Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Oh my goodness! This is the best kitchen gadget to ever exist in the history of ever. I bought Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan, 7 Inch to go with it. It comes with a trivet. The first thing I made was a cheesecake, and then I immediately made an entire chicken from frozen in 40 minutes. I've made rice dishes (brown and wild rice mixes, white rice, sticky rice, coconut rice, and more), chicken thighs from frozen (in 20 minutes), pastas, sauces, breads (including monkey bread for breakfast in 20 minutes without heating up the house), cakes (a lemon poppyseed cake), popcorn (and kettle corn), and I literally just pulled out a pan of lasagna from it to eat. The machine is easy to clean! While I normally don't put my food in the pot (I've made a lot in my springform pan placed on the trivet), the pot itself is stainless steel and basically wipes clean. I forgot to place a tiny bit of oil in the bottom on a saute once, but I pressure-cooked one cup of vinegar with one cup of water for five minutes, and the residue rubbed off with just a washcloth. The only problem I've had is with the silicon ring that seals it. It picks up flavors and is difficult to get entirely clean. I've tried steaming vinegar and water with lemon slices, which many people say works for them, and it didn't work for me. I've washed the ring in the dishwasher on different temps and cycles, soaked it in vinegar, and tried even pressure-cooking vinegar and water, and I can never seem to get all the flavors out of the ring. Bottom line is, however, that I've had this pot for two weeks, and I've used it at least once, if not twice a day for meals. I have several boards on Pinterest full of instant pot recipes, and they are so easy to find online! I haven't made any soups or stews yet (as it is almost summer and fairly warm, not the right season for soups), but I've done just about everything else! This pot makes my life incredibly easy! I work 50+ hours a week, and this pot has honestly helped me stop buying take-out, because things like orange chicken, rice, steamed dumplings, and curries are so easy to make! You throw in everything, set the time, and go do whatever else you need to do. You don't have to babysit the pot or worry about things burning (it says it has a sensor in it to cut off the heat when the temperature reaches close to burning. I've never had any problems). You can make almost anything, even boxed cake mixes and brownies. It really allows you to cut back on salt, since it intensifies flavors as well, and I made meatloaf on a steamer rack, so all the fat dripped away to make it even healthier! I bought a three pack of extra sealing rings as well, from Gooray. It is a three pack of blue, red, and white, and available through Amazon. I highly recommend it for people who will use the pot for a lot! I love these sealing rings. They work perfectly with my 6 qt instant pot. I use the red for spicy foods, blue for baking, and clear for comfort foods. It's so nice to have a set of three on hand. Yes, they are a little stiffer than the ring that came with the instant pot originally, but I've had no problem with them. Gooray is a wonderful seller, too. I had an issue with one not sealing, and their customer service fixed the problem within a few days. I'm very satisfied with my purchase! One thing to keep in mind: make sure the sealing rings are pressed all the way down and not folded at all when putting the lid on the instant pot. I've experienced a bit more liquid collecting in the back container with these rings than with the original ring. These are machine-washable. I use my instant pot almost every day, and it is nice to have four rings (the original, and these three). I just toss them into the dishwasher as they get dirty, which saves me a lot of time and cleaning. I throw the inner pot(s) and lid of the instant pot into the dishwasher before running it, and this easy cleanup is wonderful. It makes my life as a graduate student so much easier. It's nice to eat healthy, and I'm saving money by being able to cook things like oatmeal, beans, and rice in a short amount of time from a dried state, meaning I can buy in bulk. I love it.