I'm not quite sure why I've always been afraid of the Instant Pot. People I love and respect in my life swear by it. I'm even a member of the Instant Pot Community on Facebook (that also might be why I'm afraid of the Instant Pot, now that I think of it). And pretty much everyone in our Recipe Rescue Facebook Group has one.
But it took my Instant Pot-loving boyfriend** to give me one for Christmas for me to actually take the plunge.
**Yes, I realize I'm basically telling you that it took a hot, amazing, wonderful, sexy guy to get me to use an Instant Pot. If that is not your reality, then make it so. Watch any Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds or hot Canadian Ryan movie and pretend he is telling you to buy an Instant Pot. Or Kristen Stewart movie if that's your thing. That's not even really my thing, but I could see where it could be. Charlie's Angels. Cough.
I digress.
Admittedly, it sat in its box for a few weeks after the holiday, the recipe books (Dinner in an Instant and The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook) he also got me growing a bit of dust. But last week when he came over for a visit, I decided I needed to get over my fear and make something. And well, I totally get the hype. I made a Chicken Biryani dish that was delicious and super easy. Like, super.
So, if you're like me and a bit on the fence about the Instant Pot, here are 3 things I suggest you do if you decide join the club.
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Related: The must-have Instant Pot accessories we swear by
1. Get a cookbook.
I know you can find 40,591 free Instant Pot recipes on the web, but to me, recipes in cookbooks are vetted and trusted. That means, they've been tried a bunch of times before they could make it into a published book. I think it's important to be successful when you try your IP for the first time, and so while I know there are many amazing food bloggers (including us here!) with many amazing recipes, I feel like having a good Instant Pot cookbook -- especially if you're not feeling super adventurous -- is the way to go. The two books my boyfriend got me, linked above, are fantastic.2. Start with an easy recipe.
Pick an Instant pot recipe that's easy. I know this seems obvious, but I think for some people, it might not be. How will you know it's easy, you ask? Well, the Indian recipe I made involved sautéing ingredients, cooking at high pressure for 5 minutes, then sitting for 10 before releasing what was left. One button to push, that was it. That seemed easy, and I was right.3. Have someone available to answer your questions.
Sort of like an Instant Pot Mentor. Or coach? My boyfriend walked me through what the high pressure and quick-release jargon meant, so I wasn't left reading the instruction manual. (I know, I know - but I really hate them!) Knowing that I can just text him when I have a question makes me much more eager to try other recipes. I'm sorry that he is not available to do this for you too, but there are many lovely people in our Recipe Rescue Facebook Group who are Instant Pot experts, and they ready and willing to help. This week, risotto!
