To instant pot or not to instant pot....

So we all know a recent fad is the instant pot.  There are several brands now and they have different features and bells and whistles.  They range in price from around $50 to well over $100.  So what's the deal?  What's with all the hype?  I was skeptical when I kept hearing about how great they were.  I am not too proud to accept hand-me-downs, so when my brother offered me one that he and his wife weren't using, I jumped at the chance to test out this new phenomenon.  And guess what?  I love it!!!!  What's so great about it you ask?  Well here are a few things:

1.  You don't have to thaw out your meat.  You can put it in the pot frozen and within about a half an hour you have tender, fully-cooked meat!

2.  It has multiple settings, and therefore can be used to cook in several different ways.  I have used mine as a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, and I have sauteed in it.  You can also use it as a rice cooker and to make soups and other things I haven't even experimented with yet.

3.  Clean up is super easy.  You just remove the metal pot inside it, and toss it in the dishwasher.  That's it!

4.  It travels well.  Because the lid locks down, it is great to use if you need to take your food to another location.  You pop the lid on and off you go.  No spills, and no hassle.

There are probably 1000 more reasons why this invention will change your life, but I think that's a pretty good starting place.  I have used mine to make roast in the slow cooker, for a quick 20 minute teriyaki chicken dinner, and to whip up some baked potatoes.  Everything I have cooked has turned out well.  I suggest you read some reviews and find one that you think will work well for what your family needs.  I promise you won't regret it!