Finding the right kitchen appliances for your camper van can prove tricky. A lot of conventional cooking equipment can consume a lot of energy, which is why a lot of folks have been investing in instant pots.
Unlike conventional cooking appliances, instant pots use a small amount of electricity, which is one of the reasons so many campervan owners purchase one.
Standard electric ovens use approximately 2,000 watts of electricity when set at medium heat, depending on the model. When cooking a pot roast with an instant pot, it will only use 6 kWh of energy, which is a lot less than a basic electric oven. When travelling in a campervan, conserving energy is of vital importance, making the instant pot a must have item for a lot of avid travellers.
But apart from being one of the greenest kitchen tools available, what are the other reasons campervan owners are getting excited about instant pots?
It is easy to cook food
When you’re on the road, you don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing and cooking food. Cooking with an instant pot is straightforward, and once you get the hang of the different features and functions the appliance offers, you’ll wonder how you travelled without it in the past.
The instant pot has three separate cooking phases. Before cooking, you must put the ingredients you would like to cook and the liquids into the inner pot. Then, connect the lid to the top and lock it, and then set the timer on the display area.
- Preheating: When the pot starts to heat up, it will create steam and pressure will build up inside the unit. Depending on the amount of liquid in the pot, will depend on how long the unit takes to preheat, but don’t expect it to take longer than twenty minutes.
- Cooking: The pressure inside the pot will push both steam and heat into the ingredients so that the food cooks. When the cooking process begins, the timer will start counting down. Keep in mind that the food will start to cook during the preheating stage.
- Depressurising: When the cooking process has finished, the pot will stop heating up, and the steam and heat still inside the pot will be able to escape through the instant pot’s release pipe.
Although instant pots are easy to use, you should read the manufacturer’s instruction manual before cooking with the device. Each instant pot is different, and some have more features than others.
Easy to clean
Keeping your campervan in immaculate condition can be difficult, especially if you cook a lot of food in the kitchen area. Luckily, it’s easy to keep an instant pot clean, and you won’t have to spend a lot of time washing it. You will want to make sure that all the parts of the device are cleaned properly, so the instant pot is ready for the next time you want to cook food with it.
If you use the instant pot on a daily basis, you might notice some sticky foods getting stuck in the inner parts of the device. If you don’t bother cleaning it after you use it, mould might start to grow. If you are unable to clean these parts, you might be forced to buy a new sealing ring.
However, some people have used their instant pots regularly without having any issues with the sealing ring. When food gets stuck in the sealing ring, you won’t be able to lock the lid on the top, so the device won’t be able to operate.
You can wash the inner pot with warm water in your campervan, along with the lid and the inner ring. However, you have to be careful cleaning the base. Make sure the device is unplugged, and clean it with a damp cloth. Don’t plug it back in until the base of the instant pot is completely dry.
Thousands of Instant Pot recipes online
Millions of people around the globe own instant pots. These multifunctional cooking appliances have generated a lot of attention since they became readily available, and lots of people who own them share instant pot recipes on social media groups and websites. You can find thousands of new and exciting recipes on the web.
There are several websites online that publish instant pot recipes, like Corrie Cooks. If you travel with a smartphone, why not consider downloading a few recipes before your trip. There are instant pot apps with tons of recipes available on well-known app marketplaces too, and lots of recipes uploaded to streaming services like YouTube.
Instant Pots are available in different sizes
Finding kitchen equipment that won’t take up a lot of space in a campervan is another problem a lot of people face. In most campervans, there is only a limited amount of space in the kitchen, so you won’t want to buy an oversized instant pot.
You don’t have to buy a bulky instant pot, instead, you can opt for a smaller version. Some smaller models are only 10 inches tall, and 7 inches in diameter, which might suit campervans with a small kitchen counter.
Before buying an instant pot, measure the countertop in the campervan, or the area you plan to store the device.
It won’t leave a bad smell in your campervan
While cooking, the pot is sealed, so you won’t be able to smell the food cooking. When you open the lid after the cooking process has been completed, you will be able to smell the food, so just open a window until it has cooled down.
Getting rid of nasty odours can prove challenging in a camper, which is another reason you should consider investing in an instant pot. Other cooking methods can leave a bad smell in your vehicle.
Cook healthy foods
Maintaining a healthy diet, especially on the road, isn’t easy. It might be tempting to put a burger on the BBQ and have a nice cold beer after a long day driving, but an instant pot can help you cook healthy ingredients without having to put a lot of effort in.
Here are some of the healthy food you can cook with instant pots:
- Yogurt: Most instant pots have a yogurt maker. If you like making these healthy snacks from scratch, make sure you purchase an instant pot with a yogurt maker button.
- Vegetable soup
- Rice dishes: You won’t need to bring a rice cooker with you on your trip if you have already purchased an instant pot. The rice cooker is another exciting feature that most campervan owners use frequently.
- Healthy desserts
Conclusion
Every instant pot is different, so it might be worth your while researching a few different brands before purchasing one. Try to find one that suits your needs, and make sure that it has all the features that you will need while you are on the road. Check out instant pot reviews on the web and online marketplaces. You can expect to pay approximately $160 for a top-of-the-range instant pot, but if you are on a tight budget, you could pick up a basic model for around $60.