{"id":48310,"date":"2022-03-23T10:40:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T14:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=48310"},"modified":"2023-05-06T18:18:30","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T22:18:30","slug":"sailing-totem-galley-tools-is-an-instant-pot-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/gear\/sailing-totem-galley-tools-is-an-instant-pot-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Totem: Is an Instant Pot Worth It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"canning\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Behan leading a canning class on her friend\u2019s Seawind 1160 Jollydogs<\/i>, in 2019, with her trusty stovetop pressure cooker.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Pressure cookers are generally accepted as assets in a ship\u2019s galley, although we didn\u2019t know anyone on land using a pressure cooker in our pre-cruising days. We bought a 6.3-quart Kuhn Rikon<\/a> Duromatic to integrate into our cooking habits on shore, and it was a revelation for our busy family. It\u2019s a favorite on board, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, a cruising friend asked: is there really much difference between the Instant Pot and a regular pressure cooker? Instant Pots weren\u2019t around when we anticipated cruising, either, but after reading all the hype about electric pressure cookers, I treated myself to an Instant Pot Max<\/a>. Was it a fad gadget? I mean, it\u2019s just a pressure cooker with a microchip and buttons, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having temporary land digs made it easy to try. Here\u2019s what I learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cooler galley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"cabin\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n A view of Totem<\/i>\u2019s main cabin, with a peek at the galley tucked over to port aft.<\/span>\n Armand Dayade<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Cooking meals in the tropics can be a sweaty business. It\u2019s not fun for the cook, and nobody wants the boat to get even hotter. But when you use an Instant Pot, you can cook up a roast or a batch of chili without adding any extra heat in the cabin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great staple meals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most places we cruise don\u2019t have aged meat, and our budget leans toward cheaper cuts anyway. Dried beans are another staple (long-term stowage, less packaging, less weight, better taste), and there\u2019s no better way to prepare them than under pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Siobhan <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Siobhan Gifford preps dinner in Totem<\/i>\u2019s galley, Australia, 2011.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Faster cooking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That tougher cut from the carniceria<\/em>? Those dried beans you\u2019ve stashed? Pressure-cooking is the fastest way to turn them into meltingly delicious meals in a fraction of the time that conventional methods need, with no compromise to taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home canning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"canning\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Red bell peppers onboard Totem<\/i>, canned and ready for a locker.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

What really pushed me to purchase an electric pressure cooker was the higher-pressure model available from Instant Pot: the Max. Unlike most electric pressure cookers (and Instant Pot\u2019s primary line, the Duo), which have a \u201chigh\u201d setting that stops around 12 psi, this model has a \u201cmax\u201d setting that holds 15 psi. That\u2019s enough for home canning of low-acid foods. Totem has some dedicated carnivores, so canning meat is part of our planning for longer stretches off-grid (here\u2019s my how-to for canning chicken on board<\/a>). Make sure you do your own research about whether to can low-acid foods in anything but a pressure canner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Downsides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That all sounds good, but so far, these benefits are identical to the benefits of our stovetop pressure cooker. Let\u2019s look at some downsides of having an electric model on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"custom-built <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Yes, the Instant Pot gets a custom-built drawer in Totem<\/i>\u2019s 2022 galley remodel.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

For starters, there\u2019s stowage. Our stovetop pressure cooker isn\u2019t dainty, but the footprint of the electric model is substantially bigger. Most galleys have limited space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, there\u2019s the fact that the electricity draw is significant. While the power capacity of cruising boats has gone up overall, the 40- to 80-amp draw during common electric pressure cooker functions is meaningful. Many (most) cruising boats can\u2019t accommodate that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"meat <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Beef at the market in Ambon, Indonesia. Behan Gifford buys meat at local markets when cruising. The beef is not often aged to tenderness, and pressure cooking helps.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

And, there\u2019s speed. Despite the name, there\u2019s nothing \u201cinstant\u201d about an Instant Pot. Recipes claim shockingly short cooking times, but they refer to the amount of time cooking under pressure, not the entire duration of cooking. It\u2019s rather misleading. There\u2019s additional time needed to come up to pressure, and then down again. Cooking this way is faster, but it\u2019s not instant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More upsides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I like that with the electric model, I can walk away. There is a <\/strong>distinct benefit to setting a timer or setting a function and then leaving. Go for a walk or a snorkel, or rebuild that pump, read a book in the cockpit\u2014whatever. After a few months of use, we liked this benefit enough to add the electric model to the galley on our Stevens 47 Totem<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stovetop pressure cooker needs to be watched. It especially needs a hawk\u2019s eye if I\u2019m canning, to make sure the pressure never drops below that high pressure. But with the electric pressure cooker, I set the timer for the desired function, and I forget about it. I can dump in the bones from a roast chicken with water and onions in the morning, and I come back in the afternoon to gorgeous stock, which I use to make perfect risotto in minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, this one device has many functions. Others may like the pushbutton ability to make rice, yogurt and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"snorkeling\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Would you rather snorkel or cook? Of course we\u2019d rather snorkel! Bahamas, 2017.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

In general, I think of our life on board as being about simplification, with more manual tools and vastly fewer appliances than we had on land (read here about migrating from kitchen to galley<\/a>). Things often take more time, and that\u2019s OK\u2014time is what we have. To answer my friend Nica\u2019s original question<\/a>: No, an Instant Pot really is not different. It\u2019s a hopped-up stovetop pressure cooker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, the ability to walk away has sucked me into full cult fandom. Totem<\/em>\u2019s 40-year refit is proving to be a busy chapter of our lives, but the refit will address the size and power needs that kept an Instant Pot out of our galley. There\u2019s even a new drawer built exactly the right size<\/em> for the dimensions of \u201cSputnik\u201d (as my husband, Jamie, refers to the Instant Pot Max). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which electric pressure cooker to get?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"R2D2\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The R2D2 model from the Instant Pot Star Wars Collection. Behan\u2019s only regret in purchasing the Max is that the model wasn\u2019t included in the Stars Wars Collection.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

If you think you\u2019ll use an electric pressure cooker for canning, then the Instant Pot Max is your only option. Nothing else holds 15 psi. But if you\u2019ll do more everyday pressure cooking, save money by shopping around: You can spend a fraction of the cost on various Instant Pot models or other brands. My only regret is that the Max was not included in Instant Pot\u2019s Star Wars<\/em> collection. Yes, you can get one that looks like R2D2 or BB-8. Unfortunately, it still makes the generic Instant Pot beeps instead of emulating R2\u2019s chirps, and it\u2019s limited to the Duo range, topping out at 12psi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the crew on Totem<\/i>, an Instant Pot is worth the space in the galley\u2014and the Giffords like the ability to set it and forget it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":48311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Behan Gifford","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"163","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"For Behan and the crew on Totem, the Instant Pot is worth investing in. The space an Instant Pot takes up onboard a sailboat galley is worth the convenience. Also discussed are sailboat galley appliances, pressure cooker, canning meat, Kuhn Rikon Duromatic.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[163,165],"tags":[157,202,197,244,182],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}