I use this for everything! How did I live without this before???
I live in a Sprinter van full-time and was using an induction burner for cooking, but since I've gotten this little gem, I haven't used the induction burner once!
This is so easy to use, and it's the perfect size for one or two people. I've been making a lot of stews, and I'll saute the onions, carrots, and meat (if I'm using meat) then add everything else, seal it, and set it for 7 minutes on high pressure. I let it release naturally and have a perfectly cooked, tasty meal every time. This gives me enough for 4 or 5 servings.
I also quick soaked beans the other day by covering them with water, hitting pressure for 5 min. then letting it release naturally and let it sit (not on keep warm) for a couple of hours.
I'll often make dinner right after I reheat my lunch, and make sure the keep warm function is on. I'm able to drive with it in my sink and have a hot, healthy, delicious meal waiting for me when I'm done driving.
I've even baked banana bread in it!!! So exciting, because I don't have an oven. It turned out SO good! I used one of the containers and the lid from my To-Go Ware stainless steel lunch container to bake it in on the rack.
Because this cooks so quickly, it is very easy on my solar system. I can reheat leftovers on saute in 4 minutes, and it's only drawing 67a while it's on.
I did have a VitaClay, that I absolutely loved for making beans, and especially bone broth, but it takes much longer to cook and is heavier. So, more battery drain, more storage space, and more weight as compared to the Instant Pot Mini and the Mini wins on each count!
I LOVE my Instant Pot! But I will be the first to admit that it can be a little intimidating at first, and it can feel like it has a steep learning curve (and I'm a tech reviewer and tech lawyer, and one of those people who generally just jumps in and figures things out without reading the manuals ("Manuals? We don't need no stinkin' manuals!"), so for me to feel like I'm not 'getting' something ..well, yeah. So if you are feeling a little bewildered by your new Instant Pot, *you're not alone*!) Plus, the manual does *not* include certain information that I, at least, was looking for. Such as, how long is each pre-programmed cooking cycle? Exactly what temperature do the various sauté settings heat to? Things like that.
So, here are a few tips that have really helped me to finally 'get' it, plus instructions for two things that you can make in your Instant Pot that will change your life: incredibly easy perfectly poached eggs in 2-3 minutes, and baked potatoes in 12 minutes.
First, it is almost impossible to mess up with this thing to a point of being dangerous, so if you're concerned about the exploding pressure cookers of yore, you needn't be (I said "almost", don't go overriding your pot's safety features and then blame me when you poke an eye out). The lid audibly tells you when its sealed (when you turn it clockwise), and the pot won't even build up much pressure if you haven't properly closed the steam release handle by turning it, too, clockwise. The most likely point at which a problem could arise would be if you try to open the lid (by turning it counter-clockwise) before all of the pressure has been released and normalized (so don't do that). The pot visually lets you know when it's safe to open the pot, by the float valve (the little silver post that pops up when the pot is pressurized) dropping back down flush with the lid instead of being popped up. Think of the float valve as the reverse of a turkey pop-up button, in the case of the float valve it's done when the button pops *in*, instead of out.
The sauté function has three temperature settings: 'Normal' heats to 320 degrees, 'More' heats to 338 degrees, and 'Less' heats to 221 degrees (all in Fahrenheit)
For pressure cooking, you will probably use 'manual' nearly all the time (nearly every Instant Pot cookbook I've read relies on the manual setting almost exclusively). So *don't* feel badly for not using all of those other buttons very much, if at all (I've never used any of the preprogrammed buttons).
The preprogrammed settings each have their own timing, and *variable* pressure, which the pot manipulates by manipulating the temperature of the contents (the higher the temperature, the higher the pressure). That is primarily what makes them different from manual, which provides one consistent pressure (either high or low). However they *generally* bring the contents to high pressure, fluctuating the temperature a little so that the pressure fluctuates a little too, for a set period of time (the main exceptions to this are the rice button, and the multigrain button). Personally I just find it easier to use 'manual' and set the time that I want.
After you hit 'manual' to start cooking, you then set the amount of time you want it to cook at pressure, after which you will have a 10-second grace period (for example to add more time, etc.), after which the display will switch to displaying the word "on". Then it will be a while before the display switches to the timer countdown. This is *normal*. The amount of time you enter is for how long it will cook *after it reaches full pressure* (either high or low pressure, depending on what you selected), and so the timer will switch on when it reaches full pressure.
The cooking time in any recipe is the time *at full pressure*, not in total. So you need to take into account the time it will take to reach full pressure (which depends on many variables, including what is in the contents of the pot, what temperature they started at, and your altitude), *and* how long it will take for the pressure to be released and normalized (i.e. for the float valve to pop in, which of course is really "dropping in", but you get the point). And this brings us to the two different types of pressure release.
All Instant Pot recipes will include (or *should* include) either one of these terms: natural pressure release (also known as NPR), or quick pressure release (QPR or QR). What these mean is simply either "let the pressure dissipate on its own" (natural pressure release), or "force the pressure to escape immediately by turning the steam release handle counter-clockwise to the open position (quick release). The reason for using quick release (QR) is not because you are too impatient to wait for natural release, but because your food will be over cooked if you don't get it the heck out of dodge once it's done cooking at pressure. A really good example of a food needing quick release is poached eggs (which come out *perfectly* in the Instant Pot (see how to poach eggs in the Instant Pot below)). On the other hand, lots of (if not most) foods need the natural release - it's part of their cooking process and processing time.
Natural pressure release generally takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
Quick pressure release takes about a minute, plus the hours spent in the ER if you forget to KEEP YOUR HANDS, FACE, AND ALL OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY FROM THE STEAM VALVE WHEN YOU DO IT!! Many people put a towel over the valve before they turn it, to help suppress the steam, which you may want to do (I don't because then I just end up with a scalding hot towel - but I also rarely need to do QR, and those times that I do, I'm sufficiently respectful of the power and heat of that steam to keep my distance).
Finally, in my experience, unless you are doing a "dump everything in at once and turn it on" recipe, you will definitely want to have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. For example, for any recipe that includes sautéing in the pot first, then adding ingredients and then starting pressure cooking, you definitely want to have everything lined up before you start.
Oh, wait, *this* is actually the final note: the stainless steel inner pot can take a real beating, and cleans up just fine..BUT...after the first use or so (it was after my first use) you will see little "stains" (not sure what else to call them) and, if you are anything like me, you will think "Oh no! I have ruined the beauty of this pot! How can I fix it?" It turns out that this is *very* normal (at least the 'staining', not sure about my reaction being normal :-) ). In my case I had made beans, and my pot now still bears the "imprints" of beans, even though it is completely clean..it's sort of like the chalk outlines from a little bean murder scene. ;-) I'm in an Instant Pot forum on Facebook where many IP cookbook authors are members (including JL Fields and Jill Nussinow) and they have all said that this is perfectly normal and just what happens (in fact they said it in response to my "Oh no, I've ruined my beautiful pot" post).
Ok, I think that those are about all of the things that I had wished that I had fully understood on my first day with my Instant Pot.
Oh, actually there's one more thing. I didn't fully appreciate, until several days in, just how amazing this aspect of the Instant Pot is: you can start something cooking in it, and then *walk away* - even leave the house, and it will finish cooking just like you instructed, and be *perfectly done*, and then it will *keep it warm for up to 10 hours*! Not keep cooking it, just *keep it warm*. For up to 10 hours! You can put something in there in the morning, leave for the day, and come back to a perfectly cooked whatever, just waiting for you! Booyah! (I think this is the thing that pressure cooker purists who try to talk people out of getting an Instant Pot, rather than a stovetop pressure cooker, fail to understand. You can't just walk away from a stovetop pressure cooker after the stuff starts cooking.)
Now, here are the *the best* accessories (in my opinion) that you will want for your Instant Pot.
You definitely will want this steamer basket for your Instant Pot (the Instant Pot comes with a little steaming trivet, but this steamer basket is *way* more useful - in fact it's how you make both poached eggs and baked potatoes). Actually you will want *a* steamer basket, but trust me, this is the one you want, both because of the big handle, the fact that the handle telescopes, and, most importantly, you can use it with or without the little legs flipped down, and when you flip the little legs down, they give you plenty of space for as much water for steaming as you could ever need without worrying about the water touching the food that's in the basket.
Or, instead of, or in addition to, the above steamer, you can get this steamer basket and steaming rack / trivet set. The legs on this trivet are an inch and a half high (the rack that comes with your Instant Pot only gives 3/4 of an inch of clearance). and the flat-bottomed steamer is very versatile.
Personally, I have both, as they each serve their own purpose, and the trivet that comes with the set is really useful for pot-in-pot cooking, at which you may also want to try your hand. Pot-in-pot (or "PIP") is where you put a second, smaller vessel inside your Instant Pot's main internal pot. There are different reasons for doing this, ranging from "I only want to cook a small amount of something like oatmeal" to "I want to cook a cheesecake in my Instant Pot" to "I want to cook two different things at the same time in my Instant Pot (like cooking beans, and having a bowl of rice on a trivet (see why you want a good trivet?) above the beans, steam cooking at the same time).
For pot-in-pot cooking, I recommend any stainless steel vessel that is no greater in diameter than 7.5 inches, and no taller than 4 or so inches (your internal pot has a diameter of just over 8.5 inches and a height of about 6 inches). Lots of people use glass vessels such as Pyrex or Corningware, but I personally prefer to use stainless steel because if you drop it you'll just have a mess, rather than a mess plus broken glass.
If you're really keen on making cheesecakes, steamed puddings, flans, and that sort of thing in your Instant Pot, you may also want to grab this stainless steel pot-in-pot 'dessert insert' pan set, which includes two stacking pans. and a rack to set them on which has handles that close up over the pans to secure them.
You will also want this separate glass lid that is sold by the Instant Pot people. This lid fits on your *inner metal pot*, and this way when you are using your Instant Pot for *non-pressurized* cooking, such as when using it as a slow cooker, or with the sauté function, you will be able to see what is going on in there. Basically, in these usages, you can think of your Instant Pot as a counter-top stove burner (albeit one with really cool bells and whistles) - that may help you to understand why you want a (see-through!) lid for that inner pot. Plus, once you are done cooking in any mode, you can use the inner pot to store the leftovers in your fridge, and use this lid to cover it.
In terms of Instant Pot cookbooks to get you started, they are a relatively new genre, and a *lot* of them are only available as Kindle or other digital format books. Personally, I like to have a physical book when it comes to cookbooks, and so I like this one...you can't go wrong with America's Test Kitchen cookbooks, and their pressure cooker cookbook is no exception:
Pressure Cooker Perfection
I also happen to be a strict vegetarian, and for vegetarian and vegan Instant Pot cooking, this book by J.L. Fields is considered the best book out there (it's pretty darned good!):
Vegan Pressure Cooking: Delicious Beans, Grains, and One-Pot Meals in Minutes
And if you also are vegetarian or vegan, you'll appreciate the recipes in this one:
O M Gee Good! Instant Pot Meals, Plant-Based & Oil-free
..and this one:
Vegan Under Pressure: Perfect Vegan Meals Made Quick and Easy in Your Pressure Cooker
And speaking of recipes - here is how to make those poached eggs, and baked potatoes.
Poached Eggs: Lightly grease 1 to 4 (depending on how many poached eggs you want) Pyrex custard cups with butter or oil. Put a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, put a steamer basket or trivet in the pot (making sure that the water doesn't come over the top), and set your Pyrex cups in the steamer basket or on the trivet. I use my Oxo steamer basket for this, and I love that when they are done I can just grab the handle and pull the whole shebang out (remember the handle will be HOT, be sure to wear an oven mitt). Use Manual setting, low pressure, for 2 to 3 minutes. 2 minutes will probably be enough unless you're at a high altitude.
Baked Potatoes: Remember how I said you could make baked potatoes in 12 minutes? And remember how I said that the recipe times are for the time *at pressure*? ;~) Still, even given the time to come to pressure, and to have the pressure come back down, you can have perfectly steam-baked potatoes in under half an hour, and the best part is that you can start them, and then *walk away*! When you are ready for your potatoes, they will be perfectly done and waiting for you, even if you have abandoned them for hours! Just put water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, flip the legs down on your Oxo steamer, put the steamer in the pot and then dump your potatoes in on top of the steamer. Using the Manual setting, set the cooking time for 12 minutes, using high pressure. Then walk away! Now, because these are 'steam baked' (i.e. cooked whole over steam, but not in water), the skins will not be crisp, but these are otherwise exactly like the baked potatoes you know and love - they're great with butter, sour cream, etc.! This works with new potatoes, and regular potatoes!
Happy Instant Potting!
UPDATED - So I finally got the 6QT and oh. my. g... - so wonderful! Such a relief! I can cook 5 lbs of frozen chicken in ONE cycle and have food for my dog for the next week! Yay! And last night I finally made that famous "soccer mom spaghetti" (dump a box of pasta, one jar of sauce, a bag of frozen meatballs plus a jar of water in the pot then push a button) and - perfect. I made this same thing in the 3qt about a few times and it never came out right - first the pasta didn't cook, next time the sauce was too watery, etc. With the 6QT - cooked perfectly! And I have FIVE portions of leftovers instead of the 1-2 I had with the smaller I.P.
To put the 3qt vs 6qt in perspective: the 3qt pot does not actually cook 3 quarts because you can't fill it all the way to the top. There's a line that's oh, an inch or two below the lip that's the Max Fill line, because the pressure cooker needs extra room to do its thing. Then, if you're adding the trivet, you're losing another inch of space. So really your cooking space is more like 2 quarts, like a small sauce pan.
Imagine you're cooking ALL of your meals with nothing bigger than a sauce pan.
Then you've got the 6qt pot, which is like the big pots you use to boil pasta. Or make soup.
Pasta pot vs sauce pan. You see what I'm saying?
Anyway, now my problem is that I have to stop cooking so often because I have no more room in my freezer... :)
********
ABOUT THE 3 QT DUO --- As Instant Pots go, I'll not reiterate what everyone else says but agree that it's a game changer, and totally revolutionizes your cooking. However, I have some regrets...
3QT Too Small for Lazy Cooks Like Me --- When I to move into my Airstream trailer full time, I decided to get an Instant Pot as I thought it would help minimize the amount of cooking appliances I needed. And of course, being solo (plus a dog and cat) I figured the 3Qt was the better choice. After 7 months with it, I am desperate to trade my 3Qt for the 6QT. I like cooking, but I'm lazy and would prefer to make a large batch once and have left overs, than have to cook for every meal. Reheating leftovers is far easier to clean up than cooking a fresh meal. I'm lazy at cleaning, too.
Instant Pot Learning Curve --- Instant Pot cooking takes some getting used to, and while there is a great abundance of tips and such online, which are fabulous, about 95% of them are for 6QT or larger. Finding good, appropriate recipes for the 3QT is frustrating and has led to lots of failed meals, as ingredients plus liquids, cooking time, etc are all out of proportion.
Where Are All The Accessories for 3QT? --- In the same vein as above, there are tons and tons of accessories for the Instant Pot, but... they're all for 6QT, not a lot for 3QT. I'm starting to see more 3QT-sized accessories (like steam baskets, gaskets, lids, egg bites silicone molds, etc), but only from, like, a single manufacturer. As opposed to stuff for the 6 qt, where you've got a dozen steam baskets to choose from.
Home Cooked Dog Food --- Finally, as I'm traveling a lot city to city, I've started making food for my dog (an 80lb Labrador) as we could never find the brand of dog kibble that she liked and that was good for her. In this situation, the Instant Pot has been my savior, as it's soooo easy to just plop a bunch of raw, frozen chicken or other meats into the pot, slap on lid, push a button and within the hour, I've got tons of fall-off-the-bone meat for my pup's next breakfast (because I inevitably forget to cook for her the night before, and have to do it right at her mealtime). But normal instances when making a batch of her food, again, because I have the 3QT, I could only cook a portion of the meat, take it out, do a quick scrub of the pot before cooking the other portion - whereas with a 6QT that could be done with just one cycle.
In short, if you're thinking about getting a 3Qt for your first and only Instant Pot, don't! Just go for the 6Qt and make your life much easier.
Instant Pot IP-DUO Plus60 9-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6 Qt - I've wanted a PC for a long time and have done a lot of research. I was originally leaning towards the PPCXL because that's what my cousin has, but I did some more research and ended with this one, waiting until the Duo Plus came out. So, since I'm the 4th reviewer, here's some of the thought process I went through in deciding to get the DUO Plus and also some thoughts on the IP vs the PPCXL and also other considerations on accessories, size, etc. So far, I've only had it a few days, but overall satisfied and plenty of online support for recipes and helping you decide the post PC for your needs.
**Why I went with the Instant Pot (IP) duo60 Plus -
Three new preset buttons - cake, egg, sterilize. It also had the yogurt function which other IP do, but not some of the other makes.
Large LCD Screen with Digital Display
Mute button for those beeps in the night when cooking yogurt etc.
Plus / Minus button for both time and pressure
Keep Warm Selector can be selected to on or off at anytime.
Delay start of 24 hours and keep warm for 10 hours.
Lid rest (right or left side)
**Why I went with IP vs PPCXL -
Food Grade 304 (15/8) stainless steel pot vs stainless steel with teflon coating. I felt I could scrub and treat the pot however I wanted and not worry about scratching and what utensils to not use. Yes, you can buy a replacement inner pot for a Teflon pot, but after I spend $100+ I really don't think I should have to buy a replacement inner pot. Some of the FB group users are fine with the Teflon pot, but there are also a lot of complaints, so it might be in the handling, but every Teflon pan I ever had eventually got tossed out because of the coating coming off.
IP came with some of the accessories you pay for on the PPCXL. It had the trivet with handles, condensation collector, Rice Paddle & spoon and a couple intro guides/cookbooks.
Free shipping for IP. PPCXL site wanted $29.99
Buttons weren't quite clear on PPCXL site so it made me think they were hiding lack of selection on preset buttons. Also, confusing on what you were buying - regular PPC or PPCXL. A lot of their verbiage refers to PPCXL, but not necessarily when you go select your items for your shopping cart.
Yogurt Button - The IP has this and the PPCXL doesn't. The IP allows you to bring the milk to 185 in the IP, cool to 120 (I will be using the quick cool method in the sink) and then put in yogurt mode for incubation (8-12 hours). The PPCXL doesn't have this and you wrap it and put it in the oven.
Warranty on IP is 1 year and I went with the Square Trade Warranty for 4 years for an additional $14.37. No deductible, no hidden fees, no shipping, transferable. PPC has 60 day money back/replacement. After that up to one year you have to pay $24.99 for shipping. Their extended warranty if $15 for 3 years.
Slow Cooker Mode had a low, medium and high heat button.
IP has a + and - sign to increase or decrease the time. Others you have to select a preset and keep pressing to increase, you can't decrease time.
Overall ratings - IP 4.7 and PPCXL 4.1. I read through a lot of comments by verified buyers and the PPC owners seemed a lot more upset with customer service. I looked through a lot of Reviewers who do this for a living or at least blog and they leaned towards the IP.
I messaged with the PPCXL people online and you can tell they've been coached for answers knowing what their down faults are and not really answering the question or referencing what you know is a negative.
There are more IPs on the market and most recipes are geared towards it from a "preset button" perspective.
IP has a left and right handle that will hold your lid tilted.
I belong to a Pressure Cooker group - there are a lot of complaints about other manufacturer's instructions, quick start guide, etc. Lots of issues with lids locking, not pressurizing etc and I really don't see this for the Instant Pot family of PCs.
**Sizing -
I measured my crock pot which was 6 quart, so that's what I ordered. It's an OK size for 2 people, but since you can only fill it 2/3 full when cooking under pressure you should take that into consideration. I figure on a roast, I will do the meat first, then veggies. The 6 quart will hold four pint canning jars for sterilization.
**Accessories -
What else to buy? I got the OXO Good Grips steamer with extendable handle and a pack of 3-IP Rings color coded (dark for savory meats, orange for desserts and I will use the clear for yogurt). I had read they were dishwasher safe, but not 100% as they might keep flavors.
On my next order I'm looking at 2 cookbooks (IP Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for $9 and IP Obsession for $12). There are plenty of Facebook Group pages you can join for recipes too and online reviewers. Just type in what you are making followed by "in a pressure cooker" or "in an IP". I'm also buying IP Silicone Mitts for easy removal of a hot pot since I will be making yogurt ($10).
The only negative of the Instant Pot is you can't get a 10 quart and if I had a REALLY big family that would be the only reason, but based
on the above, I would probably just buy a 2nd Instant Pot.
I hope this is helpful. I did a lot of research and felt the need to share it. I will update this as I use it and get additional questions.
8/9/2017 update - I've been using my IP for a few months now. I use my steamer basket and trivet a lot. I make a "bowl" out of heavy duty foil and put on the trivet when making a whole chicken and it makes trivet clean-up easier. I bought an IP plain glass lid for slow cooker & yogurt mode. I don't use my extra rings cause I use my plain lid for yogurt, so no use to swap rings. I didn't get the silicone mitts. I realized I didn't need them. My inner pot doesn't get that hot on yogurt mode. I like the 2 cookbooks. I use Bar Keeper Friend to clean the pot. Still really happy with my IP-DUO Plus 60. I'm part of a FB PC group and I don't see complaints on the IP. Very happy with my purchase.
12/29/2017 update - So on Black Friday I bought the 3 qt Instant Pot because I felt like I need to have twins. It's a great size and great for
sides and especially my 2 quart of yogurt I make at least weekly, so it doesn't tie up my 6 qt IP. We winter in FL and I was able to "sneak" the
6 qt into the truck and now I have the 3 qt here too. I made an entire Thanksgiving dinner for Christmas (Irma got in our way last month repairing) in the 2 pots. In future years, I'll prob just bring the 3 qt cause it fits better in my cabinets in the mobile home.
I've been using the 6 qt IP, but always had way too much food left over. I bought the 3 qt mini for use in our camping trailer. However, I ended up dragging it home and using it there. It's a perfect size for just the wife and myself. Things have gotten to the point that my wife says, "I don't want to cook. Pull out the little pot (IP mini) and make dinner (spaghetti, soup, whatever)." My fault for becoming proficient with the use of the Instant Pots. When we have company to dinner, I use the 6 qt. IP. I love it! Just had to order a stainless 3 qt. liner pot for it (with a silicon lid) in case I need to put something in it in the refrigerator ... or use it to cook something separately.
Feature Product
- All the features of the Instant Pot Duo 60, now available in a 3 Qt compact format.
- The perfect companion to your existing Instant Pot, use it for side dishes, vegetables or other accompaniments such as rice.
- Generous capacity, great for smaller families or where space is at a premium. In a dorm, RV or boat. The Instant Pot duo mini emits no steam, heat or cooking smells.
- Features fully automatic pressure cook programs, 3 slow cook heat settings, saute, rice cooking, steamer, yogurt making, delay start and auto keep Warm
- 700W power to enable it to reach pressure quickly. All Stainless Steel internal components including lid and inner cooking pot. Lid and cooking pot dishwasher safe
- Power supply: 120V - 60Hz
Description
Instant Pot Duo Mini is the ideal companion to the Duo 6 Quart, 7-in-1 programmable multi-cooker replaces 7 kitchen appliances, combines the functions of a Rice Cooker, Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer. 11 smart built-in programs – Rice, Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Sauté, Steam, Porridge, Yogurt, Slow Cook, and Keep Warm, your favorite dishes are as easy as pressing a button. The Instant Pot Duo Mini Rice Cooker Function cooks up to 6 cups of uncooked rice (12 cups cooked rice), the rice cooker function can cook all types of rice including white rice, brown rice, wild rice, sushi rice, risotto rice and more. Accessories include a rice measuring cup, stainless steel steam rack without handles, rice paddle, soup spoon, condensation collector and recipe booklet. The Duo Mini is versatile it can be used at home to make a small dish for two, side dish or while traveling such as camping, traveling by RV, boating, sailing, hotel excursions etc.. A 24-hour delay start timer for delayed cooking is great for busy families allowing you to have your food ready when you get home from a busy day at work. Automatic keep warm holds the temperature of the dish until you serve. NOTE: This product is 110v and for use in North America, if you live in Europe or other 220-240v territories this product will not operate. When installing the sealing ring, make sure the sealing ring rack is completely set in the groove on the inside of the sealing ring.
Updated 12/9/2018
Still going strong, still using the heck out of it. Made a cheesecake last night after I cooked a corned beef! Glad to have two different color sealing rings so the cake doesn't smell like corned beef. The Instant Pot folks have a two pack of rings, red and blue, quite handy. I use red for everyday and blue for sweets. I also finally broke down and bought a steamer basket with a handle, works better than the one I mention below.
Updated: 9/26/2017
I’ve had my Instant Pot (IP) going on two years; I bought it on Black Friday 2015. I am still as enthusiastic about it now as I was when I bought it, but I don’t use it as much anymore. I use it a few times a week mainly for side dishes or one pot meals. I love it for steaming vegetables, easy peeling hard boiled eggs, creamy risotto, and it makes a mean mac’n’cheese! Lots of one pot meals like chili, sausage and peppers, butter chicken, even ziti spaghetti. Super for soups. I love, love, love making an Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana in it.
It’s not Instant Cooking... it takes time to get to pressure, add the actual cooking time, and then a cool-down (or natural release) period. Your recipe might state a cook time of 30 minutes but it doesn’t mention the 10-20 minutes it takes to get to pressure and the 10-15 minutes it might need for a natural pressure release. Be sure to factor that in so your family isn’t waiting at the table 30 minutes before your dinner is ready. You’ll know what ‘hangry’ means then!
There is definitely a learning curve with this cooker. Pressure cooking is dependent on density – and you’ll see that in the charts that the Instant Pot company has on it’s website; something cut into chunks will cook faster than a big solid piece. I think the hardest thing to learn to cook in the IP is meat. I pretty gave up on roasts. It just takes practice and patience.
I recommend using recipes when you are learning how to use your IP. There are great free recipes online, some of my favorite websites are Pressure Cooking Today, This Old Gal, and Dad Cooks Dinner. Instant Pot also has a company sponsored Facebook group that posts recipes and is a good place to learn about your pot.
I love that I can cook pot-in-pot, in winter I put steel-cut oats with all my add-ins (raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, almond milk) into a small stainless-steel bowl, set that on the included trivet, throw a cup of water in the bottom of the IP, set it for 5 minutes manual pressure and then go get ready for work. By the time I’m done, it’s cooked, depressurized, and so yummy. Way easier to clean a little bowl too. The recipe for that comes with the IP.
I rarely use my Instant Pot as a slow cooker, I have found that most everything I cooked in my slow cooker can be cooked at pressure. The pea soup I cooked all day in the slow cooker took an hour in the IP (15 min to come to pressure, 30 minutes on the Soup setting, 15 min natural release) and tasted just as good. I can do a corned beef in 90 minutes (plus that extra half hour I mentioned above). If you do use it as a slow cooker, please know that the low setting on the IP is equivalent to ‘stay warm’ on your slow cooker. It also only heats from the bottom not the sides like a traditional slow cooker. That hasn’t seemed to make a difference from what I can tell though.
Now to some specific tips:
Getting the lid on properly: The instructions say to line up the arrows to get the lid aligned with the pot before you close it and seal the vent. The arrows are really hard to see and honestly, you don’t need them. Don’t bother painting them white like some folks suggest. Instead, learn this: at the back of the Instant Pot is a black ‘ledge’ that the lid fits onto, the lid then slides to the right to close it. Put the lid on with the sealing mechanism at that point. It will make sense when you start to use it. Look from above when you put the lid on and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Kind hard to explain, see the 3rd photo below.
Accessories: My sealing ring lasted nearly a year. Towards the end of the 10th month it had stretched out so much that the only way to have it stay inside the lid was to freeze it. Although it worked, it’s not the best thing to do. I keep two rings on hand now, one for sweets and one for savory. The rings DO pick up odors and you don’t want a green curry smell on your custard. They are relatively inexpensive so buy one with your IP order.
I use the RSVP Endurance Stainless Steel 3 Quart Wide Rim Mesh Basket for a steamer basket. I did pry the riveted handles off but if I was to do it again I would bend them upwards in a vise. It’s hard to get this basket out of the pot without handles. I bought a pot lifter (see last photo) but it didn’t work well – it is designed to lift from the outside of a pot, not the inside. Now I just put my silicone mitts on and pick the basket up. That said, I am very happy with the basket. It can hold 5 lbs. of diced potatoes with a few raw eggs balanced on top (which by the way can be cooked together for 4 minutes on high pressure, quick release, for a great potato salad base– don’t forget to put one cup of water into the bottom of the pot though).
I use these style silicone mitts when handling the inner pot. Dexas Mini Silicone Oven Mitt with Raised Nibs, Red. The inner pot (stainless steel liner) spins when you stir food. I had tried binder clips to hold it in place when I stirred but it’s just easier to hold the pot while wearing one of these. Lots of recipes call for stirring something in at the end, or sauteing something at the beginning, and the spinning is just annoying. As mentioned above, the mitts are great for taking the hot stainless-steel liner out of the pot. Highly recommend.
I resisted the lure of the cheesecake for about 10 months then I finally succumbed. Way too many pictures of IP cheesecakes on Facebook. Pretty much anything that can be cooked bain-marie style can be done in the IP (think custard, crème brulee). I bought the Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan, 7 Inch which works great. Some people like push pans. The only thing I can say about this is that a 6” cheesecake has a few less calories than a 9” one. The IP makes cheesecakes a breeze to cook. Beware.
Two last things 1) This cannot be used for canning. Electric pressure cookers do not come up to a high enough pressure to safely can food. They also don’t maintain a steady heat, they have on/off heat cycles. You need a stovetop pressure canner to be safe. 2) Don't be scared of this thing - it has lots of safety features. As long as you follow the directions you will be fine. Never force the lid off - it slides easily when pressure is gone. Open the lid away from you so any residual steam is blocked by the lid. Use common sense and you will be just fine!
This is a great purchase – you’ll love it!
This product is my best friend and I would marry it and grow old with it if I could. I’ve put pork loins, potatoes, yellow bundt cakes from boxed cake, rice, corn on the cob (look up INSTANT POT MILK CORN ON COB & you will never eat it any other way again!!!)... I’ve made piergoies, lasagna, apple dump cake, a whole chicken, bone broth, chicken noodle soup... and more. This is all in less than a month. I’m eating heathlier. Eating out less. Cleanup is easy. The food tastes awesome. The pork loin never dried out after it sat on the serving tray.
I suggest getting the Nordic bundt pan (SMALL) multi color, extra seal rings (1 for savory, 1 for sweet)... a large steamer basket RSVP Edurance Stainless steel steamer basket wide rim 8 inch mesh basket 3 quart capacity ...And then,snap off the handles when you get it & read the reviews under it to make sure it’ll fit your new IP, kitchen towels to throw over the release valve, a 7inch springform pan (not the silicone one!!)... and a “HIC porcelain soufflé 8 inch” to make a 2 person lasagna in. Also, A good pair of tongs.
My instant pot never gets put away. It cooks to perfection everything we cook. Perfect, pasta, boiled eggs, rice, chicken, broccoli. Everything. The secret is the fact that you can time everything to the perfect time setting.
No need to get the latest most expensive unit. They all do the excact same thing. The more expensive options are things like a button that says egg. The egg button will cost you $20.00. It sets a timer for five minutes.
Day one with the new toy... Chuck roast, baby carrots, fresh thyme, rosemary and garlic, a whole onion, beef broth, salt and pepper... Seared both sides for about 5 minutes on the saute setting, then used the meat setting for 65 minutes. The meat literally fell apart as I was pulling it out of the pot. A huge hit on it's first run, we have a bone-in leg of lamb thawing out now for tomorrow night.
This was supposed to be a Christmas present for my wife, but she passed away a month ago. Instead it is a way for us to remember how much she would have loved it.
For a long time, I wasn't a believer. I mean, I'm all for electronic gadgets in the kitchen. If I want to cook something for hours until its delicious and tender, I've got a traditional slow cooker. If I want to feel fancy when I'm preparing perfectly-cooked meats, I've got my Anova sous vide, and a wireless meat thermometer for the grill. But friends and family were always like, "Oh but you gotta get an Instant Pot!" But no, I didn't _have_ to get an Instant Pot.
Eventually, though, there was a sale, and I bought one. Now, I didn't really have any meaningful concept of the differences between the sizes and models. This 8 quart Duo Plus came up as a daily deal thing, and I bought it. It was a good price. And you know, it can make like 2 gallons of yogurt or porridge or something, so...great...whatever.
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't count on the sheer size of the thing. At the time, it was just my wife and I and our two-year-old daughter. When I unboxed this 8-quart monstrosity, I experienced a moment of trepidation, a fear of ridicule from my wife, who would point out that we don't need a really really ridiculously huge pressure cooker for just us. But I moved on from that anxiety, and I set about putting this thing to work.
The first time each of us used it, we felt what I'm sure every other pressure cooker rookie feels at first—the crippling fear that you're about to die in a horrific high-pressure home explosion, and that your family will always be embarrassed to explain that they were related to one of _those_ statistics. But, as I'm sure most pressure cooker owners do, we survived.
And it didn't take long before we realized (my wife especially, since she does a lot of the cooking) how fantastic this giant culinary autoclave really is. Cook an entire dinner of roast chicken with red beans & rice in one go? Done. Steam a whole mess 'o veggies when some friends show up with their gaggle of kids for dinner? Easy. Meatballs. Tamales. Artichokes. Corn on the cob. All quickly and (perhaps most significantly) very simple. And there's just a single pot to scrub at the end! Then just throw it back in the pantry until next time.
Last night I think I reached my true peak of giant Instant Pot appreciation. I cooked two racks of BBQ pork back ribs. I thought about just taking the meat to my dad's house and letting him do them in the smoker. But that would have taken like 10 hours! I could have tried the sous vide, but that would required me to cut up the ribs into ziploc-sized portions, to come up with a way to cook that much meat together in a bigger cooler than I usually use, and to then clean up the mess and cook for at least a few hours to get a good texture. And who has that kind of time when there's football to be watched and naps to be taken? Want to know how long I spent preparing this meal in the Instant Pot? We wanted to eat at 6pm. I boldly began my process at 5:00.
- Five minutes unwrapping and rubbing the meat and stuffing it all into my countertop sauna. I'll leave the visualization to you.
- Twenty minutes as the Instant Pot got up to cooking pressure.
- 25 minutes cooking + 2 minutes decompressing (and filling the house with delicious porky aroma)
- Five minutes painting on some sauce and letting everything sizzle on the grill.
Seriously. Delicious, perfectly cooked barbecue ribs—enough to feed at least eight people—ready in about an hour.
So yeah. I'm a fan. And even though it's comically large when we're just cooking for ourselves, I'm glad I got the 8 qt monster after all. I haven't even explored all of the fancy other options and space-age things it can do. But I will. If only because I can. Thanks, Instant Pot! <insert smile with tooth sparkle and "ding" sound>
0 comments:
Post a Comment