Tell me about the Instant Pot

[tdbates78]

I've seen the IP mentioned everywhere !ately. Pinterest, blog recipes, facebook... So now I really want one :) Is it really that awesome? I have a cabinet full of kitchen gadgets that I rarely use (I'm looking at you, immersion blender and Mickey waffle iron) so I don't want to purchase unless it's something I will use on a more regular basis. Do you pull yours out often? Is it really that big of a time saver?

[SparklyUnicorn]

I use it to make broth and longer cooking cuts of meat.  It does both of those faster.  You can also use it as a slower cooker.  If you do beans it makes those quicker.

 

I really like mine.  I probably use it 2x a week. 

[school17777]

Yes, it really is a big time saver. I used mine almost everyday for over a year. I bought a 2nd one on the Black Friday sale and I sometimes do have both going at the same time.

 

There are two reasons why it is a big time saver. One, is that you are able to pull things like frozen meat out of the freezer last minute and still have dinner on time. Two, you don't have to babysit your food. You put it in the pot and go do other things - pick up kids, stuff around the house, whatever, but you don't have to stick around a stove stirring or whatever.

 

A third reason why it is a time saver is that you only dirty really the one pot, unless you need to use it a couple of times for the meal and you may have to use another bowl to hold the first stuff in.

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I use mine 5-6x/week. I hard boil eggs most days for the kids' breakfast, make yogurt and make dinner. 

[marbel]

I use mine for making broth, hard boiled eggs, rice, and other things.  I like it.  It hasn't changed my life, but it's a useful tool. 

 

There is a social group for it here,but I don't remember how to access it and I have to run. If someone else doesn't post it, I'll try to later.

[RoundAbout]

I use mine almost everyday! Basic things like rice, beans, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, etc. take a fraction of the time, turn out perfectly, and as someone mentioned you don't have to babysit the food (no stirring and it goes to warm mode as soon as time is up).

 

Being able to do meat from frozen is also a huge advantage. Frozen Italian Sausages are my go-to fast food if I forget to thaw because they take 12 minutes and are more juicy and less messy than pan-cooked. I can also do a simple fish curry with frozen cod pieces from Trader Joe's in about 10 minutes. The pressure helps the flavors to blend more quickly and thoroughly. Shredded chicken or pork cooked in the IP for tacos and sandwiches has replaced lunchmeat for our family because its so easy. 

[Word Nerd]

Yes, it really is that awesome. I use mine several times a week.

[VaKim]

Depends on how and what you cook. I have had mine for more than a year and used it probably 3 times. We eat pretty much the same things over and over, and I do a weekly menu, so I never have the need to pull out something frozen and cook it (so no time saving there for me). I have used it for dried beans, but the only advantage I have found over slow cooking them is that it doesn't smell up the house. I was going to use it for pot roast until I found out you have to do the meat first, then add the vegetables later (which requires letting it come back up to pressure ). I'd rather just stick it all in the crock pot and not have to fool with it again. It is way too big for the amount of rice I cook, so I prefer my rice cooker for that.

 

Again, it depends on how you cook and what you eat. It just really wasn't something I needed, but like you, I have unused gadgets in my cabinet ( yep, immersion blender and waffle iron, lol).

[JustEm]

I love it and use it weekly to make yogurt, make chicken broth, cook potatoes, cook beans, and hard boil eggs. I cook roughly one meal a week in it. But we also use our waffle iron and immersion blender once a week so those aren't wasted either. Oddly enough our wasting space appliances were the toaster and microwave. So we don't have those anymore.

[Bensmom]

I use mine several times a week along with the OMGee Vegan IPot cookbook. I also use my Mickey waffle iron once or twice a week!

One person's most used kitchen item can be someone else's dust collector 😉

[sarahbobeara]

I use ours 2-3x a week. I had no clue I loved curry until I tried it in the IP. I cook outside or in the garage because it's so strong-smelling, but my husband approves of my curry recipes. AND, I make butternut squash soup in the IP and then use the immersion blender to finish it and I blend it in the IP...using two appliances at once!!  :lol:

 

I haven't used it as a slow cooker, I've heard that it cooks differently since the heat is concentrated at the bottom. However, I am much more confident using a pressure cooker now. My mom's stovetop pressure cooker has always intimidated me. 

[tdbates78]

Thanks ladies! I love to cook, and due to my myriad of food sensitivities I make pretty much everything from scratch. And yum...I make curry all the time! I too make a weekly menu but I love fixing and forgetting as most of our activities are in the afternoon.

 

And p.s. I do use said waffle maker and immersion blender. Just not too often :)

Edited April 4, 2017 by tdbates78

[Carol in Cal.]

How about posting that curry recipe?

[PeterPan]

I'm about to go make lunch in ours. :D LOVE the instant pot. I got my mother one, and she loves hers too, even though she makes totally different things. What I do is just google whatever I'm planning to make anyway and make it in there. Like if I was planning baked sweet potatoes for lunch, google how to make them in the instant pot. If I'm planning chili for dinner, google how to make it. So I don't change what we eat, but I'm able to get it done a lot faster! 

 

The instant pot really covers my hide. I'm so last minute. Baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, they're like 15-18 min in the instant pot. Sure that's the manual setting and it has to heat up and cool down. But really, don't you waste that much time anyway? Like me, I lose time everywhere, minutes dribbled. The IP covers it for me, being faster. And the rice, oh the rice!!!

[PeterPan]

PS. I leave my IP on the counter, so it's always out, ready to use. I got a 2nd bowl. I do a lot of soups in it. Soups are ready blazing fast. I made some corn chowder, so good, and I think it cooked like 2 or 5 minutes, just crazy fast! I keep a notebook and write down everything I try so I can find it again. :)

 

If you go to Trader Joes, their wild rice is great in the IP. I love that it doesn't boil over and make a mess. You can also convert most crockpot recipes.

[Carol in Cal.]

How do you learn to use this?  It's so counterintuitive to me.

[PeterPan]

Learn to use the IP? Well you do a test run with a cup of water, and after that you just google for recipes and use it. It's really not hard. If you buy the IP brand, track record is good, works fine.

 

This is the brown rice recipe I found online, and it's super yum

 

2 T butter and 1/2 c. onion-saute on saute setting

add

1 1/2 c. brown rice, stir

2 cloves garlic

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

Manual for 22 min. Natural pressure release.

 

I can make a double batch of that in my IP, and that gives me enough for a meal and to freeze for three more meals.

 

With the Trader Joes wild rice, I do 1 bag of wild rice to 5 1/2 c. liquid, 35 minutes on manual, natural pressure release.

 

To cook sweet potatoes or potatoes, you use the included wire rack (or a steamer tray), pop them in, and add a cup of liquid. IP needs liquid to work, but 1 c. is enough. I do this a LOT. My ds loves sweet potatoes, and they're so fast and easy this way.

 

What I like about soups in the IP is the flavors taste melded and blended, like they've simmered. So you get the taste like you made some effort, but you're doing it fast. :)

Edited April 4, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[theelfqueen]

When I started I used a bunch of Pinterest recipes to start or I would say "I want to make X" then look on Google for "X in the instant pot" and see what I could find

 

Plus I saw an instant pot recipe magazine with a "How to" section at the grocery checkout yesterday!

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Word Nerd]

How do you learn to use this?  It's so counterintuitive to me.

 

I've found a lot of recipes on the main Instant Pot Facebook group to try. I also have Bob Warden's Great Food Fast cookbook, which in addition to recipes includes a reference guide at the back that gives suggested cooking times, liquid amounts, and QR/NR for various foods. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by GalaxyGal

[Artichoke]

I use mine almost everyday! Basic things like rice, beans, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, etc. take a fraction of the time, turn out perfectly, and as someone mentioned you don't have to babysit the food (no stirring and it goes to warm mode as soon as time is up).

 

Being able to do meat from frozen is also a huge advantage. Frozen Italian Sausages are my go-to fast food if I forget to thaw because they take 12 minutes and are more juicy and less messy than pan-cooked. I can also do a simple fish curry with frozen cod pieces from Trader Joe's in about 10 minutes. The pressure helps the flavors to blend more quickly and thoroughly. Shredded chicken or pork cooked in the IP for tacos and sandwiches has replaced lunchmeat for our family because its so easy. 

 

 

Could you post the recipe please?  I have some TJs cod in the freezer that needs to be used. 

[Laurie4b]

It depends on how you usually cook. I don't cook a lot of things with recipes. And my cooking is primarily baked meats, roasted or steamed veges, etc. I cook "clean"; and do not serve food with sauces. I do serve food with seasoning. 

 

I am in a minority, but I wish I hadn't bought mine, so I can tell you the disadvantages: 

 

Disadvantage: Whether or not it saves you time is tricky because the "time" the instructions say to set it for only includes the time it is at pressure. The time getting up to pressure is significant. Also, there is time to let the pressure ease off after it's done. It seems to me to take quite a while to come to pressure. 

 

Advantage: once the stuff is cooked, it holds it for you on warm for a long, long time. So that helps if you put the potatoes on well before you think you will need them. 

 

Disadvantage: It requires liquid to cook anything. So if the recipe is a favorite of yours (Cajun chicken is for us. Easy in the oven--just add the spice mixture I've premade and cook) , the seasoning will be diluted by the liquid and everything is watery. 

 

Disadvantage: if you check something because it's supposed to be done and it's not, it will have lost its pressure. So as far as I know, you have to start with it coming to pressure again. That has been frustrating to me. (Maybe someone else knows what you can do instead.) I've had this happen with cooking dried beans. 

 

Advantage: you can cook dried beans in a shorter amount of time than you could on the stove.

 

Disadvantage: (However, if the presoak in water helps you because of the gas-causing agents it drains off, you will still have to do that step. The recipes I have found were for dried beans.) Additionally, you can't do as many beans at once as I would do on the stove because you can only fill beans and water to the 1/2 way point. 

 

Disadvantage: it's really hard to find "basics" as opposed to "recipes" online. So finding out how much water you have to add can be hard or times can be hard to guess if you're not going to use a certain recipe. 

 

Disadvantage: when I am cooking a soup that has an ingredient or two that I don't add until the last 10 min on the stove because it gets mushy, looses its flavor, etc, then I end up having to cook most of the soup in the instant pot, then pour it into a pot on the stove. For whatever little time I saved, I end up having two pots to wash. 

 

I have not tried it for yogurt. 

 

I think for people who use a slow cooker, who need to cook bone broth, etc. it is an advantage. (I got it because i was cooking bone broth but no longer need to. ) For people who cook more like I do, not so much. 

 

I currently use it for mashed potatoes, cooking a whole chicken, and some soups. That's it. 

 

It's good for when you want to put something on and may not be able to supervise something on the stove and won't get back to it for a few hours. 

 

(And I am happy for anyone who knows stuff I don't to correct me!) 

[cjzimmer1]

Depends on how and what you cook. I have had mine for more than a year and used it probably 3 times. We eat pretty much the same things over and over, and I do a weekly menu, so I never have the need to pull out something frozen and cook it (so no time saving there for me). I have used it for dried beans, but the only advantage I have found over slow cooking them is that it doesn't smell up the house. I was going to use it for pot roast until I found out you have to do the meat first, then add the vegetables later (which requires letting it come back up to pressure ). I'd rather just stick it all in the crock pot and not have to fool with it again. It is way too big for the amount of rice I cook, so I prefer my rice cooker for that.

 

Again, it depends on how you cook and what you eat. It just really wasn't something I needed, but like you, I have unused gadgets in my cabinet ( yep, immersion blender and waffle iron, lol).

 

totally agree it's dependent on how you cook things.  I don't use it for rice because even though I have an 8qt it's too SMALL for the amount of rice I cook,  much easier to just bake a big pan in the oven (aka Alton Brown's Baked Brown Rice Recipe).

 

Also since I usually cook 4-6 pounds of dried beans at a time, again it's too small so I just do those in a big pot on the stove.

 

But for ribs and hardboiled eggs, I don't have any method that rivals the fantastic outcome from the IP.  Spaghetti is my I'm too tired to think about food meal and yes it's pretty easy on the stove but when I'm too tired to think, it's even easier to dump everything in the pot and come back later, no checking for boiling water, or stirring the sauce or draining the noodles, just boom dump in and come back later to a fully done meal.

 

So it has uses but I don't use it everyday more like 1-2 times a week.

[marbel]

I think there has been too much hype over the instant pot.  I think it's a good tool, but it doesn't replace every other tool.  It's good for some foods, but not everything - but to read some bloggers and such, you'd think you could use it for every single thing people make.

 

I cook chicken in it when I want chicken to use in a recipe - enchiladas, or soup, for example - and for broth.  But if I want roast chicken, I'll use the roasting pan and oven. I cringe sometimes when I see people asking how to convert some recipe and it's obvious (to me) that it's not going to be right.  Laurie4b's example of her cajun chicken is a great example of this.   

 

There can also be a learning curve.  I had a hard time getting hardboiled eggs and rice right.  (Not together.)  I had to fiddle with it a bit.  

[Word Nerd]

Disadvantage: It requires liquid to cook anything. So if the recipe is a favorite of yours (Cajun chicken is for us. Easy in the oven--just add the spice mixture I've premade and cook) , the seasoning will be diluted by the liquid and everything is watery. 

 

You can kind of get around this by using the trivet. When I cook meat, it's not necessarily immersed in the broth or whatever liquid I'm using but rather is above it. You don't have to use that much liquid. That said, some recipes just work better in the oven.

Edited April 4, 2017 by GalaxyGal

[RoundAbout]

For those of you that want to do a small amount of rice, try the pot-in-pot method. I put 1 cup of brown rice with 1.25 cups of water in a pyrex and place it on a trivet in the IP with 1 cup of water on the bottom - 22 minutes High Pressure. Perfection! Black beans cook in about the same time so I will often cook my beans in water and use a pot-in-pot on a tall trivet to cook the rice at the same time. The pot-in-pot method also works great for oatmeal.

[PeterPan]

Disadvantage: when I am cooking a soup that has an ingredient or two that I don't add until the last 10 min on the stove because it gets mushy, looses its flavor, etc, then I end up having to cook most of the soup in the instant pot, then pour it into a pot on the stove. For whatever little time I saved, I end up having two pots to wash. 

 

 

If your model has a saute feature, you can use that instead of putting it on the stove. No need to switch to the stove.

[RoundAbout]

Could you post the recipe please?  I have some TJs cod in the freezer that needs to be used. 

Most of the time I just wing it. Saute some onion and garlic first then toss in coconut milk, chicken broth, Penzy's Now Curry seasoning plus a few chunks of ginger. I use sturdier veggies like potato and carrot. If you separate the cod pieces then 2-3 minutes on high pressure usually does the trick. 

 

Mine is loosely based on this recipe, which is fabulous:

 

https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-thai-green-chicken-curry/

[PeterPan]

On the IP FB group they keep raving about cooking eggs in the IP. I steam mine on the stove. It seems like the IP is too variable. So I agree with the others that it's really good if you happen to cook the things it's most useful for. I don't use it just to say I did, lol. And I agree, if I want to roast meat I roast the meat! But if I'm just pulling out frozen chicken thighs and cooking them down with chili verde and spices to make tacos, well it's brilliant for that. 

[Word Nerd]

On the IP FB group they keep raving about cooking eggs in the IP. I steam mine on the stove. It seems like the IP is too variable. So I agree with the others that it's really good if you happen to cook the things it's most useful for. I don't use it just to say I did, lol. And I agree, if I want to roast meat I roast the meat! But if I'm just pulling out frozen chicken thighs and cooking them down with chili verde and spices to make tacos, well it's brilliant for that.

I'll probably never hard cook eggs on the stove again. I get pretty much perfect eggs every time in the IP, and they peel easily.

[sarahbobeara]

How about posting that curry recipe?

 

http://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-beef-curry-japanese/

 

This is the curry my 1/2 Japanese husband ADORES. The blade steak/flat iron steak is has very little marbling, so if you use a different cut of meat, prepare for a higher grease content on your finished curry. He loves hot curry so I make it hot just for him (woo, doesn't that sound naughty lol!) Oldest DD would love to join him in this curry but it's too spicy for her.

 

******

 

http://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-japanese-curry/

 

This one cooks faster, husband says it's pretty good but he prefers smaller potato chunks. 

 

*******

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-coconut-chicken-and-rice

 

This is the one we all fight over. I grate the fresh ginger (it's spicier, IMO, and it turns out I love ginger too), use boneless/skinless thighs, no turmeric, full fat coconut milk, dried cilantro, and no lime. I make this in double batches. 

 

I've started cooking outside or in the garage, the curry smell lingers indoors. 

[AHASRADA]

Yup, super awesome. I make all my soups, stews and pasta in the IP. Also roasts, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, beets and turnip. If I had to make the choice, I'd have a single hot plate to replace my stove top, but don't take my IP!

[mamaraby]

Disadvantage: Whether or not it saves you time is tricky because the "time" the instructions say to set it for only includes the time it is at pressure. The time getting up to pressure is significant. Also, there is time to let the pressure ease off after it's done. It seems to me to take quite a while to come to pressure.

Time coming up to pressure is going to depend on the temperature of your ingredients, if you're starting from frozen it will take longer. If you're starting with cold water, it will take longer. If your pot is really full of colder ingredients, you guessed it, it will take longer. The IP functions by accumulating steam in the pot (instead of releasing it out into the environment) so think of it like you do boiling water.

 

Disadvantage: It requires liquid to cook anything. So if the recipe is a favorite of yours (Cajun chicken is for us. Easy in the oven--just add the spice mixture I've premade and cook) , the seasoning will be diluted by the liquid and everything is watery.

Get your ingredients up off the pot by using a trivet or a steamer basket without the middle post. Yes, you're going to need liquid, but no, your food doesn't have to sit in this liquid. Again, it requires steam to build up in the pot and seal so it will need liquid of some sort. Tbh, though with the referenced dish, I don't know that I would use an IP.

 

Disadvantage: if you check something because it's supposed to be done and it's not, it will have lost its pressure. So as far as I know, you have to start with it coming to pressure again. That has been frustrating to me. (Maybe someone else knows what you can do instead.) I've had this happen with cooking dried beans.

Yes, it will have to come back up to pressure cuz that's how a pressure cooker works, but it usually comes back up to pressure much faster because the food and liquid is already hot. If the recipe calls for a delayed release, you can usually skip that if you have to re-pressurize. You can also finess the steam release if you're worried about it foaming up.

 

Disadvantage: it's really hard to find "basics" as opposed to "recipes" online. So finding out how much water you have to add can be hard or times can be hard to guess if you're not going to use a certain recipe.

Hip Pressure Cooking has timetables on their website that does what you're looking for.

 

Disadvantage: when I am cooking a soup that has an ingredient or two that I don't add until the last 10 min on the stove because it gets mushy, looses its flavor, etc, then I end up having to cook most of the soup in the instant pot, then pour it into a pot on the stove. For whatever little time I saved, I end up having two pots to wash.

Cancel the keep warm with the keep warm/cancel button and use the saute mode. You can adjust the temperature by using the adjust button. Middle setting is default, but you can cycle through more to less and back. If you need it to boil set the lid on without turning it on. They also have a glass lid and I have used the lid to my stainless steel pot in a pinch.

 

It's definitely not a magic appliance. I've had mine since 2015 so I've been an IP fan from before it was trendy, lol. I use mine for rice, beans, grains, potatoes, corn on the cob, chili, soups, stews, etc. We're vegan so no roasts or bone broths here. I can't comment on how the IP works for those types of meals. I am going to get a second IP once my savings account rebounds. I have the 6qt and I think I'll get the 8qt this time.

 

For me, it works really well for soccer nights. Our favorite recipe is a one pot pasta kind of thing. Since I don't want the pasta to be too mushy, I usually use the slow cook function to get everything hot while we're gone and then bringing the rest up to pressure is much quicker and I can get dinner on the table faster than if we went to a restaurant.

 

YMMV and all that.