See a lot of dads here raving about using their Instant Pot for meal prep on Sundays. I'm skeptical tbh but also my weeknight cooking is basically just throwing frozen chicken in a pan and hoping. The 8-quart one is on sale at Costco rn. Would I actually use this or is it gonna become another expensive kitchen thing that collects dust? Honest takes appreciated.
Real talk - if you're just throwing frozen chicken in a pan, an Instant Pot would be an upgrade. But only get it if you're actually willing to learn it. There's a learning curve and if you just let it sit on the counter it becomes expensive clutter.
Lid comes off, inner pot comes out - literally 2 pieces plus maybe the valve. Dishwasher safe. Not bad at all.
8-quart is overkill for one person meal prep. Get the 6-quart. And honestly? If your weeknight is frozen chicken + pan, Instant Pot will legit change that. You can dump frozen chicken + salsa + beans and have carnitas in 15 mins. Game changer for actual busy dads, not overthinking dads.
Actually frozen chicken cooks WAY faster in an Instant Pot and stays juicier. He could literally do: frozen chicken + salsa + cream cheese = carnitas with zero effort. That's a legit use case.
I was skeptical too and then I did pulled pork for tacos on a Tuesday night and now I'm a convert. The hype is real but only if you actually use it. Don't buy it thinking meal prep Sunday will suddenly be your thing. Buy it thinking "do I want to cook faster on random weeknights?"
The 8-quart seems excessive for a family honestly. I've got the 6-quart and it's perfect for batch cooking on Sunday without taking over the whole kitchen. Just my take though.
Buy it. Seriously. I was skeptical too but Sunday meal prep on an Instant Pot has saved me so much time. Frozen chicken to fully cooked in like 15 minutes, zero effort. Worth the Costco money.
It becomes another expensive thing if you're not actually going to plan recipes. But if you're willing to spend like 15 mins Googling "instant pot dump recipes" it's genuinely useful. I use mine for: chili, carnitas, hard boiled eggs, soup. All things faster than I'd normally make them.
Real talk: most people who don't use Instant Pots bought them based on hype. Real users bought them specifically to replace ONE thing they cook regularly. So what's your regular weeknight meal? If it's literally just frozen chicken, you probably won't use it.
Here's my real question - how many of these things end up being used once and collecting dust? Be honest with yourself about whether you'll actually use it or if it's a 'I'm gonna start meal prepping' fantasy purchase.
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Got one 2 years ago and use it like 3x a week minimum. Chicken, pot roast, chili, rice bowls - it's legit a time saver if you actually commit to it. Don't overthink it.