My name’s Mike, and in addition to being a human slave to two Siberian cats, I’m also one of the many who’ve come to appreciate how much the Instant Pot has changed my culinary experience. Some folks think it’s all a bit silly, and maybe it is, but the truth is that I used to bang my head every night not only wondering what my family was going to eat, but also dreading actually having to make it.
Don’t get me wrong: I actually enjoy cooking, as far as that goes, but things always took longer than I liked (or planned), and the worst part was that there often were a bunch of pans and mixing bowls at the end that needed to be cleaned up. After a long day at work and taking care of the kids, the last thing my wife and I wanted to do was spend a lot of time in the kitchen (and my wife, while she’s a good cook, hates doing it!).
Then I decided to give the Instant Pot a try. Once I got over the newbie jitters, I loved it! The small number of recipes that were our staples, like BBQ pork, became a whole lot easier, and often faster, and most of the time the only thing I had to worry about cleaning was the Instant Pot’s liner, which I could just toss in the dishwasher. Our recipe universe also quickly expanded: the angst of meal preparation became more focused on which recipe to choose, or pacing myself so I didn’t cook too much for my meal prepping and run out of freezer space!
Now, with both of our boys off to college and my wife, the cats, and I having downsized into an apartment, the Instant Pot is even more perfect because we don’t have as much cabinet space in the kitchen. We also use it when we travel in the RV, where kitchen cabinet space is truly at a premium!
And with that, it’s time to get back in the kitchen and do some cooking…