How To Set Instant Pot Timer

My Instant Pot Isnt Searing Very Well

Sautéing with your Instant Pot is convenient, but it can be challenging to get a decent sear on specific cuts of meat. We recommend opting for a different appliance entirely to sear most larger-cut foods, like steak, because your Instant Pot wont get hot enough to execute a deep sear. Smaller cuts of meat may prove to be successful, but we cant promise that the meat wont become chewy or soggy. Searing is not the Instant Pots strong suit, so you should leave that job up to your trusted frying pan.;

Editors’ Recommendations

Instant Pot Is Taking Too Long To Start The Timer

The instant pot will take at least 15 minutes to pressurize and start the timer. If the recipe says pressure cook in Instant Pot for 5 minutes, add 15 minutes to this time.;

However, If It takes longer than 20 minutes to start the timer, check the settings and adjust the mode If needed. Plus the more food you stuff in your pot, the longer It will take to start the timer.

Is This Thing Safe

Its actually safer than conventional cooking or stovetop pressure cooking. Everyone has heard stories about old-time pressure cookers exploding. Your Instant Pot wont do that because the temperature and pressure inside the pots is carefully monitored and regulated through its internal programming.

Remember: Its your trusty cooking robot.

Don’t Miss: How To Meal Prep With Instant Pot

Using Saute Function After Cooking

The Sauté function is also useful for finishing the dish after pressure cooking is done. Once the pressure has been completely released, open the lid and then press Sauté button again. Press the button again to cycle through Less or More for lower or higher temperature.

Use it for:

• Simmering the sauce or broth in the dish that needs to evaporate and reduce or thicken.
• Adding more fragile or no-cooking-required ingredients like baby spinach, fresh tomatoes, fruit, cheese, milk or cream.
• Thickening sauce with butter, cream or flour.

I Keep Burning My Fingers When Trying To Release Steam

The release nozzle on the Pots valve is pretty loose, and twitching it open for a fast release after pressure cooking can be painful for even fast fingers. If youve been burnt by steam before, theres a very simple solution that Pot users have found: Just use a wooden spoon. Push the valve open with the spoon to release it and avoid any steam issues.

Read Also: Burnt Strawberry Tamales

What Is The Timer Button For

Some models have a button that reads Timer. While you may think that this is the button that sets the cooking time for your Instant Pot, it actually delays cooking time and will start the cooking when the timer counts down. You can set the cooking time with the plus/minus buttons or the dial, depending on the model.

Can You Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Instant Pot

While this tutorial focuses on cooking fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, you can easily achieve the same results with frozen chicken breasts using this technique. Just make sure to add 5 additional minutes of cooking time when using frozen chicken breasts. And be sure the breasts are separated before cooking. For more details, learn step-by-step how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.

Read Also: What Does It Mean When The Instant Pot Says Burn

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

How To Natural Release Instant Pot

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Everything you need to know about How to Natural Release Instant Pot vs. Quick Release, when its safe to open the lid, and how long it takes.

Dont have an Instant Pot yer or new to it? Check out our Instant Pot guide, start learning the basics with beginner Instant Pot recipes and also browse our Instant Pot healthy recipes.

Also Check: How To Cook Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot

Instant Pot Porridge Setting

The porridge setting on the Instant Pot can be used to cook oatmeal using old-fashioned oats and steel-cut oats, rice porridge and congee or porridge-like dishes that use a mixture of grains that expand in liquid. Ideally, you should use natural release when cooking high-starch foods that expand or a combination of 5-10 minutes natural release and quick release to follow. Below is how to use the Porridge setting on Instant Pot.

• Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add the grains, liquid and spices or fat if you wish. Secure and lock the lid. Press the Porridge button. The default setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at High pressure for 20 minutes. If you press the Porridge button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More.

• Less mode 5 minutes at High pressure this is suitable for cooking rolled oats and risotto-like porridge or rice porridge with slightly firmer to bite texture.;
• Normal mode 20 minutes at High pressure use for steel-cut oat porridge or rice porridge with a slightly softer texture and for making congee.;
• More mode 30 minutes at High pressure use for a porridge/congee that contains a mixture of beans or tougher grains.;

If desired, use the / + buttons to further customize the time. The cooking time may be adjusted at any time during pressure cooking.;

Here are some suggested water to rice/oats ratios for porridge and oatmeal dishes:

The Pot Is Getting Streaky Or Cloudy

If you spotted streaks or clouds inside your pot after your first couple of uses, thats normal. Fats and oils tend to cause stainless steel to stain a bit . Fortunately, those stains wont affect your cooking at all, but they could be difficult to remove when hand washing. The pot is dishwasher safe, so try running it with your other kitchenware to remove streaks and smudges. Another solution is to mix a bit of vinegar on the residue to bring back the pots original shine.

You May Like: How To Cook Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot

Want More Practice Bring It Back To Pressure

Try it again with the same hot water. This time, press Manual and then adjust the 30 minute default time by pressing the button, then press the + button to go up. Lets do 10 minutes.

You may notice how, if you press Manual and take too long before pressing the other buttons, the cooker will just beep on its own and proceed for 30 a minute pressure cooking time. If you need to re-start, just press Cancel/Keep Warm and start over.

Since the water is in your cooker is already almost boiling to begin with, the cooker will come to pressure a lot faster than it did the first timewithin a minute or so. Itll hiss, then the hissing will abruptly stop as the pressure indicator button goes up. If the hissing just keeps on going, its probably because you left the valve in the venting position instead of sealed. Just use your spoon handle to nudge it back.

What next? Same as before: the cooker beeps, the readout will say 10, and then it will switch to LO:00. You can do quick or natural release, whichever floats your boat.

Coco Morante

The Instant Pot Is Taking Too Long To Start The Timer

Remember, Instant Pots take time to heat up. For pressure cooking and other modes, the Instant Pot will take a pretty significant amount of time, usually 10 to 15 minutes, to heat up and bring the pressure up to proper levels, and then start the timer. So when a recipe says pressure cook in Instant Pot for 5 minutes, you should always mentally add the extra time beforehand. If it still seems like its taking too long, check your settings carefully to make sure you are in the right mode.

Also Check: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot

Instant Pot Guide: A Beginners Guide To Using Your Pressure Cooker

Wondering how to use your new Instant Pot? In this Instant Pot Guide, Ill walk you through what you need to know to start cooking with your Instant Pot today. Safety features, how to do an Instant Pot water test, whats the difference between a natural pressure release and a quick release, and what will happen step by step through the cooking process.

Ill be honest the first time I used my Instant Pot, I was overwhelmed and a bit scared. An Instant Pot can be intimidating for a new user. There are so many buttons and safety warnings.

However, I guarantee that once you get started, youll wonder what you ever did without your Instant Pot. I love mine so much that I now own two Instant Pots!

Im going to help you get started with all of the tips and tricks that I have learned through trial, error and research. This Instant Pot manual will tell you everything you need to know to use your Instant Pot for the first time.

Instant Pot Manual Setting

Depending on the model, the Instant Pot manual setting button will either say Pressure Cook or Manual. This is the setting youre likely to use the most. The temperature, pressure level and cooking times can be adjusted on the control panel.

• Turn the Instant Pot on. It should say OFF on the screen, indicating its in the Stand-By mode.;
• Select Pressure Cook button . The default settings will be Normal mode on High pressure. If you press the Pressure Cook button again, it will change from Normal mode to Less or More, which simply changes the automatically programmed cooking time. Less would be 20 minutes and More would be 45 minutes.;
• Use the +/- keys to change the cooking time in each mode. In most cases, you will leave it in Normal mode and simply adjust the time as needed.
• Use Pressure Level button to adjust the pressure level; press it to toggle between High and Low. For most recipes, you will use High pressure except for cooking more fragile foods like fish, seafood or fast-to-cook vegetables.;
• With the manual setting, you can use Natural Release or Quick Release or a combination of both once the cooking is done.;

Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Yogurt No Yogurt Button

How The Instant Pot Timer Works

Like with most timers on kitchen appliances, the timer on an Instant Pot basically counts down from a certain time.

When the timer reaches the end of the countdown, it shuts off. Alternatively, if you have the keep warm setting on, it simply lowers the heat and pressure to the right setting to keep your food warm.

But as youll learn in this article, Instant Pot timers are slightly different than those on other appliances.

Is Jasmine Rice Long Grain

Jasmine rice has a long grain and primarily grows in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand. Due to its fluffiness and slightly sticky texture when cooked, its considered to have an excellent cooking quality . Jasmine rice is also known as Thai fragrant rice, given its pleasant popcorn-like smell.

You May Like: Steam Broccoli Instant Pot Without Steamer Basket

Pressure Cooking Requires Liquid

Before we continue, we must mention the most important aspect of pressure cooking. It requires liquid. This is because the pressure is built by the steam accumulating inside the pot, which is produced from the liquid.;

Whether youre cooking rice, chicken breasts, pot roast, carrots, stew or cheesecake, you will need at least a cup of liquid for the Instant Pot to do its job.

This is a total amount of liquid and can be in the form of water, stock, tomato sauce, juice, wine and liquids released from the food while cooking , or a combination of those. Amount of liquid required varies depending on the recipe and amount of food but as a rule of thumb, 1 cup is always a good starting point. Also, the food doesnt need to be completely covered or submerged in liquid to cook.;

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.

Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Broccoli In Instant Pot

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.

How To Use An Instant Pot: What You Need To Know To Get Started With Instant Pot Cooking

There are a few basic things that you need to know when using an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Once you use yours a few times, these will be like second nature. Depending on which Instant Pot model you own, the buttons may be labeled slightly differently. Consult the manual that came with your Instant Pot.

Minimum Liquid Required: As a general rule, you want to use at least 1 cup of liquid in your Instant Pot every time you cook with it. The Instant Pot uses steam and pressure to cook food, and you need liquid to create the steam and pressure. Some recipes may call for more or less liquid. I recommend following recipes from a trusted source while you are learning to use your Instant Pot.

Fill Level: Inside the Instant Pot inner pot, you will see a 1/2 and a 2/3 line marked. Never fill the Instant Pot higher than the 2/3 line with food or liquid . If you are cooking food that will expand during the cook time such as rice, quinoa or beans, do not fill the Instant Pot higher than the 1/2 line.

Pressure Cook or Manual Button: Depending on which Instant Pot model you own, the Pressure Cook button is sometimes labeled Manual and sometimes Pressure Cook. This is the button that you will press to start a pressure cooking cycle. Its your basic pressure cooking button.

+/- Buttons: Use these buttons to adjust the cook time.

Keep Warm/Cancel Button: Use this button to end a cooking program or turn on/off the keep warm function.

Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Display Burn

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.

How To Start The Instant Pot

Step 1. Place the Instant Pot on a sturdy countertop or a table close to a power socket. Make sure there is plenty of open space above the pot as you will have steam eject from the lid up in the air if you quick release the pressure.;

Step 2. Make sure the inner pot is inside the cooker base and is clean. Plug the power cord in. Instant Pot will switch on and the OFF status symbol will appear on the control panel. This is called a standby mode.

Step 3. Decide on which cooking method you want to use from the below scenarios. This will depend on what you want to cook. Usually, recipe instructions will guide you along here.

In general, your choices will come down to whether you want to Sauté food first and then whether you want to use a manual setting or one of the smart programs.

Also Check: Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot

What Is Quick Release

If you are in a hurry, Quick Release can bring the pot down off pressure much faster. You can quick release a dish by carefully flipping the knob to vent.You will need to stay clear of all of the steam coming out of the pot as it will be very hot. Do not mess with the pot or cover the vent while quick releasing the pressure.

• Oftentimes, recipes will suggest that you let a dish naturally release for 15 minutes before switching to quick release to give you the benefits of natural release but speed up the process.
• Do not move your pot or mess with the lid while quick releasing.
• The lid can safely be removed once the pin in your lid has dropped. However, still be very careful because there will be a lot of steam and it will be hot.