How To Use Instant Pot Steamer

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How To Keep Food Warm In The Instant Pot

How to use Instant Pot as a Pressure Steamer

Maybe youve already reheated the food, or just cooked it, and you want it to stay warm until its time to serve it.

The fabulous thing about the Instant Pot is that there is a button exactly for that! The Cancel/Keep Warm button is your best friend in this case.

If you press the Keep Warm button, it will default to a 2 hour time frame where it will keep the contents of the pot warm. I use this button all the time! For instance, if I make an Instant Pot soup recipe, I can use this function to keep it warm until dinnertime.

The Keep Warm button can also be used to reheat food slowly. Just add the leftovers to the insert pot and press the Keep Warm button, and it will gradually warm the food. You may need to stir every so often, just to distribute the heat more evenly, but it works like a charm if you dont need to reheat quickly!

Loading Your Steam Basket

  • 1Add 1 to 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot. Measure out your water and pour it into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Use less water for a smaller quantity of food, but go ahead and add the full 2 cups if youre steaming a whole basket of veggies or seafood.XResearch source
  • You dont want the water to go up over the food, since it will boil your meal instead of steaming it.
  • 2Set the trivet on the bottom of the Instant Pot. The trivet is the short rack that came with your Instant Pot. Place it at the bottom of your pot to help hold the food up over the water.XResearch source
  • If the water comes up over the trivet, scoop a bit of it out to lower the level down below the top of the trivet.
  • 3Layer the food in the basket according to cooking time. Check the cooking times in your recipe or Instant Pot cooking guide before you load multiple foods into your steam basket. Place the foods that take longer to cook at the bottom, closer to the water. Top the basket with your quickest cooking food.XResearch source
  • Root vegetables take longer to steam than green veggies. Similarly, seafood also steams pretty quickly.
  • For instance, you might put potatoes on the bottom, carrots in the middle, and broccoli on top.
  • If your basket seems overly full, it may be best to cook your meal in 2 or more batches. Since your Instant Pot is so fast, dinner will still be ready soon.
  • You can use most steam baskets in an Instant Pot.
  • Why Use A Steamer Basket In An Instant Pot

    If you use your Instant Pot regularly, youll want to keep the steaming rack or your metal or silicone steamer basket nearby. When used with this appliance, the basket elevates food from sitting directly on the surface of the insert bowl.

    This is important for two reasons. For starters, it makes for a less turbulent cooking environment when cooking delicate foods, like eggs. Also, since liquid must always be added when using the pressure cooker function, the steamer basket is helpful in elevating certain foods that are best cooked without resting in the liquid, like meatloaf and certain desserts.

    Read Also: How To Wash Instant Pot Lid

    Steaming Carrots In The Instant Pot :

    Steaming carrots is a great way to preserve nutrients, flavor, and texture. It also keeps the carrots a bright, vibrant orange. The Instant Pot uses steam under high pressure to practically flash cook the vegetables. It will take anywhere from less than 1 minute to 3 minutes for your carrots to steam.

    You do have to wait for the water to boil before the Instant Pot builds up pressure. But you also have to wait for the water to boil when you steam your carrots on the stovetop. This method is:

    • Fast.
    • Easily customizable with glazes and spices.
    • Excellent for freezing and meal prep.

    Carrots are naturally sweet and they go with a lot of flavors. Try our honey sage carrots, mustard dill carrots, or our cilantro lime carrots for some great flavor inspiration.

    Learn how to use the Instant Pot trivet with this handy guide-post. From making cakes to steaming vegetables to pot-in-pot cooking, we show you 7 different ways for how to utilize this accessory for cooking delicious food with a pressure cooker.

    When you first unbox your Instant Pot, youll find a few additional items that come with it. One of those key accessories is the trivet or the metal insert with collapsible sides. In the example of the Instant Pot, it is designed to keep ingredients out of the water.

    Here are some of our favourite ways to utilise the Instant Pot trivet that will inspire you to cook more and step outside of the box.

    Instant Pot Steamer Basket Giveaway

    Instant Pot  An Electric Multi

    717 Industries have generously given me the chance to give one of my fabulous readers a brand new Instant Pot Steamer Basket! Heres what you need to do to be eligible:

    • Leave a comment on this post with the top 3 things youd use the steamer basket for.
    • In your comment, also tell me what or who youre thankful for, and why. Be genuine.
    • If youre feeling generous, please share this post on your Instagram story or Facebook. Not necessary, but I always appreciate when you share my posts. It helps so much.
    • Be a good, kind, nice, giving person. Im like Santa Ill know!

    *Giveaway ends 12/01/2019 and I will contact the winner directly through email.

    And may the odds be ever in your favor, my friends! Lisa

    Also Check: What Does C7 Mean On Instant Pot

    Read Also: Already Cooked Ribs

    Storing Leftover Steamed Buns :

    To prevent them from sticking to one another, place the steamed buns on an oven tray, and partially freeze them in the freezer.

    Then place the partially frozen bao in Ziploc bags. Remove the excess air in the ziploc bags and seal tight.

    For best quality, you can store the bao in the freezer for up to 3 months .

    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.

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    Instant Pot Multigrain Setting

    This setting is best suited to cooking tougher, whole grains like brown and wild rice, farro, millet and steel-cut oats it can also be used to cook dry beans and a mixture of grains and legumes. We find that this is one of the most confusing functions for people because some of the recommended manual cooking times for grains dont match the pre-programmed setting times, so its hard to know when to use this function. Below is how to use the Multigrain setting on the Instant Pot.

    • Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add the grains, liquid and seasoning if you wish. Secure and lock the lid. Press the Multigrain button. The default setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at High pressure for 40 minutes. If you press the Multigrain button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More.

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

    If cooking dry beans, ensure they are completely submerged in water the same if youre making a mixture of grains and beans.

    Cooking Multiple Recipes Together

    3 EASY Instant Pot Recipes to Make in a Steamer Basket – Perfect for Beginners

    This method is only applicable to foods that have the same cooking time and temperature. First, fill the inner pot with 2 cups of water and adjust a trivet at the bottom.

    Place the dish containing your food on this rack. Lay another rack over the food dish. Place the second dish of food and let the instant pot do its job.

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    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.

    Silicone Instant Pot Steamer Basket

    This silicone steamer basket features a pleated design, so it is flexible enough to fit into both 6-quart and 8-quart Instant Pots.

    The handles hook together during cooking, so they are out of the way of the pressure cookers lid. When its time to put it away, the handles interlock around the feet of the basket, requiring less space for storage.

    Its heat-resistant up to 450F and is made with BPA-free silicone.

    As with any steamer basket, youll want to rinse it shortly after cooking, so food doesnt collect in the holes. Then, pop it in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

    If you prefer to avoid metal baskets or want one with some flexibility and easy storage, this silicone model could be a good fit for you.

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    When To Use A Steamer Basket In An Instant Pot

    Any good recipe will tell you exactly when to use a steamer basket . But just in case youre making a meal on the fly and wanted to double check, here are a few foods and dishes that always benefit from a lift.

    • Eggs: Because theyre so delicate, eggs benefit from being placed in a steamer basket in the Instant Pot. Since the eggs arent resting directly against the insert, theyre less likely to be jostled or damaged during cooking.
    • Tough or firm vegetables: The pressure cooker function on your Instant Pot is also a smart solution for cooking tough or firm vegetables in a flash. Use a steamer basket to prevent the vegetables from soaking up too much of the water in the bottom of the pot. This is especially important when making potatoes.
    • Meatloaf, whole chicken, and other meats: Using a steamer basket or rack to elevate meatloaf and whole chicken is a smart solution to prevent the food from getting soggy.
    • Bread and cakes: Yes, you can even make things like bread and cheesecake in your Instant Pot, but do cook them on a steamer basket or rack so theyre not resting in the water at the bottom of the insert.

    Instant Pot Recipes That Use a Steamer Basket

    How Long Do I Steam Veggies For

    How to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

    Less cooking time more natural texture.

    It takes a bit of trial and error to get the time setting right. The vegetables still would be delicious and healthy, but you may get a mushy carrot if you are cooking it for too long or a hard carrot if you dont cook it enough.

    As a general rule, If you like natural texture of vegetables , reduce the cooking time.

    Please note that the time you set, is the actual time for steaming so you dont have to compensate for the preheating time.

    Recommended Reading: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn

    Instant Pot Steamer Basket Broccoli

    I use my steamer basket the most to make Instant Pot Broccoli. This is one you really need the basket for for the most ideal, perfectly cooked broccoli.

    We consume so much broccoli each week, and the Instant Pot and Instant Pot steamer basket make it so much easier. One and done!

    BONUS: Dont forget to check out my post on the Best Instant Pot Accessories to buy and AVOID!)

    How To Reheat Frozen Steamed Buns With Instant Pot

    1. Its not necessary to thaw the steamed buns2. Fill up about 1 cup of water into the inner pot of Instant Pot3. Place a metal trivet in there. Place a bamboo basket or a plate4. Arrange the frozen steamed buns on top5. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press steam or pressure cooker. If you choose steam, set timer to 5 minutes. If you use pressure cooker setting, set timer to 2 minutes. Release pressure immediately after6. Enjoy the warm steamed buns

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    Silicone Trivet Without Handles

    This silicone trivet is made by the Instant Pot company and fits 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots.

    This silicone trivet is very easy to clean because its made of silicone and is dishwasher safe. The design allows steam to circulate and liquid to cover the bottom of the inner pot which helps prevent the Burn Message and the food to cook evenly.

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    Steaming Veggies On Trivet

    Instant Pot Meatloaf – using the Steamer Insert

    Delicate veggies dont take long in the Instant Pot. If youve experimented, you likely know that things like asparagus, broccoli, beets and cauliflower only take around a minute to make. Perfectly steamed veggies are still a little crisp. Cooking them in the Instant Pot can be a gamble.

    For great texture and maximum nutrient retention, place your delicate veggies on the trivet to steam so that they remain out of the water. A steamer basket or even a cake tin placed on top of the steam rack trivet will also do the trick. For more ways to cook vegetables with your Instant Pot, check out our 101 series here.

    Baked potatoes are a thing of the past. Pressure cooked potatoes are in because the method is hands-off, the timing is quick, and the results are fantastic every time. The trivet works to keep them out of the water so the bottom of your spuds doesnt get soggy. You can use the trivet steaming method for potatoes with both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes. Check out these baby potatoes with butter and dill.

    You might also want to check out these 5 delicious ways to make Instant Pot potatoes.

    Read Also: Can An Instant Pot Be Used For Canning

    Converting Your Own Recipe

    As fun as it is to find new recipes to try, you may want to use your instant pot to cook your own tried-and-true favorite recipes that you used to make before you had this new appliance.

    Here are some tips for figuring out how to convert your recipe to be insta-pot-friendly:

    • Know the insta-pots limitations – Pressure cooking relies on moisture so any recipe that requires dry heat methods like roasting, frying, or baking might not do so well in an instant pot.
    • Start by looking for instant pot versions of your recipe – Someone has probably already tried making a variation of your dish so refer to a similar recipe to get cook times and settings, then incorporate your choice of seasonings and ingredients.
    • Use a cook time chart if you cant find a similar recipe – If you dont find a recipe that is similar enough, you can easily find cook time charts online to help you do the conversion.
    • Dont overfill – Adjust your portion sizes to account for the max capacity of the insta-pot.
    • Save sauces & dairy ingredients for the end – Use the Saute button on low heat at the end if your dish calls for a roux or other sauce-thickening. Dairy ingredients also have to go in at the end because they might scorch or foam.

    What Can I Steam In My Instant Pot

    Most IP users steam veggies because its a great way to cook vegetables without losing too much of the nutrients. Also, since IP doesnt let the steam escape until the depressurization step, it keeps almost all the nutrients inside the food.

    If youre a bit adventurous and want to take this one step further, you can also try to steam clams, fish, and other seafood, chicken, dumplings, and other foods. The reason why I say you need to be a bit adventurous is that it takes a few tests to get the best settings for perfect results.

    But once you get them, its an open road to steamed foods heaven from there!

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    Instant Pot Pressure Release

    I have had my Instant Pot for a few years now and am still obsessed. My biggest annoyance was when I did a pressure release and the crazy amount of steam blows typically hitting the tops of my cabinet.

    This is NOT good. We had to have our kitchen remodeled and the last thing I want is unwanted moisture on our kitchen cabinets.

    But guess what? There is a solution!

    What Comes In The Box

    Can you use your Instant Pot as a steamer?

    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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