Food
Is the Instant Pot the Magic, One-Stop Kitchen Solution Fans Claim It Is?
The one-pot cooker has become a home chef sensation. We put it through its paces.
Plenty of kitchen gadgets have their die-hard fans, but it’s rare to see a mania grow as quickly as that surrounding the Instant Pot. Although the pressure-cooking gadget has technically been around since 2010, it has enjoyed months of attention after becoming the surprise bestselling item on Amazon.com’s annual Prime Day last July.
Since then, home cooks can’t seem to get enough of the device, which makes a hefty promise to slow cook, steam, sauté, and make yogurt—all in a faster, safer way than other kitchen appliances. There’s a dedicated community group on Facebook, almost 400,000 people strong, where members can post their success stories, trade recipes, and generally extol how the IP (as they call it) changed their lives.