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Tom's Guide
15-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I'm a pressure cooker convert: I just spend two whole days with the Instant Pot Plus and made the tastiest dishes ever
Before trying the Instant Pot Plus (2025) I had never used a pressure cooker, and was a firm slow cooker stan, but now the Instant Pot is a non-negotiable in my kitchen. This Wi-Fi enabled pressure cooker has 8 different cook settings, a quiet steam release, and can be controlled remotely by an app. Plus there is a keep warm function for days you're running a little late to plate up food. It also includes a sterilization setting for gently cleaning baby products, while the inner pot is dishwasher safe, making clean up easy. It took me a little practice to get things right as a first-time user. And you do have to use the app to get the most out of the machine, but if that doesn't bother you this will be a great addition to anyone's kitchen. You can find out more about how I got on with using a pressure cooker for the first time in my full Instant Pot Plus review. Price £149 (U.K. only) Weight 8.04kg Dimensions 33 x 35 x 32.5 cm Colors Black Material Stainless steel Capacity 5.7L/6QT Functions 9-in-1 Dishwasher safe Inner pot and lid The Instant Pot Plus 9-in-1 is available from Amazon U.K. for £149. It comes in black with brushed stainless steel on the sides of the barrel. Unfortunately, this model isn't going to be available in the U.S., but you can get the Instant Pot Duo Plus with Whisper Quiet for $159 instead, which also has nine cooking settings. There are many different Instant Pot models to choose from, we even have a guide for finding the best Instant Pot for every kitchen. If you don't need the settings like Sous Vide but still want the convenience of a multi-purpose pressure cooker, the Instant Pot Rio is a cheaper option at $99/£99, and is available in the U.S.. I love the look of the Instant Pot Plus. It fit right into my kitchen with its simple black and brushed stainless steel design — it didn't stand out or look garish next to my other appliances. The design is understated so is sure to fit in with any kitchen setup. The 5.7L removable inner pot is brushed stainless steel with rubber handles that slot securely into the handles of the main appliance body. The rubber handles are a welcome addition to the pot as it meant I could remove the pot while it was still hot. Having handles on the inner pot is a major upgrade from the Instant Pot Rio. With the Rio, you need to wait until it has cooled to remove it for cleaning. The inner pot of the Instant Pot Plus is dishwasher safe, which I loved as it made the one-pot cooking clean up even easier. The lid twists on and locks firmly in place, using a rubber seal to create a vacuum for pressure cooking. This was really easy to use, and didn't take a lot of force. Make sure to be careful when twisting the lid on and off since hot steam may come out from the pot when opening. The cooker also comes with a spare rubber seal. For easy release of pressure and steam there is a Whisper Quiet steam release switch at the top of the lid that toggles between slow and fast release. While I could hardly hear the Instant Pot as it slowly released steam throughout the cooking process, when the vent was fully open the steam release was pretty loud. And for the condensation that collects during the cooking process, there is a collection tub at the back of the machine that needs to be emptied and cleaned after each use. The machine can be controlled with the buttons on the front screen or through the Instant Connect app on mobile since it is Wi-Fi enabled. While the buttons on the machine are easy to use and understand with symbols, the app gave me far more control over my cooking. In the app you get a variety of recipe guides for each function and you can also tailor the functions for whatever you are making. The recipes have guides that took me through step by step, and I could simply click 'Start' in the app and the Instant Pot followed the recipe cooking steps without me needing to alter anything myself. The Instant Pot has nine preset functions to choose from, with eight different ways to cook. The cooking presets include Pressure cooker, Slow cooker, Rice cooker, Saute pan, Yogurt maker, Food warmer and Steam. I found this was a great range of preset options and there wasn't anything I was missing. However, I am by no means a chef, so I don't think the Sous Vide setting is necessary for my everyday meals, but the option is nice to have. The ninth setting is for sterilizing any jars you may be using and the user guide says it is a quick way to sterilize baby bottles and children's toys. The Food warmer setting is on by default with all functions except Saute and Steralize, so this needs to be turned off before pressing start if you don't intend on using it. I found it useful that the setting is on automatically, but when making something I don't want overcooked, like cake, I think it could become a hassle. There is a progress bar on the machine to track the stage of cooking from preheating to cooling. I mostly monitored the progress of my cooking using the mobile app, but found the progress bar to be a useful indicator, as it also let anyone else in the kitchen know what stage of cooking the pot was in. There are eight different preset cooking modes to choose from with the Instant Pot Plus, and each of these can be customized to suit whatever you're cooking. The user manual suggests carrying out a test run to get to grips with the machine. To do this I added three cups of water to the inner pot and selected 'pressure cook' for five minutes. When it was finished I let the steam out through the vent. This gave me a bit more confidence to use the machine which, I'll admit, I found pretty daunting at first. Since I hadn't used a pressure cooker before, I was able to get a bit of experience first without ruining any food. I try to get veggies in with every meal, so having a steam option for quick and easy veg-prep is essential for me. I put some frozen broccoli on the steamer rack with a bath of water at the bottom and it was perfectly cooked to my liking in 10 minutes. The florets were soft but the stalks still had some bite to them. You can alter the length of time of the steam setting depending on how you like your veggies and what you are making. I followed instructions from the Instant Connect app to get fluffy white basmati rice in just 8 minutes. I added 360g of washed rice to the inner pot and 710ml of water. I then cooked it on the rice preset for 8 minutes. I had to release the pressure through the latch on top before taking off the lid to check on the rice. I usually cook my rice on the stove top but this was so much faster and easier! I (almost) always burn my rice when making it on a stove top, and the Instant Pot completely took away that worry. The large inner pot also meant I was able to make a big batch that could be reheated the following day. Again, I followed a guide from the companion app to make oatmeal using the 'Sous vide' setting. This took me around 45 minutes, and although this is a lot longer than my usual oatmeal method, I was able to make a larger batch. This method involved putting my oats mixture into a mason jar and cooking them in a water bath. This meant absolutely zero clean up except for the jar you cook and store oats in, while my usual method is a lot messier. This is by no means my new go-to method for oatmeal, but it worked really well and is a nice option to have for times when I need a simple, mess-free solution. To test out the pressure cooking function I 'baked' a cake. This Instant Pot doesn't have a specific Cake preset, so it's certainly a challenge for the appliance. But when Tom's Guide has tested cakes in pressure cookers before the results have been pretty tasty, so I was confident it would work. I adapted the instructions for chocolate cake in the Instant Pot app to make a chocolate fudge cake. I added 470ml of water into the bottom of the pit and then used the steamer rack to elevate the cake tin. I used the pressure cook preset on high for 14 minutes which cooked the cake perfectly. This same cake recipe usually takes 24 minutes to bake, so the pressure cooker certainly sped things up. I was slightly skeptical about releasing the steam as I wasn't sure how fast it would come out of the Instant Pot or how hot it would be. And while there was a big cloud of steam in my kitchen for about a minute, it was very quiet and directed to the back of the appliance. It felt safe to use and incredibly user friendly with just a flip of a switch. After releasing the steam the lid of the pot was ready to be opened. I waited for everything to cool before icing the cake. While my cake decorating skills are a little questionable, it was still delicious. I used the yogurt preset and this made the process practically foolproof. The only ingredients were whole milk and a live yogurt starter and the Instant Pot even pasteurized the milk for me. The only thing I had to do was remove the lid for the milk to cool after it had been pasteurized, which was easy to remember as the app sent me a notification to do this. The Instant Pot then fermented the mixture, making yogurt. The whole process took around 13 hours using 2 liters of milk. I was shocked at how easy this was and will definitely be making my own yogurt again. I used the Saute function to brown onions for a stew — one that I was slow cooking for the section below. This function meant that the stew became a true one-pot-wonder, as with my slow cooker I have to saute on the stove with a pan first. I used the highest heat setting (Level 5 - 375°F/190°C). This took less than 10 minutes and gave a lovely color to the ingredients. I deglazed the bottom of the inner pan with a little stock ready to start the slow cooking process. After Sauteing, I made a vegetable stew using the Slow Cook preset function. This took 3 hours on high. I added a variety of veg including swede, carrots and potatoes and covered them with stock. After 3 hours the veg came out tender but not too soft, although you can alter the cooking time and temperature depending on your preference. The Keep Warm function is on automatically with every function apart from saute and sterilize, so needs to be turned off if you don't need your food kept warm. This function kept my slow cooked stew warm until I was ready to eat it hours later. As I have mentioned throughout, the Instant Connect app is the ideal companion for the Instant Pot Plus. I would have been beyond confused without it as a first-time pressure cooker user, so I would say it is essential that you use the app. I was able to get the most out of the pressure cooker, with tips and tricks I wouldn't have come across. It was so simple to alter the temperature and cooking times in the app too. The only thing you can't do in the app is start Saute mode, as this needs to be monitored. There are also recipe guides in the app and I found these so easy to use as you just need to click start cooking and Instant Pot will automatically be set up. You can also track the progress of what you are cooking in the app, which I found great as I didn't even need to leave the couch to check what stage my yogurt was at. I found the clean up process with the Instant Pot Plus ridiculously easy. The stainless steel pot is removable to pop in the dishwasher. The lid is also dishwasher safe. Both the lid and pot were easy to clean with dish soap and a sponge, and I had no issues with anything getting stuck to the stainless steel pot. The Instant Pot only weighs 8kg and I was able to move it around on my own with ease. It looked good set up with all my other kitchen appliances and didn't take up too much space. The lead for the plug is pretty short, though, so you will need to move it near a socket when cooking. I have officially been converted. The Instant Pot Plus made everything I cooked so much easier than using my stove top or slow cooker. The wide range of different cooking features, plus its sterilization and keep warm modes, make this the perfect all rounder. And better yet, it's incredibly easy to clean. The Instant Pot companion app greatly heightens the experience further, as you can get recipe ideas, guidance, and even customize the cooking times and temperatures. So as long as you don't mind an app ruling over your kitchen, the Instant Pot is a must-have.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hurry! Amazon's secret outlet has a $14 Eddie Bauer throw (nearly 70% off) and more
You know what's even better than outlet shopping? Outlet shopping from your couch, that's what. If that concept sounds too good to be true, allow me to introduce you to Amazon Outlet. This treasure trove is teeming with overstock deals that'll save you as much as 70%. It's no secret that Amazon is known for competitive prices, but this sneaky sales nook tends to slip under many shoppers' radars. Well, now you can officially consider yourself in the know. Top picks: Eddie Bauer Reversible Blanket for $14 (was $40): Nearly 70% off DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Wet-Dry Vacuum for $99 (was $159): Near-lowest price in a year Fab Totes Clothes Storage Bags, 6-Pack for $15 (was $42): 65% off Instant Pot Duo Plus, 6-Quart for $100 (was $150): Best price in months As Yahoo's senior deals writer who specializes in all things home and kitchen, I'm eyeing some stellar markdowns on everything from a cozy Eddie Bauer throw blanket (nearly 70% off) to a DeWalt handheld wet-dry vacuum that's down to one of its best prices in the past year. There's more where those came from — lots more. I'm talking thousands of discounted items across many categories. Curious to know what else you can snag for a steal? Keep scrolling for my top Amazon Outlet home picks. If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
