Is the Instant Pot worth it for a vegan?
The Instant Pot is the latest 3rd generation microprocessor technology. Essentially it replaces 6 appliances with 1 as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, saute, steamer, slow cooker and warmer. Also, it comes in 3 sizes consisting of 3, 6 and 8-quart. This makes it the ultimate space saver and a dream made reality for the minimalist.
As a pressure cooker it reduces cooking time by up to 70% while saving energy. Adjustable temperature settings grants flexibility in cooking goals enabling you to saute, simmer, sear or thicken. There are no chemical coatings and the 3-ply bottom allows for even heat distribution. The inner cooking pot and lid are dishwasher safe.
Now with all of its glowing attributes for me the Instant Pot did have it’s share of cons. For starters, not exercising care when applying the steam release may cause harm. Also, there is a huge learning curve to getting the hang of using this appliance. You definitely need to thoroughly read the instruction manual. Besides that figuring out the proper measurements will take some trial and error so be prepared to ruin a few meals before getting it right. Also, even the smallest size is actually quite bulky so you’ll need a good amount of storage space for it.
As a tool to saute vegetables I found it too time consuming. For the time that it takes to prepare the Instant Pot I would otherwise be done sauteing my vegetables on top of the stove. As a rice cooker I was unimpressed as I’m not a huge fan of sticky textured rice. As an avid Basmati rice fan when I tried cooking Basmati rice in the Instant Pot it consistently came out sticky no matter how I adjusted the water to rice ratio. Finally, as a slow cooker and warmer I already had slow cooker, which did the same thing.
Overall, as a vegan I found the Instant Pot’s ‘many uses’ redundant and I would have preferred a more diverse range of uses that was more applicable to a vegan diet such as use as a pressure cooker, dehydrater, air crisp, bake, steamer and slow cook. Ultimately, I can only really use it to make soup, which doesn’t give me more than occasional use rather than something that I can benefit from on a more day-to-day basis.
What do you think? Is the Instant Pot worth it for a vegan?
