Are you new to the Instant Pot and want to learn more about how it works? Here are my top Instant Pot tips and tricks for any new Instant Pot user. Find out about the Manual mode, leaking steam, doubling recipes, the difference between quick release and natural release, and much more.
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I grew up with the familiar sounds of a pressure cooker whistling in the kitchen and I’ve used a stovetop pressure cooker for all my adult life.
But when I got my first Instant Pot, I felt so intimidated. The Instant Pot has so much functionality and all those buttons – yikes! Over time, I’ve become extremely familiar with it and have been able to help my readers with their Instant Pot questions.
Here are some Instant Pot tips and frequently asked questions (FAQs) that might help you if you’re just starting out with the Instant Pot.
Note: The way you release steam depends on the Instant model. Some models have a steam release handle. Others have a steam release button and yet others have a steam release switch. For the purposes of simplicity, I refer to these collectively as the steam release mechanism.
1. Is the Instant Pot Safe?
It’s very natural to feel apprehensive about the Instant Pot, especially if you’ve never used a pressure cooker before or if you have some bad memories of pressure cooker mishaps at Grandma’s house.
The Instant Pot is nothing like Grandma’s pressure cooker! It has loads of built-in safety features including automatic pressure controls, shut-off fuses, overheat protection, lid locking, and temperature controls.
This safety article from the Instant Pot company has a good explanation of the safety features. For example, even if you forget to put in liquid, the Instant Pot will just shut off and give you an error code!
If you’re not thrilled about reading the manual that came with the Instant Pot, here are some easy-to-follow guides that will really help you out:
– Instant Pot Duo Beginner’s Quick Start Guide
– Instant Pot Ultra Beginner’s Quick Start Guide
– Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Beginner’s Quick Start Guide
2. What is the Instant Pot Manual Mode? Where is the Manual button on the Instant Pot?
Some Instant Pot recipes mention manual mode or the manual button. Older models of the Instant Pot had a Manual button. The Manual setting has been replaced with the Pressure Cook setting on newer Instant Pot models.
When you see a recipe mention the Manual mode, use the Pressure Cook mode instead.
3. The Instant Pot is hissing and leaking steam when it’s coming to pressure. Is this normal?
While the Instant Pot is coming to pressure, it may make some hissing sounds and you may see some steam coming out of the steam release mechanism or the float valve.
As long as you’ve put the steam release in the Sealing position and you have enough liquid in the inner pot, the Instant Pot float valve will rise up in due course and the Instant Pot will be pressurized.
Until then, the Instant Pot says On. Once the Instant Pot is pressurized the Instant Pot will start counting down the pressure cooking time.
Just be patient. The more liquid you have or the colder the ingredients in the Instant Pot (e.g. frozen meat), the longer it takes to come to pressure.
Once the float valve pops up, you should see little to no steam coming out of either the float valve or the steam release mechanism. If you find steam leaking from the sides of the lid (where the sealing ring sits), the sealing ring has probably been installed incorrectly.
If the hissing continues, you can troubleshoot the problem by reading the following posts:
– Reasons Why Instant Pot Not Sealing
– Instant Pot Burn Message
If you still can’t solve the problem, it’s possible you have a defective unit and you might need to contact the Instant Pot company.
4. How do I set the Instant Pot Timer?
The Instant Pot has three different timers:
Cooking Timer
- Counts down the pressure cooking time.
- After the Instant Pot has pressurized, the display goes from On to the programmed cook time (e.g. 10 minutes or 00:10).
- The timer then counts down from the programmed cook time (e.g. 00:10) to 00:00.
- Once the countdown is complete, the Instant Pot goes into Keep Warm mode if the Keep Warm function is on.
Keep Warm Timer
- Shows the amount of time the contents of the Instant Pot are being kept warm.
- The keep warm timer only comes on if the Keep Warm function has been turned on.
- After the cooking timer reaches 00:00, the keep warm timer counts up from 00:00 until you press Cancel.
- Keep Warm function can be used to keep food warm even if you’re not pressure cooking.
Delay start timer
- Allows cooking to begin at a future time. Shows the number of hours and minutes until cooking begins.
- Begins counting down once the delay start functionality has been enabled.
- Enabling Delay Start function is different for each model. For most models, you select the cooking program, time and pressure level and then select Delay Start and enter the amount of time you want to delay the start of cooking. Finally, you press Start.
- Note: some older models have a Timer button which is the same as Delay Start.
[Read more: How to use the Instant Pot Delay Start]
5. The Instant Pot just says ‘On’. What should I do?
Once you program the Instant Pot to begin pressure cooking, the display panel of the Instant Pot will say On. It will remain On until the Instant Pot is pressurized.
Once the float valve comes up, it may take a few minutes for the Instant Pot display to change from On to counting down the pressure cooking time.
For example, to pressure cook for 10 minutes, select Pressure Cook and set the pressure cooking time to 00:10. (On some models, you may need to press Start.) The Instant Pot will say On, and once the float valve comes up it will eventually begin counting down from 00:10 to 00:00.
How do you release pressure on an Instant Pot?
There are a few different ways you can release pressure on the Instant Pot:
How to do an Instant Pot Natural Release (NR) / Natural Pressure Release (NPR)
- Allow pressure cooking to complete (cooking timer counts down to 00:00).
- Wait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to come down on its own.
- Press Cancel and open the lid.
- Natural release takes 5 to 30 minutes or longer, depending on the quantity of liquid in the Instant Pot.
- The food continues cooking even after pressure cooking is complete because contents are still under pressure.
Uses: meats, beans, foods with longer pressure cooking times.
How to do an Instant Pot Quick Release (QR)
- Allow pressure cooking to complete (cooking timer counts down to 00:00).
- Release pressure manually by putting the steam release mechanism in the Venting position.
- Steam is released in a steady stream. Keep hands and face away from the steam.
- Wait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to come down. The cooking process stops immediately.
- Press Cancel and open the lid.
Uses: vegetables, seafood, quick-cooking foods
How to do an Instant Pot 10-Minute Natural Pressure Release (NPR 10)
- 10-minute pressure release is a combination of natural release and quick release.
- Allow pressure cooking to complete (cooking timer counts down to 00:00).
- Wait for 10 minutes.
- Release pressure manually by putting the steam release mechanism in the Venting position.
- Steam is released in a steady stream. Keep hands and face away from the steam.
- Wait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to come down. The cooking process stops immediately.
- Press Cancel and open the lid.
- You can do any variation of the time, e.g. 5-minute or 15-minute natural release.
Uses: when a natural release is called for but you’re short on time or you don’t want the food to overcook with a full natural release.
How to do an Instant Pot Quick Release in Short Bursts
- Allow pressure cooking to complete (cooking timer counts down to 00:00).
- Release pressure manually by putting the steam release mechanism in the Venting position for 1-second intervals.
- Repeat until the steam emerges less forcefully.
- At that point, release the remaining steam by putting the steam release mechanism in the Venting position.
- Steam is released in a steady stream. Keep hands and face away from the steam.
- Wait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to come down. The cooking process stops immediately.
- Press Cancel and open the lid.
Uses: for foods that need a quick release but are frothy and messy, such as oatmeal and pasta.
[Read More: How to natural release vs. quick release for the different models.]
7. How long does the Instant Pot take to preheat and get to pressure?
10 minutes of pressure cooking time on the Instant Pot is not exactly 10 minutes; it can be 20 to 30 minutes. The time that you enter on the Instant Pot control panel (e.g. Pressure Cook for 10 minutes) is not the time it takes to cook the dish.
The Instant Pot needs to come to pressure before the 10 minutes of pressure cooking begins. Think of it like an oven needing to preheat.
The quantity and temperature of the liquid will determine the amount of time required for the Instant Pot to build pressure.
If you’re cooking soup and you’ve added cold water to the Instant Pot, it can take 20 to 30 minutes for the liquid to heat up. One shortcut is to add warm liquid into the Instant Pot. This reduces the time it takes for the Instant Pot to pressurize.
After pressure cooking is complete, if the recipe calls for natural pressure release (NPR), that can also take from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the quantity of liquid in the Instant Pot.
But the great thing about the Instant Pot is that while the food is cooking, you don’t have to be right there next to it; you can let the Instant Pot do the cooking while you take care of something else. In my opinion, this is where the time savings comes into play.
8. The Instant Pot has so many buttons! What do they mean and why do most recipes just use Pressure Cook (or Manual) mode?
You’ll most likely use only a handful of buttons/settings: Saute, Pressure Cook (Manual on some models), Keep Warm, Cancel and + or –. Most cookbooks and internet recipes are written using the Pressure Cook setting.
I generally use the Pressure Cook setting because I feel I have more control over the times and pressure levels and because people who own another brand of pressure cooker or multi-cooker can adapt my recipes easily.
However, the Instant Pot has many more buttons/settings like Egg, Rice, Meat, Multigrain, etc. Most of these buttons are just preset buttons (like on your microwave) with recommended cooking times and pressure levels.*
The buttons and presets are convenient if you use the same cooking settings every time you cook a particular type of food. For example, if you cook boiled eggs the same way every time, the Egg default setting might work for you.
When you change the factory defaults of a preset, many Instant Pot models remember the setting for next time. For example, suppose I want to pressure cook eggs using the Egg function. The default Egg pressure cooking time is 5 minutes.
I like to pressure cook eggs using my Instant Pot boiled egg recipe, which is for 2 minutes. I select the Egg function and change the pressure cook time to 2 minutes. The next time I select the Egg function, the time will default to 00:02 (2 minutes) instead of 5 minutes.
* Some buttons (e.g. Rice and Multigrain) are exceptions: these buttons have some special functionality that is pre-programmed. For example, in the Multigrain function, the More setting (or High on some models) will soak the grain for 60 minutes before pressure cooking begins. The Rice function cooks rice at low pressure.
9. Is it normal for the Instant Pot to be making clicking noises while it’s cooking?
There are two reasons for clicking sounds while the Instant Pot is working. One reason is that the inner pot is wet on the outside. Make sure the Instant Pot inner pot is dry before you put it in the Instant Pot unit.
The second reason for the clicking sounds is that the Instant Pot is internally regulating power through power switching. This is perfectly normal and you don’t need to worry.
10. What is the minimum quantity of liquid I need to have in the Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot requires steam, and therefore liquid, to come to pressure. The official word from the Instant Pot company has been 1 ½ to 2 cups. I usually add a minimum of ½ cup of liquid.
I’ve found that some ingredients (e.g. some vegetables) release enough liquid that you need to add very little additional liquid. See my Instant Pot Aloo Gobi recipe or Instant Pot Peach Crisp recipe for example.
With experience, and by making recipes over and over again, you’ll figure out the right amount of liquid you need to add for each recipe.
As you start out, I recommend following the recipe. I test my recipes over and over before posting them, and so you know that they work well as written.
11. If I want to double a recipe, do I need to double the pressure cooking time?
Doubling a recipe doesn’t require changing the cooking time. Cooking times are more dependent on the density and thickness of the ingredients rather than the weight.
So, if you’re cooking 8 chicken thighs instead of the 4 thighs that a recipe calls for, you won’t need to change the cooking time in the recipe (so long as you’re not overcrowding the pot and the liquid has room to circulate).
Keep in mind that even though you are not increasing the cooking time, the Instant Pot will take longer to build pressure due to the increased quantity of ingredients.
On the other hand, if the recipe calls for 2-inch thick pieces of meat and you’re cooking 3-inch thick pieces, or if you’ve cut the vegetables into larger pieces than a recipe recommends, you might have to increase the cooking time.
12. If I want to double a recipe, should I double all the ingredients?
Changing the quantity of a recipe is not always straightforward. Some recipes call for ½ cup of liquid, but when you double the recipe, you may not need to double the liquid because that ½ cup is the bare minimum quantity of liquid required to pressure cook that dish.
Doubling the liquid could make the dish less tasty because it’s too watery and insipid. So, depending on the recipe, you may not need to add more liquid as long as there’s enough space in the Instant Pot for the liquid to circulate.
Conversely, if you’re reducing the quantity, you need to make sure you have the minimum quantity of liquid for the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
For example, if the recipe calls for ½ cup of broth, but you’re halving the recipe, don’t make the quantity of broth ¼ cup, because the Instant Pot may not come to pressure.
13. What do I do if the Instant Pot is not pressurizing and the float valve is not sealing?
Three of the most common reasons why the float valve is not popping up:
- the sealing ring is installed improperly
- there isn’t enough liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure
- the steam release mechanism is in the Venting position
There are many more reasons an Instant Pot won’t pressurize. I’ve written a comprehensive article that describes the most common reasons for the Instant Pot won’t come to pressure.
[Read More: Reasons Why Your Instant Pot is Not Sealing]
14. I am using the Slow Cook function, but after 8 hours, the food is still not cooked.
If you’re using the Slow Cooker setting, be aware that Less (or Low on some models) setting is too low to slow cook anything; it’s more like the Warm setting on a slow cooker.
Slow Cooker/Crock Pot | Instant Pot |
---|---|
Warm | Less (or Low on some models) |
Low | Normal (or Medium) |
High | More (or High) |
15. I’ve done the water test and I’m ready to cook my first recipe in the Instant Pot. What recipe should I make first?
I always advise my readers to start by cooking a recipe that has:
- been tried and tested, and is from a reliable blog or cookbook, with lots of positive reviews
- no burn message complaints
- no pasta, tomatoes, dense sauces
- a lot of liquid, like soup
Here are some recipes that would be great for you to try:
16. Instant Pot steam release handle is loose | Instant Pot valve is loose. Is it supposed to be loose?
The steam release handle is a safety feature that allows pressure to be released manually and yes, it is supposed to be loose.
17. How can I switch between High and Low pressure?
Not all Instant Pots have the Low setting. The Instant Pot Lux model only has a High-pressure setting. For most other models, use either the Pressure or Pressure Level button to switch between Low and High pressure.
For the Instant Pot Ultra model or the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus, you’ll use the knob to change the Pressure setting.
18. Which size Instant Pot should I buy? Should I purchase the 3-quart, 6-quart, 8-quart or 10-quart Instant Pot?
I don’t own a 3-quart Instant Pot (Instant Pot Mini), but from what I’ve heard, it’s a great size for one or two people, or for limited spaces such as dorm rooms or RVs.
I think it would also make a great second Instant Pot, for side dishes.
However, if you’re getting ready to buy your first Instant Pot and you’re cooking for a family, the 6-quart or 8-quart would be the better option. If you think you’ll be cooking for guests and/or you like to have leftovers, I would recommend the 8-quart Instant Pot.
I own the 6-quart Instant Pot and it works great from my family of 5. However, sometimes I like to double my recipes and don’t want to overcrowd the pot and that’s when I use an 8-quart Instant Pot.
The 10-quart is the newest size available in some models. This is an Instant Pot with a massive capacity! If you feed large groups, cook large cuts of meat or find yourself making multiple batches of food in your 6-quart Instant Pot, you might like to try out the 10-quart Instant Pot.
I’ve written two comprehensive guides to help you decide on Instant Pot size and which model to buy!
19. Why do Instant Pot chicken breasts come out dry and tough?
The Instant Pot is particularly good at cooking tough, cheaper cuts of beef and pork, and chicken legs or thighs. Lean meats like chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, or beef sirloin don’t fare as well in the Instant Pot.
Meats that are roasted in the oven or simmered on the stovetop for hours can be cooked in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot, usually within an hour, and come out tender and juicy.
I try to use chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless) and drumsticks for my recipes. They are just more flavorful and come out amazingly tender and tasty in the Instant Pot. The only time I use chicken breasts is if I dice them up for soup or curry – they turn out fine.
If you really want to cook whole (unfrozen) boneless skinless chicken breasts, try to cook them in chicken broth instead of water for 8 minutes. I let them rest before cutting; they can easily dry out and overcook.
Another great option is to use the Sous Vide function (available on many Instant Pot models) to cook perfectly tender chicken breasts.
20. I keep reading about using a trivet in the Instant Pot. What is a trivet and when do you use it? What is a steam rack?
A trivet is a rack and most models of Instant Pots come with a trivet, which is also called a steam rack. You can also purchase all kinds of for use in the Instant Pot. Just make sure the diameter is the correct size to fit in the inner pot. The trivet is particularly useful when using the Pot-in-Pot technique.
To use the trivet or steam rack, add about 2 cups of water to the inner pot. Place the steam rack in the inner pot and place the food on the trivet. The food can be set directly on the trivet (e.g. potatoes, eggs, meat) or in an oven-safe container (e.g. rice, cheesecake, lasagna).
[Read More about how to use a steam rack or trivet: Pot in Pot (PIP) cooking technique and What is a trivet and how to use it]
21. The sealing ring always smells like whatever I cooked last. How do I remove the smell from the sealing ring?
The sealing ring is made of silicone. Silicone retains odors, and these odors are hard to remove. I solve this problem by having two sealing rings: one for savory dishes and one for mild dishes and desserts.
I also store my lid upside down on the Instant Pot which allows the sealing ring to air out. That being said, I rarely find that the lingering odors in the sealing ring transfer to what I’m cooking.
Some people have different colored sealing rings so they can keep them straight.
Here are some ways to reduce odors in the sealing ring:
- Wash the lid and sealing ring in the top rack of the dishwasher.
- Put the sealing ring out in full sun for a few hours.
- Pressure cook water and lemon juice or vinegar for a few minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Soak the sealing ring in hot water dissolved with a denture cleaner tablet.
22. The recipe I’m using tells me to use the Adjust button. What if my Instant Pot does not have an Adjust button?
On older models, the Adjust button is used to toggle between Less, Normal and More. On newer models, pressing the cooking program (e.g. meat, soup, porridge, etc.) multiple times allows you to toggle through the Less, Normal and More settings for that program/function.
23. The Instant Pot Lid Won’t Close.
There are a few reasons that the Instant Pot lid won’t close.
- Some Instant Pots come with two sealing rings. One is already installed in the lid and the other one is loose. That second sealing ring is just an extra. Don’t try to put it onto the lid when there’s already one on there! (And don’t worry, you’re not the only one. This is a common issue.)
- The sealing ring may be put on improperly and could be protruding, preventing the lid from closing.
- The float valve is stuck in the up position. If the float valve is up, gently push down on it. DO NOT do this if the Instant Pot is under pressure!
- The lid was dropped and the metal has been bent or dented.
- The lid plastic has melted causing the lid fins to be deformed, and preventing the lid from closing.
- The trivet you’re using is too high, and therefore the food or dish placed on the trivet is preventing the lid from closing.
24. What is the Instant Pot venting position?
The Venting position varies based on the type of Instant Pot you own. There are a few different types of lids that are used with the various models.
- Steam release handle: move the handle from Sealing to Venting.
- Steam release button: push the button down till it clicks into place for Venting.
- Steam release switch: move the switch from Seal to Vent.
25. How to steam in the Instant Pot
Some Instant Pots have a Steam smart program/function or button. The Steam function is very similar to the Pressure Cook function, except that it heats up the liquid at full force and therefore it’s faster. The assumption is that you would be using the Steam function with water, and therefore there’s no chance of burning anything. To use the Steam function:
- Add about 2 to 3 cups of water to the inner pot.
- Place a trivet or steam rack in the water. The trivet should sit above the water level.
- Place the food to be steamed directly on the rack or in an oven-safe dish that can be placed on the rack without it touching the sides of the inner pot. The dish should also be short enough that the Instant Pot lid can be put on such that the dish and food don’t touch the lid.
- Select Steam and program for the appropriate number of minutes. Quick-cooking vegetables take 0 to 1 minute, whole potatoes can take 10 to 20 minutes depending on their size.
The above directions are for pressure-steaming. The Instant Pot comes to pressure and steams the food very quickly. To steam in the traditional way, put the steam release handle/valve in the Venting position. I use this method to steam idlis (South Indian rice cakes).
So how do you steam in an Instant Pot without the Steam button? If you don’t have a Steam button, you can follow the above instrutions but use the Pressure Cook button instead. It might take a tiny bit longer to heat up but it will work the same way.
26. Why is the Instant Pot Counting Up?
If your Instant Pot is counting up, it’s because pressure cooking is complete and you have turned on Keep Warm mode. The time shown on the display is how long it’s been since cooking was completed.
So how do you steam in an Instant Pot without the Steam button? If you don’t have a Steam button, you can follow the above instructions but use the Pressure Cook button instead. It might take a tiny bit longer to heat up, but it will work the same way.
27. How to Turn on Instant Pot?
There are two ways to turn on the Instant Pot, depending on the model:
- If your Instant Pot has a Start button, program the Instant Pot by setting the pressure cooking time and pressure level and press Start. The display panel will change to On, and that means the Instant Pot has started the cooking process.
- If your Instant Pot does not have a Start button, program the Instant Pot and just wait about 5 seconds. The display panel will change to On, and that means the Instant Pot has started the cooking process.
I hope these Instant Pot tips and FAQs have answered some of the questions you may have about the Instant Pot and made you feel more comfortable with it. If you have further questions, feel free to comment below, or contact me through my Contact Page, or through social media.
If you found this article to be helpful, please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
Michael Edmunds
We purchased an Instant Pot IP-Lux. When trying to set the timer we are confused because the display shows numbers from 1-24 on the left of the : which we would understand to be hours. To the right of the : we only get 90 to 00 on the display in increments of 10.
For example, tonight I set the pot to 00:20 in hopes that it will go for 20 minutes. The recipe I am following said for 15 minutes but that is not an option for us.
Is this normal?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Michael, if you have the version that says ‘Timer’, that button is actually allowing you to delay the start time for cooking. You can set the delay start (timer) for up to 24 hours on that version of the Instant Pot. But to (pressure) cook food, you need to press ‘Manual’ and then use the + or – buttons to change the cooking time to 20 minutes. Hope that helps.
Margaret
Made beef stroganoff. Recipe stated 10 minutes to cook. All was sauted prior to the 10 minutes. H. I set the IP to 10 minutes. After 40 minutes on the clock the IP stated 5 minutes left. The time on the IP vs real time are so different. I thought this would be done in 10 minutes. I was perfect at tasted great. But the times are so off. One minute in the instant pot world is more like 5 minutes in real time. What am I doing wrong??
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Margaret, the amount of elapsed time for pressure cooking = time to come to pressure + time to pressure cook (10 min). Since it took 45 minutes total, that means that your time to come to pressure was 35 minutes. That time depends on the quantity of liquid and temperature of ingredients. If you want to, you could speed up this process by pre-heating your ingredients in saute mode, and then begin pressure cooking. Be aware that during that saute stage you shouldn’t get anything stuck to the bottom, or you’ll have trouble with your Instant Pot Sealing. Feel free to ask me any followup questions, or you can email me through my contact page.
Melanie
I have a similar but different question from Tara. Instead of wanting to use 6QT recipes for 8QT, I want to use 6QT recipes cut in half for a 3QT. Are there any differences to cooking time in the smaller pot? I understand the 3 qt needs at least 3/4 C liquid to come to pressure.
Secondly, I have tried two recipes so far, and the meat is cooked but not tender. Does this indicate I need to use high instead of med pressure? Or does it indicate I need a longer cooking time?
Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Melanie – I have heard from a few readers that recipes take longer in the 3 quart than the 6 quart. So although officially there’s no increased time required, you might need to add a few more minutes. There are only two pressure levels – low and high. Low, Med and high can be set for saute temperatures. I think you probably need to keep the meat in for a few minutes longer.
john mcnelly
Why couldn’t the Instant Port be used utilizing saute, pressure and slow cook modes in succession (if appropriate for the dish being cooked) to avoid having to depressurize, remove lid, add new ingredients, and re-pressurize (possibly having to go through this procedure more than one time). I could see this technique being used for stews, soups, chili, etc.
Roselee
I cooked a beef pot roast. When it was done and i released the steam it wasn’t just steam but some of the juices from the meat. Made quite a mess. What did I do wrong?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Roselee, thanks for your question. When pressure cooking time has completed, the Instant Pot is still cooking the food at very high temperatures in the IP. You should probably have done either a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) and let the float valve go down on its own, or at the very least waited about 10 minutes to let the pressure go down a bit before doing a Quick Release (QR). Next time you have to do a QR of a messy food, do it in spurts ie. release the pressure for a second and stop, repeating after 5 seconds, until the steam being released is less forceful and then you can do a full QR. Hope that helps.
D
I too had a problem with my slow cooker setting on my instant pot duo8. I cooked it at the high setting and still didn’t cook the meal in a reasonable timeframe. Would you suggest sautéing the food prior to slow cooking to help soften and cook the food?
Paint the Kitchen Red
The slow cook function does seem to take longer on the Instant Pot. You might give that a try and see if there’s a difference. To be honest, I don’t use the slow cook function very often and I just adapt my slow cook recipes to pressure cook. Have you given that a try?
Darleen
Thank you! How much liquid do you need for an 8
Quart pot to come to pressure? Also, can you cook meats and sides at the same time or together? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Darleen. The official word from the IP company is 1 1/2 to 2 cups, but in my experience it depends. What I suggest is that you experiment – you could possibly get away with as little as 3/4 to 1 cup. I can bring my 6 quart to pressure with 1/2 cup!
Paula
Can you put a cold metal bowl into the pot for cooking? Ex: mix up egg recipes the night before and leave in refrigerator overnight to cook in the morning. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Paula – yes, you can use a cold metal bowl, but of course, you need to make sure there’s water in the bottom of the pot. See my Pot in Pot article if you need more information on using that cooking method. And because the bowl is cold and the contents are cold, you will find that the Instant Pot takes longer to come to pressure.
Candie
Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this info with your readers. I was curious, as I just got the IP-6 Lux. I kept seeing manual in all the recipes I have visited. Thanks to you, I now understand the difference in choosing meat or pressure cooking. I did, however, make BBQ country ribs using rhe meat setting and upped the time to 45 min. It did work for me. But next time, I will choose pressure cook. My question is, would I still need 45 minutes? Most recipes and the guide book says 20+25 minutes (cooking time). Is it because it is country style ribs opposed to regular pork ribs?
Again, thanks so much for the advice, awesome recipes and conversions!
Also, do you have a newsletter or Instagram blog to follow?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi there, Candie. Thanks for your question. The Meat and Pressure Cook settings both allow for High Pressure and adjustment of time, so you can definitely continue to use the Meat setting if you wish – it’s really the same thing as Pressure Cook. Regarding the times, if 45 minutes worked fine for you, you can continue using that. I think that you could experiment with reducing the time because you probably do not NEED to cook it that long. I’ve cooked boneless country style ribs that are cut into smaller pieces for as little as 15 minutes. So I think the 20 to 25 minutes on Meat or PC setting would work for you. If you find it’s undercooked, just put it back in for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Feri
I have an 8 qt. Instant Pot and I have made hard boiled eggs, rice, and vegetables, and they come out perfectly. However when I tried a frozen chicken and a meatloaf with potatoes in the bottom of the pot, and the meat was not cooked. Do I need to add more water? Obviously I need to cook things longer, but I am not sure why these weren’t close to cooked. Thanks much.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Feri – the time required for cooking is directly related to the size and density of the ingredients. Was your frozen chicken in a large chunk? I always take my chicken when I buy it from the store and freeze the pieces separately on a tray and then put them in a ziploc. Your meatloaf size may have been larger i.e. thicker in the middle than what the recipe developer used. The thing about the Instant Pot is you just need to become familiar with each type of food you cook. The recipe may have been tested with a different size of Instant Pot, and there are variations in ingredients that can cause the recipe to not work as stated. So, give it time and with experience you’ll figure out what works for you. Good luck!
Charlene Coomer
I am new to the Instant Pot way of cooking. I want to cook a big batch of chicken tenderloins for salads. The recipe calls for “poultry “ setting. My new Instant Pot doesn’t have that setting. What setting should I use?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Charlene – thanks for your question. You would use the Pressure Cook or Manual setting depending on your model. The Duo model has a Poultry setting which defaults to 15 minutes, if I recall.
Tara Hammer
Thank you so much for your quick response! Your advice was so sensible and helpful, I wish you could solve all the other problems in my life so easily. I very much appreciate your help, and will do as you say. Thanks again!!
Tara Hammer
Really need your help! I think your site is wonderful and appreciate all the information you give to Instant Pot owners. This is my question: I have read a ton of stuff regarding the difference between the 6 qt. duo and the 8 qt. duo. But I’ve only seen two bits of information about my question, and the answers were opposite of one another! So can you please tell me if all the recipes for the 6 qt. IP would need to be adjusted in any way if using the exact recipe in an 8 qt. duo. I am asking (1) Regarding time to come to pressure. (2) Any difference in the amount of time while ON pressure? (3) Any difference in the amount of liquid? I am not a natural cook, and follow recipes exactly. There are SO many recipes for a six quart and I want to use those recipes. I have an unopened 8 qt. which I could return. Please help me solve this dilemma. THANK YOU!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Tara, thanks for your question. So *theoretically* you should be able to make any 6 quart recipe in the 8 quart with no changes. And I have a friend who has an 8 quart who makes my recipes and others with no modifications. She got her 8 quart IP about a year ago. That being said, I’m seeing newer IP owners showing the ‘burn’ notice more often than even 6 months ago. I don’t always know if they have an 8 quart or 6 quart, but I suspect many of them have an 8 quart. This is just conjecture on my part. These people probably need to be adding more liquid to the recipes. And that comes from experimenting.
If you don’t need the 8 quart (I have a 6 quart and cook for 5 of us regularly with no issues, not a ton of leftovers but enough) you may want to get the 6 quart, especially since you would like to follow recipes exactly. If you’re in a frame of mind to experiment, you could open up your 8 quart and see how it works for you with a few recipes. In that case, I would suggest that you open it up, do the water test and make something simple like boiled eggs. Then, try out a recipe or two from my site and I can help you out if they don’t turn out when you follow the recipe. If after that, you find that it’s not working for you, you could return it (if that’s even an option). All the best, and stay in touch!
Katie
Help! Can’t figure out why IP counts up after regular cooking time. What’s this?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Katie – that’s for the ‘Keep Warm’ mode. Once it’s done cooking and the timer goes down to zero, it counts up the number of minutes after it’s done. This is especially useful for when you want to do natural pressure release (NPR) but for a specified period of time. e.g. NPR 10 minutes means you let the count up timer to go to 10 minutes and you release the remaining pressure using the quick release (QR) method. I hope that answers your question!
Lyndsey
I am so glad I found your site you have some great recipes and lots of very helpful information thank you
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re welcome Lyndsey – thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope you enjoy your new Instant Pot!
Colleen
I just got my Instant Pot for Christmas and today decided to make my own recipe for navy bean soup. Inusually soak the beans overnight and slow cook all day. The similar IP cookbook recipe said use SOUP setting. It defaults to 30 min. That can’t be enough time for dried beans . The manual says 20-25 min. for beans.
I have added 10 min but really wish for guidance as the books don’t really describe my situation.
Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red
Colleen – did you figure it out? I think what you did should have worked out just fine. What I do when a recipe calls for soaked beans is to do a ‘quick soak’ for 5 minutes, natural release. See this Instant Pot Chili post for details. But if you don’t do that, you can just cook the recipe for about 10 minutes longer just like you did.
Len
All great tips. BUT, as with anything you’ll gain experience (and confidence) by just doing! Thanks for taking the time to write this up for us new-to-the-game cooks.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re welcome Len – you’re so right about experience and confidence!
Monica I.
I received an instant pot for Christmas this year and am excited to try it. My husband brought home a frozen turkey breast. Is it ok to do still frozen turkey?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Monica, I prefer to thaw it but yes, you can cook it from frozen. Place it on a trivet and use broth for the liquid. Good luck!
Peggy Brough
I just bought an Instant Pot. I found your blog on Pinterest and, seriously, it’s the best one I’ve read! My first cooking experience was hard boiled eggs. They were perfect! Thank you so much!
So, here is a question that is bugging me – why is the measuring cup that came with it not 1 cup? It’s more like 3/4 cup. When a recipe calls for 1 cup of something I’m pretty sure I should use 1 cup not 3/4. Seems kind of silly to provide a measuring cup that isn’t accurate. That’s my rant for today. Thanks for listening.?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Peggy! So that’s a great question. That measuring cup is an Asian rice measuring cup. I believe the IP company has a big Asian influence. The Asian rice cup is 180 ml and American measuring cup is 250 ml. I have two IPs and now have 2 of these measuring cups sitting in a drawer 🙂
Mins
Could you please give me step by step instructions for how to use “delay” function in IP Ultra ?? I am totally new a user for IP Ultra
Thx
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Mins, for the Ultra you will select ‘Pressure Cook’ and set the time as detailed in my Ultra beginner’s guide: https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/instant-pot-ultra-beginners-quick-start-manual/. Then instead of pressing start, you will turn the knob twice until the ‘Delay’ option has a rectangle around it that’s blinking. Press the dial to select the ‘Delay’. Turn the dial until the ‘On’ is blinking. Press the dial to select ‘On’. And then press ‘Start’. (Basically when an option has a rectangle around it that’s blinking you can select that option to change it by pressing the dial.) Hope that helps, it’s hard to explain in words – I hope to post a video soon!
Renee
These are fantastic tips, thank you! Can’t wait to try out my new pot!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Renee – You’re welcome and congrats on your Instant Pot. I think you’re going to love it!