What is an Instant Pot?
It’s one appliance that you really need to have in your Kitchen. It’s a Slow Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Rice Cooker, Pressure Cooker, Steamer, and now an Air-Fryer too. Basically, Instant pot is a multi-cooker that can replace every other appliance (like a slow cooker, egg boiler, steamer, rice maker, etc) in your kitchen. If you know me then you know how obsessed I am with my Instant Pot. I make everything in my Instant Pot including easy Indian curries. Using these 15 Instant Pot Tips & Tricks you’ll learn how easy, better, efficient it is to use the instant pot for everyday cooking.
INSTANT POT TIPS & TRICKS
1. ALWAYS ADD LIQUID WHEN PRESSURE COOKING
If you’re pressure cooking, it’s best to add at least ½ - 1 cup of liquid (depending upon what you are making). Because if you have added less amount of water, you may get the Burn notice.
2. MANUAL OR PRESSURE COOK
Some people get confused between Manual & Pressure Cook. Both are the same, older models have a MANUAL BUTTON for pressure cooking. While newer models use PRESSURE COOK BUTTON. There are many Instant Pot recipes available. Some mention the Manual button while others mention Pressure Cook, so don’t get confused.
3. STORING AN INSTANT POT
It is a big appliance so storing it is always a challenge. I have a 3-tier cart that I use for storing my Instant Pot. You can store on the counter for easy access or make a space in your cabinets or pantry. When storing the Instant Pot, always take off the lid from the top of the instant pot and keep it on the side. You can also place the lid in the gap of the handles on the sides. That way you can prevent any odors from building up if you use your Instant Pot less frequently.
4. COOK TIME IS NOT THE EXACT TIME
When you set the timer for the recipes, that’s not the exact time it takes to cook food. Remember Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, so everything is cooked once the pressure is built up. First, the pressure is going to build up (the more liquid there is Instant Pot will take more time). Once the pressure gets built-up, then the timer starts. When the timer beeps, then the Instant Pot takes few more minutes to release the pressure. Check out some Paneer Recipes.
5. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUICK RELEASE & NPR
The instant pot has two settings to release the built-up pressure. Quick Release is when you slide the vent to the venting position to release the pressure quickly (that we use for making pasta, or spaghetti, etc.) and NPR (or No Pressure Release) when we let Instant Pot release the pressure naturally (that we use for lentils or beans).
6. INSTANT POT CAN COOK ANYTHING
You can make anything and everything in an Instant Pot. You are not limited to one meal. It can make Yogurt, Cake, Eggs, Beans, Jams, Dough, etc. There are few presets available to cook almost anything in an Instant Pot.
7. INSTANT POT ACCESSORIES
Buying a few extra Instant Pot accessories will surely help you a lot. I have listed up the Most Recommended Instant Pot Accessories that I use. I use Springform Pan for making cake or lasagna. Pot-in-Pot accessories for making multiple food items. Egg Molds for boiling the eggs. I also use egg Mold Bites for freezing Indian Masala or for making mini egg bites or brownies. There is the whole list of accessories. Do check it out. Check out my list of Most Recommended Instant Pot Accessories that you’ll need to make various Instant Pot Recipes.
8. HAVE YOU HEARD OF 5-5-5 METHOD
If you know about Instant Pot, then you might have heard of 5-5-5 Method. It is basically a way to make hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot. I know making eggs in Instant Pot sounds crazy. Isn’t it easier to make in a pan on the stove? But trust me if you try eggs in an Instant Pot, you won’t make it again on the stove. It’s not only easy to boil the eggs but peeling is also way easier. All you have to do is to follow the rule of 5-5-5. Meaning Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. Quick Release after 5 minutes, when the timer beeps. Lastly, Ice Bath for another 5 minutes.
10. PURCHASE EXTRA SEALING RINGS
Sometimes the smell of previous food won’t go away from the sealing ring. So it’s best to buy 2-3 extra sealing rings. You can use one for savory dishes, one for desserts, and can keep one spare or use in some other dishes. I don’t like the smell of my Sambhar or any curry go in my puddings, so I use different sealing rings for this purpose.
11. KNOW HOW SAUTE MODE WORKS
Saute mode has three settings: low, normal, and high. Depending on the food you are sauteing, you can select the level. Also when pressure cooking, you can first boil the liquid using Saute. That way it will reduce your cook time by half.
12. HOW TO USE YOGURT BUTTON
There is so much you can do in Yogurt mode. You can make dough of any bread and even make a Pizza Dough. You can make creamiest, yummiest Yogurt which tastes even better than a store-bought one. It can also be used to make Dosa/Idli Batter (fermented batter made of rice & lentils). You can make sprouts using the Yogurt mode of Instant Pot.
13. USE BINDER CLIP
I attach a binder clip to the pot whenever I’m sauteing some food. Usually, what happens when you stir the food, the pot also starts moving and I find it very annoying. So to avoid that, I attach a binder clip to the pot to keep it still.
14. BUY AN EXTRA INNER POT IF YOU USE THE INSTANT POT FREQUENTLY
If you use Instant pot frequently then I would recommend getting 2 inner pots. Otherwise, you have to wash the inner pot regularly. I use instant pot 2-3 times every day. That’s why I have bought 2 instant pots. It saves me time. If one is dirty and is in my dishwasher, I use the other one.
15. STERILIZE BABY BOTTLES IN AN INSTANT POT
Yes, you heard it right! You can even sterilize baby bottles, nipples, pacifiers, and even your breastfeed equipment. Just pot everything in the pot and fill it with water. Close lid and High Pressure for 2 minutes. It works like a charm. I hope my 15 Instant Pot Tips & Tricks will help you in using Instant Pot more easily & efficiently. So don’t be scared and take out your Instant pot out of the box and start experimenting.
