10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INSTANT POT USE
Have you just purchased an Instant Pot? I want to share with you 10 things you need to know before using your electric pressure cooker. I'm hoping it will quickly give you the confidence you need to utilise it to the fullest.
10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INSTANT POT USE
Here's a fast movie that covers everything you need to know if you learn best visually. I sincerely hope seeing these suggestions in action is useful!
CHECK THE SEALING RING EVERY TIME
The silicone sealing ring within the lid of your Instant Pot is in charge of sealing the lid and maintaining the steam pressure. Due to heat exposure during the cooking cycle, this silicone ring occasionally moves out of position or becomes stuck along the metal ring that is in the lid.
Every time you use your Instant Pot, you should ensure sure the silicone ring is securely fastened and has some room to expand. To make sure it is not caught anywhere, I normally take it with my fingers and wiggle it all the way around the lid.
MANUAL COOKING DIRECTIONS
Instead of relying on a preset button like "rice" or "stew," you choose the cooking time and, in some models, the pressure when using a manual setting. The Manual button on older Instant Pot models and the Pressure Cook button on newer versions both perform the same function.
Simply press the Manual or Pressure Cook button (depending on the type you have) to start cooking on manually, and then adjust the cook duration using the + or - buttons. Although some variants of the Instant Pot feature a separate Pressure button that allows you to cook at reduced pressure if you'd prefer, the Instant Pot automatically cooks at high pressure. To ensure that the pot will reach pressure, make sure the lid is well fastened and the steam release valve is set to Sealing. Additionally, it's critical that you stick to a tried-and-true Instant Pot recipe to ensure that the pot has enough liquid and that your components are correctly coated.
HOW TO TELL IF THE POT IS INFLATED
The Instant Pot won't immediately begin counting down when you start a pressure cooking cycle. In order to pressurize the pot, which may take up to 10 minutes, food must first be placed within. The pot will take longer to reach pressure the more filled it is. Therefore, if your Instant Pot screen first just displays "On," don't panic. When the floating valve in the lid lifts up, the pot is pressured. The countdown for your cooking cycle will start shortly after that.
QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE METHOD
If a recipe specifies a "rapid release," you must change the steam release valve's position from sealing to venting as soon as the Instant Pot beeps to indicate that the cooking cycle is over.
Keep in mind that steam will shoot out the top of the steam release valve if you put your hand squarely over the vent. Instead, keep your hand close to the valve or, if you're particularly cautious, turn the vent with a spoon.
SAFE LID REMOVAL TECHNIQUES
Do you fear that your Instant Pot will blow up? That was also my major concern when I first started. The Instant Pot has plenty of safety mechanisms to assist prevent that, but the best thing you can do to prevent any user errors is to learn how to use it correctly.
It is NOT safe to open the lid of your Instant Pot before the entire amount of pressure has been released. Once the floating valve in the lid drops, you can safely remove it. This indicates that all of the pressure has been released, and the Instant Pot lid can be simply removed.
DEGLAZE THE POT ALWAYS (TO AVOID A BURN ERROR)
It's crucial to deglaze the pot's bottom if you use your Instant Pot's Sauté feature before pressure cooking something. This entails adding a small amount of water to the saucepan and scraping any potential food debris off the bottom with a wooden spoon. It's crucial to remove all of the stuck items from your pan, especially onions, dry spices, and ground meat, in order to prevent getting the dreaded "burn" error during your pressure cooking cycle.
Making dinner may be as simple as adding your ingredients to the pot, pressing a button, and walking away after you get to know your Instant Pot. I adore how hands-off the procedure is. For examples of how I use my Instant Pot on a regular basis in the real world, check my prior post, "6 ways I utilize my Instant Pot."
ZERO-MINUTE COOKING: A GUIDE
The Instant Pot does indeed have a 0-minute cooking cycle. Most frequently, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini are cooked using this brief cycle. They will turn to mush after even a full minute of cooking!
Cooking for 0 minutes on a Manual is the same as cooking for any other amount of time. To reduce the cooking time to 0 minutes, press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and then the - button. Even though it takes up to 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure, you should promptly release the pressure as soon as the cooking cycle is through to prevent the vegetables from overcooking. The food will be in your Instant Pot for at least 12 to 15 minutes in total, giving it plenty of time to cook. It will take 2 to 3 minutes for the pressure to release.
POT-IN-POT COOKING GUIDE
The Instant Pot's ability to simultaneously cook two dishes is one of my favorite features! Pot-in-pot cooking is the process of cooking one meal on the bottom of the pot and another dish on top of it. My Chipotle Burrito Bowls serve as a prime illustration of this. In this instance, a 30-minute cooking cycle cooks the spiced black beans on the bottom and a serving of brown rice on top.
YOUR FOOD WON'T ALWAYS BE "INSTANTLY" READY
The name of the Instant Pot is, in my opinion, its biggest trick. Just because you cook a meal in your Instant Pot doesn't imply it will be done any quicker than it would be if you cooked it on the stove. Steel cut oats, for instance, cook in the Instant Pot in just 4 minutes of cooking time, but it takes another 8 to 10 minutes for the pot to reach pressure and another 15 to 20 minutes for the pressure to release. Thus, the time required to prepare your oatmeal is more or less 30 minutes.
Cooking in your Instant Pot has the genuine benefit of being virtually entirely hands-off, giving you the impression that you have more free time. Your hands are free to do other household chores rather of having to stay by the stove, monitoring to make sure nothing burns or boils over. The reason why so many people adore it is because it makes you the best multitasker.
Additionally, compared to other cooking methods, using your Instant Pot saves more nutrients! This may be because the temperature within the pot rarely rises over 250°F or because the food cooks more quickly, reducing the chance that it would burn.
Comments