As I mentioned briefly in yesterday’s post, I received an Instant Pot for Christmas from my sister Erin. It does almost everything, and in jig time. The secret is, it’s a programmable pressure cooker. Which means you can use a little moisture or a lot, and Sauté, Roast, Simmer or whatever, depending on the settings…
The Instant Pot: Does almost everything – except fry…
All of a sudden recipes like Chili, Soups, Stews, Roasted Chicken and other meats, Rice, Noodles and – well, you name it – are faster and simpler than ever to prepare. Sounds like a commercial? Maybe, but it’s the truth!
And it’s all the more interesting to me, since the inventor of the Instant Pot lives right here in my home town, Ottawa,Canada!
Faster than a speeding microwave…
Here are some sample cooking times (in minutes) for various familiar foods in the Instant Pot:
- Pot Roast: 20
- Whole Chicken: 24
- Pork Tenderloin: 20
- Veal / Pork Chops; 5-8
- Green/Yellow Beans: 1-2
- Broccoli Florets: 1-2
- Cauliflower Florets: 2-3
- Carrots: 6-8
- Rice: 4
Get the idea?
One-button programs…
To make things even easier, the Instant Pot features front-panel one-button settings for Soup, Stew, Chili, Poultry, Rice and Porridge. There’s even a Multigrain setting for Lentils, Quinoa, and other Peas/Beans and Whole Grains.
Likewise, you can choose Slow Cook, Sauté, Pressure Cook or Steam functions at the touch of a single button.
And there’s even a convenient Keep Warm setting so you can serve directly from the Instant Pot on a buffet.
If you want to go ‘manual’, there are controls for variable steam pressure and cooking time.
The browning feature…
This is what they call ‘Sauté’ in the docs and on the control panel. It’s something of a contradiction in terms when one thinks of a pressure cooker. But, because of the way the Instant Pot works, and its variable settings, you can actually simmer, brown, roast and even stir fry in the Instant Pot, with the lid off. Just choose the right temperature range – Low, Med or High.
So… You can brown first on High with the lid off, then add some water and put the lid on to finish cooking in jig time under steam pressure. Then, vent the steam, remove the lid and set to Low to thicken or reduce the Sauce/Gravy.
I’m itching to experiment with this thing!
About the only thing you can’t do is…
…Fry. You can’t use Oil or Fat in the Instant Pot, for safety reasons.Too bad. I guess I’ll have to start lobbying for an Air Fryer for my upcoming Birthday!
I’ll be sharing Instant Pot recipes as I try them over the coming weeks. Stay tuned…
~ Maggie J.