Instant Pot is pretty popular for making bone broth and it cut making beans down from an all day project to about two hours start to finish for me. If you want to use the slow cooker function I would suggest one of the newer models- Duo Nova or Duo Evo Plus -the slow cooker function is supposed to be much improved on these. BUT if you use a crockpot often I would get a really nice one if you don’t think you’d pressure cook a lot. “Pot heads” rave that pressure cooking is way better than slow cooking but I disagree. I would own an Instant Pot for Artichokes and beans alone but I don’t find it the magic machine most do. Maybe it’s because I have the time to cook and/or I’m set in my ways. I think it’s a handy thing to have but I use it much less than I ever thought I would.
You want to use flavorful broths for your thin liquid instead of water. Any powdered seasonings need to be increased a bit because with pressure cooking you are using steam and steaming can waste some of those seasonings.
Tip on making baked potatoes quicker...bake them in the microwave for about 4 minutes and then put them in the oven. I use Minute Rice so I dump and cover. LOLHonestly, each device has it's use. The things I personally use most in my kitchen are my Instant Pot and my Crockpot. I prefer to be a "dump and go" kinda cook. LOL So for me, the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) is great for making all kinds of things I would normally do on the stove or oven but in the IP I don't have to stand there and babysit them. Rice, pasta, chicken breast, baked potatoes in half the time, hard boiled eggs, even those dinners-in-a-bag from brands like Birds Eye, just to name just a few of my regulars.
Some people complain as above that the IP makes bland food. Those people aren't doing it right.
I don't have an air fryer yet so I can't give advice on that front. I am thinking of putting one my Christmas list so I'll be reading along here to see what people recommend!
They do but you have to manage your expectations. People get disappointed because things don’t taste like they do when deep or pan fried. It’s the crap ton of oil that makes them taste like that. Air fryers are supposed to eliminate the need for all of that oil and for the most part they do. You get a nice crisp surface with minimal oil but it’s not going to taste like grandma’s southern fried chicken, kwim?
I can do potatoes in the instant pot in 20-30 mins depending on size and they are perfect in texture and flavor. I did some for a baked potato bar for my son's birthday a few months ago - 20 potatoes in 30 mins (they were large sized) and all I had to do was wash them and toss them in the pot. Couldn't have been easier.
Honestly, convection is better since the air is circulating (if you have true convection) rather than browning the top, shake the basket etc. I think meat retains juices better as well BUT a dedicated Air Fryer can be quicker and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. If you don’t mind turning on the oven and don’t have counter space or storage space to spare you might not want to bother.
Yes! That’s why some people use it just for reheating. I rarely use a microwave anymore. I crisp leftovers in the air fryer, or I reheat in the instant pot. It takes longer, but I don’t have to keep taking things out and stirring. We also use our air fryer for things like ya Quito’s, frozen burritos, egg rolls, chicken nuggets... anything you’d throw in the oven like that. Some people cook meat from raw, but I’ve never actually done that, so I can’t speak to it’s effectiveness.
