What Is A Trivet
An Instant Pot trivet is a stainless steel rack that holds food or food containers above the liquid in the inner pot.
The instant pot trivet with handles has two metal hinges on the sides. They act as handles for you to lift the trivet with the cooked food or containers out of the Instant Pot.
This tool is particularly useful for steaming, pressure-steaming, and cooking with the Pot-in-Pot method.
Other Things To Consider
Macaroni and Cheese:Its beautiful when made in an Instant Pot but will end up a broken, clumpy mess in a slow cooker. Its best not to convert from Instant Pot to slow cooker.
A Word on Alcohol: A slow cooker has the advantage of venting over a long period of time so alcohol will ultimately cook off. The same is not true for an Instant Pot and residual alcohol could leave food bitter. Try using lemon juice, vinegar or even broth in place of wine or booze.
Be sure to document all your changes all the way. Once youve mastered the new recipe, type it up and share with friends and family!
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Problem : The Lid Won’t Shut
No matter how much you fight it, the darn lid just won’t close.
The fix: Check the float valve , that small metal button near the release valve. If it’s up, push it down. The button has to be down for the lid to open or close.
If that doesn’t work, check that the seal in the right spot. It should be tucked in close to the edge of the lid.
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Do I Need To Adjust My Recipes At Higher Altitude
The short answer is yes. Some Instant Pot models e.g. Ultra and MAX will allow you to set your altitude and the cooking times will be automatically adjusted for you. Otherwise, cooking should be adjusted 5% for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 ft. above sea level. So, for example, at 3,000 ft., you will increase cooking time by 5% and at 4,000 ft., you will increase cooking time by 10% and so forth. One of our team members has lived at many varying high elevations and personally, I have never run into altitude-related issues with my Duo model.
Make The Most Of Your Instant Pot
All the buttons, pre-sets, pressure-settings and warnings can make Instant Pots seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it it will save you so much time. Maybe you got one for the holidays and its been living in a closet ever since, or tried a few recipes and were frustrated with the results. Get to grips with all the settings by following guided recipes at first, and youll have mastered your Instant Pot in no time For more quick and easy Instant Pot recipes, download the free Drop Recipes app now.
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The Included Accessories Changed With The Duo Nova
If youve purchased previous Instant Pot models, youre probably used to receiving one sealing ring, a steam rack, a measuring cup, and a few stirring spoons.
The Duo Nova comes withtwo sealing rings, a steam rack, and a measuring cup.
If youre new to Instant Pots, extra sealing rings are a must-have accessory and newer models are starting to come with two sealing rings instead of one.
How To Open & Close The Lid
First Instant Pot setup skill you need to master is opening & closing the Instant Pot Lid with ease.
As shown in photo below, the black markings on the lid & pot may not be easy to spot at first.
- Markings on lid: Close Inverted Triangle Open
- Markings on exterior housing: Locked Triangle Unlocked Triangle
- Open Lid : twist counter clockwise until Inverted Triangle is aligned with the Unlocked Triangle sign, then lift the lid.
- Close Lid : align the Inverted Triangle with the Unlocked Triangle, then twist clockwise to lock the lid.
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Our Top Equipment Picks
Our guide applies to most Instant Pot models, including the Lux, Duo, Duo Plus, Nova, Viva, Smart Bluetooth, Smart Wi-Fi, Ultra, and Max. Certain higher-end models, like the Ultra, automatically seal on their own, so you don’t need to manually adjust the knob to the Sealing position.
The rice paddle that I always use and is pictured in this guide comes as an accessory bundled with your Instant Pot. However, if you don’t have it, then any wooden spoon or kitchen utensil with a bit of a reach will do.
What Do The Instant Pot Duo Nova Error Codes Mean
There are six basic types of error codes you may see on your Instant Pot Duo Nova. The manual provides possible issues and solutions for each of the error codes
OvHt / BURN / FOOD BURN are all error codes that indicate burn notice for one of four reasons:
- the inner pot is not positioned properly inside the outer housing
- the temperature inside the pot is too hot
- the inner pot does not have enough liquid
- food deposits on the bottom of the cooking pot may be blocking heat dissipation
If youve gotten the burn notice, remove the inner cooking pot from the base. Check for debris inside the pressure cooker housing or on the outside of the cooking pot.
If food has burned onto the bottom of the cooking pot, soak and scrub off the burned foods. Allow the pot to cool before pressure cooking again. Be sure to add more liquid to the pot and avoid ingredients containing thickeners like canned soups or prepackaged spaghetti sauces.
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Instant Pot Cleaning Guide Summary
Dishwasher Safe Parts: Instant Pot Liner , Instant Pot Sealing Ring, Trivet
- Exterior: Never immerse the exterior housing in water or any other liquid
- Rim: Clean the rim with a foam brush
- Inner Pot: Remove the rainbow stains with White Vinegar or Bar Keepers Friend
- Lid: Wash lid with warm soapy water
- Instant Pot Parts: Periodically rinse the Anti-Block Shield, Steam Release Valve, Condensation Collector if necessary
- Silicone Sealing Ring: Remove odors with White Vinegar or get an extra pair of Silicone Sealing Ring
Instant Pot Cleaning was easy, wasnt it?
What To Use The Trivet For
The trivet comes with the Instant Pot. This is a simple insert that allows you to get some space between the bottom of the pot and whatever food youre cooking. Generally speaking, any food that you might want to cook without having it come into direct contact with liquid can be made more easily with the trivet. You can place the food directly on top of the trivet or add it to a round heat-proof casserole dish or cake pan and place that on top of the trivet.
Think of things like chicken breasts, lasagna, breads, meatloaf, and other things that wouldnt taste great if they were super soggy. Its also commonly used for eggs, veggies, potatoes, or pot-in-pot cooking. Using the trivet can prevent burning or overcooking and also ensure even cooking.
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Problem : The Screen Says Ovht
Your Instant Pot stopped cooking and has a weird Ovht code on the screen.
The fix: Ovht stands for “overheat.” This means that more than likely, your food is burning inside the locked pot. The code “C5” on the screen is also an indication that your pot is too hot.
Quickly release pressure until the float valve goes down and remove the inner pot. Chances are you didn’t put enough water or other liquids in the pot, which caused everything to overheat and burn. Next time, closely follow the recipe’s directions for how much liquid to add to the ingredients.
A Quick Overview Of The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
If you heard about the chatter and wondering what an Instant Pot is, lets start with a quick introduction.
Instant Pots are smart multi-use electric pressure cookers designed to be dependable, convenient, and most importantly safe kitchen appliances. You prepare your meals faster while using less energy. Not only are you saving counter space, but youre also spending less money on electricity too.
And in the summer, you dont have to worry about adding more heat to your already hot kitchen.
Typically Instant Pot releases one or two new models each year. In 2019 the company added several new models including the Duo Nova.
If you are shopping for your first or thinking about adding another one to your kitchen, a side-by-side comparison of the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova will help you figure out which one is better for you
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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.
How To Saute In The Instant Pot
Sauté is a non-pressure cooking program that can be used in place of a frying pan or flat-top grill. For recipes that call for browned onions or garlic, its important to sauté them before adding liquid to the pot as you will release a lot of flavor this way. Another reason to sauté first is for browning meat. Lastly, sautéeing before cooking is a great way to increase heat and reduce the amount of time your pot will take to come to pressure. Learn more about other smart program settings on Instant Pot here.
Step 1. Star the Instant Pot. Insert the inner pot into the cooker base. Do not use the lid for the next step.
Step 2. Press the Sauté button. After 10 seconds, the cooker displays ON to indicate that it has begun heating. When display switches from On to Hot, add ingredients you want to brown. Note: You can add ingredients before the Hot message appears if you do, it may not appear at all. This is normal.
The control panel will display a 30-minute countdown timer as a maximum Sauté time, you can use it for reference if you like or disregard.
The default temperature setting for Sauté function is Normal. Press Sauté again to cycle through for Less and More temperature options. Use Normal for general pan searing or sautéing, Less for simmering, thickening and reducing liquids and More for Stir-frying or browning meat.
Step 4. Add any other ingredients and liquids. Stir if needed or leave layered and continue with the manual or program settings to pressure cook the food.
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How To Set Up An Instant Pot Duo Nova
So you bought an Instant Pot now what do you do with it? In this article, you will learn how to set up your new Instant Pot Duo Nova.
Get to know your pressure cooker with pictures that show you what the different parts are.
Come along with me to see as I unbox my new Instant Pot Duo Nova in a video. I’ll show you what the parts of your new IP are in pictures.
Once you finish getting to know your IP, you will want to head over to our article on How To Do A Water Test.
A water test is a must-do so you know your IP will come to pressure.
Always Deglaze The Pot
If use the Sauté function on your Instant Pot before pressure cooking something, its essential that you deglaze the bottom of the pot. This simply means that you add a splash of water to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape off anything that might be stuck to the bottom. Onions, dried spices, and ground meat are common ingredients that will stick to the bottom of your pan, so its important that you get every little bit un-stuck to avoid getting the dreaded burn error during your pressure cooking cycle.
Once you become familiar with your Instant Pot, making dinner can be as easy as adding your ingredients to the pot, pressing a button, and walking away. I love how the process is totally hands-off! Check out my earlier post, 6 ways I use my Instant Pot, to see how I use it on a real-life, regular basis.
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Instant Pot Meat/stew Setting
The meat and stew setting is best for cooking large or tough cuts of meat at high pressure. This button can be used for cooking meat pieces in a little broth or stews that contain meat in them. Below is how to use the Meat/Stew setting on Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add meat, seasonings and liquids to the pot. Secure and lock the lid. Select the Meat/Stew button. The default Instant Pot meat setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at High pressure for 35 minutes, which is suitable for most dishes like beef stew or pulled pork. If you press the Meat/Stew button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More .
- Less mode 20 minutes at High pressure for soft texture meat great for diced steak, pork or lamb, pork or beef ribs, ground meat like when making taco meat or Bolognese sauce, and most stews that use diced or ground meat.
- Normal mode 35 minutes at High pressure for very tender meat texture great for slightly larger pieces of meat and for stews that use tougher cuts of meat like Beef Bourguignon.
- More mode 45 minutes at High pressure for fall-off-the-bone texture great for pork shoulder, beef pot roast or lamb roast.
If desired, use the / + buttons to further customize the time. The cooking time may be adjusted at any time during pressure cooking.
COOKING TIPS
Instant Pot Not Working
9 times out of 10 the reason why your Instant Pot won’t come to pressure is that it is not sealed correctly. There are plenty of reasons this occurs and thankfully, this is easily remedied.
There are TWO ways to determine if your Instant Pot is not sealing.
Another reason the Instant Pot does not function correctly is that it gets a burn notice. Often times this occurs as the instant pot is trying to come to pressure and occurs when a recipe is not followed correctly. You will see burn or ovrht, which indicates your instant pot has overheated and something is burned to the bottom of your inner pot.
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Instant Pot Setup: Understanding The Lid
The lid of a pressure cooker is an integral part of the machine. Without this lid, you cant cook foods under pressure.
This is the steam release valve. It has two settings: sealing and venting.
Sealing: When cooking food under pressure, close the lid and line up valve with the wavy lines. This position seals the pot. It allows pressure to build as the food inside heats and produces steam. The valve wont lock into place when set to sealing. For safety reasons, it will always wiggle a little.
To set the valve to the sealing position, turn it clockwise as far as it will go.
Venting: Once the pressure cooker completes its cooking cycle, you must vent it. This will either happen immediately after the cooking cycle completes or after the pressure releases slowly over time, about ten minutes. You MUST vent the pot before opening.
To do that, turn the steam release valve toward venting . NEVER place your hand over the steam release valve. Use the small handle to turn the valve and keep your hand off to the left side. When doing a quick release, steam rushes out of the valve. For a natural release, no steam usually escapes. But its a good idea to vent it just in case theres any pressure remaining.
