How Do I Manually Set Instant Pot
The MANUAL key allows for a manual setting of the cooking time for your dish.
Of all the buttons on my Instant Pot, I probably use this button the most because I can customize the time based on the recipe I am making. I especially like to use this button when I have a recipe that requires a longer cooking time like roasts or soups.
When setting time in this mode, remember that it is the pressure cooking time. You will still need to account for the time it takes for the working pressure to be reached. Once the pressure has built-in your Instant Pot, the manual time will start to count down.
Every Instant Pot Button Explained
Soup/Broth. This button cooks at High Pressure for 30 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 40 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.
Meat/Stew. This button cooks at High Pressure for 35 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 45 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.
Bean/Chili. This button cooks at High Pressure for 30 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 40 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 25 minutes.
Poultry. This button cooks at High Pressure for 15 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 30 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 5 minutes.
Rice. This button cooks at Low Pressure and is the only fully automatic program. It is for cooking white rice and will adjust the cooking time depending on the amount of water and rice in the cooking pot.
Multigrain. This button cooks at High Pressure for 40 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 45 minutes of warm water soaking time and 60 minutes pressure cooking time. Adjusted to less cooks for 20 minutes.
Porridge. This button cooks at High Pressure for 20 minutes. Adjusted to more cooks for 30 minutes. Adjusted to less cooks for 15 minutes.
Less | Normal | More. Adjust between the Less | Normal | More settings by pressing the same cooking function button repeatedly until you get to the desired setting.
and Buttons. Adjust the cook time up or down .
Slow Cook. Adjust to slow cook on low , normal , or high . Use and to increase or decrease the cook time.
Cancel. End a cooking program at any time.
How To Freeze Bone Broth:
- Freeze broth in silicone muffin cups or ice cube trays
- Once broth blocks are solid, remove them from the tray and store the blocks in a ziplock bag or other freezer-friendly sealed container in your freezer.
- When youre ready to use, simply remove the amount you need and reheat on the stove or in the microwave, or throw frozen blocks directly in soups for a flavor boost.
Recommended Reading: Right Rice Instant Pot
How To Set The Timer On An Instant Pot
If you dont want to use the presets for a certain meal, or if youre working around your own recipe, youll have to manually set the timer on the pot.
To set the timer on the Instant Pot press the manual button on the interface. Of course, you have to do this after you have filled the pot with the ingredients you need, set the pressure release valve to sealing, and set it to the right setting.
Once you press the manual button, you can use the – and + buttons to adjust the timer to the exact time you want. It is important to note though, that the countdown of the timer doesnt start right away.
So if you set the timer to 30 minutes, you might actually have to wait closer to 40 minutes for the timer to be up.
Thats because the timer starts counting down once the right amount of pressure has been built.
Depending on your setting, it can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes for the pressure to build. Aside from that, you cant open the pot until the pressure has been released, which can also take around 10 minutes.
Its, therefore, best to add 10-20 minutes to your cooking time whenever you use your Instant Pot.
You can also press the presets on the pot which automatically set a timer, which you can manually adjust by pressing the – and + buttons.
Choose Similar Ingredients To Another Pot
One of the easiest ways to adjust a pot-in-pot recipe is to choose a recipe that uses similar ingredients and base your cook time off of that. For example, if you want to make a Snickers Cheesecake, I recommend starting with my Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake recipe and adapting it to your candy of choice.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Tamales Frozen
Which Button Should I Use
The multi cooker does not know what is in your pot. It doesnt know how much it weighs, nor how long it will take to cook it. The buttons are just pre-set, suggested times for cooking that item.
You can cook chicken soup using the soup button, the poultry button, or the meat button. It doesnt matter which button you use, chose the button with the closest cook time to the time in the recipe youre using.
You adjust the pre-set times by using the + and – time select buttons.
Pre-set Times:
Youll want to keep the pre-set times handy so you know before selecting a button what the cook time and pressure level will be.
The Steam Release Value is in the sealed position when the arm on the knob is facing the picture of the steam with an X over it. You can get more information about releasing the pressure on my quick pressure release or natural pressure release post.
Note: You always cook in the non-stick inner pot. Be careful not to add ingredients to the pressure cooker housing when the inner pot is not in place.
You always need liquid in your pot when pressure cooking. Crock-Pot recommends a minimum of 1 cup. If youre cooking ingredients that release liquid as they cook and have a short cook time, you may be able to use less, but 1 cup is a good starting point.
Visit my Getting started with your new Electric Pressure Cooker post for more information about using your new pressure cooker.
What About Other Instant Pot Models
- Duo Plus: Like the Duo, but with a blue LCD display and few more settings . You can toggle to sound off or on.
- Smart WiFi: Generally like the Duo, but you can pair it with an app and use your smartphone to control some of its functions.
- Lux: No yogurt making setting. Does not need a drip catcher. Each setting will remember the cook time you programmed most recently.
- Ultra: Has a central control knob, not as many buttons, and a few more special settings. Has a feature to automatically adjust for pressure cooking at altitude. Quick release button keeps fingers away from the steam release valve. Each setting will remember the cook time you programmed most recently.
- Max: This has a touch screen, a sous-vide function, heats faster, can be programmed to automatically release steam, and offers an altitude adjustment option.
Don’t Miss: Tamale Pressure Cooker
Do You Need To Double The Cook Time For A Double Recipe
If you would like to double an Instant Pot recipe, you may double the ingredients . You do not need to double the cook time.
However, you may need to adjust the cook time based on the size/width of meat and vegetables. For example, a small 8 ounce chicken breast will cook faster than a large 12 ounce chicken breast and a small sweet potato will cook faster than a large sweet potato. Read all recipes and directions carefully to determine how long to cook your food.
Instant Pot Chicken Wings Times & Instructions:
- Fill the inner pot of your Instant Pot with 1-1.5 cups of water and a drop of liquid smoke .
- You can add sauce now or later, but if you want to add a BBQ sauce or a hot sauce to the wings in addition to seasoning, do so before placing them into the pot.
- Add 2-4 lbs. of frozen, seasoned chicken wings. For 2 lbs. or less, you can just use 1/2 cup of water.
- Cook manually on HIGH for 10 minutes for fresh and 15 minutes for frozen.
- Remove the chicken wings, baste and/or season with your favourite dry rub or sauce, and broil in the oven for 7 minutes or so on each side until crispy.
- Remove the chicken wings, baste, and/or season with your favourite dry rub or sauce, and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes until crispy.
We hope you enjoyed this 101 guide to cooking meat in your Instant Pot. If you found our guide helpful, we hope youll share our tips and tricks. Make sure to bookmark this one for all your carnivorous cooking needs. Bon Appetit!
You May Like: Can Crock Pot Liners Be Used In An Instant Pot
Why Did You Not Use The Poultry Button To Make Chicken Why Did You Not Use The Rice Button To Make Rice Why Do Many People Just Use The Manual/pressure Cook Button For All Recipes
The Poultry, Rice, Bean/Chili, etc modes are mainly preset modes. What that means is that you can do the same cooking using the manual button, adjusting the pressure level and cooking time. You can still cook the same way even without using the preset buttons.
We do tend to lean towards using the Manual/Pressure Cook button more often, as that gives the best control to cook.
Now you have gone through and reviewed all the buttons on the Instant Pot. Pin this page for future reference.
What If My Pot Roast Is Tough
If after cooking the pot roast, it is still tough, all you need to do is cook it longer. If the beef is still tough, it just needs more time for the braise to do its magic and break down the connective tissues in the beef.
Since we are using a pressure cooker, if after our suggested cook time, the beef is not as tender as youd like, you will need to place the lid back onto the pot, seal it, and then cook at high pressure for additional time .
Read Also: Canning Beets In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Sous Vide Cuban Pork Tenderloin
Every time I go grocery shopping, I am constantly eyeballing the big SALE sign under the pork tenderloins. You know which ones I am talking about? The vacuum sealed, long strips of pork, that are always on sale and you are so tempted to buy them but you know the minute you try and cook that thing its going to come out dry as shoe leather? For some reason I was determined to buy a few and find a way to cook it so its juicy and tastes delicious. After a few tries, I finally came up with 2 methods to cook a pork tenderloin so you get the all the Cuban flavors, but without the dry, chewy texture.
This first method is for those people who own Instant Pots that have the SOUS VIDE button.
Recommended Reading: How To Defrost Ground Beef In Instant Pot
Instant Pot Pork Chops Times & Instructions:
- Preheat oil in the inner pot on saute and get the surface hot. Season pork chops as desired and sear on either side for 3-4 minutes.
- Add sauces, vegetables, and/or fruit to the pot for a full meal. Here, things like BBQ sauce, potatoes, or apples would work really well. Dont cook with delicate/green veggies.
- Cook on high pressure with at least 1 cup of water for 10 minutes .
- Finish up with a quick release of pressure.
Also Check: How To Cook Tamales In An Instant Pot
How To Use The Instant Pot Buttons
Updated | By Tracey Black | Affiliate disclosure
Confused by all the buttons on the Instant Pot? Check out this easy tutorial to learn how to use those Instant Pot buttons for the best pressure cooker recipes.
Are you new to cooking with the Instant Pot? Or maybe youve had your Instant Pot for a while, but dont know how to use all the buttons?
Dont sweat it. I started from scratch just like you and figured out how to use the buttons on the Instant Pot. I mean, yeah, you do have your manual but its SO much easier just to look it up here or on Google right?
So there are 7 functions but the unit has 14 buttons . So what does it all mean? Lets get down to the nitty gritty and break it down. Im going to focus on the IP-DUO60 Instant Pot model. This it the 7-in-1 version that seems to be the most popular.
This particular Instant Pot has 7 programmable features, including:
Ill explain how to use each button below.
If youre just getting started with the Instant Pot, check out my quick start guide Top 10 Instant Pot Tips and Tricks You Need to Know and How to Clean Your Instant Pot.
How To Cook Using An Instant Pot
For a quick and dirty guide, it’s as easy as this:
If using your Instant Pot still seems daunting and you need more detailed instructions on how to use it, we’ve got you covered.
Once you’ve found a safe place to put your Instant Pot I keep mine on a kitchen counter away from other appliances take a moment to gently handwash the removable pot and the interior of the lid before you first use it. Next, plug in the unit.
If you are using meat or vegetables like garlic and onions that benefit from browning, you’ll want to use the sauté function first. With some recipes you can skip the searing shredded chicken from frozen comes to mind but for the most part, you want to brown or sear your meat first to add and lock-in flavors. Press the Stop or Cancel button to stop the sautéing, and add your other ingredients. If there is an excessive amount of grease left in the pot, drain it before continuing.
Before you press Start to begin the cooking process, make sure the steam valve is in the closed position. If it’s left open, the pressure will never build up, and your meal will take much longer to cook.
You May Like: How To Steam Artichokes In Instant Pot
Underside Of Lid: The Sealing Ring And Anti
The underside of the Instant Pot contains four important parts. If you have version one DUO, it will look like the one of the left. If you have a version two DUO, it might look the one on the right.
The Sealing Ring
The plain-looking silicone ring is an integral part of the Instant Pot. Without it, pressure cant build. During heating, the sealing ring expands to create a seal that allows pressure to safely build inside the machine. If the sealing ring isnt inserted correctly or is torn, worn, or out of shape, steam can leak from the lid and the Instant Pot wont seal.
Insert the sealing ring snugly in the wire sealing ring rack. When properly inserted, the sealing ring should lay flat against the lid and shouldnt pull out easily if you give it a soft tug.
To remove the ring for cleaning, allow the lid to cool and then pull gently on the sealing ring.
To clean, use warm soapy water or run through the dishwasher. Dry the ring thoroughly before placing it back into the lid.
Even with thorough washing, the sealing ring can hold on to cooking odors. If you plan to make yogurt or desserts, like rice pudding, consider getting a second silicone sealing ring to use only for yogurt, desserts, and other mild foods. This way youll avoid making a rice pudding tastes like the chicken you made for dinner the night before.
I like to keep an extra sealing ring on hand at all times. This way, if something happens, I can replace the ring right away.
Extra Instant Pot Tips
- No need to thaw meats: Since the Instant Pot cooks meat so quickly, the temperature of frozen meat is not in the “danger zone” of food safety long enough to be a concern. This means you can pressure cook meat from frozen. Just add five to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
- Make slow cooker recipes faster: I’ve found that using an electric pressure cooker to make slow cooker meals is a lot faster and tastes about the same sometimes even better. If you have a meal that takes eight hours in the slow cooker, count on an hour in the pressure cooker.
- Count on recipes taking 30 minutes longer: Most recipes don’t factor in the time it takes for the pressure to build up and release. This adds significantly to the total time needed to make a meal. Though times may vary, you can count on the pressure build-up and release adding about half an hour.
- Use a cool towel: That said, a cool towel applied to the lid of an Instant Pot can help it cool down faster and thus decrease the pressure faster so you can get to enjoy your meal.
You May Like: How Long To Cook Frozen Pork Loin In Instant Pot
Pressure Cooker Roasted Baby Red Potatoes Recipe
Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot. Add a vegetable steaming basket, then fill the basket with the baby red potatoes. Lock the pressure cooker lid. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes in an electric pressure cooker or stovetop PC . Quick release the pressure.
Instant Pot Baby Potatoes are tender, tasty and easy to make. This is a nice Instant Pot side dish to go alongside chicken, pork, or beef. You can make these pressure cooker baby potatoes with red or gold baby potatoes.
