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Q: I was just given an Instant Pot. Right now the only cooking appliances I use besides my stove are a slow cooker and air fryer. It seems you can make things like soup quickly in the Instant Pot, and that would be an advantage. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth going through the learning process. Could I get rid of the slow cooker and air fryer if I keep the Instant Pot? And where to start choosing recipes?
A: This was a question that came up recently during our weekly live chat, where we help you level up your skills in the kitchen. Here’s how to get used to your new Instant Pot - and decide whether you need the other appliances.
I’ve had my Instant Pot, a.k.a. electric pressure cooker (or multicooker), for six years now. I remember being daunted at first, but then I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use.
As you mention, the Instant Pot is most treasured for pressure cooking and, yes, speeding things up. If you cook a lot of soups, stews, beans and braises, it’s going to be your new best friend.
Instant Pots do have a variety of other functions, including slow cook. If you don’t do a lot of slow-cooking, you might be able to get away with using it for occasional dishes.
The Instant Pot is narrower and taller than most slow cookers and also only heats on the bottom, whereas slow cookers may have an additional band around the perimeter of the insert. So Instant Pots don’t always excel at slow-cooking, especially with meat. (I slow-cook steel-cut oats overnight, though, and it’s perfect.)
If you like air frying and have the space for both, keep the air fryer. I caved and now have both - they really do different things and are not mutually exclusive. (I had a terrible experience with the air fryer lid attachment for my regular Instant Pot, so I don’t recommend trying to consolidate that way, though my colleague Tim Carman has good things to say about his Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid.)
Instant Pot = moist cooking. Air fryer = superhot and dry cooking. Bottom line: You cannot braise, boil or pressure cook in an air fryer, and you cannot air-fry or roast in an Instant Pot.
