I have a good kitchen in my condo although not as nice as the one I had in Old Lyme, where my husband knocked down walls between two rooms, then got rid of a hallway. When he was done, and with help from a carpenter neighbor, that kitchen was 24 feet by 17 feet, the center island could hold 10 people, my 42-inch gas stove had six burners, and there was a separate pantry that held all my ingredients.

Today my stove is electric, and I was sure I would ruin my pots and pans, but I have not. It is just a galley kitchen, and most of my foodstuff takes up two-thirds of the hall closet. But I have lots of kitchen counter space, the kitchen sink is almost as big as the one I had in Old Lyme, and I am able, on a shelf under the bay window, to have all my small appliances close by: a big KitchenAid mixer, a Ninja that purees in a fraction of a second, a big and a little Cuisinart, a Rival Crock-Pot, two little grinders (one for spices, one for coffee) and one that has become a favorite, a 6-quart Instant Pot.

It sat in its own box for a year, until a friend in Groton came to my house and showed me how to use it.

Last week, I found some stew meat in the freezer and decided to make my stew in the Instant Pot. Originally, it makes a big mess in the kitchen and takes hours of prep and, sauteeing in a large Le Creuset first on the stovetop and later in the oven. Then it takes more time afterward to reduce the sauce.

This time it took less than an hour, and most of that time was allowing the Instant Pot to get to pressure. The cooking took 35 minutes. In one pot! Here it is.

Beef Bourguignon in the Instant Pot

Serves 8 to 10 people

2 pounds of beef (bought as stew beef or cut from a chuck roast into 2-inch chunks)

Olive oil for sauteeing in the Instant Pot

Flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

16 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cans low-sodium beef broth

1 broth can of fairly good red wine

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in 2 tablespoons cold water

Open your Instant Pot, turn it to Sauté and add olive oil. Place flour, salt and pepper in a large soup bowl. In batches, toss beef and sauté, adding more oil as needed. Place sautéed beef in a large bowl. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic, stirring, until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Cancel Sauté. Pour in beef broth and red wine and stir. Add beef and stir. Turn lid on and turn on Pressure Cook to 35 minutes. Go watch television or read a book.

It will take maybe 30 minutes to start to Pressure Cook. When it is done, use a bottom of a wooden spoon to allow the steam to disappear.

When you open the lid, ladle the vegetables and beef into a big bowl. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. When it gets hot, stir in the cornstarch and cold water and stir until thickened. Hit Cancel and add back the beef and vegetables. Season to taste.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

On the Side

If you haven't bought an Instant Pot yet, maybe might be the time to get one. Lots of people are making the pot, but the original was created by some computer guys in Canada and it's been around for a while. When I bought my own, I bought the original. It wasn't expensive, but now you can get the 6-quart one for around $60. I bought a few cookbooks, but the best one by far is the "Instant Pot Bible" by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.

As I have mentioned before, I was afraid to use it for almost a year. I had heard stories about pressure cookers blowing up its ingredients into kitchen ceilings. That really can't happen with the Instant Pot.

In addition to the "Instant Pot Bible," Bruce and Mark have written two more Instant Pot Bible cookbooks. Maybe I need them, too.

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.