The news that Instant Brands, the company behind the Instant Pot, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy came as a huge shock to me.
The multicooker gained cult-like status after it hit the shelves in 2010. It has pressure-cooking and slow-cooking functions, and depending on the model, it can often do much more than that.
Recently though, things have gone off the boil. Sales for multicookers such as the Instant Pot fell by more than half in 2022 compared with 2020, The Associated Press reported.
Instant Brands faces many struggles as it restructures, but the Instant Pot's impact deserves to be celebrated even if it's no longer considered the hottest gadget in the kitchen.
Before sales went off the boil, Instant Pots had been a regular fixture on Amazon bestseller lists, thanks to the devotion of fans.
Online forums had also racked up millions of members. Dedicated recipe books had helped cooks get creative. And Instant Pots had even been put on display at national museums.
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While it may be true that some people were scared of them and others thought they were flawed, once you fell for the Instant Pot, you fell hard.
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In a 2021 episode of the "Nice Try!" podcast by Curbed, one guest said people who owned an Instant Pot often talked about it as if it was their lover. While you wouldn't catch me whispering sweet nothings into its steam-release valve, I completely understand the attraction.
The main reason for that is its versatility. As well as slow cooking and pressure cooking, my Instant Pot lets me sauté, air fry, roast, grill, dehydrate, and bake with ease — and all without having to clutter up my kitchen with multiple pots and pans.
Having so many options, especially ones that help cut down on cooking time, feels liberating. It also encourages a ton of experimentation.
It's so much fun to throw in a bunch of ingredients that I hope will complement each other, choose an appropriate cooking setting, and see what comes out when the timer buzzes.
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With luck, I'll have created something delicious and fragrant. Alternatively, it may be a rather dubious dish — but that's all part of a joyful process that gives me the freedom to try out new things.
Instant Brands continues to operate after filing for bankruptcy protection, but the Instant Pot is seemingly no longer the company's golden goose.
It may be just a matter of time before many thousands of appliances fade into obsolescence, but that's not the future I have planned for mine.
I may be in the minority, but I'll passionately continue using my Instant Pot until the day it finally runs out of steam. One thing is for sure — my Instant Pot will give up on me long before I give up on it.
