Using Your Instant Pot®
Mastering the Instant Pot can take some practice and a bit of know-how, but understanding these concepts will help shorten the learning curve as you’re familiarizing yourself with this amazing appliance.
SEALING
Proper sealing is critical to achieving the expected results in the Instant Pot. The lid will only lock into place if the sealing ring is properly seated inside the lid. If the lid isn’t seated properly, an error message will be displayed on the LCD display. If you remove the lid to add an ingredient, and then attempt to close and lock the lid back in place when there’s still hot food in the inner pot, the pressure may still be too high and the pot may not seal. If this occurs, simply wait a few minutes for the contents to cool down a bit and then replace the lid. Once the lid is properly seated, the Instant Pot will indicate proper sealing through a brief rising chime. If the sealing is successful, the pot will initiate the selected program and no longer show an error code.
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Because you’re cooking with pressure, atmospheric pressure can have an impact on total cooking times. For locations below an elevation of 2,000 feet above sea level, no additional adjustments are necessary; however, for locations at or above 2,000 feet, you should increase the cooking times by 5 percent for every 1,000 feet at or above the 2,000–foot sea level.
VOLUME
As a general rule, the more volume you have in the pot, the longer it will take for the pot to reach full pressurization, and the longer it will take for the pressure to naturally release once the cooking time is complete. For consistent results, always stay at or below the markings on the inner pot when adding food to the inner pot. For pressure cooking, you should never fill the inner pot past the PC Max—2/3 indicator stamped on the inside of the inner pot. For many foods, it’s best to keep the volume at or below the 1/2 mark that is stamped on the inner pot, particularly for foods that tend to expand in volume during cooking, such as beans or pasta.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature of foods that you place in the Instant Pot can have a direct impact on results. Placing cold or frozen foods in the Instant Pot can directly impact how long it takes for the pot to achieve full pressurization and temperature. You should always consider this when planning your cooking times, and assume that the colder the foods are that you are placing in the pot, the longer the build times will be. Room temperature can also have some impact on build and cooking times.
Pressure Release Methods
QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE
Quick pressure release is achieved by manually flipping the steam release handle to the venting position. Quick pressure release is useful for vegetables, pasta, and other foods that can quickly become overcooked and mushy. Note that the quick release method should be done with caution, as the pot releases the pressure rapidly and can cause burns, so never place your hand or face directly over the vent on the steam release handle. Always toggle the handle from the side. (As an added precaution, you can use a wooden spoon to flip the handle to the venting position.)
NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE
Natural pressure release is initiated automatically by the Instant Pot when a pressure cooking program is completed, or when the Cancel button is pressed. Stews, whole grains, and meat dishes typically benefit from the additional cooking time a natural release allows because the additional time helps tenderize tougher foods. Natural pressure release can take significantly longer than quick pressure release—typically anywhere between 5 to 30 minutes, depending on what is being cooked, the pressure at which it is being cooked, and the volume of food in the pot.
Cooking Times
Each recipe in this book includes a total time, which factors in four different time components: prep time, build time, cook time, and release time. Understanding how these times work, and how they can impact the total time in a recipe, will help you plan your time in the kichen accordingly.
PREP TIME
The prep time is the approximate amount of time it will take to prepare any of the ingredients for cooking in the Instant Pot. This may include chopping and slicing raw ingredients, such as vegetables, or precooking other ingredients for use in the main recipe. What is not included in the prep time are any preparations that take place in the Instant Pot, or any cooking processes that take place outside of the pot, such as broiling, baking, or stovetop cooking methods.
COOK TIME
The cook time includes only the actual amount of time the food is being cooked in the Instant Pot in the period between full pressurization and the time pressure release has been completed. The cook time also will include other methods in a recipe, such as sautéing, baking, or broiling. The cook time does not include build times, it includes only the actual time the food is being cooked.
BUILD TIME
The build time is the time is takes for the Instant Pot to get up to full pressure, once the program has been selected and the lid has been closed. How long this takes can depend on a number of factors including the total volume of food in the pot, the temperature of food, atmospheric pressure, and room temperature. The build time can vary significantly based on these factors, but as a general rule the recipes in this book factor in a 10–20 minute total build time for most recipes.
RELEASE TIME
The release time in a recipe can vary significantly, based on the method called for in the recipe. Natural release can add a significant amount of time to the total recipe time—in many instances between 5–30 minutes. The estimated natural release time is included in the recipe instructions. Quick release times are significantly shorter, and will range between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
Other Helpful Tips
ACHIEVING CRISPY TEXTURES
One challenge with pressure cooking is achieving crispy textures, since the moist heat of pressure cooking doesn’t create crispy-finished foods. The Sauté function on the Instant Pot can help further develop flavors and add crust. When sautéing foods in the Instant Pot, you can adjust the level of heat between Low, Normal, and More. The recipes in this book were created using the Normal setting, but the More setting can be useful when trying to boil down a sauce, and the Low setting is useful when cooking foods that can easily burn.
COOKING WITH ALCOHOL
A few recipes in this book use a modest amount of alcohol. Pressure cooking temperatures are high enough to deplete alcohol, but since pressure cooking occurs in a sealed environment, some alcohol may still remain.
MAKING DOUBLE BATCHES
Many recipes in this book can be doubled for making larger batches. When doubling recipes, it’s critical to never fill the inner pot past the markings on the inside of the pot. This will ensure that there will be ample room for foods like beans to expand, once the pressure builds.
MAKING SUBSTITUTIONS
Some recipes in this book utilize other recipes in the book as ingredients. Store-bought versions of these ingredients may be substituted, but always look for options that are comparable in nutrition to the recipe in the book. In addition, some recipes may call for a vegetable oil spread to add a buttery flavor to recipes, and is used when deemed to be a better option than butter. Always look for a spread such as Smart Balance that is high in Omega-3 fats, and low in trans fats.