Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot

On January 23, 2023January 21, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Topic, Using1 Comment

I’ve been focused on sourdough this month and my annual sourdough giveaway, but my recent piece for The Spruce Eats may offer you some ideas of things to eat with all of that bread you’re now baking—and the tools to prepare them in. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, or which to use if both already live in your kitchen, this article aims to provide some answers.

In examining the best uses for these seemingly similar kitchen tools, I came up with ideas ranging from the typical, like braising meats and cooking dried beans, to the unexpected, like steaming custards and fermenting yogurt. I also found a few kitchen tasks that you might think would work in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot but that really should have you reaching for a different tool.
Learn about choosing and using slow cookers and Instant Pots

Cooking Fall Meals

On October 14, 2021October 14, 2021 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Topic, Using1 Comment

Several of my projects for The Spruce Eats have gone live in recent days. Even though I tested and researched these pieces earlier this year, the timing of their release works quite well: just in time for cooking up autumn’s last bites.

Of the two cookware sets that I reviewed, one has moved permanently into my kitchen and become our daily-use pots and pans. For the roundup, I dug deeper into the original author’s top picks, answered several common questions about slow cookers and pressure cookers, and interviewed Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, co-author of Best of Bridge: The Family Slow Cooker, for tips on choosing a slow cooker—and what to put in it.
Read more about cooking fall meals