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Instant Brands has really made a name for itself with the Instant Pot. But that is not the only product that the company makes. It has ventured into a bunch of other small appliances for your kitchen, including an Electric Dutch Oven, which is a must-buy for any foodie on your Christmas shopping list this year.
The Instant Electric Dutch Oven starts at around $130 for a six-quart-sized model. At six quarts, that’s going to be large enough to cook about six servings of food at a time. So it’s perfect for a small to medium-sized family.
Much like the Instant Pot, the Instant Electric Dutch Oven does much more than just one thing. It’s a 5-in-1 Dutch Oven, which has the ability to braise, slow cook, sear, or saute, manual and keep warm. What makes this Dutch Oven even more impressive is that it has a cast iron cooking pot, which can be removed and used on the stovetop or in the oven. That makes this Dutch Oven so much more versatile. Instant also sells this in a variety of colors, making it look great on a tabletop.
Be aware that the slow-cooking settings are pretty lacking on the Instant Electric Dutch Oven. This one really only has one slow-cook setting. So you’re stuck with it cooking at around 203 degrees. But there is a fix for this, or really a workaround. You can use the Manual mode to set the slow cooker at a “high” setting.
What exactly is a Dutch Oven?
If you’re like me and didn’t know what a Dutch Oven really was before, well, let’s do a quick explainer. A Dutch Oven is a heavy, wide, and fairly shallow pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Most people will think of this as an enameled cast iron casserole pot with two handles and a lid. Or was that just me?
A Dutch Oven needs to be heavy so that it can maintain a constant temperature either in the oven or on the stove for a long time. The tight-fitting lid helps to keep the heat inside the pot so your food cooks as it should.
Once you’ve used a Dutch Oven, you won’t want to go back. I picked up a different Electric Dutch Oven back on Black Friday, and I absolutely love it. It was slightly cheaper than Instant’s version here. However, it is already sold out.
You can use a Dutch Oven for a number of things. Typically meals that you need to cook for a long time. These are also great for searing all types of food since they are typically made out of cast iron and can remain scorching hot for quite some time.
It is called a Dutch Oven because of an old story that talks about an English man visiting the Netherlands and seeing a round, fairly shallow pot being made by casting molten iron in molds made from sand. So that’s why the material is called cast iron, and the Dutch part of it came from where the man first saw these pots.
Why you should buy a Dutch Oven and an Instant Pot
Having an Instant Pot and a Dutch Oven in your kitchen is a really good idea. Both of these appliances can do all sorts of things differently. An Instant Pot is great for making rice, yogurt, and so much more.
But it really falls short as a slow cooker. The reason for this is that the Instant Pot only heats up the bottom and not the sides. A slow cooker or Crock Pot will instead heat up the sides and the bottom to slow cook your food. This means that the food will be cooked more evenly without the food sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Of course, getting both will really depend on your kitchen and what you cook. But having both is a really good idea. I used both quite often, and wouldn’t trade them for anything else in the world.