Ways to Fall Back in Love with Your Instant Pot

Several years ago, The Instant Pot and other pressure cookers were hot ticket items. But for many of us, the honeymoon is over. If you're ready to recommit to your Instant Pot, Consumer Reports is here to help. (Or maybe it’s time for a new love affair with a different countertop appliance. We're looking at you, air fryers.)

Instant pots, or multi-cookers, are meant to make life — and cooking — easier. So the best way to use them is to stick to what they do best. Think about tough cuts of meats, beans, stews, soups, and curries. Those are great in these small kitchen appliances.

24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are

CR’s tests look at how well multi-cookers pressure-cook pork ribs, slow-cook chili, and steam rice and vegetables, and how well they keep food warm. The Zavor LUX LCD - ZSELL02 for $159 earns top scores in all of those tests, and it’s easy to use and clean.

But maybe the spark is gone for good and it’s time for something new, like an air fryer/toaster oven combo. It’s a toaster oven in size but has air frying capability, and what’s nice is that it combines two small kitchen appliances that a lot of people love into one device.

Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.

The best of the bunch is the Breville Smart Oven Air Convection BOV900BSSUSC for $400. The Breville offers many different functions, including convection, dehydration, and air frying. And its baking results, ease of use, and roominess may make it worth the splurge.

For less money, the Cuisinart TOA60 costs $140 to $200. It’s just so-so for baking and toasting but excels at reheating, it’s easy to use and clean, and turns out crispy fries and wings.

CR says many multi-cookers also have a yogurt function, which is a great way to make your own homemade version at a fraction of the cost. You can also make yogurt without all the extra sugar you’ll find in many store-bought versions.