HOW TO USE INSTANT POT
With instant pot gaining popularity more and more, I’ve decided to get me one. So I purchased NEW SHINY Instant Pot, Now What? What to do with it, how to use it, what can I cook in it, what not to do with it? Here are all the questions I asked myself.
If you like me, you unboxed the pot and took all the paperwork and threw it into the drawer, where all the crap is, that you think that you’ll need it someday. You know what i mean we all have that drawer in our kitchens. But instead we all go to YouTube university and learn from there. It’s good and bad at the same time. Why good you ask me and why bad? Well… it’s good because with trial and error they sharing their experience. And bad, because it’s their experience not yours. Its ok to take tips and tricks and see how you can use them with your pot. So I read the owners manual from cover to cover. With this post I still tell you to read the instructions!!!
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
There are actually 21 basic rules on how to use your pressure cooker. If you follow these rules you’ll be on your way of using pressure cooker safely. So I took those rules and compressed them into 13. I didn’t discarded andy of the rules I just took them and combined some of them.
1. Do not touch hot surfaces of pressure cooker. Use side handles to carry it around.
When pressure cooker is in operation it is hot. All stainless steel surface can get hot especially lid. Don’t touch metal part of the lid, it is HOT. If you look at your pressure cooker, there are tabs on each side of the pot. These are carry handles, use them.
2. Do not pace the cooker on or near a hot gas or electric burner, or in a heated oven.
The pressure cooker intended for countertop use only. Trust me, you don’t want to put your pot on top of your stove gas or electric burner. It doesn’t matter if its off. Because eventually you or someone else will forget or by mistake will turn on the burner that the pressure cooker is sitting on. If you must put a cooker on the stove top, make sure you put wooden cutting board under it. By doing so you’ll smell the burning wood first and take appropriate measures. And all you end up doing, is replacing cheap piece of wood and your pressure cooker will be intact. Also make sure the surface is level.
3. Do not use pressure cooker for anything other than intended use.
Pressure cooker is NOT a deep fryer and definitely not a pressure deep fryer. So DO NOT pour in it frying oil and start frying. There are air frying kits available for Instant Pot pressure cookers. Get them and use them. I’ll have links later for everything I mention in this post.
4. Electrical.
Do not let cord hang over the edge of the table or counter, or touch a hot surfaces. Do not use cooker other then 110-120V systems. Technically it is only designed for use in North America. Do not operate cooker with damaged cord or plug. When you notice that your cord is damaged, REPLACE IT because it might damage the cooker. It is cheaper to replace the cord then pressure cooker. Always attach plug to the cooker first, then plug it in to the wall outlet. To disconnect, press CANCEL, unplug it from the wall outlet then unplug it from the cooker. Always unplug from wall outlet before cleaning or removing any parts of the cooker.
5. Do not attempt to open the lid while the cooker is pressurized.
There is a reason why the float valve is up. When valve is in the up position, it locks the lid, so it can’t be opened. If you force open the lid you will be sorry. Pot’s operation pressure on low is 5.8-7.2 Psi. and on high pressure 10.2-11.6 Psi., and limiter is set to 15.22 Psi. Operating temperature is 239-244° F. So when pot reaches to 15.22 Psi. it will stare releasing pressure automatically. That’s why you don’t want to force open the lid.
6. Do not overfill the cooker.
If you look inside the cooker you will notice the marking on the side of the liner. You shouldn’t fill your pot fore then half when cooking expanding foods. And with other foods do not fill over two thirds line. You don’t want to block the float valve and preventing from dropping down after pressure is released. If float valve stuck in up position you won’t be able to open the lid. Also over filled pot can block pressure release valve. I don’t think I have to tell you what will happen when pressure reaches 15.22 Psi. and pot can’t release excessive pressure. Ok i’ll tell you, it’ll explode!!! So fill the pot to the right level and you’ll be fine.
Note: This doesn’t apply to non pressure cooking like slow cooking.
7. Make sure that steam pressure release valve is in sealing position.
In order for pressure cooker to cook. It has to pressurize and to do so you have to move to lever from VENTING to SEALING. Otherwise the pressure cooker won’t pressurize and it might burn your food. Some foods may froth when cooked and if cooked under pressure it may spatter hot liquid out of pressure valve and might clog the pressure release valve. If when you release pressure and it spits bunch of liquid out, close the valve and wait a few seconds and open it again. Keep doing this until all the pressure is released or its stops spitting liquid out. Or if you can let it release pressure naturally.
Note: This doesn’t apply to non pressure cooking like slow cooking.
8. Supervision.
This appliance should not be used by children; by individuals whose physical, sensory or mental abilities prevent safe use of the appliance; or by individuals with limited knowledge of how to use a pressure cooker. Close supervision is needed when using this appliance near these individuals. Personally I would let my daughter to use this pressure cooker just same as i would let her shoot my gun. But I will be there and supervise EVERY step, to make sure that proper safety steps are followed and no negligence nor horseplay involved. There are set rules for a reason.
9. Do not get it wet.
It is not ok to immerse base in to the water, wash under running water or put food in without using liner. Because electricity and water don’t mix and might result in electric shock.
Note: will talk about how to care for your pressure cooker in different post.
10. For household use only.
Ok, if you are camping in the camper of course you can use it. But it is not advised to use outdoors because there could be an extension cord on the ground, and somebody can trip over it and pull the pressure cooker of the the table onto the ground and might cause serious bodily damage.
11. Have a proper space for your Instant Pot.
Decide where you going to pace the pressure cooker, put it there and don’t move it while it’s cooking or has hot liquids in it. Seriously, why take that chance of spilling hot liquids all over yourself or God forbid dropping it while it’s pressurized.
12. Do not use accessories that not appropriate for use in Instant Pot.
Ok this one is really wide subject, because there are many accessories that could be sued in your instant pot. And many accessories that you have in your kitchen can be adopted to be used in your instant pot. Just make sure that it’s safe to use that particular accessory or utensil in your pot and it’s not going to melt in your pressure cooker or worse damage your cooker.
13. Before use.
Always check sealing ring, steam release valve, float valve and anti block shield for clogging and cleanliness before each use. Also make sure that sealing ring rack is inserted completely into sealing ring.
Instant Pot or any other brand pressure cooker is just another appliance in your kitchen. Its is a life saver. Its saves time and money. It is cheaper to run pressure cooker then stove top traditional way of cooking. Pressure cooker cooks fast and stove top, it takes time. And just like any other appliance, there are instructions and set rules. Please follow them.
In the next articles we will look in further in to the instant pot owners manual. This post is only the first 2 pages, there is a lot more in that booklet.
Observe safety rules, be safe and cook on.
Here are some of my accessory recommendations for the instant pot cooker.
Click images bellow
