Food and Drink

The 5 Best Stay-At-Home Kitchen Essentials

Chrissa Hardy — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 17:43:52 +0000

During times of extreme uncertainty, where we're all spending more time at home, it's crucial to have a well-stocked kitchen for your cooking (and snacking!) needs. Since we can't frequent our favorite coffee shops and restaurants, we should at least be able to prepare healthy and delicious meals at home.

And taking that a step further, you should also make sure you have a wide variety of kitchen tools and gadgets to help you master the art of meal preparation. Even if you have all the basic kitchen staples that allow you to cook regular meals, you might be used to the convenience of your office's espresso machine, or the fresh pressed juice that the café down the street makes with zero pulp. These are things you can replicate at home with the right kitchen tools — all without breaking the bank. (See also: The 5 Best Blenders)

Top 5 Stay-At-Home Kitchen Essentials

Alpicool C15 Portable Refrigerator/Freezer

Amazon's Choice for portable freezers, the Alpicool C15 Portable Refrigerator/Freezer is very practical and also portable. Its small, compact size and portable handles on both sides make it a perfect item to keep in your garage, your office, or take it with you in your car or truck. It can work as a refrigerator or a freezer, depending on the temperature setting you use. It also freezes items without ice, going down to -4ºF (-20ºC), keeping your perishable foods protected until you're ready to thaw and eat.

The Alpicool C15 comes with an instruction manual and one 12/24V DC cord so you can run it using your car battery. It comes in four sizes: 16 quart, 21 quart, 23 quart, and 53 quart. The 16 quart size can hold 20 cans of soda, for example. This fridge/freezer has hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon and is a great option for storing your stock-up food supply.

Currently $179.00 at Amazon.com

De'Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

One of the more advanced espresso machines, the De'Longhi ESAM3300 features its own conical burr grinder. Users consistently maintain that not only does it produce great espresso, but that the machine is also easy to use, durable, and reasonably priced for the amount of features that is included. Its double boiler system allows one to quickly convert your espresso to a cappuccino with minimal wait time.It also has over 1,500 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $549.99 at Amazon.com

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker is an extremely versatile appliance, and one you will not regret buying. This multi-cooker is seven appliances in one: a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and warmer. It also cooks up to 70% faster and the fingerprint-resistant stainless steel lid, components, and accessories are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. This model features 10+ built-in safety features, including Overheat Protection, Safety Lock, and more to ensure safe pressure-cooking. The Instant Pot 7-in-1 comes in multiple sizes, and is backed by more than 60,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Currently $79.00 at Amazon.com

SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Maker Bundle

The SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Maker Bundle allows you to make fresh sparkling water at the push of a button. This energy efficient system has helped reduce millions of single-use plastic bottles, and is powered by a Co2 cylinder. Each cylinder carbonates up to 60 liters of water, and the starter bundle comes with two 40 ml zero-calorie bottles of fruit drops in lime and orange flavors.The kit also comes with two 60L Co2 cylinders, and three one-liter BPA-free reusable carbonating bottles, helping our planet stay green and clean.

This bundle comes in a variety of colors, and currently has hundreds of five-star ratings on Amazon.

Currently $149.95 at Amazon.com

Brita Everyday Water Pitcher

If fresh still water is your H20 of choice, then the Brita Everyday Water Pitcher is the perfect addition to your kitchen. This large, clear plastic pitcher is easy to pour and refill, and is great for families. Plus, it's a fabulous eco-friendly solution to your water needs, as a single Brita water filter can replace 300 standard 16.9 ounce water bottles, while also reducing chlorine taste and odor, copper, mercury, and cadmium impurities found in tap water. This pitcher comes with one standard filter, and should be changed after about 40 gallons of water, or after two months for the average household to maintain optimal performance.

Additional Brita filters are available for purchase and won't break your budget. This pitcher is backed by over 5,000 five-star Amazon reviews.

Currently $29.99 at Amazon.com

And those are our recommendations for the best stay-at-home kitchen essentials. As always, be sure to check Wise Bread's Buying Calendar to learn when and how to buy just about anything!

This article is from Chrissa Hardy of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What's In Your Pantry?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 08:30:05 +0000

A well-stocked pantry makes it a lot easier to cook meals at home even when you're out of fresh ingredients. For example, all you need for a quick pasta dish is dry pasta and jarred sauce. Need a side dish? Canned vegetables to the rescue! And you can make all sorts of baked goods with flour and a few other staples.

What is in your pantry? What items do you always have on hand? What are your favorite dishes using pantry staples?

Tell us about your pantry and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
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Contest ends Monday, April 13th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after April 13th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
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You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your pantry and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: Do You Have a Garden for Vegetables?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:30:09 +0000

In these uncertain times, you can gain a little peace of mind if you have a garden that will provide your family with fresh produce. Even a little planter of herbs (for those who live in small spaces) means fewer items that you'll need to pick up at the grocery store.

Do you have a garden for vegetables or other produce? What are you growing? Are there other fruits or veggies that you would like to add to your garden? If you don't have a garden, what do you want to grow, if anything?

Tell us about your vegetable garden and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
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Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

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Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, April 6th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after April 6th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your vegetable garden and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Why You Should Throw a Dinner Party to Talk About Death

Emily Guy Birken — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 09:00:12 +0000

While it may seem like the last topic you'd want to bring up over a nice meal, dinner parties thrown specifically to talk about death are a growing phenomenon. These so-called "death dinners" allow people to discuss and ultimately plan for the inevitable in a way that can be positive, life-affirming, and even a little bit fun.

Rather than avoid talking about a difficult subject, a death dinner can give you the space you need to consider some tough questions with friends and loved ones. Here's why you might want to consider hosting such a dinner, and how you can make sure you and your guests get the most out of your evening.

Why would you want to host a death dinner?

Family dinner conversations about the end of life might sound uncomfortable — or perhaps a total drag — but holding such a dinner may make a difficult topic easier to grapple with.

According to Michael Hebb, founder of the Death Over Dinner movement, "The dinner table is the most forgiving place for difficult conversations." Sharing food fosters a connection among diners, which can empower everyone involved to open up about their fears, hopes, and ideas.

It can also help you and your guests understand some of the issues that you'll face as you come to the end of your life or a loved one's life. We don't know what we don't know, especially about a topic as hard to discuss as death. Having an opportunity to discuss these issues openly can help illuminate the gaps in your understanding of end-of-life planning, while simultaneously helping you to feel close to your fellow dinner companions.

How can you introduce such an awkward conversation?

There are a number of ways you can plan these events to help ensure a lively and meaningful discussion. First, you may want to prepare some icebreaker questions.

Some common conversation starters for such a dinner include:

If you had a funeral, would you want it to be fun or more traditional?
What do you want to do with all your belongings?
Do you have a will?
Would you rather write your own obituary or entrust it with someone else? Who would that be?
Would you want any other funeral events, such as a wake or luncheon?

In addition, the Death Over Dinner program also provides hosts with reading material, a video, and a podcast to share with your dinner guests ahead of the meal. These materials can form the basis of your conversation over dinner, and give you an opportunity to talk about what decisions you will need to make.

You can choose ahead of time which end-of-life topic you're most interested in discussing at your dinner party and choose the materials that fit best. That means you can steer your dinner party toward topics such as the environmental impact of various burial and cremation options, how to plan ahead for the financial impact of your death, or philosophical questions about end-of-life.

Talking about death can help you plan ahead

A death dinner can not only help demystify an important part of our lives, but you can use it as an opportunity to discuss which documents and policies help people prepare for the end of life. According to the National Institute on Aging, here are a few that may be worth highlighting at your death dinner.

An In Case of Emergency document

This is a rundown of all the personal information your family or executor would need after your death. This includes things like Social Security numbers, the location of your will and other legal documents, logins to online accounts, personal contacts, and the names and contact information for any professionals who have helped create your estate plan (such as your lawyer, insurance agent, accountant, etc).

Financial documents and asset information

When someone passes away, there are typically three questions that follow:

Where is their money?
What did they have of value?
What debt will need to be addressed?

Some debt can be forgiven when someone dies, and knowing the financial history of the deceased may help ensure everything is covered. (See also: 11 Essential Documents You Should Keep in Your Safe)

Wills and trusts

These documents often go much deeper than just who inherits your belongings. Consider discussing the difference between wills and trusts, and the process in which these wishes become legally binding.

Talking about how to create and organize these kinds of documents can help insure you and your guests are prepared in case of a sudden death. Adding the stress of trying to handle post-death financial chores without these documents on top of bereavement is a burden that you and your guests can help avoid by having a frank conversation about their importance. (See also: Don't Make These 5 Common Mistakes When Writing a Will)

Enjoying your death dinner

Most people don't relish even thinking about death, but hosting a dinner can be a good opportunity to talk openly about the topic in a supportive setting. Having such a conversation over dinner also removes some of the stigma and pain of discussing death. That makes it more likely that you can have a meaningful and life-affirming conversation about death with people you care about.

Though it may feel odd to plan such a dinner party, having a death dinner can inspire you and other dinner guests to start making appropriate arrangements while you still have time to think them through. And that is an incredible gift to your loved ones.

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This article is from Emily Guy Birken of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Do You Do With Leftover Halloween Candy?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 08:30:09 +0000

Depending on how you feel about sweets (and on any dietary restrictions you may have), leftover Halloween candy be either a blessing or a curse. Ideally, you would've picked up just enough candy for all the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood...but how often does that actually happen? If you can't just eat all of it, you'll need to find something to do with the leftover candy.

What do you do with leftover Halloween candy? Do you use the candy to make other treats -- and if so, what treats? Do you take any steps to avoid having too much candy in the first place?

Tell us what you do with leftover Halloween candy and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

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Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, November 4th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after November 4th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us what you do with leftover Halloween candy and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: Do You Use Food Delivery Apps?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:30:05 +0000

Food delivery services like GrubHub, UberEats, and DoorDash make it easy to enjoy restaurant food at home, even if the restaurant itself doesn't deliver. While the fees can get expensive, there's no denying the convenience when you're hankering for a certain cuisine but you don't want to go out.

Do you use food delivery apps? How often? Do you have a favorite?

Tell us whether you use food delivery apps and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, September 30th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after September 30th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us whether you use food delivery apps and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Is Your Favorite Quick-Fix Dinner?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:30:05 +0000

Everyone knows, there are certain days that are just really busy! And when you've been running around all day, you might not have a lot of time — or energy — to prepare dinner. Thankfully, there are many delicious meals that you can make quickly and easily.

What is your favorite quick-fix dinner? What kind of prep does it involve? Are there certain ingredients that you always keep on hand, just for this quick meal?

Tell us your favorite quick-fix dinner and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, September 16th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after September 16th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us your favorite quick-fix dinner and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Everything You Need to Know About Airline Dining Rewards Programs

Holly Johnson — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 08:00:09 +0000

There are many ways to earn a lot of airline miles in a hurry, but the fastest way is signing up for a co-branded airline or travel credit card. Doing so allows you to earn miles on your regular spending, plus you can usually earn a signup bonus worth a few free flights. Other ways to earn miles include: signing up for frequent flyer programs, consistently flying with your favorite airline, using airline and travel rewards shopping portals, and keeping your eye out for special promotions.

Amazingly though, there's one more way to earn miles — and it may just be the easiest. With airline dining rewards programs, you can earn miles for each dollar you spend when you dine at your favorite restaurants.

How do airline dining rewards programs work?

The concept of earning miles with dining programs is simple, although the rules that govern each independent dining rewards program can vary. Popular dining rewards programs include Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining, Delta SkyMiles Dining, United MileagePlus Dining, and American Airlines Dining, although other airlines run programs as well.

Each airline dining program works with participating restaurants nationwide, making it easy to find establishments in your area or when you travel. Once you sign up for a dining rewards account, all that's required is using a credit or debit card tied to your account when you dine at a participating restaurant. Once you do, the miles you earn will be credited to your account — usually in less than 60 days.

How to earn the most miles

The number of miles you can earn depends on the program you decide to join, as well as other factors, but you should earn a minimum of one mile for each dollar you spend at a participating restaurant, and maybe more.

Earn more miles with elite dining status

Some dining rewards programs let you earn more miles each time you dine out once you reach a certain threshold within the program. With Delta SkyMiles Dining, for example, you can become a "VIP Member" after dining 11 times or more within the program by the end of the year. With a VIP membership, you'll earn five miles per dollar you spend at participating restaurants within the program.

Earn more miles for opting into emails

Southwest Rapid Rewards dining lets you earn three miles per $1 spent (as opposed to one mile per $2 spent) for dining members that agree to receive Rapid Rewards Dining emails. You can also earn more miles by opting into emails with the American AAdvantage Dining program or United MileagePlus Dining program and becoming a Select or VIP member.

Some dining programs offer a signup bonus

Airline dining programs incentivize consumers to sign up by offering initial signup bonuses worth a few thousand miles. With Delta SkyMiles Dining, for example, you'll earn 3,000 bonus miles for signing up and spending at least $30 (including tax and tip) at participating restaurants within the first 30 days of membership. American AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining offer similar bonuses.

Double dip with an airline or travel credit card

The best part about airline dining programs is that you can earn even more rewards by using a travel or airline credit card when you pay your restaurant bill. Remember that dining rewards are doled out on top of any points or miles you earn with a rewards credit card.

Connect multiple cards to each account

Most airline dining programs let you connect multiple credit and debit cards to your account, so make sure to connect all cards you use frequently. By connecting all credit cards you're likely to use, you'll never miss out on miles when you dine out.

You can usually pay with any rewards card you want

With most dining programs, you can use any credit card you want to pay provided it's connected to your account. This means you don't have to use an American AAdvantage card when you're dining within American AAdvantage dining, for example. Instead, you can use a rewards card that gives you more miles or cash back for dining out.

Join more than one program — or all the programs

If you earn miles in more than one frequent flyer program, there's no reason you shouldn't join every dining rewards program available to you. Free miles are on the table — including signup bonuses — so maximize all of them to earn as much free travel as you can. (See also: How I've Scored Free Travel for 5 Years Straight)

If you think you could benefit from joining a dining rewards program for your favorite airline, you're probably right. Joining these programs is free and you could benefit more than you think if your favorite restaurants participate in your area.

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This article is from Holly Johnson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Are Your Favorite Time-Saver Meals?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 08:30:12 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Tiffany, P, and Christina for winning this week's contest!

Every household experiences those hectic days when there just isn't much time for meal prep, but running out to a restaurant every time that happens can quickly burn a hole in your wallet. Having a few tried-and-true, time-saver meals in your back pocket will allow you to feed your family with very little effort at minimal cost.

What are your favorite time-saver meals? What staples do you always keep around to ensure you can whip up a quick meal? What tools or appliances are most helpful to you during meal prep?

Tell us about your favorite time-saver meals and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, April 15th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after April 15th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your favorite time-saver meals and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Cook At Home?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 09:30:15 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Sara, John, and Kara for winning this week's contest!

Cooking at home is a great way to spend less on meals, and preparing a meal together can be a great experience to share with your family, too.

How often do you cook at home? What are your tips for an efficient kitchen? What do you love about cooking?

Tell us how often you cook at home and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, March 4th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after March 4th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us how often you cook at home and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Are Your Favorite Healthy Snacks?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 09:30:08 +0000

No one does their best work when they're hungry. A quick snack can help you power through the day, but not all snacks are created equal! If you're feeling the afternoon slump, you should grab something that will help keep your energy up and blood sugar stable.

What are your favorite healthy snacks? Is snacking part of your daily routine, or just something you do when you feel the slump coming on? What snacks do you always keep on hand, at home or in the office?

Tell us about your favorite healthy snacks and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.
Follow @janetonthemoney on Twitter.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, February 4th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after February 4th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your favorite healthy snacks and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Things You Can Make in an Instant Pot to Save Money

Ashley Eneriz — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 09:00:08 +0000

The Instant Pot is truly an amazing kitchen gadget that saves you time when it comes to meal prep. You probably already know that you can make delicious fall-off-the-bone ribs and perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs with your IP, but did you know you can make other everyday necessities? Here are eight items you can make in an Instant Pot to save money.

1. Popcorn

Pop delicious, homemade popcorn in the Instant Pot with just dry popcorn kernels and coconut oil. In less than 10 minutes, you can have a movie-worthy snack. Instant Pot popcorn will also save you money since you can buy the kernels in bulk and avoid prepackaged popcorn, as well as a popcorn maker. Then add your favorite seasoning, such as butter or cinnamon and sugar, and enjoy! (See also: 12 Instant Pot Recipes That Will Save You Money)

2. Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract prices are higher than ever, due to the high cost of vanilla beans and lower crop yields in Madagascar (the world's largest producer of vanilla). But the good news is, you can save a little bit of money by making the extract yourself, especially if you already have vanilla beans on hand. This Instant Pot vanilla extract recipe takes 30 minutes in the cooker and tastes best after one to two weeks of sitting. (See also: 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Recipes That Fit Any Budget)

3. Dog food

Treat your pupper to some divine goodness with homemade dog food. Making your own dog food in the Instant Pot is a great way to create several days' worth of food in less than 30 minutes. Homemade dog food can sometimes save owners money over conventional pet food, and can help remedy pet issues, like weight or skin problems.

Note that many homemade dog food recipes, even ones made in an IP, are not meant to meet all of your dog's health needs. Be sure to research what other nutrients your pet needs in their diet.

4. Cough syrup

The problem with many over-the-counter cough medicines is that they can cause drowsiness, and parents have to buy an adult version as well as a children's version for safety reasons. This Instant Pot cough syrup is safe for both kids and grown-ups and uses fresh herbs to bring natural relief to stubborn coughs.

5. Whole grain bread

Did you know that your Instant Pot can replace a bread machine? This recipe for IP whole wheat crusty bread uses the yogurt function to let the dough rise, and then you can bake the bread in the oven. This fresh, homemade bread takes five and half hours to make instead of being an all-day event. Plus, you can save the money you'd normally spend on bread at the grocery store for much cheaper ingredients and a sense of accomplishment by making your own. (See also: 5 Ways Your Instant Pot Can Save You Money)

6. Hard lotion

Hard lotion is a lotion bar that is solid at room temperature, but will melt into your skin when you go to apply it. It's convenient to travel with and makes nice handmade gifts. This Instant Pot hard lotion can be made with just three simple ingredients: cacao butter, extra virgin olive oil, and beeswax. You can add your desired scent of essential oil, too. (See also: 4 Beauty Products You Can Make in an Instant Pot)

7. Jam

Once summertime arrives, peaches and strawberries will be everywhere. You can stretch the taste of summer into fall and winter by transforming summer fruits into jam. The Instant Pot drastically cuts the prep and cooking process so you can enjoy your toast sooner. Here's a recipe for honey vanilla peach jam and strawberry jam.

8. French toast

I'm sure many of us would love to start our mornings off with a heaping plate of French toast, but who has time for that? With the Instant Pot, you can whip up a delicious batch of French toast in 30-45 minutes, giving yourself a fantastic breakfast even on work days.

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Ways Your Instant Pot Can Save You Money

Ashley Eneriz — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 09:00:09 +0000

Maybe you've used your Instant Pot a few times, or after pinning several feast-size recipes, you've started using it once a week. If you love your Instant Pot but don't use it on weekdays because your schedule is just too hectic, these quick tricks will turn you into a frequent user. You can cook faster and easier, no matter how busy you are, and you can even do it on the cheap! Here are five ways your Instant Pot can save you time and money. (See also: 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Recipes That Fit Any Budget)

1. Freeze food in round containers

Take advantage of how much time and money homemade freezer meals can save you. You can batch-cook healthy meals in large quantities for the week, freeze them in individual servings, and freeze in round containers that will fit inside the Instant Pot for the week ahead. When you're ready to eat the frozen dish, rest your container on a trivet inside the Instant Pot with a half cup of water added to the bottom of it in order to heat it thoroughly. This is called the pot-in-pot method (PIP). This will save time on busy workdays, and loads of cash you might usually spend on eating out for lunch or dinner.

2. Add one-pot pasta dishes to your weekly menu

We've all had those crazy days where making dinner seems like an impossible feat. This is where one-pot pasta dishes can save you time and money. The Instant Pot allows you to cook the meat and pasta all in the same pot in less than 15 minutes, which helps curb the desire to order takeout on a Tuesday night.

There are several recipes available — even ones that use only pantry goods, so you know you'll always have what you need on hand. (See also: 10 One Pot Meals That Will Transform Dinner)

3. Use a steam basket for a side of veggies

Using a steam basket that fits inside the Instant Pot will allow you to make a healthy side of steamed vegetables to go alongside any meal in about five to 10 minutes. Even frozen vegetables can be heated perfectly this way, by setting the Instant Pot to "Manual" for zero minutes. That means your frozen vegetables — which are almost always budget-friendly staples — will be ready to go in the time it takes the IP to build and release its pressure.

4. Use the Instant Pot as a sterilizer

Baby bottle sterilizers can cost as much as $60, and most parents use them for baby items and breast pump parts for only a year or so. Not to mention that a separate sterilizer can take up valuable counter space.

Instead, use your Instant Pot as a sterilizer. To do this, add a half a cup of water to the IP, then place a steamer basket in the pot and place your baby items/pump parts in the steamer basket. You don't want your baby items to be touching the bottom of the Instant Pot as they will get too hot. You want to sterilize them with steam. Set the IP to steam for one minute and then let it come back to base pressure on its own before opening. (See also: 12 Instant Pot Recipes That Will Save You Money)

5. Can foods to extend their life

Canning is a method of food preservation that has been around centuries. The process is also a little intimidating, since most people don't want to serve a side of botulism with their homemade applesauce. For food safety, can high-acid foods, such as fruit, jams, jellies, and pickles, not meat or vegetables. Here's a video to show you how to can in the Instant Pot safely.

If you and your Instant Pot aren't best friends yet, then what are you waiting for? There's a small learning curve with the cooker, but once you learn how to use it, it can save you money on cooking, electricity (i.e. not heating up the house during the summer), and by replacing other kitchen gadgets.

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Is Your Favorite Holiday Flavor?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 09:30:11 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Lynda, Jillian, and Karen for winning this week's contest!

There are a few classic flavors that is often associated with the holidays, like pumpkin spice, eggnog, peppermint, and gingerbread.

What is your favorite holiday flavor? Where do you incorporate this flavor when you cook or bake? What seasonal food do you look forward to every year?

Tell us about your favorite holiday flavor we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

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Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

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Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, December 3rd at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after December 3rd on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your favorite holiday flavor we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Ask the Readers: What Is Your Favorite Holiday Dish?

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 08:30:15 +0000

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Matt, JE, and John for winning this week's contest!

There are many holidays to celebrate during the fall and winter seasons, and more often than not, food is a big part of the festivities.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Do you only make it for certain holidays? What's the hardest part about making this dish, and what are your tips for other cooks who want to try it?

Tell us about your favorite holiday dish and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win:

Follow us on Twitter
Tweet about our giveaway for an entry.
Visit our Facebook page for an entry.

Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

Contest ends Monday, November 19th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after November 19th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook or Twitter.
You must be 18 and U.S. resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

Tell us about your favorite holiday dish and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

This article is from Ashley Jacobs of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: