Hellobee Boards

I bought one last year on prime day because I had a gift card. I do like it for some things, like making chicken stock. It’s also nice if I forget to take meat out of the freezer and still want to get dinner on the table without resorting to plan b. But, to be honest, I don’t use it all that much. I never used my crock pot much either though. I find I don’t always like the texture of items cooked in the crock pot/instant pot.

@hitchhiker: We eat a lot of meatless meals, and I agree that most of those don’t go over well in the crock pot. I feel like it’s best for things like roasts and stews which I’m not a big fan of.

Crock pots cook meat slowly with low temperatures. Instant pots use high pressure to quickly cook things at high temperatures.

We love veggies from the instant pot. I make cabbage, carrots, potatoes, soups, etc. But if you want crispy veggies, that’s a job for the oven or wok.

My favorite use: shredded chicken. Throw frozen chicken in pot. Add water and spices. Shred with fork. Then use it to make lunches for the week or whatever.

I second the boiled eggs. We make a LOT. Some are used for egg salad, some are used for Cobb salads, some are used as a side in a lunch or as a snack.

We also bought a silicone mold to make egg bites like they sell at Starbucks. They’re like little quiches.

Some of our favorite dishes are potato soup, beef stew, taco soup, and chicken masala.

@ElbieKay: this week already!!!!

OP: I've only heard people talk about them in context of specific meat dishes, like brisket or shredded chicken. I never got one because they seem like they take up too much room and don't pull their weight and eh, I guess I was just waiting to see if it was the next bread maker c.1995.

Ohhh I love mine. By the time it comes to pressure sometimes it takes the same amount of time to cook as the stovetop, BUT you don't have to stir it or watch it. So throw some chicken, salsa, water, dry pasta in and set it for 10 minutes or so and go outside and play with your kids while it all cooks.

I do hard boiled eggs in mine a lot. They peel very easy.

I also just used it for corn on the cob when I realized I had forgotten about it and didn't have time to boil water. So 2 minutes in the instant pot and done.

I also love putting chicken thighs with teriyaki sauce in the bottom, then place the metal rack on with a glass bowl with rice and water in that. Set it for around 20 minutes and a delish 1 pot meal.

We desperately needed a new rice cooker when we were gifted ours, so it has been great as a replacement for our old rice cooker. It is great for cooking dried beans instead of using canned (less sodium and fewer chemicals). It's also good for quinoa - I think the total cooking time is about the same, but I'll pop it or rice in the Instant Pot when we get home from daycare and then we walk to the park and dinner is ready when we get home. We also eat meatless (I'm a vegetarian) and I love it for making taco filling or cooking fake meat chicken with a sauce. The quality of the food, I have found, is better than slow cooking, and so I don't even use my crockpot much anymore. It's also great for things like lentil soups, etc.

@Ms.Mermaid: how fast does it cook beans from dry? I love making my own “refried” pinto beans but it takes all day in the slow cooker and there is so much smell in the house

I have one, but don't use it often (probably cause I got a 6qt and it's just huge and annoying to me). But I do love how fast it can cook when I do lug it out. I love it for being able to throw meat right from the freezer into it and cook in less than an hour. Or how quickly it can make fall off the bone ribs. I hear its great for broth and soups, but haven't tried that yet.

My instant pot has totally replaced my slow cooker. I can make something in the IP in 60-90 minutes instead of having to do an all day thing. I'm gone for too long during the day to leave my crockpot on that long. I really like mine, I use it mainly for shredded meats, hard boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, I cook salmon and veggies in it, and other "hamburger helper" type meals. Some people in instant pot groups are crazy about it and use if for everything, I'd say i probably use it once a week

@Hypatia: I get decently crispy veggies when I cook for 0 minutes. They're tender crisp by the time the pot gets to pressure and you just release pressure right away. I use that method to add veggies to recipes often, cook the dish how the instructions say, then toss in some veggies, reseal and set for 0 minutes.

We made steamed potstickers from frozen in our IP tonight and it was delicious and required no real work/tending. It was great!

I love the sauté function on the instant pot. I will quickly sauté, then pressure cook chicken that I marinate with a dry rub. I also like using it to make salsa verde pork, stews, to boil eggs. It’s so convenient!