The Kitchen Appliance With The Most 'Bang For Your Buck,' According To Reddit

If you're outfitting a new kitchen or revamping an old one, you'll want to pick your tools and appliances carefully. There are plenty of tools to stay away from: You probably don't need a countertop ice maker, and you definitely don't need a pair of salad scissors. Others are worth it, like food processors, which Julia Child called "revolutionary." If Julia Child had been around in 2010, when the Instant Pot launched, she might've had a different opinion. According to Redditors on r/frugal, the multi-cooker offers "the best 'bang for your buck'" of any household appliance. 

The answer comes as no surprise to appliance fans. Instant Pots are so durable and so useful that, when the brand filed for bankruptcy in 2023, journalists blamed the quality of the product: The multi-cooker was just too good. There's no need for customers to repurchase a product that lasts for years, and, thanks to the pot's wide range of functions, there wasn't much room for the brand to expand into other kitchen categories. Once the Instant Pot hit market saturation, there was nowhere to go.

Instant Pot is back from bankruptcy, though, and as beloved as ever. The cookers, which typically range from $100 to $150, aren't necessarily cheap, but their versatile features and high-quality construction make them well worth the investment. "For dried beans alone it has paid for itself 100 times over," wrote one Redditor.

Multi-use gadgets have a bad reputation: Sure, an appliance may have 11 uses, but that doesn't mean it does all, or any, of them well. The Instant Pot is an exception. It can cook your meal fast or slow: The machine functions as both a pressure cooker and a slow cooker. Crowded stovetop? Use your Instant Pot as a saute pan. It does double-duty as a rice cooker, and some models include sous vide and air fryer functions, too. As Redditors can attest, the machine boasts impressive performance all around. "I think I use it more than I use my stove," read one comment. 

It's not just about saving money on extra appliances, though. Instant Pots also make it easy to make grocery store staples at home. "I don't actually make meals with it, but I save a ton of money and time with it," one commenter wrote. "Now, I refuse to buy canned beans or chicken broth, ever." Others mentioned the yogurt-maker function. Just watch out for lingering odors, or you'll end up with chilli-flavored yogurt. 

Don't be put off by the cult-like devotion of some Instant Pot fans. Even if you're not an Instant Pot obsessive, you'll still find plenty of uses for the machine. And if you have lingering concerns — say, about the Instant Pot exploding — rest assured that this isn't your Grandma's pressure cooker. Modern pressure cookers have plenty of safety features, as long as you use them responsibly.