Chicago Tribune

Give in to the Instant Pot craze

The greatest trick the Instant Pot played on people was convincing them that they were trying something new.

Pressure cookers, slow cookers, rice cookers, steamers - these are appliances that have been around for years. Sure, they are all combined into one shiny device, along with a few other ones, but they now have the cachet of a catchy new name. Your grandma used a pressure cooker. You have an Instant Pot.

While the device has been riding an incredible wave of popularity over the past couple of years, most of the guides showing the best way to use it have lived online on blogs and message boards. That changes this fall, as a slew of new Instant Pot cookbooks hits the shelves, all trying to convince you to jump on the multicooker bandwagon. (Prices range by size, from $69.99 to $159.99; we used the 8-quart at $129.99.)

As for me, I knew I'd like it before I ever opened the box. It wasn't the fawning praise from the hundred of thousands, if

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune3 min read
‘Bodkin’ Review: A True-crime Podcast Descends Upon Rural Ireland, With Mediocre Results
True-crime podcasts are enough of a phenomenon that they’ve become a premise for scripted, fictional TV shows. Following on the heels of “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu), “Based on a True Story” (Peacock) and “Truth Be Told” (Apple TV+), we can
Chicago Tribune4 min read
New COVID ‘FLiRT’ Variants Are Spreading Nationwide. Chicago Health Experts Urge Up To Date Vaccination
CHICAGO — A new family of COVID variants nicknamed “FLiRT” is spreading across the country, as vaccination rates in Chicago — as well as nationwide — remain concerningly low for some public health experts. While symptoms and severity seem to be abou
Chicago Tribune4 min read
New Chicago Play ‘Turret’ Has A Father’s Ghost — And Michael Shannon Trapped In A Bunker
CHICAGO — Dystopian times, these. Netflix had a hit with “Leave the World Behind,” executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, a movie wherein America descends into chaos. Many Americans went to see “Civil War,” imaging a nation ripped asunder.

Related