressure cooker for my entire adult life before the IP. I still love the IP because it's an extra pot but also no guesswork on recipes. There's just so many recipes now.

[ElizabethB]

It has a keep warm function that automatically engages. Also, you can use it for other things besides pressure cooking so you could toss your crock pot. The whole lead crock pot thing worried me a bit.

[Stibalfamily]

I have two IP's and an old school presto pressure cooker. I don't use the stove top one anymore but the IP is harder to clean. I like all of the settings on the IP, it will stop cooking and keep warm when it's done cooking. I like that I don't have to watch it. I like my slow cooker and I still use it and I don't consider the IP a replacement for that. The slow cooker function doesn't line up in temperature to other slow cooker recipes so they don't turn out well for me. I like my instant pot but there is a lot of hype surrounding it. For instance, naturally releasing a recipe adds a significant amount of time to a recipe. I like mine for beans and brown rice. I also use mine for making bone broth and that make a great broth. I have used the yogurt function before but I don't really like making yogurt, I am too lazy to make all of the flavors that my family likes. I have made chicken in it as well and I prefer to use an oven since I like browned chicken, unless I am just shredding it to put in another recipe. I would probably wait for Black Friday and snag one on sale, otherwise there is nothing wrong with a $30 one. Another consideration is the IP seals don't have a long life, they hold onto smells and stretch out pretty quick. You probably would need to replace the seal once a year or close to that depending on how often you use it. 

[mathnerd]

Yes. People are not familiar with pressure cooking.

I use a stovetop pressure cooker all the time. IP is a glorified pressure cooker with a lot of bells and whistles (which I love, btw). I have 2 IPs, mostly because the IP is waaaaaaay slower than a stovetop pressure cooker in heating up or cooling down. I hate to wait for it to pressure up, so I heat water in a pan to boiling point and add it to the IP - which is pretty pointless because I have to use another pan. And the pressure release will send out clouds of smoke into my kitchen cabinets (I will not keep the IP under my vent hood) and the outer pot where the lid locks in got worn down first and now is rusting. I still love the IP!

[Petrichor]

I don't like that the IP is higher than a regular pot on a stovetop. I have to go on my tippy toes or stand on a stool to see in the pot properly. 

 

IP takes much longer to get to pressure than my stovetop pressure cooker. 

 

But the auto-off to warming setting was really very helpful when the baby was new and I wanted to be able to put food in, and walk away. And it is nice to have another pressure cooker, even if it is super bulky compared to a pot of the same size.

 

And I like having it around for slow cooking applications, because I rarely use a slow cooker and got rid of mine long ago. 

 

Also like that, like a slow cooker, I am able to transport it easily, and just plug it in to keep the food warm at the destination.

[mamaraby]

Yes, I have used a stovetop one before - both Presto (vintage and new) and I did not love them so, imo I would not be buying a $30 pressure cooker. I’d be looking into a Kuhn Rikon or a Fagor and those aren’t cheap. If I’m spending that much already, then the extras with the IP make sense to me. When I got my IP, I ditched the Presto and got rid of three appliances (crockpot, rice cooker, yogurt maker). In exchange I also gained the delayed start and keep warm function plus ease of travel (whatever I take with me is basically in a big thermos and stays warm on the ride over to holiday gatherings).

 

For me it was a no brainer. If you live in the US, I’d watch the price on the IP if that’s the route you go. They go on sale quite often - especially later in the year/early new year. Buy what you think you’ll use, though. If you can’t imagine yourself using an electric pressure cooker than go with the stovetop one. I’d look into a more expensive model, though.

[dirty ethel rackham]

For me, it is the multiple functions and the whole "set it and forget it" mentality that had me sold.  I knew about pressure cookers, but there were just too many opportunities for failure.  I use my IP several times a week.  We use it for perfect steel-cut oats set up the night before and perfect rice on a regular basis.  Soups are a breeze.  Bone broths, homemade vanilla extract, you name it.  I'll be working on yogurt soon.  

[Catwoman]

Don't spend $120! Wait for Black Friday and you'll probably be able to get an Instant Pot for $69.99! :)

[Zinnia]

I never had a pressure cooker. My mom isn't an experimental cook, and she was scared of them, so I didn't grow up with one. It's all new to me.

[PrairieSong]

Don't spend $120! Wait for Black Friday and you'll probably be able to get an Instant Pot for $69.99! :)

I think this is what I will do. I want one that makes yogurt in addition to basic cooking. I think I'd use one a lot but I've resisted so far.

 

It can be dh's gift to me, ha.

 

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

[PrairieSong]

Btw, which ones make yogurt? I don't think they all do, do they?

 

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[Lady Florida.]

Although I'm quite familiar with pressure cooking I've never loved any of my stove top pressure cookers. I love my IP!

[samba]

I was given an old-school pressure cooker many years ago. I was always afraid to use it. I bought my IP 3 yrs ago and use it all the time. I  :001_wub: it! I don't care that much about browning stuff. I care mostly about beans and rice that are cooked appropriately. I use my IP several times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, with no hovering and watching. That's worth it to me.

[cjzimmer1]

I have a stove top pressure cooker.  I taught myself to use it and even canned a few things.  But I always felt like I was fiddling with it.  Trying to decide is it rocking enough to start timing, is it running too high should I turn it down,  did I turn it down too much?  Couldn't really go do a project downstairs because then I wouldn't be able to hear it and what if I wanted to adjust it?

 

With the IP, I push the button with how much time I want and I come back.  I've even been known to leave the house before it even comes to pressure because I'm that comfortable that I've got it set properly.  Basically I treat it like a crockpot.  Once I've closed that lid, I'm done with it until the food is done.

 

My IP has gotten a lot more use than my stovetop just because it's so much easier to ignore it while it's cooking.

[Martha in GA]

Btw, which ones make yogurt? I don't think they all do, do they?

 

 

I think you have to get the 7-in-1 to get the yogurt feature. I'm thinking about trying to snag one on Black Friday to replace my crockpot and rice cooker (which is dying). I'm not sure how much of the pressure cooker feature I will actually use because I've never used one before  :closedeyes:, but I like the stainless steel pot for the rice and crockpot (I hope).

[xixstar]

I think the excitement is the newness of pressure cooking - I was always trying to sell people on pressure cooking but they were too scared to try. 

I loved my stove top pressure cookers and yet I love my Instant Pot even more! 

[Prairie~Phlox]

I have an ip & also a stovetop. I love that the ip doesn't heat up my house & I don't have to babysit it.

[Mrs_JWM]

Yes. People are not familiar with pressure cooking.

I use a stovetop pressure cooker all the time. IP is a glorified pressure cooker with a lot of bells and whistles (which I love, btw). I have 2 IPs, mostly because the IP is waaaaaaay slower than a stovetop pressure cooker in heating up or cooling down. I hate to wait for it to pressure up, so I heat water in a pan to boiling point and add it to the IP - which is pretty pointless because I have to use another pan. And the pressure release will send out clouds of smoke into my kitchen cabinets (I will not keep the IP under my vent hood) and the outer pot where the lid locks in got worn down first and now is rusting. I still love the IP!

Sometimes I add water to the IP and heat it on saute - or I use my electric kettle that's right by the stove and always has water in it. Besides, it's not like you're getting a pan dirty. Inpatient IP'ers unite!

 

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Edited October 18, 2017 by Mrs_JWM

[Vida Winter]

I just got an IP but have also used a regular pressure cooker for years. The ability to program in a time and let it finish while I do something else ...wonderful. I don't leave the house or anything but I am comfortable leaving the kitchen to do laundry for example. With the regular pressure cooker I stay right there next to it. I am still learning its uses and am by no means an expert but so far so good.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

There should be a Kohl's deal on the 7-in-1 going right now:

 

http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/2017/10/instant-pot-7-1-6-qt-programmable-pressure-cooker-63-reg-129-99-10-kohls-cash-4.html

[KungFuPanda]

I have two IP's and an old school presto pressure cooker. I don't use the stove top one anymore but the IP is harder to clean. I like all of the settings on the IP, it will stop cooking and keep warm when it's done cooking. I like that I don't have to watch it. I like my slow cooker and I still use it and I don't consider the IP a replacement for that. The slow cooker function doesn't line up in temperature to other slow cooker recipes so they don't turn out well for me. I like my instant pot but there is a lot of hype surrounding it. For instance, naturally releasing a recipe adds a significant amount of time to a recipe. I like mine for beans and brown rice. I also use mine for making bone broth and that make a great broth. I have used the yogurt function before but I don't really like making yogurt, I am too lazy to make all of the flavors that my family likes. I have made chicken in it as well and I prefer to use an oven since I like browned chicken, unless I am just shredding it to put in another recipe. I would probably wait for Black Friday and snag one on sale, otherwise there is nothing wrong with a $30 one. Another consideration is the IP seals don't have a long life, they hold onto smells and stretch out pretty quick. You probably would need to replace the seal once a year or close to that depending on how often you use it.

 

  

 

I'm bitter that I need new gaskets after 25 years.

 

Yes. People are not familiar with pressure cooking.

I use a stovetop pressure cooker all the time. IP is a glorified pressure cooker with a lot of bells and whistles (which I love, btw). I have 2 IPs, mostly because the IP is waaaaaaay slower than a stovetop pressure cooker in heating up or cooling down. I hate to wait for it to pressure up, so I heat water in a pan to boiling point and add it to the IP - which is pretty pointless because I have to use another pan. And the pressure release will send out clouds of smoke into my kitchen cabinets (I will not keep the IP under my vent hood) and the outer pot where the lid locks in got worn down first and now is rusting. I still love the IP!

 

 

So, if I pull frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer, I can be using cooked, shredded chicken in 15 minutes in a regular pressure cooker. Is thus roughly the same in an IP?

 

 

I just got an IP but have also used a regular pressure cooker for years. The ability to program in a time and let it finish while I do something else ...wonderful. I don't leave the house or anything but I am comfortable leaving the kitchen to do laundry for example. With the regular pressure cooker I stay right there next to it. I am still learning its uses and am by no means an expert but so far so good.

If you're doing a beef roast or bone broth and it's cooking for an hour you'd stay in the kitchen and watch it?

 

I am used to tossing my pressure cooker in the dishwasher. I did lose my meat rack years ago and have to use foil. The IPs warming feature sounds nice. My big crockpot doesn't have that, but my rice cooker/slow cooker does. Man, I want the shiny new thing. Maybe I'll post on Facebook that if any IP users are looking to regime their old school pressure cookers, I can take them in and love them. If I get no offers, it's like the universe WANTS me to have an IP!

 

I've never been afraid of a pressure cooker. If it's rocking, it's good. My mom and grandmother used them all the time and had pressure canners too. It took me a while to notice that not everyone used them. I'm a person who uses her appliances ALL the time. I'm sure if I HAD an IP it would definitely see some action.

[Jann in TX]

LOVE my IP

 

I've had it almost 2 years and use it ALL.THE.TIME...

Tonight I cooked red beans (20 minutes)

Tomorrow I will do hard-boiled eggs (6 minutes plus 10 minute natural release)

 

I did have to replace the gasket a few months ago-- I think I overfilled it once making soup.  The gaskets are inexpensive and came in a 2 pack-- so I have a spare!

 

So worth it and does not make me as nervous as the stove-top did.

 

[PeterPan]

Is your stovetop pressure cooker aluminum or stainless steel? The IP is a stainless insert, so for me I would never do in a stovetop pressure cooker the things I do in my IP. I like the convenience. No, it sounds like it's not as fast. 

 

It sounds like you're going to be happier replacing your stovetop unit. You haven't found anything a draw about the IP except that it's new. 

[PentecostalMom]

I was given an old-school pressure cooker many years ago. I was always afraid to use it. I bought my IP 3 yrs ago and use it all the time. I :001_wub: it! I don't care that much about browning stuff. I care mostly about beans and rice that are cooked appropriately. I use my IP several times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, with no hovering and watching. That's worth it to me.

Rice! How do I cook just plain white rice perfectly??

 

 

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[laundrycrisis]

I dislike cooking and only do it to get food on the table. I tried slow cooking - never had much success and lost patience with it. I was never ambitious enough to want a stovetop pressure cooker. My mom has one and used it for stew all winter each year, but it was a dangerous pita and I can’t be bothered. But the IP - love ! All the ease I was told I would find with a crockpot but never achieved - and fast instead of slow- plus safe and automated - it’s ideal and we are having nicer meals because of it.

Edited October 20, 2017 by laundrycrisis

[Amy in NH]

My mom had a pressure cooker when I was a kid.  It was scary and had the potential to be dangerous.  No way I would use one.

 

The new technology which makes pressure cooking safer, plus the versatility with saute and slow cook functions, are what drew my business to IP.  I know food can be browned in a pan before using a different type of cooker, but I like the fact that I don't dirty, and have to wash, a bunch of dishes to make a meal.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Amy in NH