The Instant Vortex Has More Space
The Instant Vortex holds about about 2/3 of a bag of steak fries compared to the lid, which holds about 1/3 of the bag. The air fryer basket for the lid is even smaller than the inner pot of a standard six-quart Instant Pot, which should give you an idea of the limited space you’re working with. If you’re using your air fryer to cook for a family, the Instant Vortex is the way to go.
The Air Fryer Lid Cooks A Little Faster
The air fryer lid preheated about two minutes faster than the Vortex. Both produced crispy results, but we liked the Vortex slightly more because of the extra browning. The fact that this Instant Pot attachment produced similar results as the Instant Vortex makes a case for not adding a whole new appliance to your collection.
This Sounds Too Good To Be True
I wouldnt lie to you. Instant Pot is a misnomer. Its not a miracle, and it does not cook food in an instant. Nothing does, unless you live on Cup Noodles.
Here’s the catch: It takes time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
Typically, the time it takes the cooker to get to pressure is not part of that cooking time. For instance, if a pot roast cooks for 30 minutes at pressure, the total time from start to finish for a recipe like this might be more like 45 minutes or more. An Instant Pots heating element has less juice than the burners on your range, so it takes longer to heat food enough to get to pressure.
BUT! The ease of use frees you up to do other things. With most recipes, Instant Pots truly are set it and forget it. Lets say youre making a stir-fry, and youd like brown rice to go with it. Before you start prepping the stir-fry, put the rice and water in the Instant Pot, program it to cook for 22 minutes at pressure, then go about your business.
Emma Christensen
Read Also: Can You Cook Frozen Meat In A Pressure Cooker
The Pot Is Showing A Burn Message
This usually happens when the sensors think the pot in danger of burning your food . Often, this means that theres not enough liquid in the pot, or that the liquid hasnt reached all the bottom corners of the pot, which is easy to fix. You may also need to let your pot cool down if youve been sautéing on high heat for a while. For more complex meals, layer your starches and sauces on top of other ingredients to create a barrier between them and the bottom heater. Also, elevating meats using the cooking rack can help. Finally, if you have sautéed a liquid sauce or similar ingredient, make sure no bits are stuck to the pot before you move on to the next task.
Tips For Instant Pot Saut Mode
- After you press the Sauté button, wait for the pot to get hot before adding your food. The display on most models will show Hot when the pot is hot.
- Add cooking oil before adding meats or vegetables to the pot. The exception is that you do not need to add oil if you are browning ground beef or another meat that will release its own fat as it cooks.
- When browning pieces of meat, such as chicken thighs, do not move the meat until it has formed a browned crust on the bottom. This usually takes a few minutes. Trying to move the meat too soon can cause it to stick to the bottom of the pot. Its also important to use enough oil, as I have found that delicate meats such as chicken tend to stick easily to the bottom of the pot.
- Always deglaze the pot after sautéing. This means that you pour in a some of your cooking liquid, such as broth or water, and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you do not do this, you are much more likely to get a burn message while pressure cooking. Learn more about how to prevent the Instant Pot burn message here.
Also Check: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs In Instant Pot
How To Store Your Instant Pot
Store your cooker like this, with the lid upside down and the gasket loose. Condensation builds up in the gasket, which can become moldy if you lock a damp lid on the cooker.
This method allows for lots of air circulation. Its not so pretty on a countertop, I know. If nothing else, make sure you at least never store your cooker with a damp lid.
Turn On Your Vent Hood But Not Your Stove
When the Instant Pot releases pressure, it comes out as a fast-moving cloud of steam. If the steam makes you cringe a little as it hits your cabinets, your instincts are spot on. Repeated steam exposure can soften the paint on your cabinets and warp the wood.
There are a few ways to handle the steam. One, you can just let the Instant Pot do a natural release every time. Instead of the sudden burst of steam, pressure releases slowly. But a slow release is, well, slow, and if you want dinner to move fast , you’ll need to deal with the steam. Another option is to use a steam diverter, though Kitchn warns this option is not manufacturer recommended. they say if you choose to use a diverter, always do so carefully and with supervision.
While any of these options can work well, the fact is you’ll still have potentially damaging steam in your kitchen unless you’re doing natural release every time. It’s a good idea to turn on your vent hood, which is designed to pull steam out of the air in your kitchen. Just avoid placing your Instant Pot directly on your stove when it’s in use, and consider placing something heat-resistant under the Instant Pot.
Read Also: Why Does My Instapot Say Food Burn
Instant Pot Setup: Cooking Pot Cord And Condensation Collector
The cooking pot of the Instant Pot. This is where the cooking happens. You never want to run the Instant Pot without the insert in place.
With a three-ply bottom made of layers of stainless steel, aluminum, and stainless steel, the insert heats evenly. I love that doesnt have a nonstick coating and that it handles sautéing really well.
Theres one problem with the Instant Pot cooking insert: the max fill lines markings are INCORRECT for pressure cooking.
When using the Instant Pot for pressure cooking, never fill the pot more than 2/3 full or 1/2 full if youre making foods that release a lot of liquid. If a pressure cooker contains too much liquid, the hot liquid can spray out of the pressure release valve, causing severe burns. As long as you respect the maximum fill on a pressure cooker, youll be fine.
I find the markings to be very confusing and have reached out to Instant Pot to inquire why the max fill line is too high for pressure cooking, If I hear back, Ill update this page.
To make cleanup easy, the insert is dishwasher safe. However, I tend to just add some soapy water and let it soak while we eat dinner. It wipes out easily even without a nonstick coating.
But first
insert the cord. In my experience, the pot doesnt work well when its not plugged in.
I Am Pressure Cooking But Steam Is Leaking Out
Is steam leaking out of the pressure valve, even when turned to the upper locked position? Its normal for a small amount of steam to leak from the valve while the pot is heating up, but if it continues to leak steam during the pressure cooking cycle, you may have a problem. This could be a sign that you need to clean out and reposition the valve. If this doesnt work, you may even need to replace the valve.
If steam is seeping out the sides, make sure the lid is properly locked for pressure cooking. If the lid seems to be fine, examine your sealing ring. A stretched or cracked ring should be replaced. If the ring has become dislodged, you can usually put it back into place without trouble. A loose ring can firm up if you put it in the freezer for a little while, but this will ultimately hasten the silicone decay, so you should plan on getting a new ring either way.
Also Check: Instant Pot Liner Bags
Can I Just Microwave Them
Yes, you can microwave them, but, DONT tell me that you did!
Microwaving peas or any veggies can alter their texture, taste and zap out their nutrients. It may be convenient to do so, but not good for you in the long run.
It also cooks the peas unevenly. How would you like to bite into a spoonful of peas and some of them are still frozen?!
Trust me, you wont regret cooking frozen peas in your instant pot. I have used my 6 Quart Instant Pot Duo Nova to cook peas every time. They turn out perfectly each ti.e
Dont be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this recipe.
Instant pot makes everything so taste so much better and it cooks it really fast too. Try making cilantro lime cauliflower rice in it.
A New Generation Of Pressure Cooking
Instant Pot introduces a new generation to pressure cooking and shows people how to instantly cook a healthy meal.
This guide is for you whether you recently bought a new Instant Pot or youre already using it.
These instructions are updated to show you how to use your appliance most effectively without creating any trouble.
Well also answer frequently asked questions with helpful Instant Pot user tips.
And also, share easy Instant Pot recipes, too!
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Natural Vs Manual Pressure Release
When the cook time is up on your Instant Pot, there’s still one more step — releasing the pressure.
There are two ways the pressure can be released. With natural pressure release, the valve on the lid stays in Sealing position and the pressure dissipates naturally over time. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to more than an hour, depending on what you were cooking. Low-liquid meals take much less time than high-liquid meals, like soup or chili.
The other option is manual pressure release . Here, you’ll carefully move the valve into Venting position and watch as steam shoots out of it, releasing the pressure. This method is much faster, but very high-liquid meals, like soup, can still take about 15 minutes to release pressure manually.
So which one should you use? Consider that with natural pressure release, the Instant Pot is still full of pressure, so the food will continue cooking while the Instant Pot is in Sealing mode. Manual pressure release is useful — and necessary — when you’ve built in enough cooking time and cooking needs to be stopped as fast as possible.
If the goal is to cook a meal quickly, set enough time on the Instant Pot to cook your food and release the pressure manually when the time is up.
Cook Two Different Foods With The Pot
The Instant Pot is a one-dish wonder, making it easy to create a whole meal out of soups, stews, and pastas that combine multiple ingredients in the pressure cooker. But maybe you don’t want an all-in-one meal. Maybe you can to cook different foods in your Instant Pot and keep them separate. Yes, you could use more than one Instant Pot, but that’s not really necessary.
Instead, you can try pot-in-pot cooking. You’ll use a trivet or steamer rack, as well as small baking dishes, to separate foods that cook at the same time in the Instant Pot. For example, you can cook chicken breasts at the bottom and have a second layer on top to cook rice.
With pot-in-pot cooking, you need to add at least one cup of liquid to the bottom of the inner pot, then add whatever you’d like to cook on that layer. Above it, place a trivet or rack, which you’ll set the next layer on. Put the next layer of food in an oven-safe dish and place it on top of the trivet or rack. Then you’re ready to cook while saving time and space.
Also Check: Pressure Cooker Tuna Casserole
The One Pot To Rule Them All
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Cooker
Cook everything
The Instant Pot DUO60 is the Instant Pot that pretty much everyone has, for the most part. It’s big enough to feed up to four with plenty of leftovers. It also reduces unnecessary kitchen appliances thanks to multiple purposes, and you can rest easy while cooking.
The Instant Pot DUO60 is our top pick for Instant Pot models because it has all of the features that anyone really needs. Plus, it comes in multiple sizes , though the 6-quart is the most popular one and is big enough for families of up to four with leftovers remaining. Just dump in your ingredients, set it, and forget about it!
Pan In A Variety Of Options
Technically this is really a collection of 3 Instant Pot Accessories, but theyre kind of the same so Im going to clump them together.
Non-stick Springform Pan
My second choice would be the 7 springform pan. In some ways, I can also see that clip on the outside getting banged around and messed up in the cabinet. Its just the way things are when everyone helps put dishes away, one of those family activities I like to encourage! But I can also see how this might be easier to remove a cheesecake from because you dont have to push it up from the bottom.
Can you just imagine that going sideways and dumping a cheesecake on the countertop instead of gently pushing it up and out of the pan? Not that I wouldnt strongly consider scooping it back into a pan and serving it with some sort of garnish!
And clinching the first choice title Bundt Pan!
Its the combination bundt/cheesecake/cake pan. Im guessing theres no need to explain this option because it can function as all three of the above with minimal storage. This particular model has some great reviews and ideas for recipes beyond cakes like lasagna and meatloaf. And I just love the color of this one too!
Most of us may be able to survive just fine without a bundt pan, but when you can get all three Instant Pot accessories in one, then why not?! Or if youre the type who would definitely opt for all 3 of these pans, then you can free up a little storage space in your cabinet for some other kitchen gadgets.
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How To Cook With The Instant Pot
How you use your Instant Pot depends on what you’re cooking. But, many recipes — especially those involving meat — tend to follow this formula:
The above steps can vary quite a bit, depending on the recipe, but most of what I cook in my Instant Pot follows that sequence.
Here, the Instant Pot’s valve is in Sealing position.
Can Instant Pot Lid Go In The Dishwasher
Instant pot lid can go in the dishwasher. Before the instant pod lid would be kept in the dishwasher, remove the anti-block shield and the sealing ring of the lid. Place the lid upside down in the dishwasher as the diary pot can emit odors.
Before placing the instant pod lid in the dishwasher, make sure to check the float valve and steam release valve and whether any debris is stuck on them.
Let us look at how to wash the components of the lid:
- The anti-block shield present in the instant pot should be cleaned after it is used every time. This is because there is a risk of food splattering if the shield is not cleaned properly.
To remove the lid, shift the anti-block shield using your thumb to the edge and then lift it. This would help in removing the anti-block shield.
Wash the lid with water and soap. Dry the lid using a dry cloth before using it. Avoid cleaning the anti-block shield in the dishwasher.
- The sealing ring is heat resistant and made of silicone. It could be hand washed quickly or even cleaned in the dishwasher. After washing the ring, dry it and then insert it properly. Remember to insert the ring properly before using the appliance for cooking.
After washing the ring, check properly if there are any cracks or dents in the ring. If there are any dents or cracks present then buy another sealing ring. If the sealing ring is made up of silicone, it would have a tendency to pick up smells.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Sealing Ring Odor
