We’ve ordered an Instant Pot

[CruCru]

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.

Following

I can't imagine using tinned soup in an instant pot - talk about defeating the purpose!

Any soupy/stewy recipe can easily be converted to make in the instant pot. If I'm using a conventional recipe I just cut the time by 2/3 (so for example instead of an hour 20 minutes) and if it contains meat use a natural release so the meat doesn't seize up. It's so easy to use, honestly.

you really don't need recipes for the instant pot....do things you usually do, and have a good look at the techniques required...tomatoes can burn, thicken AFTER, use less liquid, learn difference between NPR/QPR

there is a UK based facebook group if you do FB which is a mine of info, and well managed so it's not a flood of folks asking the same over and over and over! Search "Instant Pot UK Community"

American cooking is weird imo! ...they do like to assemble things from tins and boxes and claim it as real food!

well having read this thread, then all 30 pages of lougle's original thread I cracked and ordered one yesterday! It is coming today!
It's the 5.5l version from amazon, I am slightly concerned it may not be big enough (we are a family of 8, but 2 dc will be off at uni from October so maybe will be OK) but I couldn't find a bigger one in stock anywhere. Already planning Leek and Potato soup, honey chicken, gammon, chilli, pasta bakes....oh and many cheesecakes! oh , and yogurt making. We eat LOADS of greek yog so will definitely try that!
I am now eyeing up various inserts on amazon - do I need a steamer basket?
Is it a little bit sad how excited I am?!?

I use a steamer basket all the time for potatoes, veg and fish.

thanks meet I feel another purchase coming on!!

So have just gone and ordered one, you terrible lot!

BUT Amazon Prime not delivering until 25 Sep . How did PP manage to get it next day?

Yes, on rice - I think I should have pushed the rice button! I ignore all of those and just do manual but I reckon that was the mistake. Will try again and hope for better results.

Maybe Amazon are running out of Instant Pots. I think they kept selling out a few months ago.

There was a supply issue and for about 6 months, maybe longer, they weren't available in the UK. I bought one when I had an Amazon voucher from a new mobile phone provider otherwise I wouldn't have paid full price. I suspect it's one of those products which has first mover advantage in the market (it's also been promoted via social media largely by people who own them rather than by Instant Pot's own marketing department) and other brands are just as good or perhaps don't have all the functions but are perfectly okay.

sailing I ordered from amazon prime last night - but it did say only 2 left in stock when I ordered mine- sorry!

so, it is here. currently hopefully cooking leek and potato soup, then going to do butternut squash and orange and ginger soup, then maybe stick a chicken in to roast LOL!
I need to go shopping tomorrow for cheesecake ingredients!

Since this thread I've been looking at all things instapot and I'm going to have to get one. DH has asked me to wait until Christmas so he can get it for me. It's my birthday next month but I already asked for new pans. I have exciting wants. Hopefully they'll be in stock then

Marvellous just be careful to put a tea towel over the vent and go easy as you release the steam with your soup, otherwise you won't be the first, and won't be the last, to have soup all over your counter, the ceiling, and anywhere else it can splutter to!

We use ours every single day!

Steel cut oats overnight (wake up to hot, beautifully cooked porridge)

Pressure cook everything; rice, pulses, curries, whole chickens, soup.

Love the fact that I can cook any meat from frozen. So if I forget to defrost dinner, still takes pretty much the same time and I can stick to meal plan.

I've had mine for 5 years and wouldn't be without it!

thanks lougle I did indeed use a tea towel and opened the vent at arms length very, very cautiously but all was fine!
So in 2 hours I made a large batch of leek and potato soup, a big bowl of butternut squash, orange and ginger soup, par boiled the potatoes to roast for dinner and then cooked the veggies for dinner in instant pot (overcooked them - will reduce time next time!)whilst roasting chicken in the oven. Fab!
I now have the left over chicken in the inconstant pot with some sweetcorn making chicken and sweetcorn soup!
I have ordered a steaming basket and some inner pots too!
Tomorrow I'm doing honey sesame chicken for dinner and of course making a cheesecake!
I'm also going to try a sponge pudding at some point - figure I could use similar approach to the ones I used to make in slow cooker (syrup sponge and chocolate sponge)
and then I'm going to make yogurt and also try proving bread dough in it!!
I think I may be too busy to go back to work on Wednesday!

I too use mine every day! I was very sad to leave it when we went on (self-catering) hols this summer.

top tips:
use trivet + cup of water +casserole dish that is covered with foil this means you can make things like:

scalloped potatoes: put thinly sliced (mandolin) raw potatoes and onions, and salt and pepper, in a buttered glass dish. Put that on the trivet, add 1 c water to the IP, pressure cook manual for 12 mins, natural release

-cake and steamed puddings

I cooked a whole chicken in mine tonight and it was really good, very juicy. Now got stock cooking for tomorrow’s chicken soup. I used the timings from amindfullmom website.

Does anyone do overnight porridge in theirs? I’ve tried the pot in pot method but never perfected it; a reliable recipe would be very welcome.

thecag DH makes porridge for him and the DC every single day.

He uses steel cut oats and times it to pressure cook (not slow cook) and they are consistently perfect.

I'll ask him for the details and post

Marvelous - its brilliant for proving dough. The bowl from my stand mixer sits nicely inside the IP and I balance the lid on top (bill sticks up a bit but you don't need the lid sealed). Use the yogurt setting. It's quite a fast rise, normally I stop at the shortest time any recipe recommends.

The recipe for Honey Sesame Chicken would be ace if you've got a moment @marvelousways

With the porridge can it be frozen as I'd make too much for one sitting?

I do porridge from rolled oats in mine every day using pot in pot method. 1 cup oats to 2 cups milk (or water if you prefer). That goes in the inner bowl and 2 cups water in the instant pot. Manual 6 mins - natural release at least 4 minutes. I also set mine on the timer overnight so it's ready in the morning. I like mine quite runny. If you prefer a more solid porridge leave the NR for longer.
I do like my pot - I bought different coloured silicon rings and change between them depending on what I'm cooking. It is good for corn on the cob, daal, curries, risotto, stews etc. The Hairy Dieters have a good chicken casserole recipe I do a fair bit which is quick and tasty.

Is an instant cooker the same as a pressure cooker? My nan had a pressure cooker when we were small. We used to be terrified when she let the steam out

It's a combined Pressure and Slow Cooker which also makes Yoghurt and Porridge

Hi all

I have joined the FB group but wondered whether there are any other sites I should look at? A friend who’s also got an Instant Pot has come off FB because she was spending so much time on there.

I’ve sent her a link to the Mindfull Mom site.