How To Properly Use An Instant Pot – And What All Of Those Buttons Are Actually For
March 25, 2020
source: YouTube/Paint the Kitchen Red
Crock pots are marvelous, and I use mine all the time. However, Instant Pots are just a whole other thing. When the Instant Pot first came out, I didn’t really understand the craze. Until my mother-in-law gifted me one, that is. The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker that can cook a variety of foods in extremely short time periods. But, they can be a bit intimidating at first – there are just so many buttons!
Today, we’re going to go through some of the Instant Pot’s features and buttons so that you can confidently use this awesome cooking tool and make whatever your heart desires! Let’s get started.
Liquid Amounts
Firstly, you should always add at least one cup of liquid to whatever you are cooking in your Instant Pot. The Instant Pot is a steamer, after all, so it requires a certain amount of liquid to cook your food.
However, be sure that you never add more liquid than is indicated by the fill line inside the Instant Pot. You definitely don’t want to end up with a big mess.
Sauté Button
You don’t need a separate pan on the stove to sauté foods! That’s what the “sauté” feature is for. Whether you’re perfectly browning vegetables or want to thicken a sauce, the sauté feature has got you covered. Just be sure to keep the lid off when using this feature.
Individual Food Buttons
The individual food button settings (such as soup/broth, meat/stew, bean/chili, and so forth). These buttons all have program settings tailored to the food listed, but you can control the cooking times and settings yourself if you would prefer.
Adjust Button
The “adjust” button is mostly used with the “sauté” feature. This is designed to control the amount of heat.
Manual or Pressure Cook Button
Depending on which model of Instant Pot you have, there will be a “manual” or “pressure cook” button. This button is the machine’s main button, and you will press this every time you want to begin pressure cooking.
Keep Warm Button
When the pressure cooking cycle ends, the Instant Pot will automatically switch to the “keep warm” setting. You can also press this button to end a pressure cooking cycle or to use the “keep warm” setting before it automatically switches over.
+/– Buttons
These buttons are used to adjust the cooking time.
Slow Cook Button
Even though your Instant Pot can cook things at very high temperatures and very quickly, it can also be used on a slow cook feature, if you should so choose.
And I think that about covers all of the not-so-obvious features! For more detailed instructions on using your Instant Pot, you can check out this link. You’ll also want to check out these 6 delicious recipes you can make in your Instant Pot. Happy cooking!