To tell you all about my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker?

[lougle]

In ridiculously sad excited. I got given an Instant Pot Duo 60 for Christmas and it is utterly fantastic!

I cooked a cheesecake in 25 minutes. It's delicious. Then I pot roasted a 2kg joint of beef in 45 minutes -beautifully tender and still just ever so slightly rare in the middle.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Ooh I was thinking of getting a pressure cooker but was put off by the fact I'd only make stock Masterchef stylee or maybe soup in it.

Tell me more!

[witsender]

I've been tempted by one, how long did it take to get up to pressure? I fancied the 7 as it has a yogurt making function too...

[lougle]

How long it takes to come to pressure depends a bit on how much liquid there is, what temperature it is and what's in it. They say 2-40 minutes. For my cheesecake, using room temp ingredients, it was about 8 minutes.

It's super easy to use. You just press buttons and then it starts itself after 10 seconds. It has a keep warm function which automatically comes on at the end of the cooking time.

There is a huge (24,000+ members) Facebook Instant Pot community group which is awesome because people post their successes and failures along with pictures and get tips and advice.

It's so good that I bought a second one in Amazon's lightening sale on Tuesday! Some people on Facebook have three. Crazy.

Facebook group is here

[ZenNudist]

Do you put it on the hob? I always worry that pressure cookers are dangerous. Sounds good that you can cook so quickly...

Does it make food taste odd. I don't like the taste of slow cooker food (bland, funny texture). Wondered if pressure cooking similar?

[thinkofablinkingnamewoman]

I ordered one a few days ago so am really happy to read this! I was going to use it to speed up cooking beans and such..... But ooooh, cheesecake

[DamedifYouDo]

I grew up in the 70's with a mum and gran who always used a pressure cooker and I have had one all my life. I use a basic one and wouldn't be without it!!! Great for boiling a joint of ham / bacon, fantastic soups in minutes, fab way to quickly cook a stew from cheap cut of meat, quick chicken curry, bolognaise and chilli can be cooked fast yet have so much more flavour as if they have been simmering for hours. I always cook veg such as swede, potatoes for mashing in it.
I steamed puddings but never made a cheesecake!

[lougle]

It's electric so it can go on any hard surface. Food comes out much more flavoursome because the pressure pushes the flavours back into it. Meat benefits from Natural Pressure Release (where you allow the pressure to dissipate over the surface of the lid) rather than quick release (where you turn the knob to 'venting' and the steam all pours out).

It really is safe -the cooker has an electronic lock which prevents the lid being removed while it is under pressure. You can't remove the lid until the pressure float valve is down.

The inner pot is stainless steel, so cleans really easily. And it even has a sauté function, so you can sweat off your veg in oil or brown your meat before pressure cooking it if you want to.

[lougle]

Cheesecake is so easy! I just put a circle of parchment in a loose bottomed tin, digestive biscuits crushed with melted butter mixed in on the base. Then cream cheese, soured cream, eggs and sugar mixed and poured on top. I then made a blueberry sauce (a punnet of blueberries, 1oz icing sugar and 3tsps water, cooked up then thickened with cornflour) and swirled it through the mixture. Cover the tin base with foil (not essential). Pressure cook on manual for 25 minutes followed by 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release. It should be set at the edges and wobbly in the middle -it firms up as it cools.

[LagunaBubbles]

I also grew up in the 70s with memories of my Mum using hers a lot, a big giant thing, keep meaning to get one!

[saltedcaramelhotchoc]

I really want one! The cheesecake looks gorgeous. I've joined the FB group and it's very tempting. I was terrified of the pressure cooker growing up - this sounds ideal.

[tiggerkid]

I got Instant Pot last year and it literally changed my life! Can't praise it high enough, so NO, you aren't unreasonable LOL. I would also highly recommend it :)

[DyslexicScientist]

I've got a normal one that cost a tenner from lidl ages ago.

Love being able to cook quenoir in minutes and works fab on my induction. Would thus one improve my life?

I don't eat cheesecake it's virtually heroine.

[CatCoriander]

YADNBU

I am positively evangelical about my IP and use it almost every day for soup, amazing stocks, vegetables (the best ever mash), rice, stews, ragu and the easiest non-stir risotto ever. I have to say that the recipe book provided is a bit limited but the FB group is a great resource.

[lougle]

It's so exciting! I was on a night shift last night. It's great to know I cam knock up a tasty dinner in minutes.

[Cloppysow]

Gosh! This doesn't sound like advertising at all.

[witsender]

I have heard that the IP one comes up to pressure quicker than some cheaper ones, don't know how true that is? I have seen the Charles Jacobs ones which are cheaper. I am tempted by one, I saw one with a damaged handle on eBay which was a bit cheaper.

[witsender]

Unless a poster who has been here for years has suddenly been co-opted into advertising for a random kitchen item I think the most likely possibility is just that she likes it.

[tethersend]

On that note, if any companies would like me to rave about their products on here for a small fee, I have absolutely no scruples at all

[witsender]

Agreed. I have zero shame.

[lougle]

I've been posting here for about 9 years Instant Pot comes from Canada and only sell here through Amazon and their own company - no advantage to me whether anyone gets one!

witsender I can't compare others, so don't know if that's true. IP uses slightly lower pressures than traditional stove top PCs (11.6 psi vs 15 psi). So I guess it makes sense that it would come up to pressure more quickly. How quickly it comes up to pressure depends on the quantity and temperature of the liquid added, plus the starting temperature and how porous the food stuff is.

I just think it's an amazing gadget and as the Facebook page has over 25,000 members across the world, I'm not alone!

[lougle]

hesterton It's different from traditional pressure cookers because it has electronic programming and you can adjust time, temperature and pressure level. It has a sauté function so you can brown meat etc in the cooker before cooking it. It can ferment milk, make yoghurt, etc., too. It has smart timer delay -you just tell it how long it is until you want to eat and it works out when it needs to start and does it all automatically.

A whole chicken from the deep freezer cooks in about 35 minutes (once up to pressure). No defrosting. Just shove it in.

[claig]

I haven't got one but have been thinking about getting one. It sounds great, is an amazing low price and is 100% stainless steel for health. Excellent. I had thought about the Tefal Cook4Me or whatever it is, but that is much more expensive and is ceramic non-stick and I prefer stainless steel for health. How long do you have to wait for after letting steam pressure out after it has finished before you can open the iid? Does it take a long time for that?