After many years of loyal service (it was a wedding shower gift from one of my uncles), my big crockpot has finally given up the ghost. It developed a giant hairline crack which means liquid now seeps into the base; this is not ideal since wires are involved.
So, with a sad sigh, I’ve retired it. That leaves me with just one smaller crockpot (also partially broken, happened the same week as the big one, but it works fine for everyday use).
Now I’m debating: do I replace the big one? Honestly, I didn’t use it that often. It was handy for feeding a crowd, but it also took up a lot of precious cupboard real estate.
Part of me is tempted to try something new — maybe an Instant Pot or an Air Fryer.
What do you think? Convince me (or talk me out of it).
Your turn:
- Do you own an Instant Pot or Air Fryer? Would you buy another if yours broke tomorrow?
- What’s your favourite kitchen appliance (not counting the obvious stove or fridge)? For me, it’s the microwave, though my food processor gets a lot of action, too.
Header photo by Kelsey Todd on Unsplash
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I can’t help you with this because I don’t have either of those appliances. We don’t have a microwave, but we do have a steam oven. I use both my normal oven and my steam oven a lot. I would also buy a new stick blender if it broke because it is so helpful for blending soups etc without having to take it out of the saucepan. Ours also has attachments to use it instead of a food processor which will come in handy when mine finally gives up (it was a wedding gift).
I use my immersion blender once or twice a month. But it’s definitely an appliance I would replace because when I need it…I need it and it does the job perfectly (for me it’s almost always pureeing soup, though when I used to make homemade mayo, I used the stick blender for that as well).
I really like the instapot. I’d buy another if it broke. It can act as a slow cooker as well, so it does have a lot of flexibility. I rarely use the crockpot anymore.
As for a favorite apliance- I love my kitchenaid mixer, and the immersion blender with its chopper attachment gets used a lot. I have some I rarely use but keep out of laziness: a hand mixer, the crockpot , the blender, toaster oven. I have enough storage space that I don’t mind keeping the for their twice yearly use.
I bet you can find a new crockpot or instapot at your thrift store!
I use my hand mixer regularly because I simply don’t have enough counter space for a KitchenAid. Plus, I don’t actually bake that much anymore.
THE KETTLE!!! I use it about 20 times a day. Hands down my most essential!
Other than that, we don’t have any appliances (apart from the obvious stove, oven, fridge). Oh, wait, we also have a one-egg cooker that Kai once bought as a joke. It’s the cutest little thing and feels like our “mini Instant Pot” – just extremely specialized, ha!
If both your microwave and food processor broke tomorrow, which one would you replace first?
A one-egg cooker DOES sound cute.
I would buy a microwave first (I use it daily), but in the same trip to the store I’d buy a food processor 😉
I am slowly thinning out my kitchen appliances as there are some that I don’t use that often. I have a slow cooker which doesn’t see much action, an Instant Pot type (Sage Fast Slow) and an ice-cream maker and I have probably used both twice since I was given them 9 years ago.
My air fryer is a different matter – it gets used 3 or 4 times a week. If it broke today I would go out and buy a replacement! About the only times I use our oven is if I am baking bread/cakes, jacket spuds or roasting meat.
I have a Nespresso coffee pod machine and a large capacity milk frother that see daily use for my one a day caffeinated latte. I would not be functioning in the morning if I didn’t have my coffee. The milk frother is temperamental and will likely be replaced by the end of the year when I can find one of the right capacity and price.
My kids use the milk frother almost daily! It’s such a handy little gadget.
If you see this comment response, I’m curious what size air fryer you have. Do you store it on your counter? Is it hard to clean? What do you use it for?
I have both and use them every week! I probably use instant pot more than air fryer. I love it for cooking so many things: potatoes, pasta sauce, stew, really a lot of things when I want it quick and simple without having to monitor it.
I have all three (slow cooker, air fryer, instant pot) and I use my crockpot by far the most. The air fryer is second – so that’s what I think you should get, especially if you don’t use a crockpot very often. The instant pot freaks me out, honestly. If only there were some way to sneak it into Birchie’s luggage…
My favorite small appliance? Tie between my immersion blender and my electric kettle. I use both almost daily.
I think I AM leaning toward the air fryer…and I am going to pick Birchie’s brain about this at length when she’s here!
You know I boil water on the stove for my coffee/tea. I use my immersion blender a handful of times a month, but it’s enough that I would definitely replace it if it broke.
RIP Crockie! It’s always a little sad when one of the old timers bites the dust.
I own both an air fryer and an insta. One has a permanent spot on our kitchen counter, and the other lives in our basement pantry because I only use it a few times a year. We (all four of us) use our air fryer multiple times a day and if it broke I would run and not walk to the car and get myself out to Costco so fast to replace it. I use the insta mainly for cooking frozen chicken for burritos and sometimes for soups. My big issue is that it takes forever to seal, so “instant” is a bad joke.
Get an air fryer if you want to make things that have crispy outsides, if you sometimes wish you had a second oven, or if you’d like to get away without using your oven once in a while. Get an insta if it seems more up your alley. Our insta has crock pot functionality (not sure if they all do but I would think so) so that might be another consideration. Get neither if you like the empty space in your cupboard that the old crockpot used to fill. The good news is that I’m sure the thrift store has both in stock, so it should be easy to try them out.
I am definitely leaning toward the air fryer. WILL GRILL YOU IN PERSON ABOUT THIS TOMORROW!
I’m the same with our crockpot – use it a few times a year, but I do love to smell savoury stew cooking all day. In the other camp, Liam and Rachel swear by their InstaPot – its speed can’t be denied. We have an air fryer, but we haven’t used it enough to become proficient. Shannon used to have a casserole shaped crockpot, and that allowed for different recipes, it seemed. So that’s my 2 cents:)
I think you need to do an Air Fryer post, Birchie!! We got one just a year or two ago and I don’t feel like I am using it to its maximum potential right now! 🙂
I do not have an Instant Pot and honestly am not totally sure I know what it is/ what it does. lol! But I know they’re popular, so this is not a reflection on Instant Pots! We do have an air fryer and it is nice although like I replied to Birchie above, I’m not sure I’m maximizing its potential. Our looks like a decently big size, but yet sometimes I have to make things in batches which then makes me feel like, well, I could have put it all in the oven more quickly… but I do like how things turn out in the air fryer!! I just think I might get even more use of it when it’s just me + Ivan at home- ours seems best suited to cooking for just a couple people.
My most used appliance is probably our blender! We make a LOT of salsa in this house, so I’m frequently blending some combo of tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, jalapenos, arbol chiles, cilantro, garlic…. We keep it sitting out next to the stove. We also keep our toaster out as the boys use that nearly every morning, or at least multiple times per week. We use the crockpot only occasionally, so I keep that on a shelf in my (ahem, newly cleaned out) storage room. (Just had to fit that in. ;)) The air fryer fits on a pull out drawer in one of our cabinets.
I think if my crockpot died I WOULD replace it, but probably not same day, lol. Maybe you could add that to like a future “household gift idea” or something. I think it’s a nice thing to own because when it comes in handy, it REALLY comes in handy, I think.
I think Lisa swears by her Insta Pot?
I’ve heard about the sizing issue with the air fryer and I do NOT have much space on my counter/hate having things out, so I would want to put it down below.
Yes, I will always want at least one crockpot FOR SURE. I’m just debating if I should get a replacement for my big one (which I did use a few times a year and loved having)…or if I try out something new.
I feel like I need to start a neighbourhood kitchen appliance sharing program. It feels like some things you only need a few times a year but when you need them you NEED them. I’d gladly loan out my food processor a few times if someone would share their Instant Pot with me 😉
I don’t have a instant pot or a crock pot, but we do have an air fryer. We probably use it two-three times a week, but my problem with it is, it is small! If I really wanted to cook something for the whole family, it has to be in batches, which is a huge pain. I end up using it if I’m just cooking something for my daughter- like if my husband and I are having something she doesn’t like, I’ll throw some tofu in the air fryer for her. I know you can get bigger ones, so that’s something to think about if you go that route.
We use our electric kettle every single day! I used to think I didn’t need one (we had a stovetop kettle that worked just fine) but the electric kettle is SO convenient!
The size issue is definitely what holds me back!
And I don’t own a kettle which must seem crazy to everyone else!
I’m on team slow cooker, having replace and upgraded ours a few times. We have a blender and a stand mixer that are also my best friends in the kitchen. No electric kettle or air fryer here.
I definitely MUST have a slow cooker, I’m just not sure if having one small one is enough if I add in an Instant Pot?…
We use our air fryer almost daily! Then our instant pot, then our crockpot. I think I would replace any of those if they broke because I use them for such different purposes. If you can wait until the holidays, those appliances always have big sales.
Yes, I’m not in a rush at all!
Do you find the air fryer is big enough? You must have a big one with such a large family??
I own 4 huge crockpots. I love my crockpot. I do feed a crowd on the regular though. I like tossing food in there in the morning so we have dinner ready on busy nights.
Coach bought me an air fryer for Christmas a few years ago. Turns out he uses it so much more than me. I resent how much space it takes on my counter. It is handy and I probably should embrace it more than I do.
I don’t have an insta pot and I wonder if I would love that.
The space issue is my main concern. And I would likely want to put it down into a cupboard which sounds like a hassle…
I can see why you’d need four crockpots!
I use my instant pot all the time! It makes easy peel hard boiled eggs, can make dried beans in less than 2 hours and lots of recipes with rice or noodles (noodles usually call for precooked meat) that you throw in all the ingredients including raw meat and out comes dinner! I also like how you can brown the meat right in the pot and then cook, no separate container. We recently added an air fryer. It’s the bucket kind and has 2 separate drawers. We use it every day! Kids toast their waffles, last night I reheated crispy bacon for burgers and reheated a few French fries. It’s pretty easy to clean: there is a grate in the bottom that comes out and the bucket is easy to wash. (It does have a nonstick coating and I don’t put it in the dishwasher to try and preserve it) I only clean if we cook something messy, if it’s mostly waffles or a pizza slice, I might let it go a day or two (kind of like a toaster oven maybe?) I also have a crockpot that I not only cook with but use to safely keep a dish warm at a gathering. I have carnitas cooking for dinner right now!
So maybe the answer is I need all three?? Haha.
The air fryer does sound so very convenient!
We have an Instant Vortex Plus Airfryer which has two drawers. We can set each drawer to seperate temperatures and times and there’s function Synch Finish, so both drawers finish at the same time.
There are lots of other features, but we really only use it as an air-fryer.
As we have such a tiny amount of counter space in our kitchen, when we don’t use it it sits on a shelfing unit in our downstairs bathroom (basically an additional pantry on a tall shelving unit). When we do use it, it sits on the gas hob, but not if we are using that.
This is is the one we use.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/2998392?_$ja=tsid:72555|acid:F1128DFT|cid:391052202|agid:1195169693230181|tid:pla-4574999189441601|crid:74698197087149|nw:search|dvc:c|st:instant%20vortex%20plus%20air%20fryer|mt:be|loc:69090&cmpid=BPLA01&utm_source=Microsoft_Ads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=391052202&utm_term=default&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=1195169693230181&utm_custom2=F1128DFT&gclid=2b810411826b18b48ef16cd36a209fc7&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=2b810411826b18b48ef16cd36a209fc7
Thanks!
And a Synch Finish sounds BRILLIANT. What a great feature!
We have an Instant Pot, and it gets used maybe once or twice a week. The main thing I use it for regularly is to cook brown rice (much faster than on stove) and to boil eggs. We eat a lot of rice and eggs in our house. I do also use it to make soups and curries and what not a couple times a month. I used to also make yogurt and dried beans in it too, though I haven’t done that lately because we’ve just been eating canned beans.
For me, the IP is all bout convenience. I don’t think the food I make in the IP tastes better than making it on the stove top, but it is faster and once you set it, it is pretty hands off so I can set the timer in the morning before I go to work, and dinner is ready when I get home. For example, I can make pasta and meatballs all in one pot and have it waiting for me when I get done work, but the pasta isn’t perfectly al dente. But for the convenience of doing it all in one pot and being able to set it up in the morning and leave it alone is worth a bit of overcooked pasta to me.
I also love that you can cook meat from frozen – so I can throw in a jar of sauce and frozen chicken thighs and it’ll be cooked in about 30 minutes. It’s great for those days when I forgot to defrost the meat.
My Husband doesn’t like the IP as much because he says the food can get mushy if you don’t do it right.
I can see how the IP isn’t for everyone, but for me, it’s worth it for the brown rice, perfectly peelable eggs, beans from scratch and the hand off convenience. It’s probably not great for people who like to have a lot of control over the cooking process.
FWIW, I never loved our crockpot – the food always tasted off to me.
I think my most used appliance is the electric kettle and the SodaStream. The Kitchen Aid mixer is a favorite; it doesn’t get used as much, but I love using it when I do.
Interesting to note about the mushy factor. I love the idea of it being hands off, though, and being able to put things in that are frozen sounds wonderful.
One of my Facebook friends got 3rd degree burns all over her arms and chest from an Insta Pot, so they scare me! We have a Breville Smart Oven/Air Fryer that I would absolutely replace right away if it broke. It gets used multiple times a day for toasting, reheating, baking, air frying. Couldn’t live without it!
Oh my goodness, that’s horrible!
I love the idea of a combo oven/air fryer, we just have so little counter space. Decisions, decisions.
I have an instant pot and an air fryer, although our air fryer is a multi-use appliance that is also a toaster oven with other settings like bake, reheat, pizza oven, etc. That means it is much larger! We mostly use the air fryer for things the kids eat, like dino chicken. We are probably underusing it currently!
But I LOVE my instant pot. We use it multiple times/week most weeks and I would 100% replace it if something happened to it. The most common thing we make is hard boiled eggs which peel incredibly easily! Other than that we use it to make soups, stews, chilis, etc. Oh and we use it to make turkey breast – it’s way faster than cooking it in the oven and doesn’t heat up the house. I like that it’s a one-pot appliance – there is a saute function so you can brown/saute things before putting it in the instant pot setting. There is no reason to be afraid of this appliance, though. Yes a tremendous amount of pressure builds, which is why it cooks things fast, but it’s very easy to release the pressure. Traditional pressure cookers that you use over a stove are way more intimidating because you have to get it to a certain pressure level and maintain that level. The IP is a so very easy and kind of idiot proof IMO…
We have several crockpots of varying sizes but I rarely use them. We are out of the house for 10 hours most work days which is too long for some things to be in a crock pot. You can program it to switch to warm after a certain # of hours, but the taste still often suffers in my experience. I still use them for entertaining to keep food warm. Ours are stored in the window seat storage area and I rarely take them out!
My other workhorse appliance is my coffee pot and bean grinder. Besides that I use a small food processor that my immersion blender attaches to. I also have a larger cuisinart food processor but I only use that if I need to chop a larger volume of things!
I love my slow cooker – we have two actually. I usually use my medium size one but we have a really large one as well that my husband wanted to get (actually, we bought a large one and then gave our medium one to his parents, and then I decided I liked the medium one more so I went and bought another one, oops). Anyways, I love my slow cooker and use it at least once a week
Everyone I know with an air frier LOVES it but I don’t have the counter space. I think I would like it if I had space for it.
I’ve never used an instapot. Isn’t is a fancy pressure cooker? I have had really good instapot food though!
I also don’t have much counter space…I wonder if I’d resent having to take it in/out of the cupboard?
I love my Instant Pot! It replaced my rice cooker and my slow cooker since it can do both. My favorite setting is the sauté one…for chili you can use it to brown the ground beef and onions then add in all the other ingredients and let it slow cook like a crock pot . So good! I also use the manual a setting often…a bag of frozen chicken can be cooked to tender enough to shred with a fork in less than an hour to use for recipes like chicken tacos. With six kids here (all with healthy appetites!) we eat a lot of food and the Instant Pot serves me well. I use it a few times a week,
I’ve seen my sister use her Insta Pot to do the saute setting and agree that would be WONDERFUL!
I love my Instant Pot. I use it as a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, and a rice cooker. My oven has an air fry setting, which I love and use often. It’s great not to have an extra appliance. I do have a stand mixer and use it often so that takes up space. I have good storage space in my kitchen, which helps with those extra appliances.
I didn’t have good luck with my Insta Pot. It worked beautifully few times I used it. After about 5 uses, the lid sealed so tightly that neither my husband nor I could get it opened. We tried everything. We ended up throwing it away with the food still inside it. I’m still miffed about it! I guess I’m a crock pot girl!
Ugh. How frustrating! I would still be miffed about that, too.
I’ve been tempted to try and air fryer, but I can’t see myself ever giving up my crock pot. I use it way too much 🙂
I have both a large crock pot and an Instant Pot. I go through phases where I’ll use one more than the other. The nice thing about the instant pot is that it has a slow cooker setting on it.
My fave appliance is my coffee machine—without it, I’d not be able to start my day properly.
Coffee first thing is a must!
We have that exact air fryer in your pic LOL. Honestly? We only use it heat up garbabge frozen food like mozzarella sticks or to heat up left overs.
I have used my Instant Pot occasionally but I do not love it, and the slow cooker function kinds of stinks because of the shape of the pot.
I heart a good crock pot, though, so if you were only choosing 1 of the 3 that’s the one I would pick.
Noted!!!!
I have both a slow cooker and an air fryer but don’t use either very often. I am not sure I’d use an instant pot more frequently either – I guess I just like traditional cooking on the stove? LOL
I don’t own any of the mention appliances. Heck we don’t even have a microwave.
However I am wondering an air fryer every once in a while. Will be interesting to see what you decide.
I think I will go with an Instant Pot and have added it to my Christmas wish list 😉