We've had our IP for two years now and really like it. It makes a very moist turkey breast, probably the best we've ever tasted. It doesn't brown the skin, so we remove the skin before slicing. We frequently cook chicken breasts in it, for shredding. It also makes a really nice, tender, pot roast (we sear the outside before pressure cooking). I do use the natural release method for meats, as this keeps them more moist. I think the IP does a really nice job with dried beans and I've made some very good chili with it. I usually just do a very quick soak of the beans before cooking, but you actually don't have to soak them at all. I've made yogurt a few times and it has had a nice, smooth, consistency and a good flavor. My absolute favorite thing to cook in the IP is artichokes. It only takes 21 minutes, on steam. The keep warm function is really nice if you aren't quite ready to eat as soon as things are done cooking, but remember that some things can end up a bit overcooked this way. Problems? Nothing that we think is a big deal... Occasionally, we've had to jiggle it a bit to get the metal valve piece to rise, so it seals up and starts pressure cooking. I always monitor it, to make sure it seals up on its own. It usually does, but not always. I don't find this to be too much of a bother. The stainless steel inner pot is a bit more difficult to clean than something nonstick, but I am not a fan of nonstick anyway. The silicon sealing ring can retain odors. I've done a variety of things to get the odors out and I think washing the ring on the top shelf of the dishwasher, with a good detergent, works fairly well. I'd recommend getting a second ring to set aside and use for things like yogurt. It can take a bit of time to seal up and start pressure cooking, so it isn't a huge time saver for everything you might cook in it. But, it does save time on many things. Also, once it seals up, it's very easy because you just leave it alone and let it do its thing while you do yours. Anyway, we really do like ours and have given a few as gifts. We give it two thumbs up!

So I have owned 3 pressure cookers. The first one was from QVC I believe and stopped working a month after warranty :\ The second was an Instant Pot. I believe it was a 6qt. I liked it but noticed it took forever to come to pressure and on certain dishes I'd get a burn notice. So during spring time I saw another 6qt Instant Pot on sale at the grocery store and got it. It was a little different than the one I had. Man what a difference. It comes to pressure so much quicker and haven't had a burn notice yet. I have a love/hate relationship with the sauté function. It's nice to have but it gets way too hot and sometimes things tend to stick. I've tried posting some "What's your favorite instant pot recipe" posts on here but unfortunately not many respond. :( I'd like some new recipes. One quick recipe you can make is with small potatoes, baby carrots and chicken (I use thighs). The recipe says to sauté the chicken but I just toss it in. Then you add a bottle of Italian salad dressing. I usually use greek dressing. It's very good and an easy recipe :) Best Instant Pot Chicken

I can't help you with accessories, the only one we've gotten is a steamer basket and we've never used it. The InstaPot is Elery's and I don't touch it because the minute I do, it will break. He mostly uses it for cooking the really tough cuts of beef, like neck roasts, for the dog, but he did use it last night to cook some fresh greens. 45 minutes in the InstaPot and they were still tough, but I think that was just the greens, which were fresh from the garden. Elery used the IP a lot when he first got it, but now he almost never does. Amanda would like to have one because they have a camper. It does have a stove, but it's nice to have something you can just sit outside on the table and plug it in instead of standing over the stove while everyone else is enjoying the outdoors. Her cousin has one and she uses it to heat water to wash the dishes when she takes it camping, but I think it would be useful for more things than that, LOL. Elery did mention a couple of days ago that we should get an extra silicone gasket, apparently those take on odors that won't wash out. CC, I don't "do" Facebook either. Elery does but I have no interest, mostly because it's such a time-sucker. I don't "do" Pinterest for the same reason. Annie

My information about methodology comes from Cooks Illustrated, a source I've respected and subscribed to for over a decade. The folks there take a scientific and iterative approach to understanding the science of what happens with processes applied to food. Here's their summary. Note they found using a pressure cooker was slightly less consistent in outcome than steam or boiling water. Directly from their article about their experiments: Science: Blame the Membrane Most cooks assume that when an egg is difficult to peel, it’s because the shell is sticking to the egg white. But it’s the membrane between the shell and the white that’s really the problem. When an egg is very fresh or when it’s cooked slowly, the proteins in the white bond to the membrane instead of to one another, and the membrane becomes cemented to the white and impossible to peel away. The solution: Plunging the eggs directly into hot steam, which causes the egg white proteins to denature and shrink, reducing their ability to bond with the ­membrane.