Heating Time Is Not Included In Recipes
When the Instant Pot first came out, I kept seeing videos on Facebook with things like 3 minutes later and completely cooked pasta dishes being scooped out. Or chicken breast in 5 minutes! and I just couldnt wrap my head around how that would work!
When I got my Crockpot Express, I realized that none of those recipes were including the warming up time as the pot comes to pressure. In general, it takes about 10 minutes for the pressure to be reached and the cooking cycle to begin. That whole time, the food inside is cooking, so you need to plan for that as well as any pressure release time when venturing out on your own without a recipe. I created a
> > Thats It For The Pressure Cooker Parts Youre Ready To Move On To The Next Section
Part 2 in our Getting Started Guide will discuss everything you need to know about choosing a pressure release method, including how and when to use each type.
If youre in a hurry to get cooking, you can always skip to our Make Your First Meal post and come back to review this information while youre waiting for the chicken to cook.
Once you have your first meal under your belt, move on to some easy pressure cooking recipes. Before you know it, youll be making fabulous pressure cooker meals and wondering how you ever cooked without it!
Instant Pot Parts Reference Guide
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Get your new pressure cooker out of the box and get cooking! In this Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Parts Reference Guide, I break down the basic parts of electric pressure cookers, including specific details for the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express, Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Welcome to Part 1 of the How To Use an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Getting Started Guide! There are five parts to this Getting started Guide:
Part 1 will help you get to know the different parts of your machine. For a full understanding of your specific pressure cookers parts, be sure to check out the diagrams in your user manual.
All electric pressure cookers are made up of similar parts with similar functions. However, the various electric pressure cooker brands use slightly different terms to refer to the different parts and pieces that make up the machine. To help you make sense of everything, Ive compiled a quick guide to the different pressure cooker parts with the terminology I use on my blog as well as the terminology used by the different pressure cooker user manuals.
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Are Pressure Cookers Worth It
A pressure cooker is what you want for making meals fast. Theyre better for searing meats, because you can increase the heat more than with electric models, they also cook at a higher pressure setting, so they braise, simmer, and boil faster. But you need to keep a closer eye on stovetop models than electric ones.
Can I Still Use My Instant Pot If The Valve Falls Out
Definitely not! The float valve is an integral part of the mechanism of your instant pot, you cannot use the pot again if the valve isnt in it.
If the valve is replaceable and you can secure it back within the instant pot, then youre good to go. Alternatively, youre playing a dangerous game.
The float valve is pushed up by pressure building within the instant pot. When the valve is completely pushed up the lock on the lid is engaged, and your food cooks over time. This means that the float valve is an integral safety feature as if it isnt in place, the seal wont form, and the lid wont lock.
If your instant pots float valve is missing, do not try to use it until you can get a new one.
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Silicone Cap Gets Old
Whenever silicone is seen in a kitchen appliance, it is considered to be a serviceable part. This means that over time, any silicone parts may need to be replaced. This can be seen in instant pots as the silicone cap on the inside of the pot will age and start to become hard over time.
When it is hard, it will no longer block steam effectively, leading to the instant pot not functioning properly.
If the silicone cap gets sufficiently stiff, then it may simply fall off or break. This will lead to the pin of the valve coming loose, and potentially coming out of the lid.
How To Safely Release Pressure From The Valve Of Your Instant Pot
Bon appétit!
Releasing the pressure when cooking with an Instant Pot can be a bit scary at first, but you get used to it once you start using it more. Just make sure to never touch the handle of the pressure release knob directly, as hot steam and liquid coming out may burn you. Always use something to turn the knob , divert the steam away from cabinets, and also release in controlled bursts for lots of liquid or starch.
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What Happens If You Open Pressure Cooker Without Releasing Pressure
Pressure cookers are designed so that pressure locks the lid in place preventing opening under pressure. If the lid were to somehow be removed under pressure there would be an explosive release of energy as the superheated water instantly flashed into steam.
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How To Make Sure The Instant Pot Is Sealed To Build Pressure
For those who have the Instant Pot Ultra model, it automatically seals for you so you don’t have to manually do it yourself.
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How To Buy Best Crock Pot Pressure Cooker Bobber Valve
Does shopping for the best crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve get stressful for you? Are doubts rolling over your head and confusing you? We know how it is we have been through the entire journey of crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve research as we have put forward an entire list of the best crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve available in the market these days. We have brainstormed a few questions that most of you might have in mind.
Although there may be more than what we are suggesting here, it is significant for you to ensure that you conduct exclusive research for this product before buying it for yourself. The questions may include:
- Is a crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve worth the purchase?
- What are the advantages of buying a crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve?
- What factors should you consider before shopping for the best crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve?
- Why is it important to invest in a crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve, especially the best one?
- What are the good crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve available in todays market? Or what is the best crock pot pressure cooker bobber valve in 2022?
Can I Get A Replacement Instant Pot Valve
You certainly can! The instant pot valve is designed to be removed and cleaned at regular intervals. Because the parts that youre removing are both small and of vital importance, Instant Pot makes sure to sell replacement parts.
When buying a replacement, ensure that you buy a full set of pin and cap, so that you can completely replace the entire valve all in one go. Replacing just the pin, for example, will be a little pointless if the silicone cap is going to fail in a couple of months.
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Silicone Cap Gets Stuck
This can happen if youve been cooking something in your instant pot which has small parts within it. For example, a rice dish, or even porridge is at risk of this happening. If a small piece of food is trapped within the silicone cap on the inside of the instant pot, then the valve will start to function poorly.
If this poor functioning is allowed to continue, the pin of the valve may fall out, or even get pushed out, by small pieces of food or the inherent pressure in an instant pot.
You Can Cook Frozen Food
It seems crazy, but yes, you can cook food thats frozen solid! One thing you do need to be aware of, however, is that it will take longer to come to pressure when the food inside is cold or frozen. The cook time doesnt really need to be adjusted, though. The extra time warming up begins the cooking process early, so overall, the time is the same. For really thick cuts of meat, I have had to add extra time, so I do factor in a couple extra minutes, but not much.
That said, you really should cook freshly thawed meats as much as possible. Cooking from frozen is handy in a pinch, but you get meat thats a bit bland and watery because theres no good way to season meat thats frozen solid. It works best for chicken breast that youre also cooking into a soup of some kind. I have done it with my Chicken Fiesta Soup!
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Why Is My Pressure Cooker Valve Leaking
When the pressure cooker lid is not placed correctly on the cooking pot, its going to release steam. This is the simple reason why many of these pressure cooking tools leak steam from their pots. Since these tools produce a lot of pressure inside the pot, the pressurized steam often looks for small openings.
Pros And Cons Of The Crock
Now that Ive explained how to use the Crock-Pot Express Pressure Cooker, let me share the pros and cons.
Pros
- No manual or pressure cook button you have to use one of the pre-set buttons.
- You have to be careful not to scratch a non-stick pot
- The float valve is in the handle where it is difficult to see. Its harder to tell when the pressure has been released and you can open the pot.
- The pre-set cooking time adjusts to a range of cook times that varies for each setting. The steaming chart included in the manual indicates a cook time of 1 minute but the steam function does not adjust to 1 minute.
Despite the cons, Ive used the Crock Pot Pressure Cooker for a few weeks now and Ive been really pleased with how well it performs.
If you are in the market for a low priced pressure cooker with a non-stick pot, then the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is an option worth considering.
If youve purchased a Crock-Pot Express and want to join a Facebook group, check out the Crockpot Express Community.
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It Makes Weird Noises As It Comes To Pressure
I was so excited to try out my Crockpot Express when I first opened the box. I found a recipe, put in my ingredients, and then stared for a while trying to figure out how to adjust the time. Once I realized you have to choose a button first and THEN adjust the time, I closed the steam release valve, hit Start/Stop and was on my way!
About 10 minutes later, I was freaking out because there was steam coming out the top and it was making all sorts of sputtering noises. I immediately started searching Facebook for a support group where I could share a video and ask is this normal?!? You hear horror stories about pressure cookers and I was sure I was going to blow up my kitchen.
Fortunately, I did not blow up. Its normal.
Now I listen for the sound of that escaping steam, because it means that the cooking cycle is just about to begin. Its a handy little tool to let me know how much longer I have to do other things.
Yes Instant Pot Recipes Will Convert To Cpe
When you are first starting out, its really nice to have a recipe that will walk you through exactly which button to push and when. Thats why I started writing exclusive Crockpot Express recipes. Its just nice to know that the recipe youre reading has been tested in and written for the same machine you have.
However, Instant Pot kind of cornered the market at first, so the majority of recipes online are written for the IP. If Crockpot releases a new machine that includes the manual button like they have in the EU, well be golden! Until then, there are just two important things to be aware of: the button you choose for the cook time will depend on how long you want to cook and the non-stick pot instead of stainless steel means no shredding, mixing or stirring without silicone/wooden/plastic utensils!
I hope this information has been helpful! I tried to cut it up into bite-sized bits so you can process and apply it easily. Pin this post to come back to it later or share it with your other CPE loving friends! Now get cooking! You can see all my Crockpot Express recipes here!
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You Dont Really Need To Worry About The Bobber Valve
Unlike old stove-top pressure cookers, you dont need to obsess over whether the Bobber Valve is up or down. It will pop into place when the pot reaches pressure and thats what locks the lid. After the cooking cycle is over, steam will start releasing naturally, and after about 10 minutes youll hear a tiny click when the valve drops back down. This releases the lid so you can open it again!
Dont try to stick your eye in the hole to see if its going up or down. Just trust the process. However, food particles can also get stuck up there and will mess things up, so if youre having difficulty, try cleaning it out with a small tool.
Does Pressure Cooking Destroy Protein
No, it doesnt. The speediness at which Instant Pots cook might seem like a cause for concern, but according to the majority of scientific evidence, it isnt. One 1995 study dubbed pressure cooking the best out of several other cooking methods because the pressure-cooked foods retained more nutrients than the others.
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Ensure The Valve Is Properly Assembled
The number one reason that your valve is most likely to fall out of the instant pot is that it has been assembled incorrectly. Whether by you or by someone else, it is an easy mistake to make!
If the valve falls out, make sure to get the lid off your pot, and take a close look at the valve and lid. Making sure that everything is completely clean , first insert the pin. Insert the pin from the top of the lid, pushing it down into the lid itself.
When the pin emerges on the other side of the lid, place the silicone cap onto the pin, and the pin will be locked in place, ready for use. Make sure that the silicone cap can fit snugly against the silicone ring within the lid, as that is where the seal is made.
As weve said before: the valve is designed to be removable for cleaning, so if you do assemble it incorrectly, you can always take it off and try again.
How To Safely Use The Pressure Valve On Your Instant Pot
ByChristine Chanlast updated 30 April 19
So you just got an Instant Pot and can’t wait to use it to cook up some quick and easy delicious meals. There’s one problem: that pressure release valve can be a bit scary at first, and you don’t want to get hit with super hot steam as you try and get to your food! Don’t worry, we’re going to show you how to safely release the pressure from the valve in this guide.
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