My wife is against the instant pot too. It's actually really complicated to use -- especially if you have grown up cooking on the stove top. The instant pot is

My wife is against the instant pot too. It's actually really complicated to use -- especially if you have grown up cooking on the stove top. The instant pot is superior -- but it is also very very different. It has a long warm up period, but then it cooks things incredibly quickly. Then, you have a long cool down, depressurization period ("natural release"). In the meantime, you have no visibility on how "done" is the food. The basic disadvantages are as follows: 1) if you're an intuitive cook, you are screwed. There are no windows. You can't see how the food is doing. There is a long depressurization period. You can't take it out. You have to follow a recipe with instant pots. Everything becomes like baking. 2) if you're a recipe based cook, you are screwed. You basically have to throw out all of your existing recipes. It cooks faster for long recipes, but slower for short recipes. The chamber is also entirely enclosed and nothing boils away. None of them works unless you re-adjust the water levels and cooking time. 3) pressurized cookware has a really bad reputation of explosions. You can also very easily burn yourself either on the exposed metal parts or get impatient and accidentally steam yourself. The steam from the instant pot seems a lot hotter than regular steam. @js2, try it for rice. Just watch a youtube video on it first because the process is very strange if you're used to cooking rice on the stovetop. The ratio of rice:water has to be very precise. You also have to follow the timer clock for the depressurization part. I re-learned how to make rice just for the instant pot. I read the supplied instructions and then I watch a youtube video. I actually messed it up the first time. I still occasionally use too much water whenever I get careless. But, I love mine. The rice do come out good. But obviously, it won't be like the way it comes out from a pot. It doesn't burn or form a crust.