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We’ve ordered an Instant Pot

566 replies

CruCru · 26/08/2018 19:11

Do you have one? What do you like to make in it?

I used to have a slow cooker, which was great for making stock and mulling wine.

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sirfredfredgeorge · 27/08/2018 08:37

I heard that you need to give it like 20 mins to heat up and then after to depressurise?

Depends how liquid much is in it. If you were just "boiling" some eggs then a bit of water under the trivet could bring it to pressure in a couple of minutes at most, even less if you used kettle water. The depressurising again depends on how much steam, with a small amount it's only 30s or more if you do it quickly (which puts the steam outside through a vent)

If it's taking a long time to heat up and cool down for meals, then you're probably using too much liquid.

MeetOnTheLedge · 27/08/2018 08:39

I got mine on Black Friday two years ago for £69.99 (6L Duo) so the prices vary a lot. They stocked out in Europe last winter so prices stayed high, worth following on a price drop website such as Camelcamelcamel.

MsHomeSlice · 27/08/2018 08:48

there can be some heating up and cooling down time, but depending on what you are making you can minimise that

as pp said, don't over fill with water, more is not better, and mostly you need just a single cup of water to pressure things....use freshly boiled kettle water and the IP doesn't have to waste time heating that before getting to pressure.

cooling down...you can do QPR (quick pressure release) ..again if you have used a lot of liquid then there will be lots of steam, so less is better

I actually did boiled eggs in mine the other day, have always scoffed at those people raving about boiled eggs in the IP...how hard can it be to put a couple of eggs in a pan fgs?? Well of course, IP is best, and they peeled like a dream!! I am converted to boiling ALL the eggs in the IP for ever more!

MeetOnTheLedge · 27/08/2018 08:54

I've never managed to get the timings right on boiled eggs, we don't eat them often. I find that's the biggest issue, remembering settings for things that are time sensitive like eggs, fish, steamed veg, if you don't do them very often.

Lollypop27 · 27/08/2018 08:55

I love mine. I got it after reading a thread on aibu about it. I have given the slow cooker and yogurt maker away because they are no longer needed.

Our favourite is Mexican chicken rice. Rice, frozen chicken breasts, sweet corn, red kidney beans, spices, jar of salsa and water. It’s really tasty and my teenagers favourite meal.

Also I now buy value rice. I had used it years ago and I could not cook it without it becoming a stodgy mess. In the instant pot it is perfect.

If you do get one, I would advise to get some measuring cups (Poundland) as most of the recipes I have come across are American.

Can anyone link to the autumn cooking thread please?

CoperCabana · 27/08/2018 08:57

@PawneeParksDept two parts stock to one part rice

MadisonAvenue · 27/08/2018 09:02

Wouldn’t be without mine. It’s used most days, today I’m doing a ham joint and vegetables in it. Tomorrow is macaroni cheese.
Cheesecakes made in it are amazing! And we love rice pudding.

BrutusMcDogface · 27/08/2018 09:04

They're a lot of money, aren't they?! Shock

summerdrawstoclose · 27/08/2018 09:06

Slight tangent but does anyone know if the 'Pressure King Pro' is as good as the Instant Pot?
They seem to have similar good reviews

FesteringCarbuncle · 27/08/2018 09:06

I hate slow cookers. Everything tastes the same and bland
I love my IP. The flavours are so intense.
Join the FB group if you are on FB
Its full of recipes and hints

FesteringCarbuncle · 27/08/2018 09:08

I'm going to try butter chicken today
I make yogurt all the time. And clotted cream is gorgeous in it
I bought mine off a FB selling group for £20 unused but now I've tried it I would get another.

buttybuttybutthole · 27/08/2018 09:17

I bought the mini one last year and haven't taken it out of the box. I a, ashamed to say I am scared of it! Esp the pressure cooker aspect. What if it explodes?? Following thread for support...

WilburIsSomePig · 27/08/2018 09:25

I looked at the Pressure King Pro because it's SO much cheaper, but don't know if there's a reason for that?

greeneggblueegg · 27/08/2018 09:43

Which? reviews say the Instant Pot is slightly better but I don't know if that justifies the price hike

123bananas · 27/08/2018 10:00

I have a pressure king pro and it is great.

DH makes goat curry and rice and peas in it which takes 4 hours on the hob, but in the pressure cooker takes 1.5.

It also has a delay cook time function and a keep warm function that come in very handy on school nights.

Lougle · 27/08/2018 10:27

I had a massive thread running about the Instant Pot in 2016 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2538738-To-tell-you-all-about-my-Instant-Pot-electric-pressure-cooker which might give you some recipes/ideas/tips.

I've got 2 now, and we still love them. Greek yoghurt is so easy - I don't even bother scalding the milk now. It's already pasteurised and homogenised, so I just pour it in, press boil for a couple of minutes to take the chill off, then cancel and add the yoghurt, then press the yoghurt setting. When it's done, I put a tea towel into a colander, over a saucepan, then pour the yoghurt into it and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, we have Greek yoghurt.

Corn on the cob is another fantastic IP success. 4 minutes on manual and beautifully sweet cobs with delicious juices that can be added to a gravy.

teaandtoast · 27/08/2018 10:44

So it's just a pressure cooker?

MeetOnTheLedge · 27/08/2018 10:51

No, it's not just a pressure cooker. It's also a slow cooker, steamer, yogurt maker. You can saute in it to soften and brown veg or use it as a general purpose large pan for things like jam making. I'm planning to make chutney in mine today.

MeetOnTheLedge · 27/08/2018 10:52

Lougle it was your thread that prompted me to get mine Smile

buttybuttybutthole · 27/08/2018 10:57

Meet, what sort of chutney are you making?

MsHomeSlice · 27/08/2018 11:50

teaandtoast ....for shame....it most certainly is NOT just a pressure cooker

rice cooker, slow cooker, soup maker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté pan, porridge maker, bean cooker, AND a pressure cooker! And it plays the cutest little tune when you put the lid on and off, and I have a heart of stone and hate all appliances that make noise.

I think it was lougle's thread that prompted me to get mine!

I haven't touched my slowcooker since I got it....I think that's what I use it for the most. Pressure cooking something like a boeuf bourguignon to get the meat meltingly tender and then letting it slow cook for the rest of the day to intensify the sauce, and a final blast on saute if you want to steam dumplings

Also made the nicest chilli with beef hough...pressure cooked that one day and then overnight in the fridge. Pressured the beans from dry, no having to remember to soak the buggers overnight, and then slow cooked the spices/tomatoes/bean and meat together.

Everyone needs one imo!

Lougle · 27/08/2018 12:29

I'm so glad you are still using your Pots Grin I think it really is one gadget that is truly useful and not just a one hit wonder. I did give up making so many cheesecakes, though, because as amazing as it is, it doesn't take the calories out of food, and they are just so easy to make that it can become a bit of a daily habit Blush.

You really can cook meat and chickens from frozen, by the way, quite safely, and they will be tender and beautifully cooked. The reason is that because it's a pressure cooker, it won't get to pressure until the water boils and turns to steam. It won't do that until it has defrosted the meat and brought it to ambient temperature, because otherwise, every time the stream comes into contact with the cold meat, it will cool the steam and it will turn from water vapour to water again. It's only once it is all at sufficient temperature that the steam can stay in that state and the pressure can build, so the cooking time can start. So starting with frozen meat just means a longer cooking time. There is no risk to health because the temperature is steadily rising then staying at a high heat.

For new users, the only difficult thing is direct contact with sugar on the bottom of the pan. Because the heating element is there, it gets tricky. So if you cook a tomato based dish, you always add the tomatoes last, and don't stir. If you are going to be adding sugar, do that last. If you need to use something sugary in a savoury dish that uses onions, put the onions in first as a base layer, so they can coat the bottom of the pan so that the element has something 'friendly' next to it.

MeetOnTheLedge · 27/08/2018 22:20

It's this one, more like piccalilli than chutney, I've done it before and its delicious - I didn't get round to it today in the end.

I'm not sure about the types of chutney that are thick and syrupy and have to be cooked for hours though, I think they might catch. I tried mango chutney in my old slow cooker and it burned.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1411639/green-bean-and-mustard-pickle

FrayedHem · 27/08/2018 22:31

The reason I only use it to cook frozen chicken was I kept getting overheat errors. I honestly followed all the tips and advice, but just couldn't master it. It's difficult to salvage an overheat and i just find it too unreliable.

Whatsnewwithyou · 28/08/2018 05:59

I've never had a single overheat error in the hundreds of times I've used the IP. Are you adding at least half a cup of liquid each time you use it? It's got to be either not enough liquid or potentially a fault with your IP because that isn't normal.