The Instant Pot range from Canadian company, Instant Brands Inc. is taking the kitchen world by storm. This innovative gadget takes pressure cooking to a new level. But why are Instant Pots so popular, especially with vegans? Let’s dive in!
Why Are Instant Pots So Popular?
We’ve had our Instant Pot Duo for a few years now and I can confirm, it’s not one of those kitchen gadgets you use a few times before boxing it back up and consigning it to the garage forever!
Ours is brought out at least once a week and often more than that. We absolutely love it because it’s quick and easy to use. Time is at a premium in our household as we all lead busy lives but cooking fresh is really important to us.
With the Instant Pot pressure cooker you can knock up a really tasty vegan meal in no time. If you do some meal prep at the weekends, it’s almost no effort at all to create a delicious, nutritious repast … and the clean-up is a breeze too!
Our Hectic Lives = No Time To Cook Fresh
Most people of working age lead busy lives running on the hamster wheel of life, just trying to raise our kids the best we can, keeping up with the rent and the bills.
Cooking often plays second fiddle to the almost all consuming business of maintaining a decent standard of living these days, especially in 2022 with daily life becoming more expensive, week on week it sometimes seems!
This is why we’ve witnessed ready meals and convenience food mushroom in popularity over the last 20 years. People just don’t have the time, or the energy for that matter, to cook fresh in the evenings.
The real irony is that cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients plays a pivotal role in keeping you healthy enough to battle through the daily grind month after month. If you’re too sick to work, how do you make sure your kids have school shoes?
It’s no joke out there in today’s “civilised” world … (I use the word advisedly). The average worker is being squeezed from all sides at the moment, not only financially but also with respect to time. It’s no surprise mental health issues are at an all time high due to the stress of it all.
I came to learn quite late in life that time is our most precious commodity. When I think of the hours and days I’ve wasted throughout my life … well it doesn’t bear thinking about. No-one gets that time back. Except maybe for Marty McFly!
This is where the Instant Pot comes in. Don’t get too excited … it’s not a time machine and there’s no flux capacitor to maintain but it will get you some of that valuable time back!
Under Pressure: Claw Back Some Precious Minutes!
The Instant Pot is awesome. I don’t often use that word (because I’m British) but it seems apt at this juncture. There’s a reason this simple kitchen gadget has become so popular.
Pressure cooking is quick and easy. As a bonus it also retains more of the nutrients in the food so it’s a double whammy of delicious benefits!
But the Instant Pot is more than just a pressure cooker. It has some really practical features which make it a one stop shop for whipping up a nutritious, fresh meal in no time.
We bought the entry level version of the range, which is the Duo. It does more than enough for your average family with 2.4 kids, or whatever it is these days.
We mainly use it for one-pot curries and baked potatoes but it is capable of a lot more!
We don’t use a microwave so we were overjoyed at the deliciously fluffy baked potatoes this thing produces! Finished off under the grill to crispen them up, you can’t go wrong with some beans and cheese (and usually a bit of green chilli) 🙂
The Instant Pot Is Healthy & Pure 100% Convenience
Various funky models are available and you can get really quite creative with this kitchen tool if you want to go beyond the day to day survival of getting a decent meal on the dinner table.
… without spending all evening in the kitchen!
As you can probably tell, I’m a super-fan of the Instant Pot. I think every vegan needs one of these to turn to when inspiration is lacking. Not least because nutrient retention is a big plus with this type of cooking.
Everyone bangs on about how vegans are lacking nutrients … well now you can prove them wrong (even though it’s nonsense anyway!).
Pressure cooking has been studied for decades now and the overwhelming consensus is that nutritionally, the benefits are many. [1]
Lower cooking temperatures means less degradation of vitamins and the vegetables are more easily digested meaning minerals are more bioavailable.
It really is a win-win.
More spare time and more healthy meals … what’s not to like?
It’s no surprise this product has been really popular across the globe and continues to sell well with plenty of ongoing positive reviews all over the web.
Where To Buy The Instant Pot?
Plenty of options out there in home shopping land. Amazon is obviously going to be one of the cheapest but you can also purchase direct from the manufacturer, Instant Brands.
Argos, John Lewis, Costco and of course, eBay are all good options.
It’s beyond the scope of this article but there is plenty of choice when it comes to sizes and features so use your favourite search engine and you’ll be greeted with a plethora of articles and reviews to help you decide.
The Instant Brands website is a good place to get an overview of all the Instant Pot variations and the Digital Trends article in the refs below has a comprehensive breakdown. [2]
If you feel my personal view of the Instant Pot has helped you please leave me a comment below and share with your friends. Cheers!
Thanks for reading!
Rohan.
[1] – https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/is-your-instant-pot-destroying-nutrients/ [2] – https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/which-instant-pot-should-you-buy/