Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

I held off on one of these for years because it seemed like a fad. It is not. Dried beans from the bag in 40 minutes with no soaking. Chicken thighs that fall apart in 15. Rice that is done and kept warm while I do everything else. Dinner on a Tuesday stopped being a negotiation.

The sauté mode is the part I underestimated. You brown the onions and meat in the same pot, add liquid, lock the lid, and walk away. One pot to wash. The stainless insert goes straight in the dishwasher.

Things to know: it takes 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure before the timer starts, so a 15 minute recipe is really 30. The steam release is loud the first time and will make the dog leave the room. And the six quart is the right size for a family of four; the three quart is too small once you cook beans or stock.

We use it three or four nights a week, eight months in. The slow cooker got donated.