NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF/CONSUMER REPORTS) — First, it was the crock pot. Then the Instant Pot. But if it's been a while since you've used your Instant Pot, maybe you want to give it another try, or perhaps replace it with something else.
The Instant Pot swept thousands of home cooks off of their feet and renewed our excitement for pressure cookers and crock pot meals. But perhaps the one-pot craze has fizzled, and your instant pot is now all but forgotten.
"So if it’s been a while since you've used your Instant Pot, there’s a chance that maybe you just got overwhelmed with these elaborate recipes," said Tanya Christian with Consumer Reports.
Christian says remembering why you fell in love in the first place can help!
"Instant pots and multicookers are meant to make life easier, and make cooking easier. So the best way to utilize them is to stick to what they do best. So think about tough cuts of meats, beans, stews, soups and curries. Those are great in these small kitchen appliances," said Christian.
Consumer Reports' tests look at how well multi cookers pressure cook pork ribs, slow-cook chili, steam rice and vegetables and how well they keep food warm. The Zavor brand multi cooker earned top scores in all of those tests and is easy to use and clean.
But maybe the spark is gone for good and it's time for something new–an air fryer/toaster oven combo.
“Air fryer toaster oven is exactly how it sounds. It's a toaster oven in size, but it has air frying capability and what’s nice is that it combines these two small kitchen appliances that a lot of people love into one device," Christian said.
The best of the bunch: the Breville, which offers many different functions including convection, dehydration and air frying. Its baking results, ease of use and roominess may make it worth the splurge!
For less money, the Cuisinart is just so-so for baking and toasting but it excels at reheating and is easy to use and clean and turns out crispy fries and wings.
If you're into yogurt, a lot of these multi cookers have a yogurt function which is a great way to make your own homemade yogurt at a fraction of the cost. You can also make it without all the extra sugar you’d find in many store-bought versions.
