Appliances

All the most delicious ways to put your Instant Pot to work this season.

From the filling to the whipped topping to the pie crust, coconut in its various forms makes an incredibly decadent vegan pie a reality. Neither the layer of banana slices hidden underneath a silky chocolate filling nor the fluffy whipped coconut cream topping need much of an introduction. If you love coconut and are looking for a vegan treat that delivers on flavor, this is it. But to be clear, the real star of this recipe is the incredibly flaky vegan pie crust.

Did you forget to soak beans, but still need to get dinner on the table? The pressure cooker will come to the rescue, cooking dried beans in about 30 minutes. If you remembered to soak the beans, the time savings are even greater — the beans will just need five to 10 minutes of pressure-cooking time. And some legumes, such as lentils and black-eyed peas, can forego the soaking process altogether.

Risotto is one of the pressure cooker’s triumphs. It’s a dish that typically requires the cook’s attention from beginning to end, and at least two pans to make (one for simmering stock and one for rice). With a pressure cooker, you get the same creamy results in a fraction of the time (after the initial sauté). The 20-minute-add-broth-simmer-and-stir part of the recipe is reduced to just five minutes of pressure-cooking time.

Tough cuts of meat can be tamed into a tender meal in 40 minutes or less using pressure, instead of two to three hours of slow braising. Which means this beef stew, full of mushrooms and red wine, is a real option for dinner any weeknight. This recipe, unlike a conventional stew, has the addition of butter and flour at the end. This is done to ensure that the cooker reaches pressure quickly and easily. Thickening a stew before pressure-cooking will thicken its cooking liquid, too.

Just because weekday mornings are rushed doesn’t mean you don’t have time for an omelet for breakfast. It’s the kind of meal that shouldn’t be reserved for weekends only. This version of a western omelet is served in a mug and cooks up in less than two minutes. Just as you’d expect if it were cooked on the stovetop, this omelet boasts light and fluffy eggs studded with diced onion, bell peppers, pieces of ham, and a sprinkling of shredded cheese on top.

An electric pressure cooker is one of the most magical tools to keep in your kitchen; it brings a whole new meaning to “fast food.” But cooking up savory meals isn’t the only place your pressure cooker shines. This countertop appliance also has a way with desserts, and it’s time you get well-acquainted with it. Some dessert recipes are as simple as adding the ingredients right into the bowl of the pressure cooker (think slow cooker-style, but with a way faster cook time).