# Instant Pot - tell me about this trendy new gizmo **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920 "2018-01-18T20:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/61 "2018-01-28T14:43:33Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > It sounds like a variant on the Thermomix, which is [comprehensively reviewed on this Australian cooking show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yr_etbfZtQ). I don’t know what in the loving hell that contraption is but, no, that’s nothing like an Instant Pot. An Instant Pot is just a pressure cooker. The main advantage of it is that you don’t need a stovetop for it and you don’t have to pay attention closely to it like a traditional pressure cooker. The fact that it can slow cook and do rice and stuff like this is simply a function of, well, you already got this pot with a heating element on it, it’s pretty easy to add a couple more heat settings to it so it can function like the other things. You can do all those things with a stovetop pressure cooker, should you desire. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/62 "2018-01-28T15:01:23Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > It sounds like a variant on the Thermomix, which is [comprehensively reviewed on this Australian cooking show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yr_etbfZtQ). that’s not an instant pot, but they’re hilarious and now I have to watch all of their videos. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/63 "2018-01-28T15:07:30Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > It sounds like a variant on the Thermomix, which is [comprehensively reviewed on this Australian cooking show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yr_etbfZtQ). It definitely is not, but that was a great video. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/64 "2018-01-28T15:49:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > It definitely is not, but that was a great video. I like how McLennan works such dry, biting wit into an overly cheery persona. I about lost it, though, at “throw some shit in, some more shit… I fucking hate cooking.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/65 "2018-02-02T03:10:43Z")
Just made my first instant pot meal. I threw a pound of ground beef into the pot, set it to saute’, and browned the beef. Drained it, then added a bottle of spaghetti sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, a pound of spaghetti, and 24 oz of water. Then I added a bit of spice and some garlic, and sealed it up. I set the pressure cooker for 8 minutes, and when it was done I had perfect spaghetti and meat sauce, ready to serve. The noodles were perfect. My wife made an awesome soup with it the other day as well. One thing I really like is that instead of a kitchen full of dirty dishes, baked-on foods in pans, etc, I had one steel pot to clean, and it cleaned very easily. The instant pot is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/66 "2018-02-02T04:03:53Z")
The Katering thing was pretty funny. When I was reading about the Instantpot, I kept hearing about the Thermomix but never read up on it. So far as I can tell, it’s just a blender that you can also cook in plus a few other bells and whistles. And they weren’t kidding about the price, it really is about $2k. > [@ENugent](#): > > I had a gang of people over today, and I made butternut squash soup in my Instant Pot (and also got stuff for sandwiches). The soup was divine, and the pot also worked great for keeping it hot and ready for several hours without it getting thick and gross. When I first got a pressure cooker, that’s one of the things I learned very quickly about the difference between it and a slow cooker. You have to drastically reduce how much liquid you use since almost none of it evaporates. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t know what in the loving hell that contraption is but, no, that’s nothing like an Instant Pot. An Instant Pot is just a pressure cooker. The main advantage of it is that you don’t need a stovetop for it and you don’t have to pay attention closely to it like a traditional pressure cooker. The fact that it can slow cook and do rice and stuff like this is simply a function of, well, you already got this pot with a heating element on it, it’s pretty easy to add a couple more heat settings to it so it can function like the other things. You can do all those things with a stovetop pressure cooker, should you desire. This was one of the things that sold me. With a regular pressure cooker you have to get the heat just right. Too low and it does nothing, too high and you boil out the liquid. With this, it does all the work. Plus, since 8 billion people have a standard piece of equipment, there’s no shortage of recipes. Also, the other day I tossed an entire (5ish lb) chicken in there, it was done a half hour later. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/67 "2018-02-02T04:44:35Z")
It’s also a whole lot easier to clean than my stove top pressure cooker. My traditional pressure cooker is heavy and has a big awkward handle and these sharp metal flanges, and I really don’t like maneuvering it around the sink. This has a lightweight steel insert that is the only part that needs heavy cleaning, plus you have to wash the gasket, of course, and rinse off the inside of the lid. But the only part that needs to be scrubbed is just easier to deal with than either the pot or the lid of my pressure cooker. Oh, and it does seem to make good rice with very little effort. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/68 "2018-03-01T19:45:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > On the negative side of the cooker, its biggest problem is moisture. > > You need a certain amount of liquid in the cooker to allow it to get up to pressure. Once it seals, though, verrrry little liquid gets lost to evaporation. I think I read somewhere that you might lose a tablespoon over the course of a typical pressure cook. > > So if you’re making something saucy, like a curry, you’re going to have some work to do (reserve and reduce) after the pressure cooking is done. That’s the sort of thing that happens naturally in a dish that traditionally requires a long simmer. This is actually what I like about it. When I cook meats they stay moist. 🙂 The crockpot meats can really dry out. > [@Infovore](#): > > I love mine–mostly make hardboiled eggs in it so far, but I’m still trying to find the trick for how to reliably do chicken breasts without them coming out tough. Does anybody know? > > I’m not talking about a recipe–just good old boring tender cooked chicken breasts. So, to me, even cooking “boring tender cooked chicken breasts” requires a recipe; even if there’s not very many ingredients. Just yesterday I found about the simplest ‘recipe’ online for chicken breasts. I put 2 Costco frozen breasts in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of chicken broth (or it said you can use 1 cup of pineapple juice), 1 tablespoon of minced garlic; and 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkled w/ salt and pepper. I Pressure cooked it for 10 minutes and I thought they came out awesome. I think the recipe said if you’re cooking fresh chicken breasts to only cook them 6 minutes. I thought they were awesome. I know it’s a recipe, but it was so freaking simple. OTOH, I would like to know “how to reliably do [del]chicken breasts[/del] hard boiled eggs. Does anybody know?” > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > It’s super easy to overcook chicken breast in the pressure cooker. Here’s a good article going into (possibly too much) detail. > > [How to Make the Juiciest & Moistest Chicken Breast in Pressure Cooker](https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/make-moist-chicken-breast-pressure-cooker/) I haven’t experienced overcooked chicken breasts yet; or else I didn’t recognize it; but I’ll definitely be reading that article after I post this. Thanks. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I feel like it’s super-easy to cook chicken breasts in a frying pan or in the broiler or even steamed in a regular pot without pressure. What’s the benefit of using the instant pot? A little over 10 minutes from beginning to end; set it and forget it cooking; all with one pot cleanup. > [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > There’s a little popup button - if that’s still up, the pot is still under pressure and you can’t open it (literally can’t - it will not open). Sometimes when I’m pretty sure the pressure is about done, I’ll tap the button with a utensil. If the pressure is low enough, the button will then drop and I can open it. > > Letting the pressure release naturally vs immediate release: some foods really need quick release or they’ll be overcooked and inedible. > > The biggest time savers I’ve found so far: > > - dried beans > - Beef stew (literally 5 minutes or so once it got to pressure). I like the idea of cooking beans and ham in the cooker. I need to learn more about where to use natural release versus quick release. I mostly wander into the kitchen and see if the timer is done; and then slowly, manually, release the pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/69 "2018-03-01T20:06:58Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > OTOH, I would like to know “how to reliably do [del]chicken breasts[/del] hard boiled eggs. Does anybody know?” Super easy! Put them on the trivet with 2 cups of water, use the Steam setting for 6 minutes, quick-vent, then put them in cold water. I’ve done it several times and they’ve come out perfect every time! ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/70 "2018-03-01T21:36:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I keep the gasket in a gallon Ziploc bag in the freezer between uses, and have two, marked “Sweet” and “Savory”, because that gasket absorbs the odor of whatever you cook, and it’s almost impossible to deodorize. No idea what the gasket is made out of on an Instant Pot, but most common gasket materials that would pick up off-odors will degrade from repeated freezing. Would not recommend storing in the freezer. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/71 "2018-03-01T22:11:18Z")
FYI A recent “The Splendid Table” had a short segment on these. Well, they interview the test Kitchen folks, and they actually recomended a different multi-cooker. I belive the ATC folks are doing a book and/or episode on multi-cooker recipes. Brian ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/72 "2018-03-01T22:26:46Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > FYI A recent “The Splendid Table” had a short segment on these. Well, they interview the test Kitchen folks, and they actually recomended a different multi-cooker. > I belive the ATC folks are doing a book and/or episode on multi-cooker recipes. > > Brian [This must be what you’re talking about](https://www.splendidtable.org/story/is-instant-pot-the-best-americas-test-kitchen-reviews-multicookers). Seems like all the multicookers are good at the pressure cooking part, but they find the Instant Pot lacking in the slow cooker part. I wouldn’t know, as I’ve never used it that way. For me, it’s not really a “multicooker” so much as an electric pressure cooker, though I have been using it for rice, admittedly. But the only reason I bought it was for pressure cooking. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/73 "2018-03-01T22:37:17Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > . . .OTOH, I would like to know “how to reliably do [del]chicken breasts[/del] hard boiled eggs. Does anybody know?” > > . . . I need to learn more about where to use natural release versus quick release. I mostly wander into the kitchen and see if the timer is done; and then slowly, manually, release the pressure. Boiled eggs are a surprisingly personal dish. For me, I don’t mind if there is still a bit of gel at the center, but I hate when it gets the green ring on the yolk. Here’s my method: 1. Put 2-3 cups water in the microwave to boil. 2. Gently add a dozen or so eggs and a small pinch of salt to the multi-pot. 3. Pour boiling water over eggs and close lid. Set to 1 minute at high pressure 4. Release valve as soon as it beeps 5. Open lid and douse eggs with ice as soon as possible. Which brings me to your other question. Basically a natural release is the same as leaving something in the oven with the door shut to cool. It’s going to do a good bit more cooking in the meantime. So if the food might overcook, release the valve. If it will benefit from “resting” in the heat, let it sit. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/74 "2018-03-02T04:44:46Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > OTOH, I would like to know “how to reliably do hard boiled eggs. Does anybody know?” I used to make a dozen eggs at a time in the IP. I used a rack to keep the eggs above the water. I put 2 cups of water in the pot. For regular HB eggs, set the manual time to 0. This will make it come up to pressure and turn off. The eggs come out perfect and easy to peel. For something different, set the time to 50 minutes. The whites of the egg will “brown” slightly, which I think is the same Maillard reaction that happens when you roast meat. It gives the egg a more savory and deeper flavor. I never tried with the eggs actually in the water, so I’m not sure what difference that would make. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/75 "2018-03-02T05:31:00Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I used to make a dozen eggs at a time in the IP. I used a rack to keep the eggs above the water. I put 2 cups of water in the pot. For regular HB eggs, set the manual time to 0. This will make it come up to pressure and turn off. The eggs come out perfect and easy to peel. > > For something different, set the time to 50 minutes. The whites of the egg will “brown” slightly, which I think is the same Maillard reaction that happens when you roast meat. It gives the egg a more savory and deeper flavor. > > I never tried with the eggs actually in the water, so I’m not sure what difference that would make. Do you let it come down slow or open the valve? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/76 "2018-03-02T13:38:23Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Do you let it come down slow or open the valve? I unplug it and let the pressure come down on its own. As soon as it releases, I put the eggs in cold water. If I forget about the eggs and they sit in the pot until it cools, the yolks will darken a bit. If I get them as soon as the pressure is released, the yolks are a perfect, bright yellow. ---
**Author:** ![CurrlyD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CurrlyD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurrlyD)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/77 "2018-03-02T14:53:42Z")
> [@BobBitchin](#): > > Bob Bitchin’ is disappointed by this misleading thread title, man.:dubious:😃 Oddly enough, I first learned of the Instant Pot in an episode of Disjointed. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/78 "2018-03-02T22:22:39Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > A small (3 quart) Instant Pot isn’t much larger than a smallish rice cooker, and would do as well on smaller quantities of rice - plus it can do other stuff. I’d definitely choose an IP over a single-use appliance. > > Look around at various websites to get ideas on the ratio of water to rice; I seem to recall that in a pressure cooker, the ratio is 1:1 for white rice versus the more typical 2:1. I’m visiting my daughter who has one, and they used it to make last night and stew a few days ago. It might be worth it for the rice alone. I used to have a combined rice cooker/vegetable steamer which worked great, but which seems to be no longer made. Traditional rice cookers are too bulky and seemed to want to make too much rice. We used to make green beans in the pressure cooker, but haven’t used it in years, and the slow cooker gets used every so often. It would be nice to have one think to replace all of these. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/79 "2018-03-03T00:34:03Z")
So, guess what I got for my birthday? Different brand, but it’s a digital pressure cooker. So now I need to find decent recipes. I’m not a cook, really, so looking for easy stuff. I thought I might try the baby back ribs. Or are there any good recipes for pasta sauce with cream and sun dried tomatoes (had one of those I cooked in a skillet once - _much_ better the second day). Nothing with lots of ingredients, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920/80 "2018-03-03T01:14:29Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > So, guess what I got for my birthday? Different brand, but it’s a digital pressure cooker. So now I need to find decent recipes. I’m not a cook, really, so looking for easy stuff. > > I thought I might try the baby back ribs. Or are there any good recipes for pasta sauce with cream and sun dried tomatoes (had one of those I cooked in a skillet once - _much_ better the second day). Nothing with lots of ingredients, anyway. Ribs are one of my favorite things to cook in the instant pot- I think they come out great though you have to be careful not to over cook, especially if you finish them in the oven like I do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-pot-tell-me-about-this-trendy-new-gizmo/806920.md?page=5)