BOOKS
Published
Read Time
3 min read
Reader ratingreader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
4.4
· 1,392 Amazon ratingsShare This Review
Dinner in an Instant by Melissa Clark Review: A Flavor-Forward Weeknight Pressure Cooker Guide
Melissa Clark's *Dinner in an Instant* delivers 75 all-new recipes designed to prove that pressure cooker, multicooker, and Instant Pot cooking need not mean trading flavor for convenience — a practical, well-organized cookbook from one of food journalism's most recognizable voices. This review assesses the book's content, structure, and published reception; it does not represent a kitchen test.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Home cooks who own a pressure cooker, multicooker, or Instant Pot and want bold, globally influenced weeknight recipes — from Coconut Curry Chicken to wild-mushroom risotto — without sacrificing the quality they'd expect from a longer, more labor-intensive cook.
Worth it if
Worth it if you want a focused, flavor-forward appliance cookbook from a trusted voice whose 75 all-new recipes come annotated with dietary info and multi-setting instructions, whether you're new to the machine or a returning Clark reader.
Skip if
Skip it if you're after a comprehensive, technique-deep pressure cooker reference or prefer minimal, neutral seasoning — at 75 purposely curated recipes, it's a tightly scoped collection rather than an encyclopedic guide.
What readers & critics say
Bookendsandbeginnings.com relays The Boston Globe's verdict that the recipes are "as reliable as they are appealing," while barnesandnoble.com carries a HuffPost note that the book "incorporates everything people loved about Dinner, but is geared toward using our favorite easy cooking appliances."
Sources: Bookends & Beginnings, Barnes & Noble4.4from 1,392 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What It Contains
- Melissa Clark's Place in Food Writing
- Strengths: Instruction, Annotation, and Accessibility
- Scope and Genuine Limitations
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- All 75 recipes are entirely new, not reprints or adaptations from prior Clark cookbooks
- Each recipe is annotated with dietary information and multi-setting instructions, accommodating owners of different appliances
- Publisher-quoted critics, including The Boston Globe and Lauren Iannotti of Rachael Ray Every Day, specifically highlight the reliability and clarity of the recipes
- Introductory equipment guide gives less experienced Instant Pot users a practical foundation before the recipes begin
- Bold, globally influenced flavor profile — gochujang, harissa, preserved lemons — distinguishes the book from more cautious appliance cookbooks
What Doesn't
- At 75 recipes, the collection is intentionally curated rather than encyclopedic — cooks seeking a comprehensive pressure cooker reference may want a broader volume alongside it
- Clark's assertive, globally influenced seasoning runs consistently throughout; readers who prefer neutral or minimalist flavor profiles may find the approach less suited to their tastes
A focused, flavor-driven cookbook that makes a strong case for the Instant Pot without asking cooks to settle for less on the plate.
What the Book Is and What It Contains
Interior page showing a stir-fried vegetable dish with peppers and greens, demonstrating flavorful pressure cooker recipes.
Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot is a hardcover cookbook published by Clarkson Potter in October 2017. Its 75 recipes are organized into chapter-by-chapter sections covering Yogurt, Cheese & Eggs; Meats; Seafood; Grains & Pasta; Beans; Soups; Vegetables; and Desserts — a structure that makes the book navigable whether a cook is hunting for a weeknight protein or a hands-off side. Representative dishes named in the publisher's materials include a Leek & Artichoke Frittata, Coconut Curry Chicken, and a wild-mushroom risotto, illustrating Clark's stated ambition: bring her signature arsenal of bold flavors — garlic, ginger, preserved lemons, gochujang, harissa — to countertop appliance cooking without softening them. The book opens with an introductory section explaining Clark's rationale for writing it and a practical guide to understanding the electric pressure cooker, giving less experienced users a foundation before any recipe begins.
“clearer than the guide that came with my machine”
Melissa Clark's Place in Food Writing
Clark is a staff writer for critical coverage, where she writes the long-running column "A Good Appetite" and hosts a complementary weekly video series — a platform that has made her, in the publisher's own description, a generational authority on raising the quality of everyday home cooking without adding complication. Dinner in an Instant followed her earlier cookbook Dinner*, and publisher materials note that all 75 recipes here are entirely new — not reprints or adaptations from prior work. That continuity of brand matters: readers already familiar with Clark's flavor-forward, practicality-first approach know what the book is oriented toward, and first-time readers get a clear statement of intent from the outset.
Strengths: Instruction, Annotation, and Accessibility
The book's most consistently praised quality across published sources is the clarity and usefulness of Clark's instruction. Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief of Rachael Ray Every Day, is quoted by the publisher stating that the recipes are "clearer than the guide that came with my machine" — a pointed endorsement for anyone who found their appliance's own documentation frustrating. Each recipe is annotated with dietary information and notes indicating which appliance setting best suits it; recipes also include instructions for cooking on multiple settings, so the book does not strand owners of one type of machine. The Boston Globe is quoted in publisher materials calling the recipes "as reliable as they are appealing," and HuffPost described the book as incorporating "everything people loved about Dinner" while being squarely oriented toward easy cooking appliances. PureWow called it simply "a much-needed book."
Scope and Genuine Limitations
The book's strength — a tight focus on 75 recipes for one category of appliance — is also the natural boundary of its usefulness. Cooks looking for an encyclopedic pressure cooker reference covering technique in depth, or those hoping to expand into highly specialized appliance functions beyond slow cooker, pressure cooker, and standard Instant Pot settings, will find the collection purposely curated rather than exhaustive. The flavor profile Clark favors — bold, globally influenced, ingredient-forward — runs consistently through the chapters; readers who prefer simpler, more neutral cooking may find the seasoning approach assertive. These are matters of scope and taste rather than flaws, but they are worth naming for a buyer trying to match the book to their kitchen habits.
Who This Book Is For
Dinner in an Instant is designed for home cooks who own a pressure cooker, multicooker, or Instant Pot and want recipes that are practical for weeknight use without sacrificing the kind of flavor typically associated with longer, more labor-intensive cooking. The publisher specifically positions it as "what you give" someone who is new to or newly receiving a multicooker — a reasonable framing, given the introductory equipment guide and the recipe-level annotations. Equally, the cookbook is built to reward Clark's existing readership: those who follow her New York Times column and have cooked from Dinner will find the same sensibility here, now routed through an appliance that compresses time without compressing taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker by Melissa Clark worth buying
For home cooks who own a pressure cooker, multicooker, or Instant Pot and want weeknight-friendly recipes without sacrificing bold flavor, it's a strong fit. The publisher specifically positions it as the book to give someone new to or newly receiving a multicooker, and the built-in introductory equipment guide backs that up — though cooks wanting an encyclopedic reference will find the 75-recipe collection purposely curated rather than exhaustive.
What kind of recipes are actually in this book
The 75 all-new recipes are organized into chapters covering Yogurt, Cheese & Eggs; Meats; Seafood; Grains & Pasta; Beans; Soups; Vegetables; and Desserts. Named examples from publisher materials include a Leek & Artichoke Frittata, Coconut Curry Chicken, and a wild-mushroom risotto — dishes built around Clark's signature bold ingredients like gochujang, harissa, preserved lemons, and ginger.
Is this book good for instant pot beginners
Yes — the book opens with a practical guide to understanding the electric pressure cooker before any recipe begins, giving less experienced users a foundation to work from. Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief of Rachael Ray Every Day, is quoted by the publisher saying the recipes are "clearer than the guide that came with my machine," which is a pointed endorsement for anyone who found their appliance's own documentation frustrating.
Does this book work if you don't have an instant pot specifically
Yes — each recipe includes instructions for cooking on multiple appliance settings, so the book does not strand owners of one type of machine. The title explicitly covers pressure cookers and multicookers alongside the Instant Pot, and recipe annotations indicate which appliance setting best suits each dish.
Is this book similar to her other cookbook Dinner
HuffPost is quoted in publisher materials describing it as incorporating "everything people loved about Dinner" while being squarely oriented toward easy cooking appliances. That said, the publisher confirms all 75 recipes here are entirely new — not reprints or adaptations from her prior work — so it's the same flavor-forward, practicality-first sensibility applied to a different format.
Are the recipes in this book too spicy or bold for picky eaters
Potentially, yes — the reviewer is upfront that Clark's flavor profile runs bold and globally influenced throughout, leaning on ingredients like harissa, gochujang, and preserved lemons. Readers who prefer simpler, more neutral cooking may find the seasoning approach assertive, and the reviewer frames this as a matter of taste worth naming for buyers trying to match the book to their kitchen habits.
What do critics say about this book
Published reception is positive across the sources the reviewer cites: The Boston Globe called the recipes "as reliable as they are appealing," PureWow called it "a much-needed book," and HuffPost praised its continuity with Clark's earlier work. The reviewer's main caveat isn't a quality issue — it's scope: the collection is deliberately curated at 75 recipes rather than aiming to be a comprehensive pressure-cooker encyclopedia.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
melissaclark.net
- Further reading
- 3
Melissa Clark, Wikipedia
- 4
cooking.nytimes.com
- 5
- 6
penguinrandomhouse.com
- 7
Related Reviews
Reviews of books we picked for readers who enjoyed Dinner in an Instant.
Reader Comments
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!