Drop everything: The Instant Pot Smart Wifi with Alexa is 40 percent off on Amazon today
Yahoo Lifestyle is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change.
Remember when the Instant Pot first hit the scene? We all went bananas. Here was a single unit that was basically a slow cooker, pressure cooker, sauté pan, steamer, and even more appliances all rolled into one—and with an intuitive, programmable digital control panel to boot. How could it get any better?
Well, it’s gotten better. A lot better. Now it’s a smart home appliance. The Instant Pot 8-in-1 multi-cooker with Smart Wifi and 13 one-touch programs lets you control the unit via any of your Alexa-enabled devices or through the Instant Pot app—and today, this cooking game-changer is 40 percent off as part of Amazon’s early Black Friday deals.
This Instant Pot leaves no stone unturned. Not only can you operate it from your sofa, but you no longer need to Google recipes. It includes more than 1,000 pre-programmed recipes and even has the ability to verify the progress of your cooking. Fill it up before you leave for the day, and start cooking while you’re still at the office—the Instant Pot will even send alerts to your phone.
The Instant Pot app itself includes hundreds of recipes too, as well as a community of millions of users you can interact with and ask for advice.
This one saves you tons of time, too. The Meat/Stew Smart program is designed to cook meats up to 70 percent faster than typical units—and it even tenderizes the meat. It makes short work of fresh beans like chickpeas and kidney beans too—30 minutes to be exact, with no pre-soaking necessary.
One reviewer cooked a whole chicken in 10 minutes and called it “kind of insane, but this is the real deal!”
“This had simplified my life so much and also has allowed me to make things I never would have made on my own,” wrote a thrilled customer. “I've made tamales, purple rice, ramen, Pho, Tikka masala, French onion soup, sourdough bread, fish, honestly the list goes on and on.”
The technology is making a massive impression on reviewers.
“I do my Instant Pot cooking downstairs from my living area,” reported one user. “I used to setup a camera to keep an eye on things. Now I just load up the pot, put the lid on and enter all the settings on my iPad or phone. The app will tell me when the pressure starts and ends and I can watch for burn warnings.”
“Personally, I love asking for a recipe using my Google Home Hub and have it sent directly to the Instant Pot. Just add the ingredients and go,” wrote another.
And for some, it’s an absolute life-changer. “As a disabled, single mom, the app and notifications helps me not to have to get up and down to check on how much time remains which is HUGE for someone w chronic pain and fatigue,” one fan wrote. “Also, if I need to run to the store while it is running, being able to have everything in it and remotely start, stop or simply see where it is in the cooking process helps me to know when I need to be back.
It can be difficult to get used to the concept of not having to stand over your pots as you cook—and not even needing to be close enough to check in every once in a while. But with the Instant Pot Smart Wifi multi-cooker, you really can let go. Go for a drive, walk to the park, or simply go sit in your backyard.
“One of the best things about the instant pot is being able to put the food in and walk away. Well now I can walk even farther away lol. I can go outside and not have to keep running in the house to check on the time left,” one happy shopper wrote. “I haven’t actually looked into the app or used the recipes on there. I’m just happy getting the notifications on my phone.”
And for some, it’s canceling out everything else in their kitchen. “This is one of the best investments I ever made. I use it 2 [times a] day. I stopped using the stove and the oven,” one reviewer said. “I cook everything in the [Instant Pot]. Plus I save time. For example, I can have Baked Potatoes in 20 minutes.”
If getting addicted to such a high-tech gadget is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Take the advice of this reviewer, who wrote, “I’m a huge fan of the [Instant Pot] ...and also a geek - the WiFi version was a must have! So far, I haven’t any complaints. Put your chef’s hat and pocket protectors on and enjoy!”
Instant Pot Smart WiFi 8-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
Shop it: Instant Pot Smart WiFi 8-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, and Warmer - 6 Quart - 13 One-Touch Programs, $90 (was $150), amazon.com.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Read More from Yahoo Lifestyle:
The best Black Friday deals on high-end 4K TVs — save more than $4,000
Better believe it: This Black Friday, Walmart is paying you to shop
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo’s newsletter.
