Using the Instant Pot

[Pellice]

I think there are different ways to use the IP. So far it hasn't proved much easier than using the stovetop to brown some meat, then add vegetables (unless it's a big, tough cut that needs long cooking). And the small bottom of the IP means that browning needs to be done in batches, and it's more difficult to just throw additions while the meat is cooking, which saves time on the stove.

But, I'm in a situation right now - I'm a birdwatcher, there's been a rare bird sighted an hour ago, and I'm thinking I'll dash off if it's relocated - where I'm very glad I have the IP to cook some rice I needed for tonight. I'll put it in the pot, press the start button if I have to go, and the rice will cook and stay warm tonight without any problem.

I also have seen its usefulness for prepping other single ingredients - say, beets or cauliflower - for use in a dish later on.

I think people learn to use it in more ways as they work with it.

 

[explanade]

So what is it, you throw in raw meat and it evenly cooks for things like pot roast, stews and carnitas and stuff and it cooks evenly without having to turn the meat over or stir?

 

[MRG]

So what is it, you throw in raw meat and it evenly cooks for things like pot roast, stews and carnitas and stuff and it cooks evenly without having to turn the meat over or stir?

Depends what you're cooking. Pressure cooker doesn't brown meat, just cooks. If you want your carnitas crispy you need to brown them. Recipe I saw you pressure cook the pork and fry them after.

When I make chille verde I brown the pork before pressure cooking.

 

[ERD50]

Wish I could find a way to like the IP. I bought one after reading people constantly praise them on sites similar to this one. After a year or so, my thoughts are meh. A couple of things I've made were decently good, but most have been lackluster at best. Tried making baby back ribs once and they just came out like a weird lump of rib meat (think mcdonalds rib sandwich). I'm no slouch in the kitchen by any stretch, but this thing has gotten the better of me. It's about to become a soup only making machine.

DW just bought one, I kinda wished I had followed this thread earlier. I was skeptical of another kitchen gadget taking up space, and I'm predicting this will just sit there.

I don't get the comments about browning in the same pan saving clean up time. DW does most of the cooking, but I make a mean Osso Bucco and an Ox Tail stew. Brown the meat and any veggies in the Dutch Oven, add the braising liquid, bring to a simmer then put the Dutch Oven in a 250F oven for a few hours. We do stews like that in the winter, so a little oven heat is fine.

I don't care how much oven time it takes, I go do something else, I don't need to tend to it. I set a timer, but the great smells remind me anyhow.

She made a chicken dish in the IP with a recipe a friend gave her. I know I can't judge from one meal, it was OK, but I would have much preferred to have that chicken oven baked.

-ERD50

 

[Time2re]

DW just bought one, I kinda wished I had followed this thread earlier. I was skeptical of another kitchen gadget taking up space, and I'm predicting this will just sit there.

I don't get the comments about browning in the same pan saving clean up time. DW does most of the cooking, but I make a mean Osso Bucco and an Ox Tail stew. Brown the meat and any veggies in the Dutch Oven, add the braising liquid, bring to a simmer then put the Dutch Oven in a 250F oven for a few hours. We do stews like that in the winter, so a little oven heat is fine.

I don't care how much oven time it takes, I go do something else, I don't need to tend to it. I set a timer, but the great smells remind me anyhow.

She made a chicken dish in the IP with a recipe a friend gave her. I know I can't judge from one meal, it was OK, but I would have much preferred to have that chicken oven baked.

-ERD50

Give it a little time, I find it to be an amazing kitchen tool. Chicken tortilla soup in the IP as I type this. Regularly make soups, yogurt, and steel cut oatmeal, use it to sauté chicken, beef, bacon (very little clean up), and DH makes applesauce once a week. Check out a website called pressureluck.com. He has great recipes and shows you everything, step by step.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I have room in a cabinet for the Instant Pot, so only pull it out as needed. I make things like a killer chili lime short ribs in it (recipe here: https://whatgreatgrandmaate.com/chili-lime-instant-pot-short-ribs-paleo-whole30/ and I confess I use Costco boneless chuck short ribs amd brown them per the recipe in the IP, which works very well) and always hardboil eggs in it now. It was <$50 from WalMart, so didn’t break the bank to buy it. I’m not familiar enough with the method to wing it so I always follow a recipe by googling ingredients I have on hand. IMO it’s more versatile than a slow cooker.

A lot of small appliances were introduced as game changers—I have a Radar Range cookbook with recipes for cooking all parts of a Thanksgiving dinner in a Microwave (microwaved turkey—so ick). The Cuisinart Food Processor was going to replace my blender, stand mixer, and most of my knives. Both the microwave and food processor, however, are very good at what they were designed to do. I waited quite a while for the Instant Pot to make sense to me, and I know I won’t get an air fryer or a sous vide appliance.

 

[Sunset]

While I have found I only occasionally use the IP, it doesn't take up extra counter space, as we got rid of our slow cooker, since it does both jobs.
Actually for us, it was an upgrade in slow cooking, since it has a timer and heat setting, with keep warm function.
I do sear in the IP before doing a stew so the beef has that nice taste.

I got the glass lid on Amazon (not the instant pot labeled one) for only $8 , so that slow cooking is nicer as I can see the food.

 

[W2R]

I think my Instant Pot is very useful for me. One thing I especially love about it, is that if I get involved in something and forget I'm cooking (who me? absent-minded? ), it won't burn the house down. This is helpful for drifty old retired scientists who live alone, like me.

My Dream Home has plenty of kitchen countertop space (one more reason why I call it my Dream Home). My Instant Pot is out on the kitchen counter and there is still a lot of space for other things.

 

[whittonm]

I realize there are a number of threads on Instant Pots, but they seem to concern buying rather than using them, so I thought I start one on their general use.

I have used mine MUCH more than I expected, but not for the reasons I expected. A big one is tidiness: my least favorite kitchen chore is cleaning the stove top, and the IP eliminates that need.

On the other hand, a huge selling point is made out of its speed, but I have so far not found much, if any, change in speed if the time spent by the IP in coming up to pressure and then depressurizing is included. I have found the "natural release" to take twice as long as advertised. Supposed to be a maximum of 25 minutes for most items; mine goes much longer than that, 50 minutes yesterday. I'm going to check the valve, but it doesn't look clogged.

Now, today, I'm making a meatloaf, which I thought about putting in the IP, but then I realized it was just as easy to shove the container in the toaster oven, and I thought that maybe dry heat baking would be a better choice.

Interested in others' thoughts.

I second the thought on reducing mess on the cooktop. I think the IP is best for soups, stews, baked beans, pot roast - anything that requires a long cook, has lots of liquid, you want the flavors to diffuse, and also if you have tough meat or veg that needs to be softened.

 

[explanade]

So what's "instant" about it?

Is this another fad like sous-vide?

 

[audreyh1]

So what is it, you throw in raw meat and it evenly cooks for things like pot roast, stews and carnitas and stuff and it cooks evenly without having to turn the meat over or stir?

That's not how I use it.

I like it because I can use the sauté function to brown the meat and then the veggies first right in the pot, then throw the rest (liquids, spices) and have a stew in less than half the time it takes to simmer on the stove or in the oven. It's great for breaking down tough cuts of meat.

I occasionally use it for longer cooking vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes or collards - significantly shorter time.

Also great and fast for beans even with no pre-soak.

Easy cleanup too.

My stews come out way better in the IP as well as taking less time. I always had trouble in the oven with stews drying out a bit and getting a bit too dark on the bottom.

Doesn't heat up the house.

 

[audreyh1]

So what's "instant" about it?

Is this another fad like sous-vide?

It's not instant.

No more a fad than a crockpot for example. I got rid of my crockpot because the instant pot replaced it plus did more things.

 

[W2R]

I got rid of my crockpot because the instant pot replaced it plus did more things.

Ha!!! Victory. I love reading statements like that. I didn't buy a crockpot for many years because I was just hitting the LBYM so hard, and try as I might, the money just wasn't there. I am probably the only person in the entire [-]country[/-] universe who has never owned a crockpot. But now that I am retired and in better financial circumstances, I have a wonderful, new, lovely Instant Pot.

Sounds like I just SKIPPED right over the crockpot stage at the speed of light and leveled up, moving straight into the "big leagues" of Instant Pot ownership.



In my case I like using it to defrost and cook various meats, pot roasts and ribs and so on. I know there are many other uses for it and will be slowly exploring them as time goes by.

 

[tmm99]

I don't think the Instant Pot is a fad at all.

I was never much of a crockpot fan - The food rarely turned out the way I thought it would, and everything took way too long. It's been in my basement storage for a long time and even before then, I rarely used it (I should really donate).

My Instant Pot, on the other hand, gets used probably once a week at least. We cook rice,(Try this - 2 cups basmati rice, 3 cups water, 2 big teaspoonfuls (around 2 TBS?) of soy sauce and black bean sauce each and cook for 3 minutes, 10 minute-release. DH loves it.), baby back ribs (smother with BBQ sauce and put in the oven afterwards), stews of all kinds (chicken curry, pork roasts, short ribs), soups, boiled (steamed) eggs, steamed artichokes, etc. DH's fave now is pork back rib soup.

I used to have Emeril's electric pressure cooker, and when that broke, I bought an Instant Pot. I've been using an electric pressure cooker of one brand or another for about 5 years now? So at this point, I can't call it a fad.

 

[ziggy29]

We bought one shortly after we moved last summer. We have the small one, the mini (3 quart) since it's generally just the two of us.

There are two main things I love about it, apart from its versatility. First, while it's true it's not "instant" and it takes a fair amount of time including pressurization and depressurization times, the amount of time you are actively performing kitchen chores is pretty low. For most recipes, you throw the stuff in, set the pressure cooker for how ever long, and then you're done for a while. Some times you may have to saute first, though.

The other thing? I don't dislike cooking, but I HATE cleaning up all the dirty bowls, pots, pans and the like. The IP leaves me with ONE thing to clean, most of the time -- the IP's bowl itself. That also means I cook more instead of relying more on processed food or eating out.

And as others have said, it took the place of our slow cooker (which we didn't move with us; we gave it away) so it's not taking up any more of our countertop real estate.

 

[REWahoo]

Some times you may have to saute first, though.

I refuse to salute my instant pot! Had my fill of that in the military.

Oh, you said saute. Never mind...

 

[audreyh1]

The Instant Pot is a replacement for a stove top pressure cooker, but programmable and far easier and safer to operate. Pressure cookers are not a fad anymore than microwave ovens are.

 

[tmm99]

The Instant Pot is a replacement for a stove top pressure cooker, but programmable and far easier and safer to operate. Pressure cookers are not a fad anymore than microwave ovens are.

Exactly! I would have gladly used the old-fashioned pressure cooker if it didn't scare me to death! I used to get out of the kitchen every time my mom was cooking with it (I think she used to use it when she cooked beans, brown rice, or meat.) The electric kind is so very quiet, and with added functionalities, I have no complaints.

 

[explanade]

Interesting, I'd thought about getting a rice cooker but those things are over $200 for automated models which also cook brown rice correctly.

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B071FGTXDW?th=1

So $60 and automated with an app?