Best Bang For Your Buck Instant Pot For Vegetarians
Instant Pot Duo: available at
Our take: The Duo will fulfill many of the needs you have for vegetarian recipes without breaking your budget.
What we like: This model includes a yogurt maker, low-pressure setting for delicate vegetables, high-pressure setting for hardier food and 14 smart programs.
What we dislike: The presets on some units in this line have presented issues.
Is The Instant Pot Worth It For A Vegan
Is the Instant Pot worth it for a vegan?
The Instant Pot is the latest 3rd generation microprocessor technology. Essentially it replaces 6 appliances with 1 as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, saute, steamer, slow cooker and warmer. Also, it comes in 3 sizes consisting of 3, 6 and 8-quart. This makes it the ultimate space saver and a dream made reality for the minimalist.
As a pressure cooker it reduces cooking time by up to 70% while saving energy. Adjustable temperature settings grants flexibility in cooking goals enabling you to saute, simmer, sear or thicken. There are no chemical coatings and the 3-ply bottom allows for even heat distribution. The inner cooking pot and lid are dishwasher safe.
Now with all of its glowing attributes for me the Instant Pot did have its share of cons. For starters, not exercising care when applying the steam release may cause harm. Also, there is a huge learning curve to getting the hang of using this appliance. You definitely need to thoroughly read the instruction manual. Besides that figuring out the proper measurements will take some trial and error so be prepared to ruin a few meals before getting it right. Also, even the smallest size is actually quite bulky so youll need a good amount of storage space for it.
What do you think? Is the Instant Pot worth it for a vegan?
The Less Pleasant Aspects Of The Instant Pot
What I dont like that much about the Instant Pot is the smell of the lid. I like to use a lot of herbs and spices and I could not really get the smell out of the lid . I could smell my curry dish days after using the Instant Pot. Not pleasant. I like my kitchen clean and odor free. What did help was to not close the lid on the Instant Pot, but to put it upside down on the pot. This helps a bit. I read that some people buy a second ring, but I personally dont think its that bad. The inner pot is made from stainless steel, and that one is very easy and fast to clean.
As a food blogger you can imagine that I love to cook. The cooking experience is a bit less when you cook with the Instant Pot, but there is still some cooking involved. However, you can set the timer lower and open the pot in between to taste whether your meal may need more spices, herbs, water and such. And sometimes I noticed that there is actually more cooking to it. Thereare so many optionsand I experiment much more and feel more creative in the kitchen.
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The Perfect Rice Experiment
Match-up: Instant Pot vs. rice cooker
Test Recipe: Perfect Instant Pot brown rice, from the Instant Pot manual.Total time: 38 min
Assessment:;The finished;rice was well-cooked with a nice bite to it, and was done in slightly less than 40 mins, the average amount of it takes;a rice cooker to turn out a finished product.
Verdict:;Again, the Instant Pot delivers.
What’s The Difference Between A Slow Cooker And A Pressure Cooker
A slow cooker cooks food at a low temperature for 4-12 hours so that you can put ingredients in it in the morning and come home to a cooked dinner.;;People like the convenience of this appliance, although it traditionally doesn’t build the best flavor because there’s no browning or high heat.; Slow cookers can also be used to keep dishes warm on a buffet for guests .; One downside of slow cooker recipes is that they often take 4-6 hours–not quite a full day of work, so you might come home to an overcooked mess.; Be smart with your schedule and pick recipes accordingly if you slow cook.;;
A pressure cooker cooks food under pressure so that a recipe that would usually take 90 minutes might take 30 minutes.; Although it sounds like a new-fangled machine, pressure cookers have been around since the 1600s, although they were definitely not electric and also definitely not safe back then.; Essentially a valve at the top of the Instant Pot prevents steam from escaping so pressure increases within the pot.; This forces steam into the cooking liquid and raises the cooking temperature, usually from 212F to 250F-ish.; This drastically and also improves flavor because it encourages browning and caramelization, which typically aren’t possible in a wet cooking environment.;Modernist Cuisine has a good write up on pressure cookers if you want to know more about how they work.;;
Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Meat In Instant Pot
Cook Beans Super Fast
This is the first thing that piqued my interest. I heard that people were cooking beans in as little as 10-15 minutes for soaked beans and as long as 35-40 minutes for dry beans. Since it normally took several hours to slow cook beans this got my attention. I was really concerned that this was another;single use appliance so I wasnt won over yet. Then I heard it again and again. People I really admire were in love with their Instant Pot and it officially landed on my wish list.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Why bake sweet potatoes when you can make them in the Instant Pot? What results is perfectly moist sweet potatoes with little effort and much faster than an oven! Its now our go to method for cooking sweet potatoes. You can use them as a vegetarian side dish, or make them into a plant-based main dish like these Sweet Potatoes with Thai Peanut Butter Sauce. They’re topped with a zesty bell pepper slaw and drizzled with peanut sauce and cilantro. Yum!
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Yellow And Red Lentils
We love lentils, but not all of them can be cooked in an Instant Pot. Brown and green lentils can hold up to pressure cooking, but the more delicate yellow and red versions turn to mush because they cook so quickly. Unless you’re purposely making lentil soup or dhal, stick to cooking red and yellow lentils on the stove to preserve their texture and shape.
Instant Pot Smart Wifi 6
Amazon
For about $50 more than the most popular model , this slightly more advanced version has bluetooth so you can program it with your phone. Called the Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6 Quart Multi-use Electric Pressure, Slow, Rice Cooker, Yogurt, Cake Maker, Sauté, Steamer and Warmer, you can program and monitor cooking with a free app from an Android, iPhone, or iPad. It has the same 14 built-in smart programs, dual pressure, automatic keep-warm and three temperatures for sauté, slow cook, and keep-warm. Besides the stainless steel steam rack with handle, manual, and recipes, it also comes with silicone mini mittsand its Alexa-enabled, meaning you can use it with your Echo Dot or similar Amazon device if you have one.Buy Now
Related Reading: The 8 Best Pressure Cookers to Buy in 2019
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What I Love About The Instant Pot
After all of these months my Instant Pot is still in my kitchen on the countertop next to my blender . I actually never thought about putting the Instant Pot away. Once I learned that the magic of the Instant Pot is not so much about saving time , but more about convenience and experimenting, something changed. As of then I started to try out more recipes. I found out;that for example the sauté function makes everything so much faster since it brings the pot up to heat. I always start cooking with the Instant Pot on the sauté function with the lid open. I started simple by throwing in all my veggies, veggie broth, tomato puree, spices, herbs and lentils, closed the lid and left the house. After 6 hours I came back. The Instant Pot keeps your food warm for you . I enjoyed the most delicious meal right upon coming home at a really good temperature. And it tasted as if it was on the stove for hours. This is convenient. Very. Convenient.
Im now making beans from scracth, every day. Its much more delicious and fresh. No more jars and its cheaper too.
This is the model that I bought
Because I cook every day I dont only use the Instant Pot. I use it for example just to cook up beans in 10 minutes instead of one hour and meanwhile I will cook a blog recipe on the stove. However, when Im on the go, busy writing or have more people coming over, Ill definitely only use the Instant Pot.
Is The Instant Pot Worth It
Wondering if the Instant Pot is really worth it? A must-have gift for many;over the holiday season, but you may not know what it can do or what to expect or even what is it? Don’t worry. This post will cover everything you need to know about the Instant Pot and how and why we love it. Plus easy recipes for beginners. Best Instant Pot Deals updated.
Anvita & Soniya
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The Quickie Risotto Experiment
Match-up: Instant Pot vs. pressure cooker
Instant PotTotal time: 30 min
Assessment: With the Instant Pots pressure cooker function, it took 10 minutes longer than the pressure cooker to finish the risotto . The final taste and texture;were very;comparable, giving you a;risotto with;great al dente bite.
Verdict: If youre skipping a traditional stovetop risotto, the Instant Pot gets the job done .
Are There Other Brands Of Multi
Indeed there are! In fact some were around before Instant Pots even came out. Youll hear all of them called multicookers, but as long as they have a pressure cooker setting they will work for most of my recipes.
When youre asking;which Instant Pot is right for me, remember that you might end up with a different brand electric pressure cooker.
Again, the most important thing to look for is a pressure cooker function as all appliances called multi-cookers dont have a pressure cooker setting.
Next be sure to read the reviews on Amazon on any new-to-you brands to make sure they are a good choice. I will be adding some more in the future, but there are over a dozen brands out now, so its impossible for me to try them all!
Here are some I have tried out:
Also Check: Instantpot Recall
Do I Need To Take Safety Precautions With The Instant Pot
I know many people have been scared by pressure cookers in their youths but this appliance is not at all in the same league. On the whole, Id say the risk of incidents using an Instant Pot is probably lower than using a dull knife. This being said, youll want to keep a few things in mind:
- Register your unit in case there is a recall. As far as I know, at the date of writing this post, there has only been recalls for slow cooker type devices manufactured by the Instant Pot company. But its good to be aware of recalls, if any.
- Dont put the lid on when on sauté mode. Your IP will shut down long before it could have exploded, but youll still be dealing with a sticky mess.
- Always carefully lock the lid and make sure the valve is on sealing when pressure cooking. Again, nothing will catch fire or explode, but you might burn your food a bit.
- Release pressure carefully, keeping your hands, face and other body parts away from the geyser of steam
- Always tilt the lid away from you when opening.
- If you use the IP twice in a row, youll find that the seal seems to have puffed up and you may not be able to easily lock the lid back on. Give it a few moments to cool, wiggle the seal a bit to make sure its in place correctly, and try again. Do not push down on the lid to lock it.
- Do not use the IP with an extension to avoid causing a tripping hazard.
Is The Instant Pot A Good Choice For My Kitchen Or Not
The Instant Pot is a great tool to add to your vegan kitchen if you:
- have ample counter space and/or cabinet space to store it .
- are looking for a fuss-free way to cook your own beans and grains from scratch, and seitan
- would like to reheat previously-cooked meals while you are away, so you can come home to a cooked meal
- have the time and mental energy to dedicate to learning a slightly different way to cook vegan dishes
- feel comfortable investing about $80 for a new small appliance
If you dont struggle with cooking dinner just before meal time, or do not anticipate doing batch cooking any time soon, or arent particularly interested in cooking things like beans or seitan from scratch at home, an Instant Pot is not the most pressing item to add to your kitchen. Not that its not a nice way to cook but your stovetop probably does all of the tricks you need.
If you have a very small kitchen and will need to put your IP on top of the stove when using it, I do not recommend getting one. I have read countless stories of users who mistakenly put their IP or lid on a hot burner, or turned on a burner by accident while the IP was on top of the stove. In the best cases, they ended up with a toxic mess of melted plastic.
Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Duo Plus Hard Boiled Eggs
Is The Instant Pot Hard To Use Is It Worth It
The Instant Pot is not hard to use but it is not visually intuitive the way most of our electronics seems to be nowadays.; You’ll definitely need to consult the manual before trying any recipes.; Even if you know you aren’t going to read the whole manual, definitely consult the set-up section and the safety precautions.; The set-up section takes you through cooking plain water in the various settings, and it sounds timid and nerdy, but I totally did that before attempting to cook any recipes!; Although there’s lots of cooks and bloggers writing recipes for this appliance now, you definitely still need to rely on your own mastery of the machine before attempting a recipe .
One big pro is that clean up is super easy with the Instant Pot!; After cooking, you just remove the stainless steel pot insert and then hand wash or dish wash like any other pot.; It’s also essential to take apart the lid to clean the rubber ring and gasket, which is easy and more instructions included with the pot.
The Instant Pot is definitely not an appliance for everyone.; I like mine a lot but it’s definitely not a must have like some of the other kitchen equipment I list on my Resources page.;
The Instant Pot is NOT for you if:
The Instant Pot IS for you if:
The Best Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot recipes are everywhere, whether they come from the myriad cookbooks dedicated to the multicooker, the active community of , or the food bloggers and chefs who agree that certain foods are just plain better in the Instant Pot. Theres just one problem.
The Instant Pot works miracles on meat, turning it into tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth hunks of goodness. And because of that, the Instant Pot recipe space is crowded with ideas for Instant pot ribs, bolognese, pot roasts and briskets. But what about vegetarians?
Weve rounded up some of our favorite vegetarian recipes for the Instant Pot, because its not just for meat it works wonders on beans, soups and other veggie-friendly dishes too. Weve got mac and cheese, mujadara, lentil curry, vegetarian chili, creamy rice soups and so much more.
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Instant Pot Lentil Soup
This Instant Pot lentil soup recipe is the perfect intro to pressure cooker soups! Its easy to make and full of nutritious ingredients. Lentils load it with plant based protein, and its bright red from fire roasted tomatoes. The star ingredient: fresh fennel, which adds a smoky undertone. This soup is ultra cozy; enjoy a steaming bowl with a side of the best;vegan cornbread.
What Sizes Do Electric Pressure Cookers Come In
I bet youre asking yourself, which Instant Pot is right for me?;You can get Instant Pot Brand in 3, 6, or 8 quart sizes. Other electric pressure cookers come in those sizes and up to 12 quarts!
If youre a family of 2 or 3 you can get a 3 quart or a 6 quart. A household of 4 would do great in a 6 quart and if you are 8 or more Id think about the 8 quart.
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What About Accessories
Every Instant Pot comes with a basic rack and with some plastic spatulas. I recommend that you get a steaming basket that fits nicely within your specific pot, whether its made of metal or silicone. Metal steaming baskets are often found at thrift stores. Make sure there is no rust!
Scour your kitchen for pots that will work well as an inner pot for reheating or other pot-in-pot applications. Glass, ceramic and metal work great. This will enable you to reheat food, make casseroles, cakes and thick dishes like oatmeal without scorching at the bottom.
The containers for pot-in-pot cooking do not have to be round! My rectangular food storage containers fit just great in my Instant Pot, and they go straight from fridge to pot. Just do not put frozen glass dishes in the pot better safe than sorry .
Nothing at home? Hit the thrift store, youll find lots of suitable dishes.
An important accessory, especially if you plan on cooking pot-in-pot, is silicone pinchers to protect your fingers from the heat when pulling dishes out. Mitts are too bulky for that small space, and anything made out of fabric will get wet from the steam and burn your fingers anyway. You may be able to achieve good results with metal tongs also.
