Can Instant Pot Accessories Be Used In Other Pressure Cookers
Im pretty loyal to the Instant Pot brand. My direct experience with other brands is limited, but a quick review of functions and features and the experiences of friends and readers have made me feel confident that the Instant Pot is the right electric pressure cooker for me.
My most favorite attribute of the Instant Pot is the stainless steel insert. I will always, always reach for stainless steel over non-stick Teflon.
Another significant function some other brands lack is the ability to adjust between high and low pressure on the manual setting. All those pre-set buttons for stew/meat, poultry, rice, saute, etc. come in handy sometimes too!
All that being said, if you own another brand of an electric pressure cooker, or even if you have the old school stovetop pressure cooker, you can still use many of these accessories. Just be sure to check the size before you buy, even for the Instant Pot branded ones, as these pressure cookers come in all shapes and sizes now.
Instant Pot Tempered Glass Lid Stainless Steel Rim For 5 Qt/l Or 6 Qt/l Models
Amazon.com Price: $16.35
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Make sure this fits by entering your model number.The Instant Pot glass lid can be used instead of the pressure lid when slow cooking, sauteing / browning or using the keep warm functionColourless tempered glass, large Stainless Steel lid knob. It has a steam release vent to reduce condensation on the underside of the lid
Instant Pot Glass Lid
Make your Instant Pot even more versatile with this tempered glass lid, ideal for slow cooking, braising and sauteing.
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Durable, heat-resistant tempered glass construction
- Stainless-steel rim and handle
- For warranty information please click here
Scan the code to downloadthe Kohls App today.
KOHLS® and Kohls brand names are trademarks owned by KIN, Inc. All rights reserved.
Android, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
Also Check: Instant Pot Chicken And Rice Recipe
Thinking Outside Of The Box
There are a few things that I consider to be a necessity to any kitchen, not just for cooking with the Instant Pot. These two things will come in handy for so much more than pressure cooking, but will also make integrating the use of the Instant Pot with the rest of your kitchen tasks just a little more seamless.
The Best Instant Pot Accessories For A Real Food Kitchen
Im a pretty down to earth person and treat my Instant Pot like a workhorse. My main goal is to save time on dinner not summon forth incredible culinary creations. I want to serve my family real, nutritious foods without breaking the budget and without spending hours each day on meal prep.
On any given day, my Instant Pots are full of soaking beans, whole chicken, bone broth, spaghetti squash, oatmeal, or rice pudding just to name a few. And, while Im sure it comes out great, you probably wont find me making a three-tiered wedding cake with my favorite electric pressure cooker.
If that sounds like you, then this is the list youve been waiting for the best Instant Pot accessories for no-frills cooking in a real food kitchen.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Clearance Sale
What About An Instant Pot Steamer Basket
Im 50/50 on this one. I dont personally own a steamer basket for the Instant Pot specifically, but there are tons of great options: metal , silicone , and hybrid .
I find that its not too much work just to use the trivet and remove what Im steaming one by one.
However, I dont steam vegetables in my Instant Pot exclusively. We also often steam them on the stovetop. If I used it the Instant Pot all the time for steaming veggies, I would think I would really like the convenience of having a whole steamer basket.
This is my second steamer insert for a regular pot, and it would work in the Instant Pot as well since it sizes to many diameters:
BUT the advantage of an actual steamer basket is that you can lift it out without your food falling all over, off, and through the trivet. This is definitely a time saver if you do it pretty often. Theres even one with a divider basket that has three different sections !
Here at Kitchen Stewardship®, we have a really popular post on cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot. Weve noticed that tons of people grab the stainless steel, 3qt wide rim mesh basket from that post, so Im guessing its a really good one!
The steamer basket would also speed up the process of making hard-boiled eggs because you could probably remove them all at once to your ice water instead of having to use tongs one at a time with the trivet.
Ive Owned 5 Instant Pots In 8+ Years Here Are The Best Extra Tools
Owning an electric pressure cooker or instant pot, I believe, is a shift in lifestyle. It means I can get a meal done for dinner if I walk into the kitchen at any time of day because I can slow cook or pressure cook and set it to be done whenever I need it. But just like any shift in the way we do things, sometimes theres a learning curve to use something like a pressure cooker and in this case sometimes a few instant pot accessories and tools make life easier.
I bought my first instant pot sometime in 2015 I think. And since then I have acquired 2 more , an extra insert for one of them, and an assortment of instant pot tools. Along the way I have bought one for more than a couple of people and convinced others to buy their own along the way.
So I always get asked what the best instant pot tools, gadgets accessories, and add ons are. Thats because most people quickly realize that pressure cooking is inherently different than most other cooking methods and sometimes needs a few handy tools they may not otherwise have.
First let me say that there are a few things that are just regular kitchen or household items that you may or my not have that make life owning an electric pressure cooker easier. The first that comes to mind is a meat chopper. Whether youre breaking up clumps of frozen veggies or ground beef that you cooked from frozen, its very handy.
Alas, thats not why were here.
Don’t Miss: How To Tell What Size Instant Pot I Have
Where To Buy An Instant Pot
This is the 6-quart Instant Pot I started out with. After a few years, we added an 8-quart partly because I knew I would use two at the same time often enough, partly because it was the Prime Day sale, and also because I wanted more space for certain recipes. Both are a pretty basic model and you dont need more bells and whistles than that!
If youre deciding on size, most people say its better to get a deal on the 6-quart and just have 2 rather than go big, BUT if your family has 5 or more people or you really like to batch cook or do more than a pound of beans, the 8-quart may be the best choice. My full Instant Pot review and buying guide for features, size, and model.
If youd like to shop directly at Instant Pots website instead of Amazon , check them out here.
You can even get a carrying case to travel with it! See my review of the Instant Pot carrying case we have.
If youre still on the fence about adding an Instant Pot to your kitchen appliance arsenal here are my Instant Pot pros and cons.
Nowon to my list of essential Instant Pot accessories!
Multiple Stainless Steel Inner Pots
I am not sure if you could count a second inner pot as an accessory, but if so, then it would actually be my most-used item. There has actually been a time I was cooking so much I had all three of my instant pots cooking and I was preparing food in the extra liner to swap things out. Super handy to have for those times or for when I have leftovers under the silicone lid in the fridge and still want to cook!
Related: List of the easiest side dishes to make in an Instant Pot
Also Check: Instant Pot Air Fryer Omni Plus
Other Instant Pot Tools I Own Or Dont Use In My Instant Pot As Regularly
I do have a steamer basket accessory or two and even a little stainless steel insert that has more coverage than the wire one that is sent with the pressure cooker. I like both of them a lot but the truth is I dont use them much. You might.
The trivets I purchased definitely see more use than the one that came in the instant pot box. And as far as things like the steamer, I just prefer cooking side dish veggies on the stove unless my stove is otherwise occupied. The mitts I also found to be more clunky than my normal oven mitts. Pictured below are a few of such tools on Amazon:
And just so you know, I did try the air fryer lid. It worked just fine, but I simply found that it wasnt right for my family.
A Glass Lid For The Instant Pot
There are a few pros and cons of buying the glass lid. I bought one, and I like it, and I use it regularly. However, your mileage may vary.
The glass lid is great at preventing splatter when youre using the saute or the keep warm function.
Using the glass lid at a picnic or pot luck would come in handy, so people could look in and see what was in there. I would probably still use the regular lid for transporting since it locks in, along with the carrying case, just in case you had a hamburger soup incident like me. #facepalm
The lid makes storing leftovers in the refrigerator a cinch just lift the insert out of the Instant Pot and pop on the lid. It doesnt get any easier than that.
You can also use the glass lid when you use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker. But, you can use the regular pressure cooking lid for this too, so I find this to be a bit of a moot point.
Ill admit it does seem a bit extraneous if youre buying the lid for the slow cooking purpose only. Sure, you can see your food, but unless thats really important to you, it might be something that takes up more space than its worth.
Generally, when Im slow cooking, I use my 8qt Instant Pot, and I dont have a glass lid for that, only the 6qt version. Perhaps I would use it more for this function if I had glass lids for both.
Also Check: How To Clean Instant Pot With Vinegar
Silicone Mesh Steamer Pad
I thought it would be vital to have one of these mesh cover thingies because I knew I wanted to make rice pudding often in my Instant Pot.
The intent of the apparatus is to prevent a lot of filming up that could interfere with the pressure cooking function of the pin and cause your recipe not to work. Theyre simple to use. You just set it on top of all your food, and it should keep the foam down.
Im just not entirely convinced that they work perfectly.
When I make rice pudding, I tend just to use the sauté function on my Instant Pot, as I explained in this basic Instant Pot techniques post.
Id love to hear in the comments if you have this item and use it well. Maybe I need to learn some new recipes.
Quick And Easy Storage And Reheating Glass Storage Containers
I had another jaw-dropping moment when I read my friend Wardees information on reheating leftovers in the Instant Pot.
She puts food in a basic Pyrex glass dish, puts it on top of a trivet with the water beneath, and can reheat food in the Instant Pot, much like you could in a microwave.
Whats funny, though, is that I have never once reheated leftovers in my Instant Pot. We tend just to throw them on the stove in a pot with some water or use our beloved cast iron griddle to heat up all sorts of things. Im sure I should try it someday.
But we use our Instant Pot so much that its often dirty or full of beans soaking or chicken broth cooking, and it seems like a big item to get out just to reheat leftovers. Am I crazy? Is this an awesome technique that Im totally missing out on?
I still recommend that everyone should have a wide variety of glass bowls. We love the Anchor Hocking brand with the more complicated-looking TrueSeal lids because those lids last far longer than Pyrex or Anchors red or blue lids.
When you cook big batches in your Instant Pot, youll be happy to have leftovers for the next day, and leftovers should be stored in glass to be the safest for your family since plastic leaches and is no fun when it breaks.
We love our glass containers, and they last forever. So this is sort of a necessary accessoryand yet, sort of not.
Youre Just *7 Days* Away From Easier Meals with Your Instant Pot
Get IP hacks in short emails and transform the way you serve dinner:
Also Check: How To Cook Beef Tongue In An Instant Pot
Instant Pot Trivet The One Accessory Everyone Needs
Im pretty sure that all Instant Pot models come with a trivet that sits on the inside. Its job is to lift food up out of the water if youre doing something like steaming vegetables or cooking a big cut of meat that you dont want all down in the liquidy sauce .
So you probably wont need to buy an extra trivet, but its something you want to keep handy and understand how to use.
Trivets are also imperative for cooking hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot. You can even buy a special egg trivet this one looks like a fantastic option but they arent strictly necessary.
Stay Safe Use A Meat Thermometer
I do think that every cook needs an instant-read meat thermometer, whether you use it in your IP often or not.
I use it much more often for grilling or roasting meat in the oven, but anytime youre not quite sure if a big chunk of meat is done in the Instant Pot, you can skip cutting it open just to find out that it needs more time.
Use a quick-read meat thermometer, and you dont have to worry.
Investing in one is well worth it. I have one similar in style to this one, and I just love it!
Don’t Miss: Chili Recipes Instant Pot
Glass Instant Pot Lid
I do a fair amount of slow cooking in my IP. I make bone broth often whether pressure cooked or slow cooked. The glass lid comes in very handy for when I slow cook it or a meal. And, I find that slow cooking in the instant pot transfers smells to the sealing ring more so this helps it to not stink as much. Its likewise great for storing in the fridge, its just that I like my flat, silicone lid better for that.
Related: 7+ ways to deal with your Instant Pots stinky sealing ring
Instant Pot Carrying Case Great For Travel Potlucks And More
Do you travel and cook when you get there? If so, this one is a must.
One summer, our family was away from home for a full six weeks, staying with friends and at Airbnbs with a few hotel rooms tossed in for good measure. We took our Instant Pot everywhere we went, and Ive never been so glad to have a carrying case.
You can read more about how we use the case and how much I love it in my full review, but its definitely worth the investment if you think you might be taking the Instant Pot while you travel on vacation.
Ive often taken my Instant Pot to potlucks or Teacher Appreciation meals and things like that, and its very convenient to have a case to carry it in, along with whatever utensils you need.
One time we were taking the Instant Pot to Detroit to be on TV. It was full of cheeseburger soup. And I got a little lost, made a wrong turn, and had to whip a U-turn to get on the right on-ramp.
It was totally safe as far as cars coming at me, but utterly unsafe for the Instant Pot. It fell over sideways.
Amazingly only a little bit of soup spilled. But had I owned a carrying case at the time, I would have been much happier to have the soup inside the carrying case instead of seeping into my carpet in the back of my van. Thank goodness the Instant Pot lid locks so well.
You May Like: What Are The Sizes Of Instant Pot
