A small miracle on your kitchen counter, the cult-favorite Instant Pot has taken the world
by storm.
Make sure you're getting the most out of your new favorite kitchen appliance by avoiding
these common mistakes.
One-pot meals are a busy cook's best friend, and if you're not using the sauté button
on your Instant Pot, you're missing an opportunity.
If your recipe calls for browning meat, pre-cooking onions, or doing any prep work on the stovetop,
you can do that right in your Instant Pot.
Sauté the ingredients in the bottom of the pot with oil or whatever fat you prefer, then
continue on with the recipe by switching to the pressure cooker feature.
One less pan to clean!
“You missed a spot.”
Yes, the Instant Pot can cook at lightning-fast speed, but you might be a little disappointed
when the maci and cheese recipe that promises to cook in a few minutes takes longer than
that.
“So we thought the idea of getting mac n’ cheese in just four minutes was a little misleading,
but it IS just a little faster than in an oven.”
This is because the time needed for the machine to come to pressure isn't taken into account
— but, there is a way to shave a few minutes off the process if you’re in a hurry to
start cooking.
Just turn on your Instant Pot right as you begin your recipe, even if you're not ready
to close the lid yet.
Make sure you've added your cooking liquid so you're not heating an empty pot, then finish
the remaining prep.
The pot will start to heat up while you're working and it won't have to start from cold
once you do close the lid.
Now you're that much closer to some cheesy pasta goodness.
If you notice a less-than-pleasant odor emanating from your Instant Pot, chances are it's the
sealing ring.
“What’s that terrible smell?”
“I dunno.
I should get moving!”
Strong foods can soak into the silicone ring, and after a few meals, it's bound to take
on a gross combination of smells.
But before you toss it in the trash, try this method to clean it: Pour two cups of white
vinegar into the pot, close the lid, then run it for two minutes on the steam setting.
Remove the ring and let it dry before reinstalling.
And ta-da!
It should now be mostly odor-free.
As tempting as it is to make a month's worth of meals all at once, you should refrain from
pushing your Instant Pot too far when it comes to capacity.
According to the user's manual, you shouldn't fill the pot more than 2/3 full when using
pressure cooking programs, or more than 1/2 full when cooking foods that expand in volume,
like rice or beans.
”So...cool beans?”
“Cool beans.”
If you fill the pot with more than the suggested amount, you run the risk of the contents clogging
the pressure release valve, which we can only assume leads to really bad things.
Another way to take advantage of one-pot cooking with the Instant Pot is to stack different
foods within the machine.
For instance, while your meat is cooking away in the bottom of the pot, you can cook potatoes
or steam vegetables over top.
You'll need a rack that fits into your machine, but then it's as simple as placing a steamer
basket or other pressure cooker-safe vessel on top of the rack.
If whatever you're steaming will cook faster than the other food, you'll want to add it
in later by depressurizing and restarting.
Yes, your new favorite appliance makes perfect rice, too.
It's as simple as taking one-part rice and one-part water.
Then, add it to the pot and press the rice button.
Let the cooked rice sit for about 10 minutes before opening.
Plus, by ditching your rice cooker, you'll have room in your kitchen to store your lovely
Instant Pot.
You might think using less liquid can trick the Instant Pot into cooking faster, but no
dice.
The machine needs a certain amount of liquid to come to pressure and, according to Instant
Pot, that amount is 1 cup, minimum.
Fill it with less than that and you're going to be waiting a long time.
We've already established the minimum amount of liquid, but you also need to be careful
not to use too much.
Because of the lack of water evaporation, sauces don't reduce as they would on a stovetop,
and therefore, flavors won't concentrate, resulting in bland, thin sauces.
So, follow the recipe — this is definitely a time when more isn't always better.
“The less you do, the more you do.”
Yes, surprisingly, you can cook pasta successfully in a pressure cooker.
“We present our guest with a plate of Basghetti.
And then I will say, “Why don’t you eat some Basghetti?’”
But there are two things to keep in mind: You should skip thin, small pasta like angel
hair, which will turn to mush.
Go for heartier varieties, like ziti.
Don't be tempted to stir the pasta into the other ingredients, either.
You'll want to add your sauce and any cooking liquid first, then add the pasta on top.
This prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
And now, you're officially an Instant Pot pasta pro.
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