Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, 6 Quart

The Duo is the Instant Pot everyone means when they say Instant Pot: a six quart electric pressure cooker that also slow cooks, steams, sautes, makes rice and yogurt, and keeps things warm. Dried beans in forty minutes, a tough roast in an hour, a stew while the kitchen stays cool. The six quart size feeds a family or a week of lunches.

It is the wedding or housewarming gift for a couple who cook on weeknights, the graduation present for someone learning to feed themselves cheaply, and the gift for grandparents who want one pot that does the work of four.

Stainless inner pot, dishwasher safe, with a steam rack and a recipe booklet. There is a learning curve of about two dinners and then it is used weekly. Under eighty dollars for the appliance that replaced the slow cooker in most kitchens.