Instant Pot is only as good as the cook who uses it — here's how to be better

Remember when there were no food processors? My mom, a "gourmet" cook before "foodies" existed, used just a blender and a hand mixer until the mid-1970s when home cooks started buying this new appliance. All of a sudden, dishes that had been out of reach to the home cook tumbled into daily meals. Pesto, bread and pastry doughs, emulsified sauces, sorbets - everything became easier - once mom learned how to use it.

Recently another appliance has arrived on the scene to revolutionize home cooking yet again. Though first introduced in 2010, the Instant Pot multi-cooker was not widely available until 2014. Busy folks (especially those who were not really into cooking) embraced it. Just a few years later, social media feeds are flooded with Instant Pot tips, tricks, recipes and hacks. Now that we all have the latest miracle kitchen