So hey…the best way to learn how to use your Instant Pot is to use it. 😉
I know that probably sounds pretty obvious, but you’ll feel more comfortable and confident once you get some practice vs. reading a bunch of articles and just thinking about it!
But to save you a little bit of time and grief, here’s a step-by-step guide that walks you through the process of using your Instant Pot as a pressure cooker.
BTW before making any recipes you need to do a water test!
Check out this link for a video tutorial and step-by-step instructions –> https://instantpot.com/initial-test-run/
How to Use Your Instant Pot
1. When you start, the black dial on top must be set to SEALING, not venting. This means that the pot is sealed shut and steam cannot come out. Therefore, the pressure will build up. And be aware that the black dial is loose and jiggly, not tight.
2. Make sure the lid is closed tightly. It will sing you a happy jingle! And before you close it, make sure that the white silicone ring on the inside of the lid is in place all the way around.
3. Once it’s ON choose which button you want to push (this can take some focus) based on your recipe and select your time. I’d say more than 80% of the time you’ll be using the MANUAL (HIGH) setting. Adjust the time by pressing the -/+ buttons.
4. The word “ON” will appear and that means that the pot is heating up and the pressure is building. This can take a while depending on how many foodsies you loaded in the Instant Pot–like 5 to 20 minutes or more.
5. Eventually you will start to see steam coming out of top. Don’t freak out! This means it’s almost done coming to pressure. When the metal pin pops up and steams stop shooting out you’re finally in business. Next, the number of minutes your foodsies will cook will show up and it will start counting down.
6. When it gets to “0”, you can leave it alone and let it NPR or NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE for as long as you like or as long as your recipe specifies. During this time, the numbers will go back up and these numbers tell you how many minutes it has been in the NPR state. Eventually the metal pin will drop down into the lower position when it is safe to open.
7. If you want to let the pressure out quickly, right when it’s done or any time later on, turn the black dial to VENTING and get your hands, face, small children, etc. out of the way! STEAM WILL COME SHOOTING OUT OF THE FLOAT VALVE. You might want to use a wooden spoon or utensil to vent the float valve the first few times you do it. When it stops shooting out and the metal pin drops down to the lower position, it is safe to open.
Random Tips
— The TIMER button is NOT a timer button! It is really a “delay start” button and is only used for setting the amount of delay you want before the cooking starts.
— If you have a recipe for unfrozen meat, and your meat is frozen (or vice versa), use the same cooking time and amount of liquid indicated in the recipe. Crazy right?! The only difference is that the time for the IP to come to pressure will increase when the meat is frozen. HOWEVER, sometimes this can vary a bit depending on the cut of the meat which is why experimentation is a big part of the process. Here is a great chart that shows the right time to add to meat when frozen –> https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/#meat
— Some models have a detachable cord. If your pot suddenly stops working, the first thing you should check is where it plugs into the back of the pot since it can easily become dislodged.
— You need to always have at least one cup of liquid in the bottom of the IP in the stainless steel liner pot to create steam. If using thick sauce or tomatoes, you will need more. Even if you are cooking a pot inside the IP, which is usually a smaller bowl inside the big pot, you still need water under the bowl your food is in (except yogurt).
— The measuring cup that came with your IP is a rice cup, not a US standard 8 ounce cup. And the lines in the inner metal liner correspond to that rice cup and are meant to be used with it when cooking rice.
— Figure out a “trick” that works for you to make sure that you are always putting ingredients into the inner liner and not the outer part of the pot. No one thinks they could ever accidentally dump stuff into the pot itself until it happens to them and their IP is ruined! 🙁 Wash and put the inner liner right back, only put ingredients into the liner on the counter and then put it all back in the housing, cover it with a towel, toss a wooden spoon inside, or whatever works for you but establish a routine now rather than later.
— Meat typically does better with at least 10 min NPR.
— The IP, while called INSTANT is not MAGIC. It takes time to pressurize. The more you have in it, the longer it takes. The colder your ingredients are, the longer it takes. Maybe you can do some things faster on the stove or in the oven, you’ll just have to find out how to make the best use of this new tool for your circumstances. I like being able to set it and walk away rather than tending things on the stove. I also like that my oven is free and I can use it for cooking a side dish without trying to figure out how to rotate everything and things getting cold, overcooked, etc.
— Do not put your IP on the stove or anywhere near the stove. If you must because of lack of counter space, take every precaution you can to keep the burners from accidentally being turned on. Melted pots are very-very common. I’ve even heard of a lid melting after being left in front of a hot oven vent. Also be careful not to remove the lid and lay it on the stove where there may be a still-hot burner.
— When your pot has finished the cooking cycle and switches over to KEEP WARM and you are doing a NPR (natural pressure release, or letting the pressure release on its own), you do not need to turn off the IP or unplug it. Leaving it on KEEP WARM does not slow down the NPR process, and by leaving it on you get the benefit of the timer counting up so you know how long it’s been since the cooking cycle ended.
— Anything that is oven safe can be put in the IP as long as it fits.
— For the slow cooker function, the LESS setting is similar to a keep warm setting. Use NORMAL as regular slow cooker low heat, and MORE as regular slow cooker high heat.
— Instant Pot is a brand name. And not all electric pressure cookers are Instant Pots.
— If you have just used the IP and opened it to add something else or to swap out what you are cooking and have a problem getting it to come back to pressure, try tossing your sealing ring in the freezer for a few minutes or running it under cold water. It stretches out a bit when hot and that may make it hard to pressurize the pot again. Or you may just want to keep a spare ring on hand, Amazon runs them on sale from time to time.
And last but definitely not least…
— Keeping detailed notes of what worked and what didn’t work will give you consistent results. Include size and cut of meat, amount of liquid, buttons you use, sauté or not? Frozen, fresh or thawed. Time cooked, NR (natural release) or QR (quick release). Every change you make to a recipe or change of technique can change the end result. Nothing is worse than having the BEST meal of your life and never being able to repeat it. Or trying a recipe over and over and not knowing why sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s not. Your pot is a scientific machine, if you can repeat what you do exactly you will master your machine. I keep a small notebook in my kitchen and I like to jot down little notes whenever I try a new recipe so I can keep track.
WHEW! I know it all might seem intimidating if this is new to you, but it’s really not that bad!
If you have any questions be sure to post them in the group!
/// QUESTION OF THE DAY ///
On a scale of 0-10 how would you rate your level of Instant Pot experience?
0 = I don’t have an IP and 10 = Martha Stewart asked me to do a IP cooking class.
And please share your best or worst IP moments so we can all learn!!
Be sure to share your thoughts and comments in the Facebook group under the Day 3 thread! –> https://www.facebook.com/groups/290505694685477/