Instant Pots were the gift of the year in 2017 thanks to their ability to handle half a dozen kitchen tasks in one. The handy device functions as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and rice cooker, and can be used to sauté, brown, or warm food. It's also being used as a healthy eating tool with impressive results.
As you can imagine, there are TONS of things you can make in an Instant Pot. However, there has to be a line somewhere. Not to burst any Instant Pot bubbles, but there are a few things you're better off cooking a more traditional way.
Deep-Fried Anything
It's tempting to stick some chicken in there and think southern-fried-chicken will come out, but unfortunately, Instant Pots don't work like that. They don't get hot enough to fry, so you'll need a true deep fryer, Air Fryer, or Dutch Oven to make that happen.
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Cookies
Instant cookies do sound pretty great, but you're better off using a regular oven here. Cookies need a flat surface to bake on, and won't heat correctly inside an Instant Pot. Plus, you couldn't fit that many across the bottom surface anyway.
Yogurt
Yes, it's possible. There's even a button for it! However, we've seen one too many online fails to comfortably say this one's worth it. The process takes over 18 hours, and is easy to mess up if you're not super careful. If you're that big on yogurt, you might as well just head to Costco and stock up.
Creamy Sauces
As with a slow cooker, dairy products don't do super well in an Instant Pot. The quick-heat function can make milk curdle or scald, or make cheese clump together. If you're making something creamy, try stirring the dairy products in at the end after the pressure cooking has been done.
Bread
Again, it can be done, but it's really not the ideal way to make bread. For one, there's not a big time benefit to baking bread in an Instant Pot. Also, there won't be a crust. Personal preference, but worth noting. Thirdly, from what we've seen, Instant Pot bread isn't very aesthetically pleasing. We say skip it!
Madison Flager is an Assistant Editor at Delish.com. She writes about food news, food trends, and the products you need in your kitchen right now; She has an unhealthy obsession with coffee and cheese.
