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How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

bbc.co.uk

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Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#281

Post by narag »

the-dude wrote: post #186
literallycancer wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. "Most people have some concept of urban legends of exploding pressure cookers in their grandmother's kitchens," says Mr Qin. Am in Europe, literally everyone has a pressure cooker, never heard about them actually exploding.

Am in Europe, haven't seen a pressure cooker in use since the '70s.

Maybe because the newer ones are different and you don't identify them as such?

Old:

https://lasrecetasdecasa.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/ollapre...

New:

https://www.worten.es/i/10acef2d003a99a785ece3ca0a0281ef4dd9...

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#282

Post by narag »

janfoeh wrote: post #214
literallycancer wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. "Most people have some concept of urban legends of exploding pressure cookers in their grandmother's kitchens," says Mr Qin. Am in Europe, literally everyone has a pressure cooker, never heard about them actually exploding.

Happened to my parents and me, back in the mid-90s. Luckily, nobody was in the kitchen the moment it happened. All I remember is that it left a decent dent in the vent hood above the stove, and Gulasz... Gulasz everywhere. Then again, I was also right next to an exploding Mokka / Espresso stovetop cooker, so maybe I am simply unlucky :) I still own a pressure cooker and use it regularly - a cheap one from IKEA at tha…

I remember somethin similar with spagetti bolognesa, but it wasn't the pot fault, but a friend that mistakenly thought it was already cold enough. She had some burns and instead of a feast, the guests had to become an emergency cleaning squad.

Fortunately the dessert was saved: a condensed milk can also made in the pot into delicious toffee.

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#283

Post by narag »

mynegation wrote: post #12

I am part of the cult. We bought after the recommendation of a friend. What I liked: nice set of presets, comes with a cookbook with quite a few recipes, very easy to operate. Some time ago, when Apple bailed out of self-driving car business, my friend and I discussed what would be the good category for Apple to try next and I suggested advanced kitchen devices. Seriously though: instant pot with Nespresso machine ar…

I suggested advanced kitchen devices.

OK, so if someone is taking it seriously, let me specify a little, since I've been thinking of it for some time: a rice cooker that uses vapour.

I often cook rice in the pressure pot. It takes something like 5 minutes to warm the pot, 4 minutes of cooking and a few minutes more for releasing vapour until I can open it again.

It would be nice to have a device that:

1. Wash the rice with cold water first. 2. Makes vapour in a few seconds holding the pressure. 3. Automatically stops when the rice is cooked. 4. Finally releases vapour. 5. Bonus point if it cleans itself.

Just that, plain boiled rice in five minutes, instead of 10-15.

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#284

Post by lotharbot »

pkamb wrote: post #273
lotharbot wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Silicone-Cover-Models/dp/... this is the exact product you're asking for ("Creates an air-tight and water-tight seal on the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.")

That one appears to be an old model and is out of stock everywhere. And from the reviews, it does not seem to actually seal the lid of the pot. No better than the cutting board I currently place on top of the pot to "seal" the lid. - "Lid is too big, not even close to sealing." - "very loose fit" - "This cover just rests on top of the Instant Pot liner. I was expecting it to "snap" on, similar to Tupperware, or somet…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K082HI4?psc=1

some reviews complain of fit, but a lot more say it's perfect. YMMV of course.

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#288

Post by kpil »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #245
chrissnell wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The secret to the Instant Pot, I've found, is using it for things it does well. Beans and bean-based dishes are a home run every time. Chicken broth and beef bone broth are great, too. Slow cooker favorites like pot roast and pulled pork? Not so much, in my opinion. These dishes need more time to break down the collagen slowly without destroying the meat and veggies. I much prefer them in the slow cooker. Oatmeal is…

According to seriouseats, the only thing a slow cooker is best at is keeping food warm, carmelized onions and bread pudding. http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/why-pressure-cookers-are-... I certainly getter results doing pot roast & pulled pork in a pressure cooker than a slow cooker.

The main problem with slow cookers are that the liquid is not reduced properly which have to be done as a separate step using an ordinary sauce pan.

If you do a 7-hour lamb in a pot in an oven, you have the opposite problem, as it's a bit warmer, and might have to glue together the lid with dough. I think the taste will be better though, as I think there is more caramelisation going on at higher temperatures.

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#289

Post by exclusiv »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #245
chrissnell wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The secret to the Instant Pot, I've found, is using it for things it does well. Beans and bean-based dishes are a home run every time. Chicken broth and beef bone broth are great, too. Slow cooker favorites like pot roast and pulled pork? Not so much, in my opinion. These dishes need more time to break down the collagen slowly without destroying the meat and veggies. I much prefer them in the slow cooker. Oatmeal is…

According to seriouseats, the only thing a slow cooker is best at is keeping food warm, carmelized onions and bread pudding. http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/why-pressure-cookers-are-... I certainly getter results doing pot roast & pulled pork in a pressure cooker than a slow cooker.

What temp are you doing the pulled pork at?

I get amazing results with a crock pot and pork shoulder with honey and a nice rub. Start it in the morning and it's ready when I get back from work.

Interested in the pressure cooker though for some more versatility. What's the main difference btw your pulled pork in PC vs SC?

Re: How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

#290

Post by ycombinete »

rnernento wrote: post #65

It's great to see the Instant Pot on Hacker News. A couple of key takeaways: - There's no marketing magic here, this is just a great product. - It's ugly, and the interface is weird. Doesn't matter, it gets the job done. - Pressure cookers have been around for a long time, they're a really great cooking technology marred by some serious safety and inconvenience issues. There are a bunch of companies competing in Sous…

I had actually assumed that the article itself was native advertising tbh. Still do.
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