INSTANT POT: my new love!

2

Replies

  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    I have inherited an instant pot but I don't get the craze for it. It's a pressure cooker, they've been around for awhile. I sometimes find the food lacks flavor although the rice function comes in handy a lot.

    I did occasionally use mine when I forgot to put something in the slow cooker in the morning and was expecting guests.. Love my electric version, which I use much, much more often. It is nice not having to watch it like a hawk [1] in case the flame might be up too high and burns off the water and [2] be there to start it/shut it off.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    So, I've been cooking in my IP a while now and truly I do love this! So far: chicken italiano, egg roll in a bowl (deconstructed egg roll), swiss steak, and several other things including congee, which turned out great!

    I keep meaning to try the deconstructed egg roll thing...

    ditto
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    I'm enjoying mine. I plan on making mojo pulled pork in it when I get home.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    @toxikon steel cut oats= 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup water, 1cup almond milk and2 tbsp chia seed. Punch the “porridge” button and let it ride.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    edited March 2018
    crazyravr wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    Mine has saved us tons on yogurt already, I use it for fall apart roasts, rice, beans, soup in less than an hour, spaghetti squash is in there right now.

    I have only had the thing for 2 weeks and it barely leaves the counter. At least until the 4’ snow drift melts off of the bbq and patio, then we will be on an outdoor cooking kick for a while.

    Could you post the recipe for homemade yogurt in the instant pot? I love unflavored yogurt. Also, is this Greek?

    I use this one: https://thisoldgal.com/instant-pot-greek-yogurt/

    The only difference between regular yogurt and Greek is that Greek is strained. I use the strainer she recommends in that link and it works awesome.

    Im just gonna say it.... so not worth the time effort nor the money involved in making yogurt. Cost to buy is pretty much the same as making at home and you dont have to put in any effort at all.

    And where I am, geek yogurt is $5 for 500ml(2 cups) so when I can make 2 litres for $3 or a whole gallon for $6 it is totally worth it!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    nowine4me wrote: »
    @toxikon steel cut oats= 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup water, 1cup almond milk and2 tbsp chia seed. Punch the “porridge” button and let it ride.

    Sounds perfect!
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited March 2018
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol
  • eclecticpixxie
    eclecticpixxie Posts: 56 Member
    please pass along how to do this! :)
  • nationalvillage3215
    nationalvillage3215 Posts: 78 Member
    I use mine all the time for soup. Skinnytaste has great recipes and you can find them in MFP food database. Yum!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My IP doesn't have the yogurt option!
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
    I love mine! I was hesitant about buying one but I ended up borrowing one first. I have made chicken stock, butternut squash soup, corn bisque and we did corn on the cob with a two minute cook time last night.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
    Oh! And I forgot, I am going to try a copy cat recipe for the Starbucks sous vide egg bites this weekend. Cross your fingers it turns out tasty!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Amen, sister. I had to make 3 doz soft boiled once for a herb ricotta crostini for a party, and lordy, so much trial and error. So many dozen eggs to get it right. I easily ate a dozen eggs single handedly in <24 hours. Just standing there peeling, ruining, and stuffing them in my mouth. If only I had had the instapot back then. It's soft boiled perfection.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    Mine has saved us tons on yogurt already, I use it for fall apart roasts, rice, beans, soup in less than an hour, spaghetti squash is in there right now.

    I have only had the thing for 2 weeks and it barely leaves the counter. At least until the 4’ snow drift melts off of the bbq and patio, then we will be on an outdoor cooking kick for a while.

    Could you post the recipe for homemade yogurt in the instant pot? I love unflavored yogurt. Also, is this Greek?

    I use this one: https://thisoldgal.com/instant-pot-greek-yogurt/

    The only difference between regular yogurt and Greek is that Greek is strained. I use the strainer she recommends in that link and it works awesome.

    Im just gonna say it.... so not worth the time effort nor the money involved in making yogurt. Cost to buy is pretty much the same as making at home and you dont have to put in any effort at all.

    Well, the only ongoing cost is the cost of a gallon of milk. A gallon of whole milk is about $3.

    For $3, I get 12 cups of thick, delicious Greek yogurt. Most yogurt cups are 1/2 cup servings, so each homemade serving works out to 12 cents. For Fage quality Greek yogurt, that's a steal.

    And honestly, it's not hard work. Getting the milk up to 180 degrees is the only annoying part, but otherwise it's set-it and forget-it. I let it incubate overnight then throw it into the fridge in the morning.

    Never said its hard work. Its easy. Its time consuming, thats all and to me not worth it at all.

    750g greek yogurt of any fat % is typically $4.99 and $3.99 pretty much weekly sale some where.

    Sure... but you could apply that logic to many things. I make my own homemade soap as a hobby. Sure, I could go to the dollar store and buy a bar of soap and save myself some time and money... but some people like to make things themselves. :)

    Basically, I enjoy making my own yogurt, controlling the tartness and thickness myself and feeling like I MADE something!

    750g is about 3.5 cups of Greek yogurt, so assuming the $4 cost, 12 cups of it would be $14. As compared to the $3 homemade equivalent. We go through the full 12 cups about once a week, so that's a monthly savings of $45~.

    But to each his own.

    Well in your case it fully makes sense. That is a lot of yogurt to go through on weekly basis.

    tumblr_nvqa57rvfE1udpyvyo3_r1_250.gif
  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time
  • SpanishFusion
    SpanishFusion Posts: 261 Member
    I've been wondering about one. I was thinking about an instant pot or an air fryer. A co-worker lent me her air fryer. I loved the non-greasy food, but it is way to cumbersome yet the capacity is way to small. Will be crossing the air fryer off my list. Still thinking about the instant pot though.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time

    Semi soft yolk do 3min HP with NR and ice bath.
    Set yolk do 4min HP NR and ice bath.

    Anything over 5min HP and you get green overcooked eggs.

    I think it depends too. I had the DUO60 before upgrading it to the Ultra and I would have to pull them out at 2:30 with the DUO sometimes or I'd get mostly cooked yolks.
  • IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
    IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt Posts: 695 Member
    Question regarding the appliance, does the rubber seal around the lid take on the smells of the food? I have a rice cooker and the rubber seal smells permanently like rice, despite cleaning it and drying it after every use. I'm wondering if the IP does the same (imagining perma-egg or forever chili odors).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time

    Semi soft yolk do 3min HP with NR and ice bath.
    Set yolk do 4min HP NR and ice bath.

    Anything over 5min HP and you get green overcooked eggs.

    I do 2 minutes then 15 minutes (or whatever really) NR for hard boiled. I can just leave it and they'll be fine, without having to babysit it for 15 minutes, which is the whole point of using it versus the stove, lol.

    For soft boiled I would try 3 minutes and QR.

    I'm still confused too about how people don't get overcooked eggs with 5 minutes.
  • IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
    IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt Posts: 695 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    Question regarding the appliance, does the rubber seal around the lid take on the smells of the food? I have a rice cooker and the rubber seal smells permanently like rice, despite cleaning it and drying it after every use. I'm wondering if the IP does the same (imagining perma-egg or forever chili odors).

    If you cook smelly foods, curries, yes it will smell, but nothing a proper dishwasher clean cannot solve. I throw the lid, pot and the seal from my Duo60 in dishwasher weekly for a deeper clean.

    Thank you for the tip!
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    Question regarding the appliance, does the rubber seal around the lid take on the smells of the food? I have a rice cooker and the rubber seal smells permanently like rice, despite cleaning it and drying it after every use. I'm wondering if the IP does the same (imagining perma-egg or forever chili odors).

    If you cook smelly foods, curries, yes it will smell, but nothing a proper dishwasher clean cannot solve. I throw the lid, pot and the seal from my Duo60 in dishwasher weekly for a deeper clean.

    Thank you for the tip!

    Amazon also has lots of replacement seals for cheap. I bought a second set so I could have a "yogurt/dessert" seal that didn't smell like curry and meat, lol.
  • IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
    IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt Posts: 695 Member
    toxikon wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    Question regarding the appliance, does the rubber seal around the lid take on the smells of the food? I have a rice cooker and the rubber seal smells permanently like rice, despite cleaning it and drying it after every use. I'm wondering if the IP does the same (imagining perma-egg or forever chili odors).

    If you cook smelly foods, curries, yes it will smell, but nothing a proper dishwasher clean cannot solve. I throw the lid, pot and the seal from my Duo60 in dishwasher weekly for a deeper clean.

    Thank you for the tip!

    Amazon also has lots of replacement seals for cheap. I bought a second set so I could have a "yogurt/dessert" seal that didn't smell like curry and meat, lol.

    Good idea, thanks!

  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time

    Semi soft yolk do 3min HP with NR and ice bath.
    Set yolk do 4min HP NR and ice bath.

    Anything over 5min HP and you get green overcooked eggs.

    I do 2 minutes then 15 minutes (or whatever really) NR for hard boiled. I can just leave it and they'll be fine, without having to babysit it for 15 minutes, which is the whole point of using it versus the stove, lol.

    For soft boiled I would try 3 minutes and QR.

    I'm still confused too about how people don't get overcooked eggs with 5 minutes.

    I agree that 5 min of pressure is way too much, I generally do my hard boiled eggs as 3 HP 5 min NR and then drop in in an ice bath. I'll try switching straight to QR this weekend. Thanks everyone for the advice!
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    edited March 2018
    Francl27 wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time

    Semi soft yolk do 3min HP with NR and ice bath.
    Set yolk do 4min HP NR and ice bath.

    Anything over 5min HP and you get green overcooked eggs.

    I do 2 minutes then 15 minutes (or whatever really) NR for hard boiled. I can just leave it and they'll be fine, without having to babysit it for 15 minutes, which is the whole point of using it versus the stove, lol.

    For soft boiled I would try 3 minutes and QR.

    I'm still confused too about how people don't get overcooked eggs with 5 minutes.

    I do 5 minutes HP with QR for my hard-boiled eggs and they're perfect. I've tried 4 minutes HP with QR and the yolks are still a little gummy in the middle, which makes it difficult to mash them for deviled eggs.

    I'm still trying to master the perfect runny yolk, 3 min HP was too much, I think I'll try 2 min next.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    saragd012 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    saragd012 wrote: »
    I love a lot of things in my IP but none so much as PERFECTLY SOFT (pressure cooked?) eggs. I haven't had a proper soft cooked egg since my father passed away since I never boil them the right way (too much or too little every time) The IP is AMAZING for soft boiled eggs!

    I have 2 every single night lol

    Can I ask, what method do you use? I do hard "boiled" in the IP all the time, but I do tend to prefer soft boiled, my attempts of just cutting down the timing of 5-5-5 has not been successful.

    Also, add me to the yogurt camp. I love making yogurt in my IP, we go through a liter a week and do not find it the least bit challenging; it does everything for me overnight. I use the cold-start method though so I don't deal with the boiling or temp measurements, the milk costs a bit more but now it's the only yogurt my SO likes. I figure the money saved on cooking in the IP balances it out :D

    @saragd012 I manually pressure cook them on high for 3 mins then quick release and into a bath of cold water for about 30 sec-1 minute. They come out perfect every time

    Semi soft yolk do 3min HP with NR and ice bath.
    Set yolk do 4min HP NR and ice bath.

    Anything over 5min HP and you get green overcooked eggs.

    I do 2 minutes then 15 minutes (or whatever really) NR for hard boiled. I can just leave it and they'll be fine, without having to babysit it for 15 minutes, which is the whole point of using it versus the stove, lol.

    For soft boiled I would try 3 minutes and QR.

    I'm still confused too about how people don't get overcooked eggs with 5 minutes.

    I agree that 5 min of pressure is way too much, I generally do my hard boiled eggs as 3 HP 5 min NR and then drop in in an ice bath. I'll try switching straight to QR this weekend. Thanks everyone for the advice!

    The first time I did HB eggs the first few suggestions I was given/looked up said 8min then quick release. My eggs were so far overdone that the yellows were gray around the edges and the whites actually took on a brownish tint. Dr Google gives multiple reasons: hard water(iron) deposits working their way in, taking on the color of the shells, or the natural browning that occurrs similarity to meat to caramalize it.

    I now do 2min high pressure and natural release. Perfectly hard boiled.
  • eclecticpixxie
    eclecticpixxie Posts: 56 Member
    Well I made my first roast beef in my IP this weekend. YOWZA! Came out great and in half the time easily! I was even able to make a gravy from drippings (used cornstarch not flour).
  • TheFlyOnTheWall
    TheFlyOnTheWall Posts: 61 Member
    I use mine for steel cut oats - I mix the ingredients at night, set the timer, and it's ready when I get up in the morning.

    I'm intrigued by the inside out egg rolls - sounds yummy! I'm going to give that a go this week!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    Well I made my first roast beef in my IP this weekend. YOWZA! Came out great and in half the time easily! I was even able to make a gravy from drippings (used cornstarch not flour).

    I do all manner of roasts in mine. I am great at usually drying out or undercooking beef roasts and pork roasts but in the instant pot they are tender and fall apart nicely with no screwups from me. Even from frozen if I have forgotten to defrost. The only thing I did not like was one of my whole free range chickens. Tried twice, once from frozen, once thawed, and a 7lb bird cooks easily in under 1.5hrs, but big times it was tasteless. I shredded them and made sauces and added them to soups. I will stick to bbq or oven for chicken.
    I use mine for steel cut oats - I mix the ingredients at night, set the timer, and it's ready when I get up in the morning.

    I'm intrigued by the inside out egg rolls - sounds yummy! I'm going to give that a go this week!

    My son is in love with oatmeal in the instant pot! I will have to set it up the night before, currently we are just saving it for weekends.