Either you have one, love it and use it all the time, or you have one and it is still sitting in the box because you don’t know what to do with it, or you are thinking about getting one— but for sure you have heard about the Instant Pot.  

To help you get to know your Instant Pot, overcome your fears and get cooking, Central Christian Church  (Disciples of Christ) held a class Saturday morning on Instant Pot Cooking.  

The Instant Pot is the 3rd generation programmable pressure cooker that can also slow cook, sauté, boil eggs, cook pasta, beans, rice and more. It speeds up cooking by two to ten times, using up to 70% less energy and producing nutritious healthy food. 

It is the best thing since sliced bread for today’s busy lifestyle when there is often no time at the end of the day to prepare time-consuming recipes.  Whatever the reasons for its popularity, the Instant Pot has gone viral.

Class Instructor Mary Quick quipped “Currently, the three most googled topics on-line are religion, porn and recipes for the Instant Pot,”

During the two-hour class, Mary demonstrated a variety of foods that can be cooked at a fraction of the normal cooking time using the Instant Pot. 

The delicious and nutritious bean may be one of the top reasons home cooks are interested in owning the appliance.  Imagine coming home on a fall or winter day and having a pot of beans or bean soup for dinner.  It is possible with the Instant Pot even if you didn’t pre-soak.

Mary cooked pasta and it turned out “al dente,” hard cooked eggs slipped from the shell and rice was perfectly steamed without being gummy.

She shared tips on timing such as allowing time for the pot to come to pressure and the difference on quick or natural release when pressure cooking time has finished.   She went over cautions and safety tips to prevent burns and other accidents; the number one reason people are intimidated by “pressure cooking.”

Following the class, everyone enjoyed chicken, beans, rice, veggies, potato salad and deviled eggs—all prepared in the Instant Pot. Dessert was Trader Joe’s Ultimate Vanilla Wafers filled with Instant Pot Dulce de Leche.

If you are interested in joining a future cooking class at Central, email shelia0806@sbcglobal.net to be put on the mailing list. The classes are “pay as you may” with proceeds going to community outreach and charities supported by the Disciple Women’s Ministry.