Why Every Busy Home Needs an Instant Pot
Why I’ll Never Be Without an Instant Pot Again
Instant Pots have been around for quite some time, and I’ve had one in my kitchen for at least ten years. Somehow, I’m still finding new ways to use it.
Honestly, I could probably survive with an Instant Pot as my only cooking appliance.
Forgot to Defrost Dinner? No Problem.
This alone makes it worth having.
If I forget to defrost chicken or another meat for dinner, I don’t have to scramble to thaw it at the last minute. Many Instant Pot recipes can be cooked directly from frozen—you just need to use the appropriate cooking time and method.
For anyone who regularly realizes at 5 PM that dinner is still sitting in the freezer, this is a lifesaver.
One Pot Can Do A LOT
The Instant Pot isn't just a pressure cooker. Depending on the model, it can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, cook rice and grains, make yogurt and keep food warm.
That means I can sauté garlic, onions or meat directly in the stainless-steel pot, add the rest of my ingredients and finish the entire meal without dirtying another pan.
I use mine for things like:
Chicken straight from the freezer
Ribs, short ribs and tougher cuts of meat
Soups and stews
Rice and quinoa
Dried beans
Oatmeal and other grains
Steamed vegetables
Slow-cooked meals
One-pot dinners
And yes, some models can even make yogurt.
My Favorite Kind of Dinner: Dump + Go
There are days when I enjoy cooking, and then there are days when I want to put dinner into something, press a button and walk away.
The Instant Pot is especially good for those days.
I can get everything going before leaving the house, or throw together a meal when I get home without standing over the stove. And with the Keep Warm function, dinner doesn't necessarily have to be eaten the second it's finished.
Ten Years Later, I Still Use It
I've owned plenty of kitchen gadgets that seemed exciting at first and eventually ended up collecting dust.
My Instant Pot isn't one of them.
After roughly a decade, it still earns its space in my kitchen because it solves an actual problem: it makes getting real food on the table easier.
Whether I'm cooking grains, making soup, tenderizing short ribs or realizing I forgot to defrost the chicken again, I can almost always figure out a way to make dinner happen in the Instant Pot.
And that's exactly why I don't see myself ever being without one.
