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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Dec 30, 2017 20:20:30 GMT -5
My Girlfriend got me an Instant Pot cooker for Xmas. We saw an ad for one in Early November that seemed to imply it was basically a slow cooker but way faster. This intrigued me as I love the set it and forget it ease of slow cookers, but sometimes would rather things cook faster, b/c I am a lazy and impatient cook that likes shortcuts and corners cut. I made my first meal in it tonight. A chili that so far is outstanding, (we'll see how well it stays as a left-over, but based on the initial serve I'd cal it the best I've ever made). However, it wasn't much faster than traditional/stovetop, and it definitely involved more hands-on time than I remember ever needing with the traditional ways I've cooked it (or via crook pot of course). And it was off of a website with a lot of intriguing Instant Pot recipes where it was on the list of easiest starter recipes as well. As someone that cooks a decent amount, but more out of a sense of "this is the sensible thing to do in terms of cost and control of ingredients/healthiness" than actual enjoyment of cooking as a activity, does anyone have an good advice of how to make my Instant Pot cater to my laziness? |
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Post by Floyd D Barber on Dec 30, 2017 21:48:38 GMT -5
When I saw "Instant Pot" I imagined jars and packets of "Freeze Dried Panama Red", or something like that, for stoners who just don't have time to smoke. I sort of expected the "Instant Pot
Recipes" to be like 20 pages of brownies or something.
Pressure Cooker, on the other hand, conjures up memories of home canning, and working at KFC (I was fired after two days).
I really have nothing useful to add. Sorry.
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Post by MyNameIsNoneOfYourGoddamnBusin on Dec 31, 2017 9:15:20 GMT -5
I bought one for my mother for Christmas and she ended up trying it out that night. Maybe it was just a bad recipe or her inexperience, but the mashed potatoes she made were a glorified soup, even after she tried adding the step of draining the water. I intend to check with her later to see if anything else has turned out better, but so far I'm pretty disappointed by the hype.
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Post by Ben Grimm on Dec 31, 2017 10:31:55 GMT -5
My wife loves ours - I'd recommend getting a dedicated cookbook rather than using it like a slow cooker. There're some cheap kindle ones available for a few bucks. They make very tasty (if not really authentic) tandoori chicken, for example.
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Post by sarapen on Dec 31, 2017 10:33:34 GMT -5
The impression I get is that it's an easier to use pressure cooker. Otherwise, yeah, if you're an indifferent cook you will remain an indifferent cook. I think the people gushing are the ones who are into cooking but don't have as much time as they wish. If you read a few of the reviews you'll notice that many people are specifically comparing it to traditional pressure cookers, which is to say that they're experienced enough at cooking to have used a fairly specialized bit of cooking equipment.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Jan 2, 2018 9:31:17 GMT -5
I"m a huge fan of my Instant Pot. It's a versatile device, but I think sarapen is right: focus on its role as a pressure cooker. That's where it comes into its own, I think. It can certainly replace your slow cooker, it does that too, but it's not a better slow cooker in any way. I like it for quickly cooking dried beans or vastly shortening the time of long braised meat dishes. You can do a pork shoulder from start to dinner in about 75 minutes, which includes things like searing, finishing, flavoring all that... not just cooking the shoulder to tenderness. It puts pulled pork, carnitas, pot roast, etc. in reach on a weeknight without leaving something in a slow cooker all day. I can start that evening and get it done in a reasonable amount of time. Now this is a weird one, but it's also shockingly good at soft or hard-boiling eggs. Add a cup of water, put the steaming tray down, load it up with raw eggs (they shouldn't touch the water), and then pressure cook on medium for 4-8 minutes depending on what you want. They come out perfectly, and importantly and vitally: the shells just slide off. The easiest peeling eggs you will ever experience. Effortless. Like magic. Even with brand new eggs. In short, if you're not using the pressure cooker, it's a just a pot. A good pot, a nice pot, but just a pot. And as for long cooking dishes, like chili, the pressure cooker can only speed up the cooking of the meat or beans (if dried), etc. It won't help the stew reduce any more quickly, because it's a closed system. If anything it will be slower. So if it's a ground meat chili, I think you're just as well on the stove top. |
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Post by Liz n Dick on Jan 2, 2018 12:32:30 GMT -5
What LazBro said. The Instant Pot is a MIRACLE EGG-COOKING DEVICE. It is, without argument, the greatest egg-cooking tool you will ever use. So if you're big into soft- or hard-boiled eggs, you will not regret your Instant Pot. It is also unmatched in its ability to cook tough cuts of meat to melting perfection in the shortest possible time, but that's true of any pressure cooker. It is definitely a much easier pressure cooker to use than the analog one I've used for canning, so it's probably safe to say that it's as easy a pressure cooker as you can find. So that's another strong selling point. As for the other stuff, I have yet to find its everyday appeal. I have friends who seem to cook everything in theirs, but I haven't identified anything I wouldn't rather just do in the oven/on the stovetop. But then, I'm not a big devotee of slow-cooker recipes either. So I probably can't advise much on the "how does this help the lazy cook" angle. There are a couple of things I have attempted in the Instant Pot, just basic "does this single thing cook faster/better" stuff, and I've been disappointed. I didn't like the texture it gave the beans as much as how they turn out from a slow cooker (although the fact that they can go from dried to cooked in an hour was definitely convenient, and it will be a great tool to have in my back pocket for those days I forget to cook beans ahead of time), and the promise of beets being done "in under 30 minutes" is a total sham. Most recipes don't factor in the amount of time it takes to get up to pressure and then back down from it, so "24-minute beets" actually becomes "44-minute beets", which I could have done in the oven. But still, pressure-cooking meats that you would otherwise have to braise for hours is AWESOME. So I like it very much for that application (and, of course, eggs), but don't get the hype for mostly everything else. |
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Jan 2, 2018 12:59:21 GMT -5
What LazBro said. The Instant Pot is a MIRACLE EGG-COOKING DEVICE. It is, without argument, the greatest egg-cooking tool you will ever use. So if you're big into soft- or hard-boiled eggs, you will not regret your Instant Pot. It is also unmatched in its ability to cook tough cuts of meat to melting perfection in the shortest possible time, but that's true of any pressure cooker. It is definitely a much easier pressure cooker to use than the analog one I've used for canning, so it's probably safe to say that it's as easy a pressure cooker as you can find. So that's another strong selling point. As for the other stuff, I have yet to find its everyday appeal. I have friends who seem to cook everything in theirs, but I haven't identified anything I wouldn't rather just do in the oven/on the stovetop. But then, I'm not a big devotee of slow-cooker recipes either. So I probably can't advise much on the "how does this help the lazy cook" angle. There are a couple of things I have attempted in the Instant Pot, just basic "does this single thing cook faster/better" stuff, and I've been disappointed. I didn't like the texture it gave the beans as much as how they turn out from a slow cooker (although the fact that they can go from dried to cooked in an hour was definitely convenient, and it will be a great tool to have in my back pocket for those days I forget to cook beans ahead of time), and the promise of beets being done "in under 30 minutes" is a total sham. Most recipes don't factor in the amount of time it takes to get up to pressure and then back down from it, so "24-minute beets" actually becomes "44-minute beets", which I could have done in the oven. But still, pressure-cooking meats that you would otherwise have to braise for hours is AWESOME. So I like it very much for that application (and, of course, eggs), but don't get the hype for mostly everything else. Instant pot time is confusing. Recipes will say set for x minutes, which could mean 1.75*x in terms of total cooking time. So I'm not sure the 8 minutes to cook hard boiled eggs is necessarily less than the bring to boil and sit covered for 12 minuets method I now use. That said, the slide off shell factor might be the biggest take away for me. And I am looking forward to pot roasting in it. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Jan 2, 2018 13:04:17 GMT -5
What LazBro said. The Instant Pot is a MIRACLE EGG-COOKING DEVICE. It is, without argument, the greatest egg-cooking tool you will ever use. So if you're big into soft- or hard-boiled eggs, you will not regret your Instant Pot. It is also unmatched in its ability to cook tough cuts of meat to melting perfection in the shortest possible time, but that's true of any pressure cooker. It is definitely a much easier pressure cooker to use than the analog one I've used for canning, so it's probably safe to say that it's as easy a pressure cooker as you can find. So that's another strong selling point. As for the other stuff, I have yet to find its everyday appeal. I have friends who seem to cook everything in theirs, but I haven't identified anything I wouldn't rather just do in the oven/on the stovetop. But then, I'm not a big devotee of slow-cooker recipes either. So I probably can't advise much on the "how does this help the lazy cook" angle. There are a couple of things I have attempted in the Instant Pot, just basic "does this single thing cook faster/better" stuff, and I've been disappointed. I didn't like the texture it gave the beans as much as how they turn out from a slow cooker (although the fact that they can go from dried to cooked in an hour was definitely convenient, and it will be a great tool to have in my back pocket for those days I forget to cook beans ahead of time), and the promise of beets being done "in under 30 minutes" is a total sham. Most recipes don't factor in the amount of time it takes to get up to pressure and then back down from it, so "24-minute beets" actually becomes "44-minute beets", which I could have done in the oven. But still, pressure-cooking meats that you would otherwise have to braise for hours is AWESOME. So I like it very much for that application (and, of course, eggs), but don't get the hype for mostly everything else. Instant pot time is confusing. Recipes will say set for x minutes, which could mean 1.75*x in terms of total cooking time. So I'm not sure the 8 minutes to cook hard boiled eggs is necessarily less than the bring to boil and sit covered for 12 minuets method I now use. That said, the slide off shell factor might be the biggest take away for me. And I am looking forward to pot roasting in it. It is true that the egg thing is more about the convenience (read: utter mind-blowing MAGIC) of how easily the shells come off, but for what it's worth, that single cup of water comes to pressure really quickly. Way more so than a big stew or anything. |
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Post by Liz n Dick on Jan 2, 2018 13:22:31 GMT -5
Instant pot time is confusing. Recipes will say set for x minutes, which could mean 1.75*x in terms of total cooking time. So I'm not sure the 8 minutes to cook hard boiled eggs is necessarily less than the bring to boil and sit covered for 12 minuets method I now use. That said, the slide off shell factor might be the biggest take away for me. And I am looking forward to pot roasting in it. Yeah, the Instant Pot is by no means faster than stove top with eggs (although it's actually not much slower), but it is so so so so so SO much better. It's worth the extra minute or two! |
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Jan 2, 2018 15:25:36 GMT -5
Well maybe this can be our Instant Pot novices support group. Owlette already figured out the whole 'amazing for eggs thing'. Now that we're out of the holidays and I've got time to mess around with it, I'd like to work at using it for cooking beans. Ever since we went mostly vegetarian, I've been wanting to get more into using dry beans instead of canned, but it's always felt like such a time-suck.
The other thing I'm curious about is using it for canning. It looks like it should work really well for doing that a bit more speedily, have any of our more experienced instant potter tried it?
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Jan 2, 2018 17:14:22 GMT -5
Well maybe this can be our Instant Pot novices support group. Owlette already figured out the whole 'amazing for eggs thing'. Now that we're out of the holidays and I've got time to mess around with it, I'd like to work at using it for cooking beans. Ever since we went mostly vegetarian, I've been wanting to get more into using dry beans instead of canned, but it's always felt like such a time-suck. The other thing I'm curious about is using it for canning. It looks like it should work really well for doing that a bit more speedily, have any of our more experienced instant potter tried it? I've not tried The Pot for canning. I'm no canner. But I guess my main concern there would be capacity. Unless you have the size up from the standard, I couldn't imagine getting more than four jars in at once. Seems like a PITA for canning. I do know that electric pressure cookers maintain a lower PSI than the stove top models, which is why Instant Pot recipes will usually recommend a slightly longer cook time at pressure than stove top pressure cooker recipes. So if you're canning with a standard pressure cooker recipe, probably up the cook time just to be safe. Otherwise, it should work. As for dry beans, I LOVE this application of the IP, and that is probably the reason I use it most. Dry beans offer ridiculous savings over canned beans. Up thread Liz said she doesn't like the results, but that's because she's a crazy old bat. I know. I've met her. You can cook perfect beans from dried in the Instant Pot, it'll just take a few times to figure out your volumes and timings and what not ... just like any other cooking method. Me, I like firm beans, with a very defined texture, so I usually do a little less than recommended. Depending on what you like, go less, exact or more than the recipe you find. |
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Jan 2, 2018 17:23:33 GMT -5
Well maybe this can be our Instant Pot novices support group. Owlette already figured out the whole 'amazing for eggs thing'. Now that we're out of the holidays and I've got time to mess around with it, I'd like to work at using it for cooking beans. Ever since we went mostly vegetarian, I've been wanting to get more into using dry beans instead of canned, but it's always felt like such a time-suck. The other thing I'm curious about is using it for canning. It looks like it should work really well for doing that a bit more speedily, have any of our more experienced instant potter tried it? I've not tried The Pot for canning. I'm no canner. But I guess my main concern there would be capacity. Unless you have the size up from the standard, I couldn't imagine getting more than four jars in at once. Seems like a PITA for canning. I do know that electric pressure cookers maintain a lower PSI than the stove top models, which is why Instant Pot recipes will usually recommend a slightly longer cook time at pressure than stove top pressure cooker recipes. So if you're canning with a standard pressure cooker recipe, probably up the cook time just to be safe. Otherwise, it should work. As for dry beans, I LOVE this application of the IP, and that is probably the reason I use it most. Dry beans offer ridiculous savings over canned beans. Up thread Liz said she doesn't like the results, but that's because she's a crazy old bat. I know. I've met her. You can cook perfect beans from dried in the Instant Pot, it'll just take a few times to figure out your volumes and timings and what not ... just like any other cooking method. Me, I like firm beans, with a very defined texture, so I usually do a little less than recommended. Depending on what you like, go less, exact or more than the recipe you find. We've never done huge batches when we can anyway. 4 jars a pop would probably be fine. Good to know on the beans. |
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Post by The Sensational She-Hulk on Jan 3, 2018 10:16:48 GMT -5
We don't need yet another appliance so we don't have an Instant Pot, but we do have an indoor pressure-smoker, which functions like a normal smoker only much, much faster. So it's sort of the same principle in a lot of ways as the Instant Pot. You absolutely do need to account for the amount of time it takes to get up to the right pressure - my dad and I totally forgot about it last time we smoked a piece of salmon and I was standing there going "COME ON THIS IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO TAKE LIKE 15 MINUTES I'M STARVING" waiting for the countdown to show up on the display.
In terms of canning, honestly, I think you might be wasting your time using the Instant Pot for that. I use just a regular water bath and it's ridiculously easy - I've never had anything spend more than 20 minutes or so in the water. So I don't know how much more useful an Instant Pot would be, unless all your canning recipes call for a pressure cooker anyway.
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Post by Liz n Dick on Jan 3, 2018 10:19:56 GMT -5
No, Snape is the crazy old bat, and everyone here knows it! But seriously, I'm sure the Instant Pot would make you very happy with your beans. I've just been using my slow cooker for them for years and have grown accustomed to how they turn out in there. If I'm doing just a straight, plain bean cook, that's my preferred method. That said, I did a pork shoulder in beer in the Instant Pot once, and then cooked some black beans in the remaining liquid, and that was AWESOME. So clearly, there are some avenues worthy of further exploration here. As for pressure canning, it sounds like you shouldn't. (That link includes a suggestion that you can use the Instant Pot for boiling water canning, which I can't even fathom in a pot that small.) |
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Jan 3, 2018 11:13:47 GMT -5
No, Snape is the crazy old bat, and everyone here knows it! But seriously, I'm sure the Instant Pot would make you very happy with your beans. I've just been using my slow cooker for them for years and have grown accustomed to how they turn out in there. If I'm doing just a straight, plain bean cook, that's my preferred method. That said, I did a pork shoulder in beer in the Instant Pot once, and then cooked some black beans in the remaining liquid, and that was AWESOME. So clearly, there are some avenues worthy of further exploration here. As for pressure canning, it sounds like you shouldn't. (That link includes a suggestion that you can use the Instant Pot for boiling water canning, which I can't even fathom in a pot that small.) huh...I'm pretty sure the manual for mine had canning instructions in it, though I've not sat down and read them very closely yet. |
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Post by Liz n Dick on Jan 3, 2018 11:21:43 GMT -5
huh...I'm pretty sure the manual for mine had canning instructions in it, though I've not sat down and read them very closely yet. Your Instant Pot's manual sits on a throne of lies! That, or it's trying to kill you. |
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