by Kevin Roose, New York Times, DECEMBER 17, 2017
Inside the Home of Instant Pot, the Kitchen Gadget That Spawned a Religion
Its deity is the Instant Pot, a line of electric multicookers that has become an internet phenomenon and inspired a legion of passionate foodies and home cooks. These devotees — they call themselves “Potheads” — use their Instant Pots for virtually every kitchen task imaginable: sautéing, pressure-cooking, steaming, even making yogurt and cheesecakes. Then, they evangelize on the internet, using social media to sing the gadget’s praises to the unconverted.
The Instant Pot is hardly the fanciest appliance on the market; several models sell for under $100. But it has upended the home-cooking industry. During this year’s Black Friday sales, the Instant Pot was among the Top 5 items sold by Amazon and Target, and among the Top 3 best-sellers at Kohl’s.
Vegetarians and paleo dieters, in particular, were drawn to the device’s pressure-cooking function, which shaved hours off the time needed to cook pots of beans or large cuts of meat.
Analysis: The instant pot isn’t feeding a new trend. It’s just another generation of time-saver kitchen products. The crockpot ran in a similar vein of one-pot wonder machines, but it goes to show that people really enjoy the convenience of these products.
