10 Reasons To Love Your Instant Pot + 3 Easy Recipes

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benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker

Investing in a slow cooker can be a great way to get the best health benefits out of your organic meals. Even if you’ve never used a slow cooker before, you will be happily surprised to find that they are super easy to use, easy to clean, and even easier to enjoy. The many handy benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker will have you won over as I was!

Some years ago, my sister gave me an Instant Pot and after a while, it became one of my favorite kitchen gadgets! If you are like me, you may remember your parents using a pressure cooker and quite likely have tales to tell…. I can remember my mothers pressure cooker and it was scary thing! Sometimes the lid blew off with such force because in a fit of absentmindedness she had forgotten to fasten it properly!

I can highly recommend one of these cookers, they are perfectly safe and not in the least like those old fashioned models. They come with a variety of programmable features, making slow cooking easier than ever. It’s the perfect way to combine health and flavor, while also reducing the amount of mess you have to clean up in the kitchen afterward. It’s a great win-win situation!

Your Possible New Favorite Kitchen Appliance…..

slow cooker health benefits

In case you’ve never used one before, I’m going to share the benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker for slow cooking with you, and how using this method to prepare your meals can benefit your health and wellbeing. There are a variety of reasons why slow cookers are one of the most handy appliances you can have in your kitchen.

The Instant Pot is one of the best types of slow cookers out there, and they are simple to use and reliable. Set and forget. Read on to find out all you need to know about slow cooking, why it’s good for you, and how the Instant Pot will become your best friend when making organic meals, especially when it’s cold out there.

What Exactly Is An Instant PotⓇ?

benefits of using a slow cooker

Here’s a little background. Instant PotⓇ is a Canadian-designed pressure cooker that was made to give home cooks a reliable, safe, and easy-to-use cooking option.

It comes with a multitude of conveniences and benefits, with better access to nutritious food on the top of its list.

There’s very little prepping involved so it’s easy to prepare your favorite organic meals consistently, conveniently, and enjoyably. In fact, I know many users of these pots who have said it has helped make their lives healthier and more eco-friendly!

Why Do I Love My Cooker?

So, why exactly do I love my pressure cooker so much? At first I scoffed when the Instantpot site says it can replace 6 kitchen appliances…

Here is what they say:

A programmable multi-cooker replaces 6 kitchen appliances, it combines the functions of a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, and Warmer. 12 smart built-in programs – Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Cake, Egg, Sauté, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Pressure Cook, Steam, Keep Warm and Slow Cook, your favorite dishes are as easy as pressing a button.

What do you think about that?

Actually the convenience of being able to throw together a healthy mix of ingredients, setting the time and being able to enjoy a hearty warm meal in the evenings is a life saver. Often we are busy and to be perfectly honest, I often don’t feel like spending ages preparing a meal after a long busy day.

These are some of the reasons why I enjoy mine:

1) Smart Device – It’s quite the intelligent appliance, because it comes with settings that help it remember the way you cook. That way, when you go to prepare your favorite organic meal over and over, it will remember exactly what settings and features you want to input in the appliance in order to cook your meal just right. It essentially does all of the hard work for you!

2) Easy Use – The stainless steel slow cooker comes with a variety of easy-to-use controls. Most of these functions can be enabled with a single touch, meaning minimal effort for you:)

3) Fast Cook Times – How does the sound of meals that are fast to prepare and serve sound? If you are like me and frequently time poor, I love time saving appliances in the kitchen. I have a few actually! These cookers can cook your food up to 70% faster than traditional pressure cookers, while preserving the crucial health and nutrition benefits than its older counterparts. If you live a fast-paced lifestyle, or if you need to prepare food in advance this is a great solution.

4) Made From Non Toxic Materials – Made from 100% stainless steel, there is absolutely no chemical coating or added materials whatsoever. For those of you who are very careful about what you use and what your products are manufactured from, if you prefer to live an organic, chemical-free life , you can rest assured. These use the healthiest materials available on the market today. No Teflon, no toxic finishes which is important when you choose to live a chemical free life.

Why Is It The Number 1 Selling Brand?

 

can you leave a slow cooker on all day

With all the benefits and features above, it’s easy to see how Instant PotⓇ has become the number one selling pressure cooker brand in America. Yes, there are other choices such as Crock Pot, Hamilton Beach, Cosori and West Bend to name a few and it does come down to personal favorites and brands. I really like the huge Facebook fan community and it’s give me some great  meal ideas which I would never have though of before. Better than cooking the same thing and having the family say, but we had that…..

What are the Benefits Of Using An Instant Pot For Slow Cooking?

stainless steel pressure cooker reviews

Slow cookers are wonderful devices that can cook your meal for you while you are away at work, and be ready to eat when you arrive home for dinner. As you open the door after a long day at work, those deliciously tempting smells instantly start you salivating!  After getting everyone ready, washing hands, feeding the pets and anything else, all you need to do is serve up. And, they are be able to cook your meal while still preserving all of the nutritional and healthy qualities that your ingredients contain.

Traditional Methods Often Over Cook Food

When using traditional methods of cooking, such as with a pan, a pot, or an oven, you can cause the food to cook too quickly, which evaporates some of its healthier qualities. For example, think about how potatoes fried in oil are much less healthy for you than potatoes that are baked in an oven, or boiled on a stove are.

Aside from the differences in ingredients used, the method used to cook the potatoes can cause huge nutritional differences. If you want to prepare a hot, tasty, super healthy meal for yourself and your family every night, using a slow cooker is the best way to achieve that.

I also discovered some other major benefits of using a slow cooker:

5) More energy saved. Slow cookers use far less electricity than ovens and stoves, making them an eco-friendly choice that will also save you a few dollars on your electricity bill every month.

6) Better meat tenderization. Since your meat is cooked slowly at lower temperatures over a long period of time, it turns out a lot more tender and juicy than meat that is cooked in a manner of minutes. Plus, all of the natural minerals and vitamins contained within the meat are better preserved.

7) Single-step cooking. Forget about having to plan out a large meal with your main course, vegetables, and side dishes separately. In your slow cooker, you can just throw everything in, press a single button on and have a fully prepared meal by the end of the day.

8) Usefulness throughout the year. In the colder seasons, a slow cooker is useful because it will greet you with the hearty aroma of a warm meal to help take away from the chill of the day. In the hot weather, you can rest assured knowing that a slow cooker does not heat up your entire kitchen the way an oven does, so you can still cook a meal without being overwhelmed by the heat.

9) Better flavor. Pressure cookers bring out the best, most potent flavors in foods, making them much more preferable and delicious alternatives to food that is cooked quickly or fried, which often eliminates the best of the flavor. Plus, you can cook just about anything in a slow cooker.

10) Reduced temptation to eat out. When you can easily prepare an organic, wholesome meal at home, you become less tempted to order take-out foods, helping you to promote a healthier lifestyle.

It’s important you do take time to understand how your slow cooker works in order to get the most value out of your appliance. It’s a versatile, beneficial, and healthy option that can save you time, energy, and money! Plus, it promotes healthy eating habits by boosting natural flavors and preserving vitamins and nutrients, making it the perfect choice for all of your organic meals.

Slow Cooker Meals and Safety Tips

slow cooker health benefit

As I mentioned earlier, you can make just about anything with your slow cooker. From hearty mid winter meat dishes to healthy low carb vegetarian and vegan options, if there’s something you want to cook, odds are you can easily prepare it with your slow cooker or Instant PotⓇ.

Slow Cooker Meal Ideas

 

If you’re new to the slow cooker game, don’t fret, because there are plenty of easy meals you can prepare. Just another one of the many benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker is you can make breakfast lunch and dinner. Simply grab your favorite ingredients, slice up some of your favorite vegetables, and try these ideas on for size:

1) Balsamic Chicken

how to use a slow cooker for chicken

This recipe is super easy to prepare in your slow cooker. Take an organic chicken breast, balsamic vinegar, and your favorite vegetable side (such as potatoes or Brussels sprouts), and put them in your Instant PotⓇ or slow cooker. You can also add chicken broth, herbs, and spices for taste. Cook it in your slow cooker for 4 ⅓ – 5 hours, and your meal will be complete and ready to go!

2) Blueberry Oatmeal

 

instant pot breakfast recipe

Want a hearty, healthy, vegetarian breakfast to start your morning off right? You can easily accomplish this with two cups of old fashioned oats, a cup of blueberries, some brown sugar, water, and cinnamon to taste. You can add milk as an optional flavor, but be sure to omit this step if you want a vegan option. Cook it in your slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Stir in the blueberries and optional coconut if you would like during the last few minutes of the cook to achieve the perfect breakfast when you wake up.

3) Hearty Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans

 

soup recipes for instant pot

There’s nothing more satisfying than coming home after a long day of work to the hearty aroma of soup cooking in the kitchen. This recipe is easy to achieve, with only a few ingredients needed. First, you’ll want to cut up a butternut squash, as well as some pepitas or apples, pistachios, scallion, parsley, chickpeas, ginger, and coriander. One of the many benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker, you can get creative in your culinary creations:)

You can also add onion and couscous to make it even heartier. Add these ingredients to a slow cooker for 3-5 hours, while you smash the cannellini white beans in a bowl in the meantime. Add them to the slow cooker for the remaining 3 minutes, and your hearty soup is ready to enjoy for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Slow Cooker Safety Tips

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when handling your slow cooker. It’s important to stay safe and follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer so that you don’t risk hurting yourself or ruining your meal. Here are a few safety tips that you can follow along with:

  • Don’t fill the cooker more than two-thirds full.
  • Reduce the amount of liquids you add to the cooker, as they do not boil away as the slow cooker does its job.
  • Spray your cooker with an organic non-stick spray to make it easier to clean up afterwards.
  • Keep the lid tightly fitting and in place at all times during the cooking process.
  • Add grains, like rice and pasta, near the last 15-20 minutes of the cooking time, or else they will become too mushy.
  • Always thaw your meat thoroughly before cooking it in the slow cooker.

By following these quick tips, you will certainly get a good grasp on your slow cooker and you’ll cook like a pro in no time!

Invest In The Benefits Of Using An Instant Pot For Slow Cooking for a Healthier and Tastier Meal Every Day!

The benefits of slow cooking are endless, and this appliance especially serves to positively impact the health and nutrition of your meals. If you are always on the go and you don’t have time to prepare healthy organic meals every day, a slow cooker is the perfect solution for you. Who doesn’t enjoy convenient, consistent, hassle-free, and healthy cooking?

Next time you are looking for the best way to cook your favorite organic meals without it taking up too much of your time, you can enjoy the increased nutrition and vast health benefits of using an Instant Pot cooker. Try it out for yourself and enjoy it year-round!

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