Practical not always the best
By Faye
@FayeHazel (40230)
United States
January 6, 2019 4:27pm CST
Practical not always best
So one of my mom's gifts for holidays happens to be an instant pot. For those who don't know, an instant pot is a kitchen gadget that cooks, sautes, slow cooks and can be used as an electric pressure cooker for making meals fast.
Originally my plan had been to buy my mom the "Pioneer Woman" special edition instant pot. Comes with a pretty print and special cookbook by Ree Drummond - the "Pioneer Woman". My mom enjoys her show greatly and I like how her recipes are simple enough to make easily, but still special enough to taste good.
However, while I'm at the store, I notice this other pot. It's $20 more, but is a bigger size and has more watts of power. I figure that this is the better deal and buy it.
Well, we open gifts on the 21st of December - and notice that there is `1 piece missing from the cooker. So I take it back to the store to exchange. I grab a new one off the shelf and , with the help of an excellent customer service rep - we open the new one up in the store.... and..... it's missing that piece, too. Apparently a whole bunch of them shipped without the piece. So I get a refund.... and with the money I buy mom the Pioneer Woman pot that I originally thought I would get her, so much for my great idea, though it probably was the better deal if it would have just come with all the parts it was supposed to.
Picture: clear cups, similar to the missing one from the first instant pot.
from: Pixabay
17 people like this
17 responses
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
8 Jan 19
@DianneN Good point, after all "don't ask, can't get"
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Not a bad thought. Maybe they'd send me one lol
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208748)
• United States
6 Jan 19
I got one for Christmas..but I haven't tried to delve into it yet..it is a bit more complicated than I am used to. I think friend may be down here next weekend..I will have him help me set it up..between the two of us we will get it working well I think.
3 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Ah I hope it goes well. It does look a little intimidating but I found it to be better than I thought when I used it. I hope you like yours
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
7 Jan 19
Oh no - how annoying! Even though the bigger one may have been a better deal, it wouldn't have been worth the time and stress to find the box that actually had all pieces - maybe all of them were!
We went through something similar. Just before Christmas, I bought one of those hand held back massagers for Hubby at a store that was really a far drive away (we went shopping after visiting a friend). Hubby was excited to get it, but he plugged it in and the darn thing wouldn't turn on! Luckily we were still within the 7 days return policy, so after Christmas we drove all the way out there to return it. Also, we saw my parents on Christmas and learned they they had bought 3 of them in the past year - all of them had cord problems - my dad was able to take apart and rig one of them 
. So we weren't going to exchange it for another one. I'll bet a whole bunch of them were faulty!
Happy New Year!! 
. So we weren't going to exchange it for another one. I'll bet a whole bunch of them were faulty!
Happy New Year!! 2 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jan 19
@FayeHazel I am just glad we were able to return it at all . . . I wasn't expecting to go back that way so soon. My dad is handy - he used to do everything around the house - never wanted to hire anyone even if it took him days to fix stuff.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Oh no, that is disappointing about that massager. :/ I'm happy you got your money back, at least. Your dad must be a real handy guy
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
8 Jan 19
@much2say Me too! I'm happy you got to return it in time. Ah your dad also sounds determined, actually similar to mine. While most of the time I enjoyed his frugality growing up, sometimes I wished he knew when to stop, esp if I had to help
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
6 Jan 19
Well, you had good intentions. Instant Pots can be really great, but I have some advice. I used mine a few times (the pressure cooker feature) and the instructions read that you can use the quick release valve to save time or the natural release which takes longer. I used the quick release and the steam got into our air conditioning vents and after much cleaning, etc, we had to have our ac lines replaced for several hundred dollars. I went round and round with the company (third party through Walmart) and I actually only asked for a refund of the pot, not even what it cost us for the ac lines, but they wouldn't even do that. Like I said, it's a great product, but remind your mom to use the natural/slow release.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
7 Jan 19
@FayeHazel I was never able to even talk to anyone at the company.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Oh my goodness. That is a very good warning. After the first time of using it I noticed that the steam expels quite forcefully - so I made sure to not put it directly under anything, though I could see where that could happen.
I'm sorry the company wasn't more open minded. Should come with some kind of warning
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
8 Jan 19
@1creekgirl WOw. It seems like more and more companies are making it almost impossible to talk to a real human
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Jan 19
@FayeHazel I wonder if they did take them off the shelves. Years ago my Dad told of a store that had sold a saddle to an outback station but didn't know which one so they billed a heap of stations and four or five paid up without checking.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
8 Jan 19
@JudyEv Me too - I also wonder if they got a heap of returns, or if people didn't notice it was missing. (It was just a little plastic cup deal that "collects condensation")
Oh wow. I wonder if the company re-paid the outback stations that didn't actually receive the saddle
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Me too... shocking. I told the customer service guy helping me - they better pull those off the shelves....
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Ah thanks! Must have been meant to be
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
7 Jan 19
I would be so annoyed, especially with none of them having the piece. Like how does that even happen
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
SOmeone must have been sleeping on the job, gr
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22923)
• India
7 Jan 19
The original one knew she (it's a her)would go to your mom who liked the show and waited patiently to be taken home.
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Ah yes, I think that's it. Actually, funny enough there were 2 different designs - the machine itself is the same, but the outside printing is different. A green one and a blue one. There were tons of blue ones left, only the one green one that my mom got. It was waiting for her. lol
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
6 Jan 19
Well that really stinks! That missing piece is taking where's Waldo to a whole other level???
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
She hasn't felt quite up to cooking - but I've used it for her - it's awesome, I think she's really gonna like it when she feels a bit better
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89474)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Jan 19
That would be so frustrating, especially for it to happen twice!
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Ah yes, needless to say I opened the next one in the store before actually buying it
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89474)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Jan 19
@FayeHazel oh that's good to hear!
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
6 Jan 19
I hate when that happened. Do you like cooking in it?
2 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Oh yes, it's very fun to use, like a slow cooker only better
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
7 Jan 19
Oh my daughters and my sisters all love their insta pots! I cook in theirs but don't need one for just me alone. I've never been big on gadgets. I didn't have a microwave in Florida for the seven years I lived there and never missed it. My son gave me his here in Ohio and I put it in the room off the kitchen to save space. I do now make microwave popcorn but rarely use it for anything else.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
8 Jan 19
Ah I wish I didn't like gadgets so much. But I do. However they can be a huge space waster if one doesn't use them often enough.
Microwave though, I don't blame you. I mostly use mine for popcorn, like you, or for heating up leftover food.
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
7 Jan 19
True, it was a hassle - but the guy helping me was great
1 person likes this
@WiseGhots (14603)
•
7 Jan 19
@FayeHazel There are still good people in the world.
1 person likes this
