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“People like the Instant Pot because it
can do things quickly in one pot,” he said.
It can sauté, slow cook, pressure cook and
more. Once you close the lid, you can safely
leave it alone and do other things while it
cooks, he said.
“There’s no babysitting,” he added.
Many New Yorkers avoid cooking because
kitchen items can take up too much space in
a tight apartment, it seems complicated or
it’s too time-consuming for a busy lifestyle.
Eisner debunks these concerns with his
enthusiasm for Instant Pot, his sensible and
humorous tips and his accessible approach
to cooking. His tagline on his website is “If
Jeffrey can do it, you can do it!”
Eisner, who grew up watching his grandmother
prepare meals, is self-taught. He has
always enjoyed cooking, but said cookbooks
and food blogs can be intimidating because
of complex instructions or over-styled photos.
In his recipes, Eisner gives step-by-step instructions
in his easy-going style.
“I talk you through the entire thing,” he
said.
I prepared to meet Eisner by watching
his videos and making two of his recipes —
refried beans and stuffed cabbage — on a
weeknight. His style was casual and refreshing
as he explained each step and even
gave some tips while cooking, making me
feel more comfortable with my new appliance.
Even though he later told me the
stuffed cabbage recipe is one of his most
involved ones, I found it easy to follow and
tasty, and I was able to make both dishes
in one night by creating the meat mixture
while the beans pressure cooked. Both
dishes lasted me throughout the week.
So it felt like I’d already met Eisner when I
came to his Astoria apartment on a Saturday
afternoon to learn more about how anyone
can become a home cook. He even made a
quick macaroni and cheese in the middle of
our conversation, walking me through each
simple step.
Start with the right tools and get
comfortable with them
Even though Eisner said you can make almost
anything in an Instant Pot, you’ll need
a few other tools. He suggests getting mixing
spoons to start. If you like to make soup,
get an immersion blender, which pulverizes
ingredients for a smooth finish. If you like to
bake, you can make desserts in an Instant
Pot with a springform pan, which fits inside.
He also uses partner product Better than
Bouillon, a jar of concentrated stock for
cooking.
/BOROMAG.COM
