Last year while I was away on a trip, my husband, in order to survive weeks of living a bachelor's life again bought an Instant Pot, an all-in-one device that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker/porridge maker, sauté/browning pan, steamer, yogurt maker and stockpot warmer. He ate very well. He did not miss my cooking.

Needless to say, when I came back from my trip, my ego was slightly bruised. I was highly skeptical of this multi-purpose cooker. Well, how good can food taste when all the ingredients are dumped into one pot and all you need to do is to press a button? Doesn't it take away the joy of cooking? The stirrings? The aromas? The sizzling sounds?

The answer is no, much to my surprise!

Months later, I am now making steel cut oatmeal, brown rice, lentils, one-pot lentils and rice mixes, beef stews, sweet potato and chickpea curries, all with the press of a button! We have become Instant Pot addicts! In fact my husband and I are so convinced that everyone should own an Instant Pot, we are buying it as a standard birthday or Christmas gift for all our friends and family members.

I love how I don't need to soak the black beans overnight. I love how I can walk away from the kitchen and not have to constantly stir or worry about anything burning. I love how the brown rice always comes out perfectly. I love how fast the food cooks.

It is human nature that we want to put in the least amount of effort to achieve the biggest possible result, i.e. to be lazy, and the Instant Pot has transformed me into a lazy cook, in a good way!

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Here are two of my favorite ways to cook rice in an Instant Pot: