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In recent years, the Instant Pot has transformed the way home cooks approach meal preparation. (And then many other brands copied it as it naturally happens with a successful product.) With its multitasking capabilities and user-friendly design, it has earned its status as a kitchen essential for many households. Instant Pot kindly sent me this Classic 5.7L Multi-Cooker to test it.
Now, I’ll be honest, I have many kitchen gadgets. Too many maybe. I don’t have anything fad, all the ones I have from the air-fryer to the Ninja Creami, I use them all the time, so they don’t just gather dust. Question is, that if adding a multi-cooker (supposedly the best one on the market) to the collection is wise and if it worth it. Do I really need it?
So with this review I will look into the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of the Instant Pot, I want to see why it has become a staple for so many home chefs.
What is the Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker that combines several cooking methods into one compact appliance. It can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, and even make yogurt, effectively replacing multiple kitchen gadgets. This versatility makes it ideal for busy families and anyone looking to streamline their cooking process.
Types of Instant Pots available
- Instant Pot Classic 5.7L Multi-Cooker , Classic Mini 3.8L Multi-Cooker and XL Multi-Cooker
- Instant Pot Pro 5.7L Multi-Cooker
- Instant Pot Plus 5.7L Multi-Cooker
- Instant Pot Duo 5.7L Multi-Cooker
What the Instant Pot Classic 5.7L Multi-Cooker offers
- 7-in-1 functionality: pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, steaming, egg function, yogurt making and keeping warm
- You can save your instant favourites: with 4 customisable preset buttons where you can save your favourite recipes
- Easy seal locking lid and safe steam release switch
- Cook meals up to 70% faster: great for busy weekday evenings
- One-pot-meals for up to 6 people: perfect for easy family meals, entertaining or even meal prepping
- Hands-off cooking: select the function, set the time, press start
- Easy to clean: dishwasher-safe BPA/PFOA/PTFE/PFAS-free stainless steel inner pot, lid and accessories
Review: what I thought about the Instant Pot Classic 5.7L Multi-Cooker
Design and functionality
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Instant Pot is its sleek and modern design. It comes in different colours, mine is Black Pepper colour. The stainless steel inner pot not only gives a premium look but it’s also durable and easy to clean. Like I mentioned, dishwasher-safe BPA/PFOA/PTFE/PFAS-free, which is another bonus, because I didn’t have to wash it up by hand. After using it, I just put it in the dishwasher.
Secondly, it’s super user-friendly, the control panel is intuitive and no need for complex programming. It’s very easy to set it up, it only has a few components, not complicated at all. Even if you didn’t have a user manual, the icons on the buttons are very straightforward, even for those who may not consider themselves tech-savvy. The only thing you need to keep in mind that most parts of the multi-cooker will be very hot during use, so you’ve got to be careful.
Cooking features
The Instant Pot features a 7 cooking modes as I mentioned it above, I used the main, pressure cook function and sauteing. I think the pressure cook function is the main feature I’d use, I don’t slow cook things, but for me the pressure cook is deal breaker. For example, beans that could take hours on the stove can be ready in 30 minutes. We eat a lot of pulses, so this is very useful for me.
The ability to sauté ingredients before pressure cooking is a game changer. It helps to develop flavour to dishes by and caramelise the base ingredients and spices. Without this, many “cook in the same pot” recipes are just a bit bland to me. So I use this along with pressure cooking.
Steaming is also useful for me, as I often steam side vegetables like broccoli or beans. The included steaming rack enables the preparation of vegetables and the steaming helps not to loose their nutrients.
Time-saving
Like I said, the pressure cooker function is the main one for me because of the standout benefit the convenience it brings to meal preparation and the significantly reduced cooking time. As you know, I love to cook (which is why I share my recipes on the blog), however, some evenings are just manic. Think about those busy weeknights, after scouts and judo classes or even before them – get something nice, healthy and nutritious on the table and not some processed ready meal. This is a paramount issue for me, I’d like to avoid processed ready made meals at all costs.
Plus the keep-warm function is helpful too: if we’re not quite ready to eat right when the food is finished, the meal will stay warm until we are, with no risk of it overcooking.
Flavour and texture
When it comes to flavour and texture, the Instant Pot has not disappointed. Because food cooks under pressure, it’s often able to retain more moisture and flavour than other cooking methods.
What I found a bit challenging
Despite its many advantages, there are a few considerations. For example, I think a basic recipe booklet would be really useful coming with the Instant Pot. You know, 10 meaty, 10 veggie and a couple of dessert recipes. Without this, the first time use needs to do some recipe research online. But recipes online are always a hit and miss, aren’t they. So a little recipe book with basic, tried and tested, developed by the Instant Pot team, that really can’t go wrong if following the instructions – this would be great, in my opinion.
While the control panel is largely user-friendly, mastering different pressure cooking times, natural versus quick release is also a bit challenging, but can be learnt over time.
Is an Instant Pot actually worth the money?
In my view, at the price point of around £100 the cheapest models, they are much more economical compared to a Ninja or similar brands. The reason why I think it’s worth the money is the multi-functionality. It’s not just a pressure cooker, it’s a slow cooker too, a yogurt maker and more. So that alone, cuts out machines you’d buy just for one function. Plus, of course, because of this, you don’t need multiple machines, just one. This one.
What’s the average lifespan of an Instant Pot?
This is hard to determinate, but Instant Pots used multiple times a week experience faster wear on electronic components. The Instant Pot comes with 1 year warranty.
What should I cook first in my Instant Pot?
If you’re new to using an Instant Pot, starting with simple recipes can help you to gain confidence using it. I tried mine with this easy apple butter. It was delicious. A great first dish is hard-boiled eggs. They’re quick, easy, and practically foolproof. You’ll just need to add one cup of water, place the eggs on a trivet, and set the cooking time to five minutes. Another beginner-friendly recipe is rice. Combine one cup of rinsed rice with one cup of water and cook for three minutes. Perfectly fluffy rice is always a win! For something heartier, consider making a chili. Just toss in your ingredients—like beans, tomatoes, and spices—with some broth, and let the Instant Pot do the work with a 15-minute cooking time. Despite its many advantages, there are a few considerations. For example, I think a basic recipe booklet would be really useful coming with the Instant Pot. You know, 10 meaty, 10 veggie and a couple of dessert recipes. Without this, the first time use needs to do some recipe research online. But recipes online are always a hit and miss, aren’t they. So a little recipe book with basic, tried and tested, developed by the Instant Pot team, that really can’t go wrong if following the instructions – this would be great, in my opinion.