Instant Pot Pressure Cook-all

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Share your favorite tips and recipes!
I'll start.

Mongolian Beef. This is a standard in our home and SOOO good.

This chicken and dumplings is OK and we're on the lookout for a better one.

CONSUMER ALERT: FOOD ERUPTS & BURNS AFTER PRESSURE LID IS REMOVED

Pretty much anything from Serious Eats, especially the Kenji Lopez-Alt Food Lab recipes. I linked the overall list and five that I have cooked with good results.

Master List

Chile Verde with Pork

Chicken and Chickpea Masala

Chicken Enchilladas (Mixed technique-Filling is pressure cooker)

Green Chili with Chicken

Tamale Pie with Braised Skirt Steak, Charred Corn, and Brown Butter Cornbread Crust

The best for last. This is a mixed technique, but the raves this dish got from all 12 people who tried it makes it worth it if you have a cast iron skillet. I used the Instant Pot (can also use a Dutch Oven).

Total neophyte here... How does this thing differ from a standard crock pot?

As the name implies, pressure cookers cook the food at pressure in an air tight environment, with a pressure release valve to vent steam at a certain psi, typically 12-15 psi. Its big benefit is shortening the cooking time significantly (water boils at around 120C/250F at 15 psi) without losing moisture or drying out the food. You use less water so less nutrient/vitamin leaching out of veggies. Plus, you can do cool stuff like make yogurt (which I have done a number of times). It is a staple cooking appliance in India.

The instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker vs. one that is placed on the stove. IMO, the safety standards with the electric are great, with multiple fail safes. That said, regular ones have been used for a looooong time.

And it's a Canadian, and Ottawan invention!

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/t...

bhchrist wrote:

Pretty much anything from Serious Eats, especially the Kenji Lopez-Alt Food Lab recipes. I linked the overall list and five that I have cooked with good results.

Master List

Chile Verde with Pork

Chicken and Chickpea Masala

Chicken Enchilladas (Mixed technique-Filling is pressure cooker)

Green Chili with Chicken

Tamale Pie with Braised Skirt Steak, Charred Corn, and Brown Butter Cornbread Crust

The best for last. This is a mixed technique, but the raves this dish got from all 12 people who tried it makes it worth it if you have a cast iron skillet. I used the Instant Pot (can also use a Dutch Oven).

Bookmarked that master list! The Smokey BBQ Beans looks delish

I have made Alton Brown's Once and Future Bean recipe close to two dozen times, the last 3-4 in the Instant Pot. I am at the point that I am either going to revert back to the patient Dutch Oven method or find a new recipe entirely (like the one you linked), as I have not been satisfied with the consistency of the beans or overall profile compared to the traditional way. Beans tend to be too soft, sauce is too runny, just not what I am shooting for.

Great idea for a thread! Looking forward to trying some of the recipes posted here.

My biggest success so far is this this japanese curry recipe . I don't cook down the puree quite as much as the recipe calls for, but it still works great. My kids as me to cook this every week.

Love the pressure cooker.

It does potatoes for potato salad to perfection and also a quick way to mimic slow roast on bbq ribs.

I love my instant pot so much I got another one on prime day so we could cook rice and curry at the same time.

Reposting my recipe from the cook's thread:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can each of three types of beans (I usually do black, navy, and kidney)
  • 1 can ro-tel
  • 1 cup chicken broth (bullion-made is fine)
  • Chili spices like cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic
  • Oregano

Brown the meat under the sautee setting and add chopped onions about halfway through. Drain the diced tomatoes and beans, but not the ro-tel. Add all the canned stuff, broth, and chili spices to the pot. Seal the vent and use the chili button on the More setting. It'll take 45mins-hour. Once it's done, add oregano and salt to taste. There's enough room to double the recipe if you want. Once we discovered how tasty and easy this was, we made it three times in three weeks.

Recommended model/link?

Looks like I'm buying one when I get back home. Will be returning that slow cooker my wife just bought and haven't used yet.

Any recommendations on 7 in 1, or 6 in 1? There's even 9 in 1? Also 6 quarts more than enough or do we need 8? It is just my wife and I. Will probably used this rarely for parties.

6 is likely fine. Guessing here, but I bet many of us bought ours from Amazon in on of their many sales, when the prices are like 30% off or the like. Outside of yogurt, I yes Manual mode for almost everything.

With a little work, you can get the 6 quart 7 in 1 DUO for about $63 right now. Here's how:

Kohls.com has Instant Pot 7-In-1 6-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker (IP-DUO60) on sale for $99.99 - Extra $10 Off $50+ On Select Home Purchase w/ promo code HOME10 - Extra 30% Off w/ promo code BBQ30 (apply in cart) = $63 valid for Kohl's Cardholders only. Shipping is free w/ promo code FREE4JULY (apply in cart). Thanks GoofyGirl75

Note, offer valid for Kohl's Cardholders only.

Rainsmercy wrote:

Recommended model/link?

This is the newest iteration of the one we have
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-M...

6 quart but you can also get an 8 quart. There is also a high tech bluetooth model.

astralplaydoh wrote:

With a little work, you can get the 6 quart 7 in 1 DUO for about $63 right now. Here's how:

Kohls.com has Instant Pot 7-In-1 6-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker (IP-DUO60) on sale for $99.99 - Extra $10 Off $50+ On Select Home Purchase w/ promo code HOME10 - Extra 30% Off w/ promo code BBQ30 (apply in cart) = $63 valid for Kohl's Cardholders only. Shipping is free w/ promo code FREE4JULY (apply in cart). Thanks GoofyGirl75

Note, offer valid for Kohl's Cardholders only.

The HOME10 will work for anyone, as will the shipping code. I don't want another credit card, so can't use that Maybe I'll just get the one Groan linked as its only my wife and I.

cls33 wrote:

Total neophyte here... How does this thing differ from a standard crock pot?

Think of pressure cookers as being a lot like crockpots, but ten times faster. Pretty much any food you can do in a crock, you can do under pressure, and there are many other things you can do as well, like searing meats right in the cooker before sealing it up. And you can cook beans from dry in about thirty minutes, with no need to presoak, which is really handy.

The Instant Pots are popular, but America's Test Kitchen suggested strongly, a few years back, that plugin/countertop cookers are inferior to stovetop models. They specifically recommended the Fagor Duo as the reasonable option, which is what I picked up, and I've been extremely happy with it. (their expensive option was the Fissler Vitaquick, but that's almost three times as expensive, over $300.)

If you search Youtube for 'america's test kitchen pressure cookers', you'll find two videos... one about choosing a stovetop model (tldw: Fagor and Fissler) and one about choosing an electric model (tldw: don't.)

Malor, I I have the Fagor Duo that I got 15? year ago. I use my Instant Pot all the time, while the Fagor has been used more as regular pots. Nothing against the Fagor, just the way I used them. I am about to go on a screed after watching that electric model video. So apologies to all, but the slipshod "argued recommendation" is so far below the usual standards of America's Test Kitchen that it deserved a detailed response, especially in a thread discussing the Instant Pot.

TLDR: America's Test Kitchen's "tldw: don't" is complete and utter bullsh!t

The Offending Video

Spoiler:

There is so much crap packed into less than a minute that it nearly makes me say I'm not even angry, I'm impressed, as if she ate the whole wheel of cheese.

Multiple cherry picked arguments that either don't apply to the Instant Pot (the focal topic of this thread) or have work-arounds that; (1) make it no different than a stovetop or, (2) are of such minimal effort to render it a nit to pick.

Their arguments (and my somewhat snarky responses, centered around the Instant Pot, not some of the electrics they conveniently used for comparison):

1. "Harder to use" - Yup, you have to push buttons. On mine, 95% of the time I push "Manual" then hit the up or down arrow to set the time.

2. "Take up a ton of space" - I call full BS, especially when compared to their Fagor Duo recommendation. My Instant Pot Duo60 takes up less storage space than my Fagor Duo (an 8 qt + 4 qt pot) which is taller vertically (with pots stacked) and horizontally, with the handles that stick out stacked or extra horizontal space the the pots are stored separately.

3. "Small Capacity" - Six quarts is too small for a lot of their recipes. This argument presumes their recipes are the basis of measure. Then buy an 8 quart Instant Pot. Problem solved. Or reduce the recipes to 3/4. For a large number of people, 6 quarts is more than enough. If they were recommending 10 or 12 quart stovetop cookers, fine. The are recommending 8 qt cookers.

4. "Little Flimsy Liner Pot" - Nice cherry picking. The Instant Pot liner is made of 18/8 304 stainless steel with multiply base (aluminum disc within the SS, same as the Fagor). It is about as unflimsy as it gets. Fagor does use 18/10 SS so it has that advantage, but no way in hell is the liner flimsy, nor little, especially getting the 8 qt.

5. "Inner Bowl Spins Around When You Stir" - This one I concede and is a valid argument against the Instant Pot (depending on how much food you have in it). It frustrated me on a couple occasions and is a legitimate issue when trying to brown/saute food prior to pressure cooking. Fortunately, there is a simple solution that is the exact same thing you would do with a stovetop cooker (see 8.)

6. "No Handles So Pouring Is Tricky" - Also concede this valid point. Have to use heat resistant items to remove the inner pot. For me, that means welding gloves (Alton Brown tip-much better that cotton oven mitts) or pot holders, etc. It is the equivalent of taking a hot item out of the oven.

7. "Non-stick Coating Wears Off" - Stainless Steel in the Instant Pot.

8. "Heating Elements are Weak, Browning Is Tough" - 1000W element in the Instant Pot. I have never had an issue browning. In fact, it is often too hot for what I want. But guess what? 1000W not enough for browning? Put the SS liner pot on your stovetop and let it rip (or dial in your temp) the exact same way you would a stovetop Pressure Cooker. This also completely alleviates the issue of the pot spinning.

9. "Doesn't Automatically Switch Off Pressure/Keep Warm Mode/Food Overcooks/Forced to Hover Around" - FFS, now this has me riled up. Technically, everything she says is 100% accurate. Riddle me this, Lisa McManus, does a stovetop pressure cooker automatically switch off pressure and the heat source at the end of your cook time? Does the stovetop cooker allow you to leave the pot unattended or risk overcooking food? Of course not.

The Instant Pot lets you know when your set cook time is done or the timer you set does. It is then your responsibility to vent the lid and turn the heat off, EXACTLY THE SAME as a stovetop model. It is freaking user error if you overcook your food, not the electric. She is arguing that because it is not fully automatic in the cooking, it is inferior to the stovetop model.

10. "A Few Switched Off Unexpectantly" - A few students failed their test, therefore all students fail. Has never happened with my Instant Pot.

No mention: Safety

We're one of the multitudes that got an Instant Pot on Prime Day, the 8QT/1200W version. So far we've used it twice, once to make steel cut oats and once to make rice. Both times it did a great job, but the time savings seems to be overstated. I was all excited about the "3 Minute Steel Cut Oats" claim, but then realized it takes a good 15-20 minutes for the pot to heat to boiling. Then it cooks 3 minutes. Then it recommends letting the cooker cool down on its own rather than venting the steam. That takes another 10-15 minutes or so. So the 3 minute steel cut oats actually takes more like 30 minutes, which is about how long it takes on the stovetop. Granted, I can pretty much pour in the ingredients, punch a couple of buttons, and forget about it, but still.

I'm looking forward to trying more recipes, especially stuff that would ordinarily take a lot of time on the stovetop or in the oven. It's also kind of a monster size-wise - definitely the largest kitchen appliance we own.

Agree on the 3 minute stuff. I did the same as you for steel cut oats and felt the same way. The biggest benefit to me is for meals like the recipes up thread.

That's another major advantage of the stovetop models; most stove burners will put out a LOT more heat than a 1000w plugin unit possibly can, meaning you can bring the pot up to pressure a lot faster. This is particularly true for induction or gas ranges, while electric doesn't usually have as big of an advantage. Still, most burners will typically do 3000 watts, compared to the ~1000ish of the countertop pressure cookers. More heat escapes into the air (and there's not the overwhelming amount of heat, like with a gas burner), but if you triple heat output, that covers a great deal of inefficiency.

Cooldown takes about the same amount of time either way.

I'm not sure the Instant Pot existed when they did those videos, bhchrist. They're criticizing the overall category. The lack of Teflon in the IP is very good, and would have been my single largest complaint.

There's another issue I don't remember them raising: longevity. The electronics and/or heater will eventually break on a countertop model, and that almost certainly means throwing everything out and starting over. A stovetop model will last damn near forever. The Fagors need a new $10 silicone gasket every four or five years, but it's not like that's a major expense. Otherwise, as long as you have a heat source, it will work.

RoughneckGeek wrote:
Malor wrote:

Otherwise, as long as you have a heat source, it will work.

That's also not a given. I lived in a unit for 9 months last year with no kitchen. The microwave and Instant Pot were my means of making food at home.

Even now, it's nice to not have it eating up space on the stove when we're using it to make a component of a meal. It gets used constantly for rice so that can cook unattended while putting the rest of dinner together on the stove.

Also, while the heating power is greater on a stovetop, the energy efficiency of the Instant Pot desroys an electric range. Again, want it to heat faster? Put the liner pot on the range and transfer it to the unit for pressure. Bottom line, there is a place for both. Arguing the superiority of one over the other is dumb. My beef was with the video itself which, at best, is outdated and at worst, a hackneyed, self promotional smear campaign unworthy of the ATK brand. Each have their pros and cons. I own and have used both. For me, the pros of the Instant Pot far outweigh the cons.

Plus, the Instant Pot has been around since 2010.

Prepping the Serious Eats Green Chili with Chicken recipe as I type this!

Bought my instant pot a while ago. As I am on base during the weeks (ugh) and used to stay over some weekends, but not anymore (yeah!), I thought it was handy to use. But not allowed in my room, seriously. Found a kitchenette and now they are renovating, so no more kitchenette.

In short, still in the box for months! But, taking it with me on vacation.
So going to try lots of stuff. Keep the recipees coming

I would love a good cheesecake recipe, if anyone has one for the Instant Pot.

So I built these beans last night

I'll have to report back how it did. I thought I was going to burn everything before putting the spices in. I was so unprepared! Measuring out while trying to keep everything from burning. I needed another set of hands. Next time, pre-measure EVERYTHING

Then after it was all done I realized i'd put in 8 cups of water instead of 6. I mixed up the stove-top and instant pot recipes. :/ Had to simmer for another 30 minutes to boil off the excess.

THEN after it was all done and packed away in the fridge, I realized today that I forgot to put the brown sugar and vinegar in. ://

Oh I also left out the peppers. we're not much of a hot food household.

Groan, I feel you. I have gone to pre measuring everything these days after similar experiences. Also, pretty much little to no heat in those chilis in the recipe, but lots of flavor. Maybe try them at 1/3 to 1/2 the recipe amount next go around if you want to ease in. Heck, the green chili and Chicken recipe up thread that I made has virtually no heat to it, despite multiple whole chilis in the recipe. The flavor however is fantastic.

That looks amazing. I just made chili, but I think I need to try BBQ beans next.

Best. Thread. Idea. Ever.

groan wrote:

Mongolian Beef. This is a standard in our home and SOOO good.

We are so going to try this. This looks fantastic.

bhchrist wrote:

Groan, I feel you. I have gone to pre measuring everything these days after similar experiences. Also, pretty much little to no heat in those chilis in the recipe, but lots of flavor. Maybe try them at 1/3 to 1/2 the recipe amount next go around if you want to ease in. Heck, the green chili and Chicken recipe up thread that I made has virtually no heat to it, despite multiple whole chilis in the recipe. The flavor however is fantastic.

Thanks BHC. I'll consider your suggestion. One problem here in Ottawa is it's not much of a chili place. I'd never heard of any of them. I'm sure they are available somewhere in town and I'll keep an eye out for them. I do have a friend who grows his own, maybe he has some in his garden.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Best. Thread. Idea. Ever.

groan wrote:

Mongolian Beef. This is a standard in our home and SOOO good.

We are so going to try this. This looks fantastic.

You'll be sooo happy you did.

groan wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Best. Thread. Idea. Ever.

groan wrote:

Mongolian Beef. This is a standard in our home and SOOO good.

We are so going to try this. This looks fantastic.

You'll be sooo happy you did.

I just realized this thread is about pressure cookers. I was reading it as slow cookers.

I'm still undaunted, though. Mongolian beef will be mine. I'm lobbying the wife that we need to get a pressure cooker PRONTO.

This unfortunately defunct blog has a lot of pressure cooker theory.

Of note, many US market pressure cookers are calibrated to reach about 12 psi instead of the full 15 psi required for many recipes.

I recently bought a small Hawkins cooker off of Amazon. Hawkins is an Indian company with a long history of building pressure cookers for their domestic market. It was less expensive and seems more heavily constructed than many western market pressure cookers.

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