The Practical Guide Youve Always Wanted For Those Confusing Instant Pot Buttons And Settings
Your dreams have officially come true! You finally got that Instant Pot and its time to start whipping up a few delicious meals. Buthow, exactly, do you work this thing?
People rave about how easy and quick it is to use, but looking at all the Instant Pot buttons, it seems that only a genius could actually figure out what all of them mean. Which button do I choose for what? Whats the difference between the NormalMore and Less settings? And should I cook on Low Pressure or High Pressure?
These questions instantly come to mind, but dont sweat, we got you covered. Heres a full guide to all of your Instant Pots buttons. So make sure to bookmark this for later!
What Foods Are Best For A Pressure Cooker
Pressure cooking uses wet heat only. You gotta have liquid in the cookerthe steam creates the pressure. No liquid, no steam, no pressure.
Pressure cooking is for boiling, steaming, and braising. For example, you wouldnt cook French fries or make a crusty loaf of bread from start to finish by pressure cooking.
But anything boiled or steamed or simmered is ace in your Instant Pot.
Coco Morante
Fabulous Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
Oh, pasta! Its an undeniable love affair for many. Whats life without a little healthy indulgence? We love the endless varieties of pasta out there from hearty and sturdy penne to delicate angel hair and linguine dishes. Here are 20 pressure cooker pasta dishes that will impress even your Italian grandmother.
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How Much Water Should You Add To The Instant Pot
When it comes to the quantity of water that you should add to the instant pot to cook food in it, it varies for different recipes. But generally, you should add at least 1 cup of water to the instant pot. The reason for adding water in the instant pot is that the instant pot cooks the food with the help of pressure and steam, therefore it needs water for making this steam and pressure.
What Comes In The Box
Depending on your specific model of Instant Pot, in the box you should generally find:
- An owners manual, for one. Its boring and confusing, which is why you are reading this. But dont get rid of it!
- A recipe booklet. Some of these recipes are good, some arent so hot, but they all work. Still, hang onto this, too.
- A big ol lid.
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You Can Only Pressure
A frequently asked question around the internet is whether or not you can pressure-can in the Instant Pot and the answer is simply no. Unless you have the Instant Pot Max. If you have a different model of the Instant Pot, you can, however, do boiling-water canning, which is great for pickles and jams. If youre interested in reading more, theres a great post on the Instant Pot Community Facebook page.
How Smart Cooking Programs Work
Instant Pot® achieves the best cooking results with a set of pre-set smart cooking programs. The programs are stored and executed by an advanced microprocessor chip inside the Instant Pot® control panel. The programs have been chosen after extensive testing in our lab with various foods.
The smart cooking programs control the cooking process with four parameters: heating intensity, temperature, pressure and duration.
- Heating intensity refers to the amount of heat generated by the heating element. The main reason to control heating intensity is to manage the temperature at the bottom of the cooking pot, primarily to avoid burning food content at the bottom. For instance, heating is slower and gradual for the Soup function whereas fast and steep for the Steam . Heating intensity control is also used for soaking, for programs like the Multigrain function. Instant Pot® models have a heating element with 1000W power rating. The heat output of heating element is controlled by switching the power on and off for varying durations.
- Temperature is the cooking temperature in the cooking pot throughout the cooking process. The peak working temperature of Instant Pot® is 115°C-118°C or 239°F-244°F. However, the smart cooking programs dont always maintain the peak temperature. In the Multigrain program, to soften the grains, the food content is heated to 60oC for warm soaking for 50 minutes before cooking starts.
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How Hot Does A Pressure Cooker Get
A pressure cooker can become extremely hot! However, this does not mean that the pressure cooker is dangerous to use or that it is any hotter to the touch than an ordinary saucepan. On the contrary, the heat of the pressure cooker is maintained within the sealed pot, and it is this heat that makes cooking in this way so fast and effective and the pressure cooker so safe to use.
You can cook most types of food in a pressure cooker anything that you can usually cook in water or steam. For it to work, you need to add the correct quantity of liquid along with the food. You also need to ensure that the unit is sealed properly.
All pressure cookers have tightly fitting lids with seals that trap everything inside. The pressure release valve releases any excess pressure safely. Once the heat rises and creates steam, this is trapped inside the vacuum-sealed pot, and the hot steam cooks the food.
A pressure cooker works essentially . The high-temperature steam forces liquid into the food, meaning that food is kept moistened and tender. The higher temperatures ensure that the food cooks faster than with conventional methods. You need a minimum of a cupful of liquid when cooking this way.
Because the pressure cooker is a sealed unit, the heat within quickly increases. The high pressure raises the boiling point within the pot to a far higher level than you could achieve by simply boiling food in a conventional saucepan.
- Turn off the pressure cooker and allow it to cool down.
The Practical Guide You’ve Always Wanted For Those Confusing Instant Pot Buttons And Settings
Your dreams have officially come true! You finally got that Instant Pot and its time to start whipping up a few delicious meals. Buthow, exactly, do you work this thing?
People rave about how easy and quick it is to use, but looking at all the Instant Pot buttons, it seems that only a genius could actually figure out what all of them mean. Which button do I choose for what? Whats the difference between the NormalMore and Less settings? And should I cook on Low Pressure or High Pressure?
These questions instantly come to mind, but dont sweat, we got you covered. Heres a full guide to all of your Instant Pots buttons. So make sure to bookmark this for later!
Read Also: How To Set Instant Pot To High Pressure
What Should I Cook With My Instant Pot
While fanatics will tell you that you can cook almost anything in an Instant Pot, the truth is that, like slow cookers, microwaves and sous vide devices, there are are certain dishes and styles of cooking that are best suited for pressure cooking, and many others that simply arent.
Pressure cooking is a wet cooking method it needs a liquid in the pot to boil and create steam in order to do its thing. Braises, stews and soups are therefore all good candidates for pressure cooking. Youll also want to consider the main ingredients that youre pressure cooking. Generally you want to look towards tough cuts of meat full of connective tissue, such as chuck roast, pork shoulder or anything youd otherwise cook low-and-slow. Pressure cookers are great at breaking down those connective tissues into gelatin, which creates that wonderful, mouth-coating texture in the greatest braises and stews. They also render those toughened muscle fibers to fork-tenderness far more quickly than you can achieve in an oven.
Likewise, pressure cookers are excellent at producing nutrient-rich stocks in an hour or so breaking down the collagen and gelatin in bones on the stovetop takes the better part of a day.
As with any trendy cooking apparatus, it is best to rely on third-party recipes from resources that arent just chasing clicks. And use your gut does a recipe sound like it would actually improve in an Instant Pot? Try it out. If it sounds borderline insane, maybe not.
Instant Pot Keep Warm Mode: What You Need To Know
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You have an Instant Pot and want to cook delicious homemade meals, but how do you make the most of your pressure cooker by using the keep warm button? Today, Im going to talk about all things keep warm. What is keep warm mode? How does the keep warm button work when cooking food in an Instant Pot and when should you use the keep warm setting?
Sit back, relax and read on as I share my keep warm knowledge with you.
*I use affiliate links in this post. If you buy anything from my links I will earn a small commission*
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Should I Get The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid is sold and is compatible with 6-quart Instant models that dont already have air-frying capability . The Air Fryer Lid comes with a fry basket and other accessories and allows you to air-fry straight from your pressure cooker. In addition to air-frying, the Air Fryer Lid adds broiling, baking, roasting, reheating, and dehydrating functionality to compatible machines.
What Temperature Do Pressure Cookers Cook At High Altitudes
Atmospheric pressure plays a vital role in the functionality of a pressure cooker. As atmospheric pressure depends on the altitude, it is safe to say that altitudes too have a role in the functionality of a pressure cooker.
As the altitude increases, the pressure inside a pressure cooker usually decreases. Along with the pressure, the temperature also decreases as they are related.
At very high altitudes, say 10000 feet, the temperature in a pressure cooker remains around 240°F. The chart below shows the temperature of the pressure cooker at different altitudes.
| Altitude |
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How Is The Instant Pot Different From A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker with internally built heating element while the stovetop pressure cooker is fueled by heat from a stove, whether gas or electric. Learn how the Instant Pot works in more detail here.
A pressure cooker works on a simple principle: steam pressure. A sealed pot, with a lot of steam inside, builds up high pressure, which helps food cook faster. Here is a video explaining how a traditional stovetop pressure cooker works. The physics of high-heat and steam under pressure also apply to the electric pressure cookers, except they require no monitoring or manual timing.
How To Make Yogurt Without A Yogurt Button
It is a bit harder to make yogurt without a yogurt button on a pressure cooker, but it is possible.
- It is a bit harder, but it is possible.
- Pour milk into the inner pot of pressure cooker.
- Turn on the Sear/Saute function.
- Heat milk to 180°F. Use a thermometer to check the temp often and be sure to stir very often so the milk does not scorch.
- Once the milk reaches 180°F, turn off your pressure cooker.
- Remove the inner pot and cool it to 108 degrees.
- Once your milk has reached 108 stir starter yogurt and whisk until incorporated.
- Put inner pot back in instant pot and place lid on the pressure cooker.
- Wrap in a large towel, or two regular towels and incubate for at least 8 hours or 10 hours.
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Everything You Need To Know About How Pressure Cookers Work Including Answers To Such Questions As Who Invented Them Will They Explode And What’s Up With Cooking At High Altitudes
Say the words pressure cooker to someone whos never used one, and theyll probably think danger. It isnt hard to imagine whats going through their headsvisions of flying lids, exploding kettles, or much, much worse. Even people who have used a pressure cooker will sometimes get a little leery around one.
But while such hazards may have been possible in the past, theyre practically fiction today. Pressure cookers are safe to use. More than that, theyre incredibly useful. In this age of speed, efficiency, and optimization, there are few tools in the kitchen more suited to cooks who demand good food quickly. If youre on the fence about buying a pressure cookeror if youre an especially obstinate hater, this article is for you.
How Hot Is A Pressure Cooker At 10 Psi
A pressure cooker works in a high pressurized state with a closed lid. The temperature to reach boiling point increases in it. The enclosed vessel does not allow the water to steam and thus creates more pressure inside it.
Under different pressure conditions, the temperature of pressure cookers reaches different levels. With rising pressure bars or points, the temperature increases as well.
A pressure cooker reaches a temperature of 24 °F at 10 PSI.
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Cooking With A Pressure Cooker
Pictured recipe:Gluten-Free Pressure-Cooker Mac & Cheese
Modern pressure-cooking is safer than ever, energy-efficient and will save you time and effort with hands-free cooking. But the cookers do require a bit of a learning curve for best use. Below are the basic steps for how to use your pressure cooker .
How Hot Does An Electric Pressure Cooker Get
Electric pressure cookers work on electricity. It does not take heat from the heat source of the stove to cook.
It is less energy-consuming and with advanced functionality than a normal pressure cooker.
They take more time to cook than regular pressure cookers. But they work efficiently without less attention and more perfection. They can reach a maximum temperature of 250 °F.
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Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart
The defining feature of the new Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart is that you can pair it with your iPhone or Android to automatically engage the cooking functions from more than 800 smart recipes on the Instant Brands Connect app. This doesnt mean you can press Start while youre at the office and come home to your Instant Pot braising ribs , but you can control almost everything through the appincluding the steam release! The Pro Plus Smart also features a premium inner pot with easy-grab handles and comes with NutriBoost, a function that mimics the motion of boiling by moving food in the pot to enhance the flavor and texture.
Built-in smart programs: Access 800+ smart recipes via the appFunctions: Pressure-cooking, rice-cooking, slow-cooking, yogurt-making, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, baking, sterilizing, NutriBoostSizes available: 6-quart Instant Pot
Benefits Of Warm Function On Instant Pot
A few benefits to using the warm function on the Instant Pot include:
- Keeping your food moist. The keep warm mode can prevent your meat, poultry and fish dishes from drying out while keeping them hot until you are ready to eat.
- Perfect for potlucks as well as cooking your meal then letting it keep warm until you are ready to eat.
- Allows easy entertaining, by giving you the ability to keep your meal warm until everyone is ready to eat.
- Perfect for those who may be delayed from coming home after work, an appointment or errands.
- You can cook a meal such as Oatmeal at night and have it warm and ready to serve in the morning.
- The keep warm button keeps food warm for hours.
- Keep Warm Mode is an energy-saving function of your Instant Pot that kicks in after cooking.
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Instant Pot Steam Setting
The Steam setting on the Instant Pot is perfect for cooking vegetables, fish and seafood, tofu and any other food that is suitable to steaming. This function uses Low pressure, which helps to avoid overcooking the food and means that the Instant Pot will come to pressure quicker. You need to use the trivet/steam rack provided to elevate food from cooking liquid. Always use QR to prevent food from overcooking. Below is how to use the Steam setting on Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add a cup of water to the inner pot and place the trivet on top. You can place the vegetables or a piece of fish or thinly sliced chicken on top of the trivet OR you can use an additional steam basket or a round pan with holes that fits inside the pot. A steamer basket might be useful for smaller-sized vegetables or cut-up vegetables to prevent them from falling into the water.
- Secure and lock the lid. Press the Steam button. The default setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at Low pressure for 10 minutes. If you press the Steam button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More.
