The Instant Pot: Kitchen Superhero for Time-Saving and Healthy Meals

Before the air fryer came into my life, my go-to and life saver in the kitchen was the Instant Pot pressure cooker. This bad boy is still clutch for many of our time saving recipes. On nights where I am out with the kids and not home until after dinner time, I can throw the ingredients into the pot BEFORE I rush off to pick them up from school and set the delay start timer so that everything will be hot and ready to plate the moment we walk in the door.

Anything you can think of steaming or making in a slow cooker, you can make in a fraction of the time it would take on the stove or in the oven. I try to plan ahead, but busy parents be busy! 8-10 hours in a slow cooker versus 1-2 hours in the pressure cooker? It's a no-brainer. With the Instant Pot, you can have a tender, juicy roast or a hearty stew ready in under an hour.

Now, I know some of you may be intimidated by the thought of using a pressure cooker. You may even have some generational horror stories of your own about literally explosive cooking. But let me tell you, pressure cookers have come a long way from when our grandparents were in the kitchen. The Instant Pot is about as user-friendly as it gets. Just throw in your ingredients, set the timer, and let it do its thing. With many recipes you allow the pressure to release naturally so you don't even have to brave the steam from a quick release.

The Instant Pot isn't just a time-saver, it can also be a game-changer when it comes to making healthy and nutritious meals for your family. You can cook up all sorts of veggies, grains, and fast no-soak beans in no time, making it easy to incorporate more plant-based meals into your weekly menu. Batch cook on the weekend and freeze, or serve them up as sides throughout the week. If your recipes call for vegetable stock or bone broth, you can make your own in the Instant Pot and it's packed with all the nutrients and none of the additives or extra sodium to keep your family healthy and happy.

There are even some creative pot-in-pot recipes which allow you to make your sides and main dish at the same time in one pot – check out Amy & Jacky's Soy Sauce Chicken and Rice.

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Which Instant Pot is Right for you?

The brand offers a few different models to choose from, so Good Housekeeping conducted rigorous testing and named the 5 best Instant Pots to Buy, here's a recap.

Best Overall: Instant Pot Duo Plus
This is an upgraded version of the brand's overall best-seller, the Duo. In addition to the settings offered by the basic Duo, this souped-up model also has settings for making more delicate foods like cakes and eggs. Another key feature of the Duo Plus is the upgraded display.

Best Value: Instant Pot Duo
We have had the 8 qt. Duo in our kitchen for the last 5 years and it's still going strong. It offers all of the standard Instant Pot features with an extra setting for making homemade yogurt – we love this no boil yogurt recipe from Simply Happy Foodie.

Most Versatile: Instant Pot Pro
The Pro has 10 pre-programmed functions including pressure cook, slow cook, steam, and sous vide, among others.

Best With Air Fryer: The Instant Pot Duo Crisp Ultimate
If you don't already have an instant pot or an air fryer, this may be a good counter space saving choice for you to get both features in one appliance!

So, there you have it, folks. The Instant Pot can be a superhero in your kitchen, it certainly saved me when we had two kids under 5. With its time-saving magic, healthy meal options, and easy-to-use design, it's no wonder Instant Pot has given new life to pressure cooking for our generation. If you're already an Instant Pot convert, share your favorite recipes with us, I will be posting our go-to recipes soon!