The Instant Pot is a kitchen workhorse — an all-in-one slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sterilizer, rice cooker, sauté pan, food warmer, and probably a few other things as well.

Kitchen appliances large and small have gotten more sophisticated — or complicated, depending on your perspective — over time. It’s easy to shift into autopilot and do what you’ve always done with ...