If you haven’t heard about the Instant Pot, where have you been? They’re all the talk right now with everyone but in all seriousness, are they worth the money?

I’m going to give you some thoughts and ideas you might want to think about before you make the investment into one and if you already have one, let us know in the comments below what your thoughts on it are!

Although the cooking time is cut shorter I want you to know that instant pots are instant! You have to allow them to build up in pressure before it can actually start cooking. And then wait for the pressure to go back down before you can open it as well. That adds time but if you account for it you’re golden but if you’re trying to cook something at 6pm and want to eat soon, I won’t bank on your instant pot for dinner.

But note that it can save you time. You can have fully cooked beans from dry in about 50 minutes! Or cook a whole chicken in 45 minutes. For quick dinners this is great, and there’s so many recipes to try! Also one thing to think about is it uses less energy than a slow cooker. The amount of time it needs to be plugged in is significantly less saving you on energy costs.

Size does matter guys! They suggest you fill your instant pot no more than 2/3 full. So if you’re looking at the 6 quart pot which is the one we usually see deals for you’ll only get 3 ½ quart of food inside. Depending on your family size that might be all you need but be sure you keep this in mind if you’re looking into getting one.

If you live someplace warm you’re going to love this next part. The instant pot doesn’t heat up your house like a crock pot. So it’s not just a seasonal cooking appliance. Now you won’t deal with the heat in your house with a pressure cooker you also won’t get the aroma. This does mean though the seal on the instant pot does. You could easily purchase a second seal so you don’t run into your food favor transferring to your other dishes or if you don’t care then by all means just cook away. I do have friends that have a seal for sweets and a seal for the main dishes.

Another features on the instant pot is the start cook time and also the shut off function. All great for working and busy families that aren’t always in the kitchen when dinner needs to be started!

So do you have one? Are you wanting to buy one? Keep in mind we usually see the instant pot drop in price quiet often so please don’t pay full price. We say the 6 quart for around $69 during black Friday and Christmas sales so that gives you a good starting point. Now who’s ready for some recipes???