Well, it may be several (?) years after the "boom" has passed, but Mr. SK has decided he wants to consider getting an Instant Pot. I'm pretty sure several WTFers have them, so a few questions, if I may...

1. What size? Even though we are a two-person family, Mr. SK likes to make things so that we have lots of left-overs. And we do like to host (when it's not covid-times). So maybe the size that would be appropriate for a four-person family would be good for us.

2. Are there different models, in which some models do more than a basic model? If so, which do you recommend? (Mr. SK won't using the Instant Pot for rice though, he's not giving up his Zojirushi!)

3. If you own an Instant Pot, how often do you use it? Is it worth the hype?

TIA!!!

I have an Instant Pot Duo plus - 6 quart. I been using it it maybe once a week lately but that may drop off in the summer.

The six quart is just the right size - I’ve never wanted for a bigger one. It fits a meal and some leftovers - just right for us. It’s also the right size for any online recipe I’ve tried.

The Duo Plus has a bunch of buttons and I never use most of them - only sauté, pressure cook, high and low. A simpler model would be fine for me.

I mostly use it for stock “trash soup” as Dol calls it. We use it in nearly everything and I like to keep a couple of gallons in the fridge. It also makes boiled eggs perfectly every time and makes them easy to peel. You can’t beat it for making Indian food and it speeds up cooking dried beans considerably. The chicken fricassee recipe I posted in the IP thread is one of the best meals I’ve ever tasted.

I don’t know if IP is any better than other brands but it’s going on 3 years now and it still works.

Pro-tip: If you’re going to make stock or boil eggs get a strainer basket for it. Saves a ton of work.

I wouldn’t use the instant pot for rice either, the Zojurushi rules rice.

I have two - a three quart and a 6 quart. I can feed 4 with the 3 quart. 2 with leftovers. I like that I can do smaller amounts in it too. (If you do too small an amount in the other ones sometimes you don’t get enough pressure to seal) I use it more than I use the 6 quart. Get extra rubber seals (you can get them 3 to a pack on amazon) - they take up the smells of what you usually cook, so when I made yogurt I wanted a seal that didn’t smell like stew!

Jodi, Steve, thanks!!

Steve,

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It’s also the right size for any online recipe I’ve tried.

That's a good point to keep in mind!

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stock “trash soup”

this is a hysterical name, but what does it mean? Soup you make from whatever is in the fridge?

Jodi, I think we'd like to avoid getting two (for one thing, there's no where to store the extra one!)

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they take up the smells of what you usually cook, so when I made yogurt I wanted a seal that didn’t smell like stew!

Yikes, good to know!!

I run the seal in the dishwasher and smell hasn’t been an issue.

And it appears that we are bigger eaters than the Jodis.

Pro tip 2:

People complain about how long it takes the IP to come up to pressure. The workaround is to start with hot water, start the IP and let the water heat up while you put in everything else.

I've got the six quart and it's perfect. Not too big, and not too small. And almost all the recipes I've seen are for the six quart models. And as far as "models" go, I don't think it matters as long as it can saute and high/low pressure cook.

Instant Pots usually go on sale during Amazon's Prime Days (July), or Black Friday/Christmas holidays.

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eople complain about how long it takes the IP to come up to pressure. The workaround is to start with hot water, start the IP and let the water heat up while you put in everything else.

WTG, yeah, I think Mr. SK is leaning toward the 6 quart.

I have the 8 quart; my kids gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago and wanted to eat at my house! That was the same year that Mr. AM gave me a fabulous Zojirushi rice cooker to replace our 35 year old Hitachi (scratched aluminum pot).

I use the 8 quart for everything; it’s not to big for feeding two, and it’s great for feeding four. If you have room to store it, it’s not a bad thing.

But! I know there’s an air fryer attachment for the 6 quart pot, but not the 8 quart pot. Mixed review on the air fryer attachment, though.

Favorite things in Instant Pot: risotto, lentil soup, other soups, PJ’s chicken curry! For the curry, it’s great to have the separate rice cooker so both cook at the same time.

Oxtail adobo, yum.

You can make yogurt in the IP. I don’t love yogurt, so I don’t, but friends rave about it.

Our use case is similar to yours - two person household but we like leftovers. We have a 6 qt and a 3 qt. We use the 6 qt for most meals, but I use the 3qt daily for steel cut oats and it’s what I use for hard boiled eggs and rice (obviously you won’t need it for that).

Side note: If you like Indian food I can’t recommend the book Indian Instant Pot highly enough!

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Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

[trash soup] this is a hysterical name, but what does it mean? Soup you make from whatever is in the fridge?

It’s kitchen stock. I make chicken, beef and ham and keep it on hand to make nearly everything.

I save all my vegetable peelings, onion skins, carrot tops, leek tops and such in a bag in the freezer to make the stuff. Fresh produce would work just as well but making something delicious out of “trash” appeals to my inner cheapskate.

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making something delicious out of “trash” appeals to my inner cheapskate.

That's awesome!!

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I use the 3qt daily for steel cut oats and it’s what I use for hard boiled eggs

I would love that for mornings....

How many eggs do you boil at one time in the 3 qt?

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Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

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I use the 3qt daily for steel cut oats and it’s what I use for hard boiled eggs

I would love that for mornings....

How many eggs do you boil at one time in the 3 qt?

I usually do 6 but you might be able to get a couple more in there. In the 6 quart you can do 18.

The steel cut oats are awesome. 1:2 oats to water, plus a pinch of salt. I add a bit of cinnamon too. 4 minutes on high pressure, natural release. In the 3 qt I do 1/3 cup oats - even though it’s a bit under the 1 cup of water that is called for by the instant pot minimum I’ve never had a problem.