As cliché as it may sound, my dad happens to be the best cook I know. In fact, whenever I’m away from home for long periods of time, one of the things I look forward to the most is his delicious home-cooked meals. And though my father is a creature of habit (in true dad fashion), every so often a new gadget will look enticing enough for him to “add to cart.” Of all the products he has bought in recent years, the 7-in-1 Instant Pot has been one of his most satisfying purchases.
It has built-in functions that include slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, and even a setting to make homemade yogurt (though he refuses to let me experiment with that one), but it is the device’s braising abilities that he appreciates the most. “It speeds up the timeline by several hours, and it’s good for experimenting,” he says. But besides saving time, the appliance allows him to make some of his favorite recipes—like homemade kale and white bean soup, pork carnitas, short rib beef stew, and deconstructed lasagna dishes—year-round. “In the summertime, I wouldn’t cook certain things because it’d be too hot. But my pressure cooker prevents me from having the stove and oven on, keeping the house cool.”
In the past, he’s even joked about ordering a second Instant Pot—and though I’m not sure he’s entirely joking, I wouldn’t blame him if he did! When I consider some of my favorite dishes he makes, the Instant Pot plays a key role in their preparation. And while there have been times I’ve had a sneaking suspicion that my dad might consider the Instant Pot to be his favorite (and perhaps most productive) child, I’ll gladly concede any claim to the title as long as I have a bowl of soup or a hearty stew waiting for me when I come home.
Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
$80.00, Amazon
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Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Quart 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
$120.00, Amazon
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Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11 in 1 Electric Pressure Cooker
$200.00, Amazon
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Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
