I can't remember the last time I bought a kitchen tool. I have had the same Le Creuset enameled pots and All-Clad pans for 30 years; I have a first-generation immersion blender; my old Microplane, mandolin and Cuisinart food processor work just as well today as they did 25 years ago. And I don't want to say how old my blender is.

So when people started raving about the Instant Pot this year, I yawned. I have no use for a programmable pressure cooker. I'm never in that big a hurry.

But lost on me was the appliance's versatility. It can sauté; it's also a rice cooker; and, my biggest misunderstanding, it's also a slow cooker. Even in its need for speed, it doubles as a tool you've had in your cupboard for years: a Crock-Pot.

The new Instant Pot craze actually brings appliances such as the pressure cooker and slow cooker full circle in a modern, new format. And, ironically, it's trending at a time when slow cooking is gaining newfound steam. This year we've seen a number of cookbook titles embracing the comfort-food pleasures of the slow cooker. The slow cooker isn't valid now because we love to "set it and forget it" or even because we're moving into the fall/winter season of hearty meals. Its one-pot magic also makes sense throughout the Texas cities and towns still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Many a home whose kitchen still is under construction has been leaning hard on the convenience of slow-cooker meals.

Five new titles offer hundreds of new recipes for the slow cooker: "Texas Slow Cooker" by Cheryl Alters Jamison; "Slow Cook Modern" by Liana Krissoff; "The Chef and the Slow Cooker" by Hugh Acheson; "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker" by editors of Martha Stewart Living; and "Dinner in an Instant," an Instant Pot cookbook by Melissa Clark. Later this year another Instant Pot cookbook, "How to Instant Pot" by Daniel Shumski, will hit the shelves.

Maybe it's time for me to add a new kitchen appliance.

Hearty Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew with Sweet Spices

From "Slow Cook Modern" by Liana Krissoff

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

Salt

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 teaspoons sweet spice blend (see note)

3 sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds) peeled and cut into ¾- to 1-inch pieces

2 russet potatoes (about 14 ounces) peeled and cut into ¾- to 1-inch pieces

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups vegetable stock or water

Instructions: In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the spice blend and fry for 15 to 30 seconds until very fragrant and deep brown, then scrape into slow cooker. Pour ½ cup water into the hot skillet, scraping up any browned bits, then pour the liquid into the cooker. Add the sweet and russet potatoes, chickpeas, tomato paste, stock and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, check seasoning and add more salt if needed. Stir gently. The sweet potatoes will break up a bit and thicken the stew.

Note: To make spice blend, combine the following in a cup with a fork: 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon each of ground coriander, ground cardamom, ground ginger and ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon turmeric; ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne, to taste.

Poached Cod with Leek-Vermouth Broth

From "The Chef and the Slow Cooker" by Hugh Acheson

Makes 4 servings

4 (5-ounce) pieces of cod fillet

Fine sea salt

2 large leeks

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 cups dry vermouth

2 celery stalks, finely minced

4 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground Espelette chile (piment d'Espelette) or ground Korean chile (gochugaru)

Edible flowers for garnish (optional)

Instructions: Preheat a slow cooker on the high setting for at least 15 minutes.

Season the fish pieces evenly with the sea salt, as though you were sprinkling pixie dust. Arrange the fish on a wire rack set over a plate or baking dish and place it in the refrigerator, uncovered.

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then rise them carefully to remove any dirt between the layers. Pat the leeks dry, then slice them into ¼-inch-thick half-moons, discarding the root ends and the dark-green parts.

More Information 'Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker: 110 Recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes' from the editors of Martha Stewart Living, Clarkson Potter, $26, 272 pp. 'The Chef and the Slow Cooker' by Hugh Acheson, Clarkson Potter, $29.99, 256 pp. 'Slow Cook Modern: 200 Recipes for the Way We Eat Today' By Liana Krissoff, Abrams, $24.99, 272 pp. 'Texas Slow Cooker' by Cheryl Alters Jamison, Harvard Common Press, $22.99, 208 pp. 'Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot' By Melissa Clark, Clarkson Potter, $22, 160 pp.

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In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When it bubbles and froths, add the leeks. Cook, stirring every minute or so, for about 7 minutes, until the leeks are limp and sweet. Add the vermouth and cook for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the celery and bay leaves, then carefully transfer the contents to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on the high setting for 1 hour. Add the Espelette chile to the leek-vermouth broth and stir to incorporate it. Remove the fish from the fridge, pat dry with paper towels and immerse in the broth. Cover the cooker with the lid and poach the fish on the high setting for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked through.

Serve immediately, either on a deep platter or directly onto individual plates, spooning some of the cooked leeks and cooking liquid on first, then carefully placing the fillets on top and spooning a bit more of the broth over the fish.

Garnish with edible flowers, if you like.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coriander and Lemon

From "Dinner in an Instant" by Melissa Clark

Makes 4-6 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 cups thinly sliced fennel (reserve the fronds for garnish)

1 medium onion, diced

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 quart vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh cilantro

Instructions: Using the sauté function, heat the oil in the pressure cooker.

Add the fennel, onion and salt, and cook until the vegetables have just softened, 5 minutes. Add the squash and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to turn golden at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours.

Using an immersion blender directly in the pot or transferring the soup to a blender, purée the soup with the lemon zest until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve garnished with the fennel fronds, cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tom Kah Gai

From "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker"

Makes 6 servings

3 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (2-inch) piece fresh galangal or ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

6 kaffir lime leaves, halved, or 6 strips lime zest with a vegetable peeler

1 shallot, thinly sliced

3 Thai bird chiles (or serrano)

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch strips)

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced

1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

1 large carrot, finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped Thai basil, plus more leaves for garnish

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Chile oil sauce, for serving

Instructions: Preheat slow cooker. On a cutting board, using the side of a chef's knife, lightly smash lemongrass. Combine lemongrass, broth, fish sauce, sugar, galangal, lime leaves, shallot, chiles, chicken and mushrooms in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until chicken is cooked through, about 2½ hours (or on low for 5 hours). Add coconut milk and carrot, and cook on high 30 minutes longer (or on low for 1 hour). Stir in lime juice, cilantro, basil and scallion. Top with cilantro and basil, and serve with chili oil sauce.

Beef and Texas Red Wine Stew

From "Texas Slow Cooker" by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Makes 8 servings

Vegetable-oil spray

6 ounces thick-sliced bacon, chopped

3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut in 2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

3 cups dry red wine (divided)

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

3 cups chopped onions

6 medium carrots, cut in 2-inch lengths

3 plump garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt, or more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ pound cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 cups frozen pearl onions, unthawed

½ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

Instructions: Generously spray the inside of the slow cooker with oil. In a large heavy skillet, fry the bacon over medium-low heat until brown and crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the slow cooker. Turn the heat up to medium-high. In the bacon drippings, brown the meat, about one-third of it at a time. Turn on all sides as needed, then transfer to slow cooker. When the third batch of beef is mostly browned, sprinkle in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.

Pour in about ½ cup of the wine and scrape the mixture up from the bottom of the pan. Scrape into slow cooker. Add 2 more cups of the wine, the broth, onions, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours, or for 4 to 5 hours on high. The beef should be very tender and the onions and carrots mostly dissolved into the sauce.

In a large heavy skillet, warm butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for several minutes until limp. Add the pearl onions and cover the skillet for 5 minutes. Uncover and pour in the remaining ½ cup of wine. Cook for several minutes more, until the onions are tender and the wine has reduced somewhat.

Transfer to the slow cooker and stir well. Discard the bay leaves. Add more salt, if needed. Spoon into shallow bowls, scatter each with parsley and serve.

Note: Jamison suggests using a red wine with style and moderate price, such as a Texas cabernet from Kiepersol Estate or the Rhone-style blended table wine Les Copains from McPherson Cellars.