How to make the most of that Instant Pot you just bought

The Instant Pot is one of those rare kitchen appliances to reach not just cult status, but broad mainstream appeal. An “all-in-one” multi-cooker that promises to replace a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, a slow cooker and more, the Instant Pot has risen to fame in part thanks to its versatility and also the fact that it’s a good electric pressure cooker. This lets you cook food at an accelerated rate — think pulled pork in an hour, or chicken curry done in 10 minutes. And because it’s electric, you just press a few buttons and walk away without having to keep an eye on it.

It’s no wonder why the Instant Pot has become a favorite among home cooks, even those of us on the Engadget staff. Not only have a fewof us bought it for ourselves, we’ve recommended it in past gift guides. Sure, it’s not a gadget in the traditional sense (although there is a WiFi-connected version with an app), but it does have a lot of crossover appeal thanks to its promise of all-in-one efficiency and ease of use.

But what do you do when you get one? With so many recipes on the internet and so many different things you can do with it, where do you even start? In this guide, I’ll attempt to give you a primer on the first steps you should take when you get one, some tips and tricks on how to use it and a few favorite recipes and source links. A lot of this comes from personal experience; I’ve been an Instant Pot owner for a few years. I’ll also note that the listed recipes reflect my own taste, but hopefully this guide will provide a good start for your own culinary adventures and help you find the best Instant Pot model for you.

How Instant Pots work

For the uninitiated, the Instant Pot is an “all-in-one” kitchen gadget that promises to replace a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, a slow cooker and more. But the real reason the Instant Pot has risen to fame is that it’s also a very good electric pressure cooker. This lets you cook food at an accelerated rate; imagine pulled pork in an hour instead of five or a chicken curry done in 10 minutes. And because it’s electric, you just press a few buttons and walk away. Unlike a stovetop pressure cooker, there’s no need to keep a constant eye on it.

There are several Instant Pot models to choose from. Some of the lower-end ones lack the yogurt mode, and a couple of the higher-end models have extra features like sous-vide cooking and canning, but even the basic models have the pressure cooker function, and indeed, much of this guide focuses on that.