You've heard about the Instant Pot but don't get the hype. After all, isn't it just a pressure cooker? Not so fast.
From slow-cooked meals made quickly, to baking cakes and desserts, there are so many reasons to love the Instant Pot. Here are the major reasons its popularity has risen to cult-like status and why you should consider owning one, too.
Read more: What all the buttons on your Instant Pot mean and Instant Pot safety tips
1. It's not just a pressure cooker
First off, an Instant Pot isn't just an electric pressure cooker. A true multicooker, it does way more than that. It sears, browns and sautes food like a stovetop skillet. It steams delicate items too such as fish, eggs and vegetables. Instant Pots double as stand-alone electric rice cookers as well.
You can use them to bake bread, cakes and other sweets like custards, flan, even cheese cakes. Many Instant Pot models come with special yogurt modes as well. And yes they function as slow cookers, too.
Instant Pots can gently steam delicate items like eggs too.
Brian Bennett/CNET2. You can cook elaborate meals in less than an hour
The Instant Pot hits food with a one-two punch combo of high pressure and heat. The result, things that usually take all day to cook are done in hours. We're talking about tough cuts of meat like pork ribs, beef brisket and pork shoulder. The same goes for soups and stews, plus beans and grains. Normally they'd need to simmer for what feels like an eternity. Not so in the Instant Pot, which speeds up ordinary cook times by a factor of 3.
The Instant Pot has many safety features built right in.
Josh Miller3. It's super safe
The Instant Pot is no cantankerous manual pressure cooker from days gone by. It has plenty of onboard safety features made possible through electronics. For example, a host of sensors help the appliance self-regulate internal pressure and temperature. They're designed to ensure the Instant Pot operates well within preset safety limits.
Sensors also detect whether the lid is locked or not. And unless the cover is firmly clamped down, the Instant Pot won't take on pressure. Likewise, once the cooker's interior becomes pressurized, the lid automatically locks in place.
Now factor in the numerous pre-programmed settings tailored to the type of food it cooks. All that makes Instant Pots light years ahead safety-wise of their ancient pressure cooker counterparts. Of course you still need to operate your appliance properly and with care.
You can cook so many things in an Instant Pot, from whole chickens to desserts.
Josh Miller4. There are so many recipes
The internet has gone wild for the Instant Pot. Countless personal blogs, cooking websites and Facebook groups are devoted to the appliance. Together they also generate a copious and steady supply of recipes. From tacos to Italian beef sandwiches to Korean-style ribs and popcorn, chances are someone has tried it. There's even a recipe for making wine in your Instant Pot.
Here's a list recipes every Instant Pot owner should know and CNET's favorite Instant Pot recipes.
Most of the Instant Pot's parts are dishwasher safe.
Josh Miller5. Easy clean up
Probably the Instant Pot's best quality, besides fast cook times, is its simple clean up. First of all, there's just one pot to worry about. Secondly, as long as you know the right methods, the inner pot is painless to wash by hand. In addition, the pot along with the cooker's various parts are dishwasher safe.
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