The Instant Pot Ultra 60. The perfect 10-in-1 kitchen tool that eliminates the need for other costly, counter-top and cabinet space-hogs. Does it live up to the hype in a real home???
Instant Pot has not asked for my opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are simply my own, honestly written to help others decide if the Instant Pot is a good investment for their households.
I have owned my Instant Pot Ultra 60 for approximately a month, and in that time I have tried many different recipes to determine if the Instant Pot has been worth my investment. If you’ve read my blog, you know that I LOVE my slow cookers. I chose the Instant Pot Ultra 60 because it is a 6 qt. cooker…the same as my favorite slow cooker. I wondered, “Could the Instant Pot be better?” Here’s what I’ve found so far:
The Instant Pot Ultra 60 Review: The Good…
- Well Packaged: When I initially opened my Instant Pot box, I was pleased that it was shipped a box within a box, with plenty of Styrofoam padding. Everything was where it was supposed to be when I opened the box, nothing was broken, and I was ready to cook after I’d washed a few pieces.
- Simple Design: The knobs and buttons are rather intuitive, and I was able to run the “practice” pressure setting within minutes of opening and cleaning my new Instant Pot Ultra 60.
- Fast Cooking Time (on most items): The Instant Pot Ultra 60 works great on making hard boiled eggs (that peel easily!!!), taking frozen chicken breast tenders and boneless thighs to shredding temperature in 20 minutes, and making moist and delicious cheesecake.
- Keeps Items Warm: I like that after items are cooked, there is a keep warm option, just in case I’m busy doing other things like helping with homework, exercising, or just not in the kitchen.
- Lots of Functions: To be able to make an entire gallon of milk into yogurt, hard-boil eggs, cook a cheesecake to perfection, and make BBQ pork is pretty amazing with one tool!
The Instant Pot Ultra 60 Review: The “Needs Improvement”…
- Simple, More Useful, Recipes Needed for Beginners: My Instant Pot did come with a small recipe book, but it contained recipes that I considered less-than-useful. I wanted to cook chicken breasts, soups, and easy weeknight suppers. Instead, I got recipes that average cook wouldn’t even use. A waste of paper and ink, in my opinion. Instead, I found a great “cheat sheet” here. It has been a great find!
- Better “Getting Started” Directions: I have been cooking for 35+ years and I have used a pressure cooker at least 20+ years. This isn’t a new concept for me. However, figuring out how to set up the Instant Pot Ultra 60 for success straight out of the box was a lot harder than using my trusty slow cookers.
- Cleaning: Though cleaning the Instant Pot Ultra 60 isn’t horrible, washing around the “pot” lid can take some time. I always wash my pot by hand, but washing in the dishwasher is an option…just for the lid. I still have to wipe down the electric pot part. Also, taking out the gasket took a little doing the first time…I was afraid I would ruin it!
- Included “tools”: My Instant Pot came with a couple of plastic “tools” (soup spoon and rice spatula) that I have yet to use. They look like cheap scrapers and a useless measuring cup. A better inclusion would have been the glass cooking lid that I have to purchase separately for non-pressure cooked items. An even better included tool would be a 7-inch springform pan…the cheesecake from my Instant Pot was divine!!!
Overall Assessment…
If I were given the opportunity to purchase the Instant Pot Ultra 60 again on sale, I probably would. It has removed a great deal of stress in my life. I try to take soup in my lunch to school, as this way I can include lots of veggies and lean protein in an easy-to-reheat dish. The Instant Pot Ultra 60 has done a nice of job making that an easier and faster task.
Will I use it often for desserts? Probably not. But for quick meat cooking, it has been wonderful! If you eat a lot of hard-boiled eggs, it is a big time saver, too. 🙂 I also found that the yogurt feature works really nicely. There is a GREAT tutorial here for how to make yogurt. For our busy family of four, I’ve found the Instant Pot Ultra 60 to be a sound investment.
Overall, if you are interested in making more food for your family from-scratch, the Instant Pot Ultra 60 might be the perfect tool for your kitchen! 🙂
Here are my top picks for the Instant Pot Ultra 60. Please know, these contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on any sales, at no extra cost to you. The income I earn helps to pay for maintaining my blog. Thank you so much for your support!
