Instant Pot 11 in 1 PLUS air-fryer

[Twit 2]

Hope someone dies over this.

[Cold Meat Platter]

Can you actually fry things in air though? That would be impressive, I would be impressed at that. "I can fry things in air" you'd say, and "bollocks" I would reply, and then "Well check this out" and I'd be like "goats and monkeys, that is impressive!" If Jesus could fry things in air it would definitely have made it into the Bible, final edit.

No. They are countertop convection ovens rebranded for the shitmunchers.

[Cuellar]

Right I've just made a lentil curry in it and it's the greatest thing I've ever eaten. Not really 'quick' (10 mins to pressurise, 15 mins to cook, 10 mins to release the pressure) but amazing so I'm sold.

[bgmnts]

You can cook a lush curry with one pan in the same amount of time though.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's pointless for things like red lentils as you can do a daal in 15 minutes. Good for urid daals and daal makhani which takes a lot longer. Refried beans too.

[Cuellar]

Yeah you're right actually. Fuck it again, complete waste of time.

[Goldentony]

fucking pressureise everything in your fridge mate, fucking get it done or someones gonna see

[Icehaven]

My worst nightmare is something that massively reduces cooking times. The only part of the day I've remotely enjoyed for the last 10 months has been early evening in the kitchen, preparing everything then cooking while half watching whatever series I'm currently doing, some wine, chucking different things in as I go along. The idea of that time being reduced to anything less than 2 hours, never mind 20 or even god forbid 6 minutes is awful, what the fuck am I supposed to do with the rest of the evening? I really don't have anything better to do. I appreciate I have the luxury of not having kids or 2 jobs or anything that neccessitates being able to make a decent meal in half an hour, but cooking is a massively enjoyable time killer right now and I'd fie on any contraption that takes that away. When I die I hope to come back as Keith Floyd.

[TrenterPercenter]

My worst nightmare is something that massively reduces cooking times. The only part of the day I've remotely enjoyed for the last 10 months has been early evening in the kitchen, preparing everything then cooking while half watching whatever series I'm currently doing, some wine, chucking different things in as I go along. The idea of that time being reduced to anything less than 2 hours, never mind 20 or even god forbid 6 minutes is awful, what the fuck am I supposed to do with the rest of the evening? I really don't have anything better to do. I appreciate I have the luxury of not having kids or 2 jobs or anything that neccessitates being able to make a decent meal in half an hour, but cooking is a massively enjoyable time killer right now and I'd fie on any contraption that takes that away. When I die I hope to come back as Keith Floyd.

I enjoy cooking also.  I think the thing to do is use it when you feel you need too.  You can make something that would take 4hrs in 2hr if you like.

[Noodle Lizard]

The Instant Pot's great, one of the only appliances that's properly worth the hype/investment/kitchen real estate. It's almost impossible to fuck something up in there, and you can do a sauce/stew/curry that would take 3-4 hours on the stove in less than 20 minutes, not only without sacrificing any flavour, but actually improving it sometimes. Clean-up's a piece of piss as well, which is invaluable for me. For simple batch cooking of anything, there's nothing I'd rather use.

I haven't experimented with air-fryers yet, but I've heard good things.

[Icehaven]

I enjoy cooking also.  I think the thing to do is use it when you feel you need too.  You can make something that would take 4hrs in 2hr if you like.

There doesn't seem much you actually have to do with them though, you prepare everything and put it in, then just leave it. I like cooking where you need to keep an eye on it, have different pans going, keep yourself occupied. Maybe when normality is restored and I have other stuff to do again but right now I'd happily spend 4 hours cooking rather than 2.

[TrenterPercenter]

There doesn't seem much you actually have to do with them though, you prepare everything and put it in, then just leave it. I like cooking where you need to keep an eye on it, have different pans going, keep yourself occupied. Maybe when normality is restored and I have other stuff to do again but right now I'd happily spend 4 hours cooking rather than 2.

Most cooking that takes a bit of time, with a few exceptions, requires things to sit in an oven, pan or dish undisturbed for long periods of time.  Of course this is the time you can be making additional courses or sides.  The only recipes I can think of in which there is a lot of interactions with the food are relatively short i.e. pan frying fish, risotto etc... as things have to be at a particular temperature for a relatively short space of time.  I use it quite a lot to create something that could only be acheived in 4 hours to accompany other stuff I make alongside whatever it is.

There is also things that you simply can't do very well without it, the closest you can get is boiling things for a long time but this is neither ideal and can add water to things.  You can do things in it that can then be transferred to pans or ovens.  This is a common thing restaurants do as pressurised water increases its boiling point, resulting in more of natural water in ingredients remaining in liquid form rather than escaping into steam.  This means the food doesn't dry out and flavours do not get evaporated away (why Noodles and myself are saying it improves taste).

Someone mentioned KFC - how they make their coatings so crispy is by using pressure cookers to deepfat fry the chicken.   However you cannot (well people do but it is very dangerous) do this in conventional domestic pressure cooker.

[thugler]

What is actually the point. What (apart from maybe the air frying) can you do in this that you can't do in, say, a pan or a baking tray.

Haha! You're an idiot. These things are fantastic. I use mine every day. Usually for stuff like dried beans and pulses. There's millions of things you can do with them though.

Oh just buy canned stuff you say. Yeah, for 6 times the price! I can get a big bag of dried chickpeas or whatever for fuck all. They taste far better cooked from scratch anyhow

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's great having pulses always there as well. If you're buying cans you probably are buying with a plan to make something but I know for a fact I've got enough stuff kicking around I could make a chickpea curry on a whim. Good if I want to put off going to the shops for a bit or change my mind on what I want to cook.

[Blue Jam]

I've actually found pressure cookers to be really handy for some things. Only while working in labs though. I have absolutely no idea what I'd use one for in a kitchen, with substances intended for human consumption.

I suppose you could use them to do a slow roast in a fraction of the usual time, but getting to laze about and watch films or play video games for three hours before dinner is half the pleasure of the slow roast.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I do this pilaf all the time now.
https://twosleevers.com/basmati-rice-pilau/

I've always been ok with boiling rice but only by boiling and draining, I'm hopeless at the absorption method and this ensures it's the same every time.

[TrenterPercenter]

I suppose you could use them to do a slow roast in a fraction of the usual time, but getting to laze about and watch films or play video games for three hours is half the pleasure of the slow roast.

I wouldn't use it for making roasts all in one. It is great for example cooking marinaded chicken wings and then finishing them off under the grill.  As you will have a crispy exterior and juicy, tender and flavoursome interior.   The same principle could be used for whole joints.

Ps you then use the juices for making sauces/soups etc..

[Blue Jam]

I've had a few people recommend that I get an air fryer now, and while I know they use less oil, so does frying things after brushing on a little oil with a silicone pastry brush that cost me about three quid and is piss-easy to clean. So does cooking things by means other than frying.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

My worst nightmare is something that massively reduces cooking times.

Mine is big slugs


cheers

[Sebastian Cobb]

I wouldn't use it for making roasts all in one. It is great for example cooking marinaded chicken wings and then finishing them off under the grill.

Chicken tikka masala too, sauce in bottom, chicken on trivet. Then fish the chicken out and dry fry/griddle until charred while stick blending the sauce.

I'm going to try it with paneer instead though.

[TrenterPercenter]

Chicken tikka masala too, sauce in bottom, chicken on trivet. Then fish the chicken out and dry fry/griddle until charred while stick blending the sauce.

I'm going to try it with paneer instead though.

Not tried this but sounds good, also those hand blenders are also a great bit of kitchen kit.

[Blue Jam]

Nah, fuck that. Marinate the chicken with butter and yogurt and spices, pot roast the chicken with some chopped onions and spinach, end up with a roast chicken and yer curry sauce underneath, no need for any grilling or dry-frying or hand-blending.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Nah, fuck that. Marinate the chicken with butter and yogurt and spices, pot roast the chicken with some chopped onions and spinach, end up with a roast chicken and yer curry sauce underneath, no need for any grilling or dry-frying or hand-blending.

You still marinate the chicken.

more for trenter's benefit:
https://ministryofcurry.com/chicken-tikka-masala-instant-pot/

note: I had to add more water to avoid the dreaded 'burn' warning and boiled it off a bit on saute mode.

[Cold Meat Platter]

What was wrong with the pots we already had? Why do they have to keep mucking about with everything?

[Noodle Lizard]

The Instant Pot's been around for ages, and it's basically just an affordable and efficient pressure cooker (which have been around even longer). I'm surprised by the amount of people here who are aghast at its very existence. It conjures up images of Mrs Doyle when presented with a coffee-maker: "What if I like the misery?"

It's good, and I'd recommend it to most people as it makes cooking a lot easier without sacrificing quality, but you won't find anyone convincing you you have to buy one as - yes - you can also cook with other instruments.

[Cold Meat Platter]

You've not listened to Down the Line then?

[Noodle Lizard]

No, not much. If that's what you were quoting, my point still stands for the OP and others though.

[Dex Sawash]

Instant pot is absolute best way to make pizza. Dump in flour, yeast, cheese, basil and tomatoes. 20 minutes later the Papa Johns man arrives.

[Ferris]

Instant pot is absolute best way to make pizza. Dump in flour, yeast, cheese, basil and tomatoes. 20 minutes later the Papa Johns man arrives.

Just tried this, can't believe it worked.

Lot of smoke in the kitchen but that's probably the teenagers next door, mucking about.

[Goldentony]

fucking paste butty in this thing, twelve weeks, delicious