Instant Pot – Guide To The Most Useful Kitchen Appliance

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You can avoid purchasing appliances that you don’t need and instead get the most useful kitchen appliance.

What is The Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot is a combination of seven appliances in one. This appliance functions as a rice cooker, warmer, sauté pan, slow cooker, pressure cooker and surprisingly as a yogurt maker.  This Instapot guide will get you up-to-speed as fast as possible.

Let’s Get Into the Pressure Cooker Part

Unlike other poorly designed cookers, the Instapot premium pressure-cooker allows you to use 10 safety mechanisms that prevent the risks of explosions.

• Prior to cooking, it’s important that you close the lid completely and the steam release handle should point at the sealed position.
• You should never open the Instant Pot until the cooking is complete and the pressure is released.
• Never fill 2/3 of your pot. Filling your pot more than that will clog the vent pipes and build up too much pressure. For the foods that expand such as beans, fill 1/2 of your pot.

You can either release the pressure naturally or you can choose the ‘quick pressure release.’ In the natural method, you should wait for 8-25 minutes depending with the amount of liquid in the pot. For the quick pressure method, you should wear a silicone mitt; turn the steam handle to allow the steam to come out through the vent. When the vent is clear, you can then open your pot.

The Instant Pot Has Accessories!

Let’s begin with the stainless-steel steam rack with handle. You should use the steam rack to hold food that is non-liquid above the water level such as corn on the cob or hard-boiled eggs. The Instant Pot also comes with a rice paddle, measuring cup and a soup spoon.

Let’s Get Started

• The Manual and Pressure Buttons: The manual button allows you to set the minutes that you need for cooking. Other buttons such as the poultry has a pre-set time. You should start your pot by pressing the manual and the pressure key. You can easily choose either high or low pressure.  The timer button programs the cooking time. You should also add 10 minutes to the actual cooking time since the Instapot starts after 10seconds.

• Slow cooker: This function is similar to other slow cookers only that less means warm, normal means low and more means high.

• Adjust: This key helps you to adjust the temperature between less, normal and more.

• Sauté:  Use this feature to pre-cook onions, garlic or to brown your meat. Keep the lid is off and press more if you need higher heat and less when you need to simmer.

• Keep Warm/ Cancel: Use this button to keep your food warm at your preferred degree. This key also cancels other features in your pot.

• Steam: Remember to use the steam rack when using this feature.

• Soup: This is the button to use when you need to cook under high pressure for 30 minutes. You can adjust the minutes by pressing more or less. This also applies to other buttons on your pot but they are set to cook your food at a specific period of time.

• Rice: This key is fully automated to cook in the ratio 1:2 of rice to liquid.

Models that You Can Choose From

IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt Instant Pot

This is the 7-in-I appliance that has 14 programs that allow you to cook all your favorite foods. It has high pressure that lets you cook your food quickly and the low pressure that helps you cook the delicate foods.

IP-DUO Plus60 9-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6 Qt Instant Pot

This is an upgrade from the first one and it’s a little pricier. Additional settings are cake, egg and sterilize. With this choice, you also get a blue LCD screen display and a max/min fill lines in the inner bowl.

IP-DUO80 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, 8 Qt Instant Pot

Are you considering a large Instant Pot? The 8-quart capacity offers more space that will perfectly suit your needs.

Ultra Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 qt Instant Pot

This type allows you to customize cook times, pressures and temperatures. In addition to sterilize, egg and cake functions, it has a screen that indicates whether you are preheating, cooking or warming your food. It also adjusts the altitude automatically and it has a pressure button too.

IP-Smart Multifunctional Pressure Cooker Bluetooth-Enabled Instant Pot

Isn’t it cool to control your cooking using your smartphone? If that is your style, don’t hesitate to get this model.

IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, 6Qt Instant Pot (updated model)

This is the most affordable Instant Pot. However, you won’t enjoy settings such as the bean/chili, poultry and yoghurt. It only has the high-pressure cooking option and it lacks some accessories.

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