Spoiler alert: The instant pot is now my favorite way to cook a pot roast.

I had a grandmother named Hattie (great name, right?) who might have been the world’s greatest from-scratch cook. Her biscuits were works of art. Her fried pies would turn a bad man good. And her pot roast simmered a full day in advance, and was melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Except when it wasn’t, and then it had the consistency of shoe leather. (Sorry Ninny, aka Hattie.)

Unfortunately my pot roasts, whether cooked in the oven or stove top, tend to have inherited Hattie’s shoe leather tendencies. That it, until I discovered the concept of a roast in the instant pot.

First, what is an instant pot?

It’s basically a modern pressure cooker, that can also act as a saute pan or a slow cooker. It does a lot of other cool stuff like make yogurt, but I haven’t done that yet.

Old pressure cookers used to have little glitches, like exploding, resulting in a mess and potential injuries. I understand that these modern versions have much less risk, so much so that I am not nervous at all.

I actually own two instant pots, because I needed them in different locations. I have this 6-quart one:

And I have this 8-quart one.

I like them both. I prefer the second one because it is bigger.

Second, how does an instant pot work?

I don’t know. Something about pressure. It seems weird and impossible to me. I just know that it cooks certain things really well. (If you’re looking for technical expertise, you’re clearly reading the wrong blog.)

Third, is it instant?

Heck no. It takes a while to come to pressure. And then some things cook more quickly than traditional methods, like beans. But it is NOT instant. Having dispelled that myth, it is awfully efficient and has become my favorite kitchen appliance.

Finally, it just doesn’t seem right to cook a pot roast in an instant pot. Wouldn’t Hattie be disappointed?

Hattie might be disappointed, but only until she tasted the tender and juicy meat, along with perfectly cooked carrots and potatoes.

I made this for my sister. Here’s what she said: “Oh my. Oh my goodness. Wow. That was some awesome pot roast. Like, really really amazing pot roast. We licked the bowl.” Enough said.

I got this recipe from Kristine’s Kitchen . I have reprinted it here with just a few minor tweaks.