For my brother, it's a way for him to save on rent. He got very lucky and found one for $23,000. It was used -- but in good condition. And, from the shows, he could have paid between $25,000 to $40,000 for the one he purchased so he got a great deal.
Our folks loaned him the money. So right now, he owes $12,000 (that's what he borrowed from our parents). And he's paying them $750 a month (that's what he was paying in rent). He'll be done with that soon.
He also has bills. For water. For electricity. And because it's a much smaller space, his electric bill is so much smaller. He's saving money all around. (He bought small parcel of land so he's not even renting land.)
But there is the issue of the kitchen. While some tiny homes can have kitchens, full kitchens, not all do. His has a sink, two range burners and a small fridge.
So how is he going to cook beyond that?
Well that's when his sister came to his rescue: InstaPot.
He can do a pot of beans or a 15 bean soup easily with the InstaPot. He also knows how to make rice with the InstaPot. He used the cookbook that came with it to teach himself how to do boiled eggs.
My mother taught him this:
Step-by-Step How to Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot
1.Add 1 cup of water to the 6-quart Instant Pot. Insert the trivet. Add the chicken to the pot. If frozen, make sure the pieces are broken apart and not in a solid mass. (See above for the correct water amount if using a 3-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.)
2.Season your chicken, if desired. (See blog post below for suggestions.)
3.Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for the number of minutes specified above, depending upon the type of chicken you’re cooking.
4.After the cook time has finished, vent to release any remaining pressure. (If natural release is specified above for the type of chicken you’re cooking, let it natural release for 5 minutes and then vent any remaining pressure).
5.Carefully open the lid and check the chicken’s internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should register 165 degrees F at the thickest part, and the thermometer should not touch the bone. (See below for what to if the chicken isn’t done if your chicken is below 165 degrees F.)
6.Once cool enough to handle, shred or dice as desired. (See the above mixer tip for a quick way to shred.)
If he's doing tacos or a sandwich, he shreds the chicken. Otherwise, he doesn't and it's chicken pieces like they came out of the oven.
He also uses Trina's recipe for black eyed peas in the Instapot.
He says that was the first thing he cooked in the InstaPot all by himself without any help and that he hopes Trina does more Instapot recipes.
The InstaPot can be used in place of the oven and in place of the range with many items -- including desert. Because it is portable, it can also be in a cabinet when not in use freeing up counter space. He really did not think he was going to make it with just those burners. And it was just those burners because as soon as he moved, his microwave died. Jim and I sent him a new one via Amazon (prime, so there the next day) and that helps but he really can do pretty much everything in the InstaPot. If you have a small space and do not have an oven, this really is a life saver.
