Instant Pot Review

Instant Pot Duo Plus, 9-in-1, 6-QT, 15 One-Touch Programs

On a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 = Best and 1 = Worst

Performance:

4/5

Easy to Clean:

4/5

Easy to Use:

4/5

Aesthetics:

3/5

Worth It:

Yes

Link to the Instant Pot

I bought the Instant Pot as a bit of an impulse buy and I have zero regrets on that decision! What originally drew me towards this product was that I could cook all these great recipes in a matter of minutes vs an 8-hour ordeal with a slow cooker. While the Instant Pot certainly delivers on this front and I can cook some of my favorite stewed meat dishes in less than an hour (picadillo, pulled pork, cochinita pibil), I’ve also found that it is super versatile and I can use it for so many other things. In fact, I use the Instant Pot almost on a daily basis. Here are some of the things I use it for:

Cooking Rice: 15 mins on High Pressure setting
Cooking Lentils: 10 mins on High Pressure setting
Steaming Veggies: 5-7 minutes on Steam setting

I’ll admit I don’t use many of the other settings a whole lot so I probably would have been ok with one of the options with less settings. As far as the size goes, I’m pretty happy with the 6-QT option. I can usually cook meals that feed 4-6 people without a problem. The product came with a couple of accessories like a measuring cup, a steam rack and some ladles for rice and veggies as well as a recipe book and guidelines on cooking times. Since I bought my Instant Pot, newer versions have come out. I have a link on this profile for a wifi enabled Instant Pot that is pretty close to what I have. Below is my take on how my version of the product performs across 5 categories.

Product Review

Performance: 4/5

The reason I gave this a 4/5 is that I have encountered the occasional hiccup with the steaming functionality. This has only happened a couple of times and I’m not sure if this is a user error on my end. However, for the most part, this product works perfectly. I really like that it has a timer component and great safety features. If you forget to turn it off, it just keeps things in a “warm” setting. I’ve had this product for almost 2 years and it continues to work really well.

Easy to Clean: 4/5

Though the product says the inner steel pot is dishwasher safe, I have always erred on the side of caution and have opted to wash this product by hand. It is fairly easy to clean and only takes a couple of minutes.

Easy to Use: 4/5

You definitely need to read through the instructions to understand how to use the Instant Pot. Although it is not difficult, it does require understanding the settings, when to open/close the release valve, how to use quick release, etc.

Aesthetics: 3/5

The aesthetics are fine but it isn’t really a product that I would want to leave sitting on my countertop. In other words, you aren’t going to get oohs and ahhs from how beautiful your Instant Pot looks.

Worth It?

I’m really happy with this product. I would certainly recommend it to someone that cooks regularly and can take advantage of the versatility of the tool. It is a huge help for my meal prepping (veggies, rice, lentils) and gives me great options for quick meals that are healthy and flavorful.

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Full disclosure, I write these blogs in my spare time. I do not have an editor and am the only one who reviews the content. As a result, it is likely I’ll have the occasional typo or grammar mistake. If you find anything, feel free to let me know.

Lastly, I’ll admit food photography is not my forte. If you make the recipe and have a better picture, please share and I will happily post it and give you photo cred!