How to Save Time and Money Cooking with an Instant Pot

Friday Feb. 5th, 2021

It seems like nearly everyone owns an instant pot nowadays, if you are late to the parade, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about.  

Instant pots seem to have a kind of a cult following. On the Instant Pot Facebook page, it has almost 3 million members all swapping recipe ideas, posting pictures of their beloved instant pots and the meals they have created with it, and plenty of reviews to help you decide what pot suits you. This is just one of many online groups dedicated to instant pots. There are lots of websites providing guests with some delicious recipes including the easy to make pressure cooker cornish hen

There are not too many kitchen appliances that help you save time and money. These are two of the reasons they have become so popular in people’s homes. One of the other key factors for the device's success is that even if you're not very good at cooking, you can still make great tasting, without much effort!

How can you Save Money cooking with Instant Pot?
During the current worldwide pandemic, many households have struggled with cash flow. People have realized that owning an instant pot has lots more to it than just cooking great meals. It is one of the best kitchen appliances to help you save some well-needed cash. Here are a few ways you can use your instant pot to try to cut the costs of your homes outgoings:

• Create a meal plan: Stock up on food at the start of the week and create a meal plan around what you have. When this is done you can make your meal plan for the entire week. When doing your weekly shop you can save money by purchasing inexpensive thick cuts of meat because the instant pot helps you cook it properly, without having to marinate it. 


• Instant pots can cook frozen meat: With an instant pot, you are not required to thaw the meat before you start cooking it. You can easily add it to the instant pot frozen, and it will cook without any problems. So, instead of being forced to eat meat from the fridge before it goes past its best before date, just freeze it. This function on the instant pot can really help you save some money. 


Creating a meal plan for the week can also include a day for leftovers. It is very common for a person to add extra ingredients to their meal so that they have extra food that can be used as a snack or lunch at a later stage.

Save Money on Electricity Bills and Purchasing other Appliances
People can save money using an instant pot instead of traditional cooking appliances. When you use the device in “Saute Mode” it can consume a lot of energy, but after it is at full pressure, it uses hardly any.

In comparison to using pots and stoves, toasters, electric ovens, the instant pot is far more energy-efficient

Instant pots are multifunctional devices that you can use for many jobs, not just as a pressure cooker. You can make yogurt, use it as a slow cooker, set it to make cakes, slow cook meals with it, the list goes on. Don’t think that just because it has lots of different functions, it is difficult to use. In fact, instant pots are one of the easiest devices you will come across in the kitchen.

Some instant pots have a sterilizing function. If you have a young baby in the house, instead of paying for a sterilizing unit, you can use your instant pot. You won’t need to worry if your baby’s bottles are safe to drink because of your instant pot. Some of these sterilizing units can prove to be very expensive, so this is another great feature that some of the instant pots on the market have.

How can an Instant Pot save you time?
It takes a lot less time to cook a meal using an instant pot in comparison to most other appliances.  When you have the instant pot set on the pressure cooker mode, you can expect the actual cooking time to take a ⅓ of how long you would normally expect it to take. Here are a few examples of how an instant pot can help you save time:

• Use the keep “warm setting”: If you are in the middle of something, and you don’t have time to get to your instant pot, the “keep warm” setting will help keep your meal heated and you can eat whenever you're ready. Unlike other cooking equipment, where you had to stare at it to make sure it was cooking properly and not being able to leave the kitchen in case the place caught fire!


• The Instant pot gives you a good incentive to plan your weekly meals: As explained earlier, planning weekly meals is easy when you own an instant pot. 

• Cook multiple things at one time: If you have got the hang of your instant pot, it might be time to take it up a notch and learn how to multitask. Cooking different foods together can help you save plenty of time.

• Cleaning: Minimal effort is required to keep an instant pot clean. All instant pots have only one pot, which is stainless steel insert, which is easily maintained. Most of the other parts can easily be added to the dishwasher to help you clean hassle-free. 


It's sometimes very difficult to find spare time in the world we live in. Owning an instant pot will help you save time, so you can go for an exercise session, a cycle, or even watch some tv.

You don’t need to spend all day Stirring
Many of us have stood around the kitchen for long periods, keeping a close on our slow cooking pressure cooker while stirring at the same time to make sure everything was going smoothly.

However, with an instant pot, stirring is a thing of the past. Just simply add your ingredients to the device, set your timer, and “bingo”, dinners ready! You don’t have to babysit the pot or wait closely over it until the meal is done. You don’t have to constantly stir the ingredients, nor check on it over and over again. 

Summary
It seems that during the pandemic, more people have been forced to cook for themselves at home instead of going out for meals or visiting other people's homes to indulge in a nice, home-cooked meal. With the economy struggling and jobs scarce, purchasing an instant pot can help you and other members of your household enjoy all of its features and functions. 

If you live in a small house or apartment, space might not be on your side. The instant pots are not large appliances, and they are portable so you can easily store them away in a small cupboard. 

There are plenty of different types of instant pots readily available. You are sure to find an instant put that won’t break the bank. If you are stuck for space or live alone, a smaller instant pot would probably suit you. The bigger the instant pot, the more food you can add, so if you have many people living under your roof, a larger device is ideal.