Why You Really Need a Pressure Cooker…
Pressure cookers and multicookers (including the Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi) have exploded in popularity for good reason! From saving time to reducing dishes and clean-up to retaining more flavor and nutrition, these are some of the advantages of pressure cooking.
Compared to the stove, oven, or grill, there are certain advantages to cooking with an electric pressure cooker that you simply can’t replicate with other appliances.
And that’s not to mention all of the quick, easy, and delicious recipes you can make perfectly in an Instant Pot.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned home cook, these are some of the key advantages of cooking in an Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker.
🎉 If you’re a new Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker owner, congrats! And get ready to enjoy nutrition-packed, quick, easy, and delicious meals in minutes.
Before you dive in, I’ve put together a helpful getting started guide that will set you up for success in the kitchen.
Advantages of Pressure Cooking
An electric pressure cooker is one of the best appliances for home cooks, especially if you’re feeding a hungry family, love to prep and freeze meals, and want to maximize the nutrition in your food.
Thinking of getting your own electric pressure cooker? Here’s what you have to look forward to:
Food Cooks Faster
The science behind pressure cooking: the high pressure inside the pot raises the boiling point of water, so food can cook about 40°F hotter than than you can on a stove top. Because the food cooks hotter, it also cooks faster.
An Instant Pot pressure cooker makes your favorite meals in a fraction of the time they take on the stove, oven, or in a slow cooker.
Make perfectly tender meats, vegetable-packed stews and soups, beans, savory stocks and broths, and much more. Enjoy the intense flavors of long-simmered dishes in minutes, with no pot-watching necessary..
Better Flavor
Another side effect of increasing the boiling point inside the pot is that the pressure forces liquid into tough proteins, beans, and starches.
The results are more tender and soft, with better texture and flavor.
Better Nutrient Retention
The longer fresh foods cook in water, the more important nutrients they lose. Therefore, the shorter cooking time of pressure cooking means you retain more vitamins and minerals in every bite.
Cook from Frozen
Did you forget to thaw your meat for dinner? No problem!
An Instant Pot allows you to cook up tender and juicy meat dishes straight from frozen. (This works best for smaller cuts of meat or diced or ground meats that have been frozen flat.)
Cost Savings
Using an electric pressure cooker means you get the same long-cooked flavors that otherwise require your oven to be working all day.
And since your oven isn’t on all day, you avoid the wear and tear on your oven and the cost associated with it. (Plus, you’ll avoid heating up your house for hours when you use a quick high-pressure cook instead.)
Easy Cleanup
One-pot cooking means only having one pot to clean!
Plus, because you don’t have to worry about boiling over, you don’t have to worry about cleaning your stove or oven in addition to your pot.
Advantages of Cooking in an Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
But why is an electric pressure cooker, in particular, better than a traditional stovetop pressure cooker?
Here are a few of my top reasons I prefer using electric pressure cookers:
Safety
Electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot and Zavor have important built-in safety features to protect you from mishaps. These include
- automatic pressure control
- heating and pressure sensors
- lid detection and lock
- heating plates that distribute the heat evenly
- automatic temperature detection
This gives you the peace of mind to set-and-forget your dinner so you have more time to yourself, rather than standing over the stove.
Convenience
Another advantage to an electric pressure cooker is that there’s no need to hover over the stove, adjusting the heat to prevent a boil-over.
The Instant Pot automatically regulates heat and pressure.
So you can go play with your kids, pay bills, or take your dog for a walk while the pressure cooker does all the work.
Keep Warm Setting
Unlike a stovetop pressure cooker, you don’t need to be home to turn the heat off. Electric pressure cookers automatically switch to the Keep Warm setting when the cook time ends.
Consistent Results Even for Beginners
Once you figure out the perfect cooking time for your pressure cooker and recipe, you just set the cooking time and come back to a perfectly cooked dish—every time.
And even better, we’ve done this work for you!
We’re constantly adding to our extensive recipe archive of the best pressure cooking recipes from breakfasts to desserts, plus plenty of helpful how-to guides.
Now that you’re well aware of all of the time-saving, flavor, and nutritional benefits of pressure cooking, it’s time to put your Instant Pot to use!
If you’re still thinking about purchasing, check out my Instant Pot Buying Guide or check out my quick recommendations in my Gift Guide.
