Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in1 Pressure Cooker

[MRG]

We made ribs the other day. Dry rub a few hours then instead of 2+ hours in the oven went in the pot for 25* minutes. Then onto the grill to brown. Very nice, I'm not crazy about the BBQ sauce I'm finding around here but the ribs were great.

*Next time I'll do thirty.

 

[audreyh1]

Tried again today with a top round beef round - at least that's what it said on the label. This was all just made up on the spot - some cut up red onions, a bit of red cooking wine, a can of beef broth and 40 minutes cook time. Still somewhat overdone as the Thermapen food thermometer showed internal temperatures of 197° F, 185° F and the like. But not nearly as overcooked as last time. Next time I'll try 30 minutes. And maybe skip the broth and just use water.

And another lesson learned - leave the lid on loosely when browning the meat on Saute. Not doing so made a mess of spatters to clean up afterward. Or use the clear glass lid, which I have.

Oddly, the red potatoes were still too hard after 8 minutes, and another 5 didn't entirely cook them the way we like, still too hard, but okay. I think nuking them for an extra 30 seconds or so when we warm them up may work.

Well the steam must escape for meat to brown. I've been using one of those splatter guard screens. Helps partially.

 

[Walt34]

Oh, one thing I picked up on watching some youtube videos is to store the lid upside down on top of the Instant Pot. The silicone sealing ring absorbs odors from whatever you cooked last time and (according to some) can transmit those odors to whatever you cook next. One wouldn't want onion to be transferred to a dessert, for example.

 

[MRG]

Oh, one thing I picked up on watching some youtube videos is to store the lid upside down on top of the Instant Pot. The silicone sealing ring absorbs odors from whatever you cooked last time and (according to some) can transmit those odors to whatever you cook next. One wouldn't want onion to be transferred to a dessert, for example.

Huh? How does storing it change that? Because it's not sealed?

I'm already going to order another ring. I've cooked a few things with tomato based sauce and the ring holds the odor. I can't say it transfers to my Oatmeal but I don't like to be making Oatmeal and get a wiff of BBQ sauce.


Anyone else who can detect smell on the ring? FWIW I have not stored the ring in the sealed pot.

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah - the ring smells but I haven't noticed the flavor in my food. I steamed some beets and they didn't pick up the pork green chili smell.

I did buy an extra ring. More for as an emergency backup. But I might use if doing dessert.

 

[audreyh1]

Carne guisada (Mexican beef stew) at 30 mins came out very good. It was soupier than the traditional method, but very tasty.

 

[Walt34]

Huh? How does storing it change that? Because it's not sealed?

Supposedly. I don't know, I don't have enough experience to say. But the sealing ring definitely does have an odor of onions and red cooking wine to it now. But it does seem unlikely to have enough surface area exposed to food that is cooking to have any effect on anything cooked afterward. I suppose the theory is that continuous exposure to open air will allow the odors to dissipate. Whether it actually does I don't know.

I also bought an extra sealing ring but I think I'll try just using the same one when cooking something different.

Just passing on what I heard about. As we all know, everything on the Internet is true!

 

[Philliefan33]

There's an Instant Pot Facebook group, and most everyone there uses two rings: one for savory and one for sweet. I recently ordered a second ring, in case I get the urge to make something sweet. My ring smells rather savory, even after leaving it outside to air out.

 

[Philliefan33]

Tonight I used the IP to make beef barley soup. It was tasty and really hit the spot on such a cold, blustery day.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Is there something you InstaPotheads use the IP for that you can't use a traditional method for, or something that is far superior to a traditional method (not just faster--I get that as a benefit but hey, I'm retired and have all the time in the world )? I have a fairly new slow cooker that I like, and I hate to get another small appliance to store, so would probably move that to the give-away pile if the IP really is a good thing to have.

 

[Hermit]

Living at 8700 ft. I thought the pressure cooker would perform much better than a slow cooker. So far, I have liked it. It sure is nice to have a meal in under an hour instead of all day. The beef stew was maybe even a little better than with a slow cooker. If it helps me do better at cooking, for under $70 it was worth a try for me. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the three or four crock pots, one rice cooker, and a rice/slow cooker.

 

[audreyh1]

I think it's mostly speed, although I think the high pressure does a really nice job of tenderizing meat and extracting flavor. The speed up in some cases is considerable, like with beans and cuts like pork shoulder.

There is a convenience factor too - one pot, easy to clean.

Some people like that it doesn't heat up the house. Also, you don't smell what's cooking until you open the pot.

We packed our crock pot away, because this replaced it. And it's replaced my Dutch ovens and braising pot for the long cooking stuff. And my big steamer for longer to cook vegetables.

 

[REWahoo]

The beef stew was maybe even a little better than with a slow cooker.

+1

We've only used ours three times so far (chili, pot roast, and beef stew) but I much prefer the flavor of cooking in the Instapot to that of the slow cooker.

 

[braumeister]

Is there something you InstaPotheads use the IP for that you can't use a traditional method for, or something that is far superior to a traditional method

I hate to be so mundane, but it's by far the best way to make hard boiled eggs. I always have them in the frig (great on salads and for snacks), so I do that almost weekly. Super easy to peel.

 

[tmm99]

Chicken broth comes out much better too - it turns out much cleaner in appearance and more fresh tasting than the slow cooker method.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[MRG]

Living at 8700 ft. I thought the pressure cooker would perform much better than a slow cooker. So far, I have liked it. It sure is nice to have a meal in under an hour instead of all day. The beef stew was maybe even a little better than with a slow cooker. If it helps me do better at cooking, for under $70 it was worth a try for me. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the three or four crock pots, one rice cooker, and a rice/slow cooker.

+1

At 7200' steel cut Oatmeal took 45+ minutes and was kinda sorta done. Other grains were difficult to predict.

The biggest thing is the pressure seems to infuse flavors. Some of the meat, pork ribs for example, have a unique texture to them. Perception? Perhaps, after all it is reality.

The shorter time makes a big difference. I was doing ribs but after the rub it was getting late. Few hours in the oven or thirty minutes in the pot?

 

[NW-Bound]

After seeing this thread, I asked my wife if she wanted one. I was surprised when she declined, saying that she hardly used the old-style pressure cooker she had. Usually, she really liked kitchen gadgets. So, we missed the sale.

Just heard from my daughter that she accidentally learned about what her husband got her for Christmas. He bought an InstaPot on an account that they both had access to! She told him about that too.

Well, I will have to wait for another chance.

 

[spncity]

it's by far the best way to make hard boiled eggs. I always have them in the frig (great on salads and for snacks), so I do that almost weekly. Super easy to peel.

recipe please

 

[braumeister]

I suspect you're kidding, but just in case …

Hard boiled eggs à la mode de braumeister

About one cup water in the pot
Put in steamer rack so the eggs don't rattle around quite so much
Add desired number of eggs, not so many they are packed too tightly
Set pot to Manual, high pressure, 4 minutes.
Release pressure when done, use tongs to place eggs in large bowl of ice water.
When cool, place in frig for later use.

 

[tmm99]

I suspect you're kidding, but just in case …

Hard boiled eggs à la mode de braumeister

About one cup water in the pot
Put in steamer rack so the eggs don't rattle around quite so much
Add desired number of eggs, not so many they are packed too tightly
Set pot to Manual, high pressure, 4 minutes.
Release pressure when done, use tongs to place eggs in large bowl of ice water.
When cool, place in frig for later use.

Wow, only 4 minutes on high? I am really getting the feeling my iPot is a bit off. I have to do 8 minutes on high. Anything below 7 minutes, I cannot seem to be able to peel the shell very well. And I only steam 4 to 5 eggs at a time.

 

[RonBoyd]

Wow, only 4 minutes on high? I am really getting the feeling my iPot is a bit off. I have to do 8 minutes on high. Anything below 7 minutes, I cannot seem to be able to peel the shell very well. And I only steam 4 to 5 eggs at a time.

I found that with a PC, the altitude, temperature of the eggs (at room temperature or straight out of the refrigerator, for instance), etc. created too many variables to achieve reliably consistent results.

Therefore, I purchased a KRUPS Egg Cooker. (Google "Egg Cooker" for others) I can rely on this device to give me the same results every time. Plus I am able to take it on the road with us, in the RV (light weight and small), when we travel.

 

[audreyh1]

I suspect you're kidding, but just in case …

Hard boiled eggs à la mode de braumeister

About one cup water in the pot
Put in steamer rack so the eggs don't rattle around quite so much
Add desired number of eggs, not so many they are packed too tightly
Set pot to Manual, high pressure, 4 minutes.
Release pressure when done, use tongs to place eggs in large bowl of ice water.
When cool, place in frig for later use.

I don't think he was kidding. I certainly was looking forward to instruction.

So you do "quick release" too.

My neighbor does 6 eggs for 6 mins.

 

[braumeister]

The 4 minute routine works for me, but I forgot that we have to end every post here with "YMMV."

I don't like to cook them any longer than I have to, or the yolks start to turn green. I do take the eggs out of the frig for half an hour before putting them in the pot, but otherwise I do as described, and it turns out to my liking.

 

[samclem]

What's the science behind the easy-peel of the IP eggs? I'd have guessed that after pressure release, the "hotter than atmospheric boiling point" eggs would boil off some fluid inside, which would transpire through the shell. The smaller remaining egg volume would pull away from the shell.

 

[FIREmenow]

What's the science behind the easy-peel of the IP eggs?

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=What's+the+science+behind+the+easy-peel+of+the+IP+eggs

From one of the first few links:

Science: Blame the Membrane
Most cooks assume that when an egg is difficult to peel, it’s because the shell is sticking to the egg white. But it’s the membrane between the shell and the white that’s really the problem. When an egg is very fresh or when it’s cooked slowly, the proteins in the white bond to the membrane instead of to one another, and the membrane becomes cemented to the white and impossible to peel away. The solution: Plunging the eggs directly into hot steam, which causes the egg white proteins to denature and shrink, reducing their ability to bond with the *membrane.