Have you thought about trying to use an Instant Pot for home cooking? Though it’s a little bit of an investment up front, it might be worth it if it helps you save money on groceries and meals!
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Guest post from Sarah of Sidetracked Sarah:
I’ve always been a late adopter, so when I continually heard about everyone’s love of the new (at the time) small kitchen appliance called an “Instant Pot”, I was curious, but definitely not planning to get one any time soon.
My friends raved about the wonders of the Instant Pot:
They told me the food was delicious.
They said that it would save me money in the long run.
They insisted it saves so much time, too.
Being a stay at home mom of seven kids, my interest was finally piqued after months of hearing these comments from friends. I truly needed to save some serious time and money, so I decided to try it!
Can an Instant Pot Actually Save Your Family Money?
I was definitely surprised by how much money the Instant Pot saved our family right from the get-go! Here’s how…
1. We Don’t Eat Out as Much.
If you’ve ever read through the Trim Healthy Mama cookbooks, I’m “Drive Thru Sue”.
My seven kids keep me running around and I often don’t take the time to think through dinner early enough in the day to get it prepared. Because of this, I’m constantly hitting the drive-thru.
With the Instant Pot, though, I don’t have to rely on the drive-thru. I can throw a frozen pot roast in the Instant Pot or even a big block of ground beef for one of the many Instant Pot ground beef recipes that our family enjoys.
I know that if I keep some basic meats and sauces or sauce ingredients on hand, I can make a quick meal that won’t cost me as much as going through the drive-thru or grabbing take out.
2. We Buy Fewer Convenience Foods.
We use to make frozen pizzas, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets too often.
Now that we have an Instant Pot, we don’t buy the convenience foods nearly as often, thus saving us money each month!
3. We Cook More From Scratch More Often.
Having an Instant Pot means we end up cooking from scratch a whole lot more than we used to, which saves us even more on our groceries.
It’s simple to make homemade yogurt, rice, boiled eggs, and beans — as well as many other inexpensive meals.
4. It Replaces Many Other Small Appliances.
The Instant Pot is an all-in-one appliance that eliminates the need for a rice cooker, slow cooker, and a yogurt maker. It can even count as a skillet if you don’t mind using the Saute function to cook your meat.
You can even use it to reheat food, which eliminates the need for a microwave!
Our Favorite Instant Pot Recipe
I’m often asked what our favorite Instant Pot recipe is. And I think I’d have to go with Chicken Tacos!
It’s super simple to make:
- Add a frozen bag of chicken breast, can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, and a packet of taco seasoning to the Instant Pot.
- Close the valve and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Quick-release the pressure and shred the chicken.
- Serve in taco shells, over chips, as a taco salad, on quesadillas, etc.
The possibilities are endless and it’s SO delicious!
We actually have TWO Instant Pots now and I’ve decided I can make just about anything in it! I’ve even taught several of my children how to use it. It is my most used appliance and saves me more money and time than any other appliance in our household by a long shot!
Related:
- Making Brown Rice in the Instant Pot
- Boiling Eggs in the Instant Pot
- Eat at Home Instant Pot Menu Planning Service
Sarah is a busy work from home, homeschooling mom of 7 who blogs over at Sidetracked Sarah. She loves helping families spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their families. She uses her Slow Cooker and Instant Pot on a daily basis to help her do just that.
We love our Instant Pot Duo. Living in AZ it’s important to minimize additional heat in the summer months. I no longer need to turn on my oven, spend an hour or more over open flame on the stove top or microwave everything. The house doesn’t get hot and we still eat good home cooked meal.
That’s such a great point! I live in Florida and have never thought about how much cooking in the InstaPot would help in keeping my home cool! -Jordan, MSM Team
My kids prefer yogurt over milk. We sometimes go through a gallon of yogurt in just over a week. By making our own yogurt in the instant pot it paid for itself in less than three months. I also like using it for dried beans. I never remember to soak my beans ahead of time and with the pressure cooker you don’t have to.
Using it on dried beans is such a great idea! I feel like I’m always putting off using mine because I forget to soak them. Thanks for the tip! -Jordan, MSM Team
I have three Instant Pots, which is the brand name. I’d like to suggest that you choose an 8 qt one over the more common 6 qt one. It’s not too much larger to store, but it’s roomier inside. It’s nice being able to drop in a frozen turkey breast or bag of potatoes without wondering if it’s going to fit, and it handles soup well. The inner pot is stainless steel, not nonstick, and it will survive the dishwasher, and contact with metal utensils. There are a lot of recipes out there, but IME, it’s most useful for frozen meat, and things that otherwise need a lot of time or babysitting, like rice or hardboiled eggs.
Thanks for sharing your insight! -Jordan, MSM Team
I am a kitchen minimalist, so I’ve never given an Instant Pot a second thought. This post is making me actually think about buying one. What brand/brands do you and others you know have the best reviews? Thanks so much!
I have the instant pot brand and it’s great! I love how it cooks tougher chunks of meat like beef chuck so much faster than on the stovetop! And soup comes together in it might faster as well!
Great post Crystal. I’ve been on the fence about Instant Pot and you’ve made the decision easy. Thank You!
Yay! You’re so welcome! -Jordan, MSM Team
Oh my gosh, the idea of using it to reheat food instead of a microwave just blew my mind!! Thanks for the idea and I can’t wait to try it. Sounds just as simple and way healthier. Love my instant pot!!
Yay! You’re so welcome! -Jordan, MSM Team