What do you think? Is it worth the money to buy an Instant Pot? Here’s what I think…
Is it worth the money to buy an Instant Pot?
I stubbornly refused to get an Instant Pot for several years after they became popular (silly me), and now I am one of the biggest advocates for them! This gem saves so much time and keeps us eating healthy too!
I love that it makes wholesome, rich beef or chicken broth with so little effort on my part. I LOVE that I can cook 7 pounds of frozen hamburger meat in it in just 30 minutes!! And I love the many meals and side dishes I can make in it within just a few minutes.
So in my opinion, yes, it is worth the money to buy an Instant Pot. Not only has mine saved me time, it truly saves me money! So your investment in this appliance can be paid back and earning money for you in no time!
How? Well, think of all the convenience foods or fast food options one might fall back on when time is limited at mealtime! This money-saving perk alone makes the Instant Pot worth it.
In addition, the Instant Pot allows you to make wonderful, rich broth for soups that offer super nourishment and costs very, very little!
If you can swing it, get yourself an Instant Pot. I have the 8-quart variety for my large family. Here’s the 6-quart Instant Pot if that fits your needs more!
Recipes you’ll need for your Instant Pot:
Here are our favorites so far!
- Bone Broth
- Simple Creamy Chicken Soup
- Simple 10-Minute Mac and Cheese
- Simple One Dish Chicken Florentine
- Mashed Potatoes
- Beef Roast
- Simple Chili Mac
- Simple Lasagna Casserole
- How to Cook 5 lbs of Frozen Hamburger Meat in 30 minutes
- Simple Hashbrown Casserole
Psst: I highly recommend that you bookmark our Instant Pot Recipes page for easy access as we continue to update it!
I was given a Power pressure Cooker XL as a gift….I am not a fan of the unhealthy interior coating but until an actual instant pot is in the budget. I will choose to just be grateful. I just wanted to add that I use mine to cook dry beans. I have read that pressure cooking beans destroys the lectins that cause gas, pain, and intestinal upset that usually go hand in hand with eating beans. My personal experience is that cooking them this way does greatly reduce and often completely eliminates the normal effects of eating beans. I can’t eat much peanut butter (I presume because of Lectins also) and I’m wondering about making peanut butter in the instant pot…..
Definitely worth the money for 2 things: perfect boiled eggs and one pot mashed potatoes!
I already had a pressure cooker and 2 older crock pots, so I though who needs an instant pot? Not me. For over 2 yrs I thought this. Well, my local Walmart had them on super sale last fall and I couldn’t resist. Then it sat in my laundry room for a month as I was afraid to use it lol. Finally, I got it outing started using it and I love it! It was so worth the cost — a great variety of things can be made in it and there are recipes on Laura’s site and indeed all over the internet. I have started a binder with my fave recipes for it. If your budget can handle it, go for it! or begin watching prices and snag one when it’s on sale.
It is so worth it. I have a knock off brand, but I use the thing nonstop. At least 3 times a week I make a one-pot, gluten-free, meal in it. I often use it when time is running low for cooking. Sure you have to wait for it to pressurize and cook and sometimes release pressure. However, it is usually still done in less time or close to it than what it would take to get my shoes on, drive 10 mins, sit in a drive through for 5 mins and drive home…and I know my meal is much healthier. Plus, if I know I’ll be busy later…I can usually prep the ingredients and then just throw them all in the pot when it is time.
I was able to borrow an Instant Pot for about a month last year, and I used it as much as possible during that time. For me, it seemed like the main advantage of IP cooking is that you can make slow cooker meals faster, so if you forget to put your food in the slow cooker in the morning, you’re still ok. And my family doesn’t really like slow cooker food. By the time it comes to pressure, cooks, then releases pressure, it’s not really a time saver for most things.
There were only two things (and I seriously used that thing at least 3 times a day for that month) that were easier/better/faster in the IP: yogurt and a yummy Alfredo sauce (I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make Alfredo that tastes good and has a good texture on the stove top). For me, it’s not the cost of the IP, it’s the shelf space it takes up in my kitchen, and it wasn’t worth the shelf space to me.
What makes me sad about the whole IP phenomenon is all these folks who get one and then they’re afraid to use it. It’s so easy, and not at all scary (except maybe the first manual pressure release). If you have it, use it!