What is an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot is a multifunctional electric pressure cooker that also acts as a slow cooker, rice cooker, browning pan, steamer, yogurt maker, cake maker, warmer and sterilizer. The Instant Pot is designed to cook some of your favorite foods 2-6 times faster than conventional cooking methods, while using about 70% less energy. The use of pressure and steam inside the pot allows for drastically reduced cooking times for everyday foods, from pork roast to rice. The Instant Pot also saves space in a cluttered kitchen by combining many useful kitchen electrics into one.
How to use An Instant Pot?
Whether you’re cooking meats, seafood, vegetables or dessert, you can use your Instant Pot to help prepare your meals. When you first get your Instant Pot, you’ll want to start by gently cleaning it out with soap and water. Then, you’ll need to attach the condensation collector to the back of the pot to help avoid any spills or leaks while in use. Always make sure to read the setup instructions for your specific model to properly prepare for cooking.
Steaming
Using the steam setting on your Instant Pot, you can quickly steam vegetables for a healthy side dish to your meal. According to nutritional science, steaming vegetables preserves the nutrients better than other preparation methods, making steaming an efficient way to cook your veggies without compromising flavor or nutrition. Depending on what type of vegetables you want to steam, it can take anywhere from two to ten minutes. You can also use the steam setting to cook fresh seafood and fish.
Quick Release versus Natural Release
When food is done cooking in the Instant Pot, you have the option of a manual quick release or a natural release. The latter slowly brings down the pressure inside the pot over the course of approximately ten to twenty minutes. Carefully read the instruction manual or recipe to determine which type of release is best. For instance, when steaming vegetables, quick release is recommended. However, if you cook something with high liquid content, natural release is the safer option.
Rice Cooker
To cook rice or other grains, use the Instant Pot’s built-in rice setting so that the appliance functions as a rice cooker. The cook time for standard white or basmati rice is about four to ten minutes in an Instant Pot, depending on how much you prepare at a time. Like a traditional rice maker, you’ll typically use a 1:1 ratio for the amount of water and rice in the pot. For jasmine or other types of rice, refer to the instruction manual as water to rice ratios can vary.
Sauté and Soup
The sauté setting is helpful to brown meat or cook garlic and onions before making a soup or stew. It also means you won’t need to use another pan on the stove to prepare some of your ingredients. Once you’ve finished using the sauté setting, you can add the remainder of the ingredients into the pot and change to the Soup Setting to continue preparing dinner with little mess.
Extras
For breakfast, you can use your Instant Pot to speed up the time it takes to make oatmeal or porridge. If you are hosting a party, you can use it as a warmer to keep hot foods heated during the evening. From chili to cheese dips, serving warm, hearty food to your guests is sure to be a hit. And, if you’re particularly ambitious, don’t forget you can use your Instant Pot to create homemade yogurt as well.
More ideas about how to use an Instant Pot? Share your favorite Instant Pot tips, recipes and more at #CrateStyle.
