Anyone have an insta-pot? Thoughts?
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canadianlbs wrote: »i have a some-other-brand pressure cooker, not an instant pot. but having given that disclaimer, i do use it a lot; more than i expected i would.
but the really huge revelation for me was stock. i've made stock since idek when, and it's always been perfectly fine in the slow cooker or on the stove. but for some reason i don't understand, the stock that comes out of the pressure cooker isn't just 'fine'. it's incredible.
not even factoring the takes-less-time aspect.
I make stock a lot on the stovetop. Never used a pressure cooker but have a new impulse buy Instant Pot. One of the bones of contention among amateur stock cooks involves temperature. Conventional wisdom is bring to a boil, skim the scum, reduce heat and simmer at about 190°F for x hours. Emphasis is placed on not allowing a prolonged full rolling boil. The reason usually cited is that the final product won't be clear which is really important to high-class chefs with consummés on their mind. Not being a chef, or high class, or interested in stock clarity I've never fretted much about it. "Cloudiness" certainly doesn't detract from the flavor, if anything, quite the opposite.
But logging and monitoring my weight and calorie intake have convinced me there is a more important reason to control the temperature in the stock pot. What is happening at a rolling boil is the fat in the stock gets emulsified in the liquid like oil in mayonnaise. Here is what Shirley O. Corriher says about it in CookWise.Simmer only. It is very important to simmer stocks and not permit them to boil until after all the fat has been removed. If you boil a stock vigorously, the fat will emulsify or combine with the liquid and form a cloudy, fatty stock. Instead, you want the fat to remain separate and float to the top so that you can remove every bit of it. There are many times in cooking when you do want to make stable emulsions and get fat and liquid to stay together. This, however, is not one of those times.
So I have some experience making and using "cloudy" stock and watching my weight increase more than it should, based on the expected caloric content. But I have no experience with pressure cookers in general or an Instant Pot in particular. Is there any way to prevent fat from being emulsified into the stock using an Instant Pot?
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I have an InstantPot I enjoy it, although I don't think it's magical like many of the "cult" members in the IP Facebook group I joined.
Pros: being able to sauté in the same pot you cook in (for roasts that I usually do in the crockpot this is really nice) and being able to cook meats from frozen quite easily - I've done frozen ground beef and frozen chicken breasts.
Cons: The cook times in recipes are a bit misleading because it doesn't usually account for the time to come to pressure and then for the pressure to release, depending what you're cooking that could be another 10-15 minutes on each side, taking this magical "dinner on the table in under 10 minutes!" Pinterest recipe to 30-40 minutes which may not be a time savings.
That may not be a con per se, just a learning curve that I think a lot of new owners don't understand.
Also, I haven't used the slow cook feature but I've heard it's not very good since the heating element is only on the bottom and the stainless steel isn't as good as the ceramic crocks of a crockpot.
I haven't used mine for yogurt or hard boiled eggs but those are two things people rave about. I did get a small springform pan for Christmas and made my first cheesecake in it which we are serving tonight at NYE!
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Yeah, the time thing is a bit of a fake out BUT I will say that once you close it and set it to go, you are completely free to go and do whatever. Never have to check, stir, adjust, watch. I would never use if for something I could make in 10-15 minutes on the stove top, but if I can decide at 5pm that I want stew for dinner and have it on my plate by 6.30, including shopping for the ingredients, that's pretty great imo.5
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »Yeah, the time thing is a bit of a fake out BUT I will say that once you close it and set it to go, you are completely free to go and do whatever. Never have to check, stir, adjust, watch. I would never use if for something I could make in 10-15 minutes on the stove top, but if I can decide at 5pm that I want stew for dinner and have it on my plate by 6.30, including shopping for the ingredients, that's pretty great imo.
Ok my stews take an hour in the pot at least, plus prep, I wouldn't be able to do that in 90 minutes for sure, lol.
But yeah the time thing is extremely irritating. I always add 30 minutes at least. I'm trying pulled pork today and it's supposed to take one hour in the pot so I'm going to count 2.5 hours including prep (which is pretty much cutting the pork and rubbing spices on it). There's always the 'keep warm' setting after that!0 -
I've had an Instant Pot for about a year and I love it for homemade yogurt, compote to go in the yogurt, hard-boiled eggs that peel every single time, and chicken stock (what people called "bone broth" before they decided it was a magical cure-all). I've also made a cheesecake that came out perfect, cooked dried beans in it, and made chili and Italian sausages in tomato sauce.
I haven't tried it for rice since I'm cooking for one (I have a tiny little rice cooker), and I haven't tried it as a slow cooker, but I did successfully adapt my favorite slow-cooker palak paneer recipe for the pressure cooker function.
Some pressure-cooked recipes do turn out with that overcooked taste that slow cookers tend to leave, and what people sometimes call "fork-tender" is just "overcooked." Not every cut of meat is meant for the Instant Pot, but what it does, it does excellently.2 -
I got mine a little over a year ago and fell in love! I bought 3 as gifts for family members for Christmas last year, but I know only one is getting used consistently. The other 2 are a bit intimidated... I use mine daily for my breakfast of soft cooked eggs. I use it all the time for rice, stock, soups, things potatoes, veggies, yogurt and to cook anything quick. Works great for food prep or if I forget to defrost something for dinner.0
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I guess I don’t understand why one needs an instant pot for hard boiled eggs.1
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If they actually peel easily, I'd use it.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »If they actually peel easily, I'd use it.
I don't eat them but people say they peel really easily using something called the 5-5-5 method.1 -
Just got one this year for Christmas and all your comments are making me want to start exploring with it. (I've been a little hesitent so far - just reading manual and recipe scanning) Yum!0
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fitandpainfree wrote: »Just got one this year for Christmas and all your comments are making me want to start exploring with it. (I've been a little hesitent so far - just reading manual and recipe scanning) Yum!
One of the things I am still getting used to (after a couple of years) is not being able to “check” on things in progress. You put everything in the pressure cooker and then wait to see what comes out at the other end. It’s always fine, but I still am wary.
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My Instant Pot is getting a workout today prepping for New Years Day Chili Buffet. First up Salsa Verde White Chicken Chili
Made salsa verde chicken in IP first:
6 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jar salsa verde
Cooked on high pressure 12 min, then NPR, removed chicken and shredded it with forks. Half into freezer for other meals.
White Chicken Chili:
Into the same pot that still had the cooking liquid, add half a can of great northern beans, purée with immersion blender to thicken.
Then add the other half can great northern beans along with another full can (both drained and rinsed)
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup frozen diced onion
1 can of diced green chiles
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro (I used cilantro paste)
Assorted spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper)
Shredded salsa verde chicken
Seal and cook on soup setting, then QR.
This will go in a crockpot for tomorrow.
Next up - ground venison and bean red chili!
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I guess I don’t understand why one needs an instant pot for hard boiled eggs.
I ALWAYS manage to mess mine up on the stovetop and it takes forever for water to come to a boil on my stove. They’re always over cooked. In the pressure cooker, I don’t have to babysit the water or anything. I like them soft boiled, so I set it at high pressure for one minute (takes about 10-12 minutes to hit pressure), then immediately release pressure after it beeps and run them under cold water. They are perfect every time, I never mess them up, and they peel easier than regular boiling.1 -
I guess I don’t understand why one needs an instant pot for hard boiled eggs.
Agreed. Nothing simplier.
I use Jacque Pepin's technique:
1) Prick the fat end of egg w/a push pin
2) Boil large eggs in slow boiling water for 10 mins; med eggs only need 9 mins.
3) When done, mmediately soak the eggs in an ice water bath in sink for at least 15 mins,
4) While cooling, lightly crack the eggs on the side of the sink to allow the sulphur gas to be released, and
5) After they are cooled, store eggs in water in the frig; water keeps the eggs from drying out and makes them eadier to peel.
Just hatd boiled 18 med eggs doing this.
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After reading about this and watching the Instant Pot in action, apparently even at about 240ºF, the water doesn't become agitated like it does in an open pot at 212º and it is the agitation, not the temperature, that causes fat to emulsify....
So I have some experience making and using "cloudy" stock and watching my weight increase more than it should, based on the expected caloric content. But I have no experience with pressure cookers in general or an Instant Pot in particular. Is there any way to prevent fat from being emulsified into the stock using an Instant Pot?
The first experiment was a very meaty 1½ lb. smoked ham hock. After 30 min the meat had shrunk back from the end of the bone but the connective tissue had not yet broken down completely. The water, broth now, was fat laden and completely clear. Letting it go another 30 minutes, then will set the meat aside for tomorrows greens and let the bones and such continue for another hour or two.
From the looks of things so far, the Instant Pot is likely to become my new stock pot.1 -
Okay, I like it now - made Hopping John for New Year's in 20 minutes from dried beans with no soaking. Really 40 minutes counting pressurizing and depressurization but still, it would take much longer on a stove.1
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So I have some experience making and using "cloudy" stock and watching my weight increase more than it should, based on the expected caloric content.
interesting. this hadn't occurred to me, and yes, i can see how higher fat content could explain that richer silkier yada blah thing. i'll have to keep this in mind and experiment - i do know that i always have skimmed fat once i've cooled down a stock, but off the top of my head i can't recall whether i skimmed dramatically less off the pressure-cooked kind.
i guess the other thing i don't know is wehther 'rolling boil' even happens under the kind of pressure involved. may not matter, but something else fo rme to stop speculating about and find out for sure at some point. thanks for the food for thought.
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Thanks very much for the kind remark.canadianlbs wrote: »...
i guess the other thing i don't know is wehther 'rolling boil' even happens under the kind of pressure involved. may not matter, but something else fo rme to stop speculating about and find out for sure at some point. thanks for the food for thought. That was the crux of the question in my first post. Page 11 of the user manual says:
Frankly, that's pretty sciency for my third-grade education but near as I can figure, the boiling point inside the Instant Pot at high pressure is about 250ºF. In my ham hock test last night it was clear that the thermostat is set below that. The max working temperature is 244ºF according to the manual.Pressure Cooking Programs:
Working Pressure:
Low Pressure: 5.8 - 7.2 psi (40-50 kPa); High Pressure: 10.2 - 11,6 psi (70 - 80 kPa)
Pressure Release Pressure Limit: 15.22psi (105kPa)
Working Temperature: 115ºC - 118ºC (239ºF - 244ºF)
You'd know if the liquid was boiling madly because either the pressure relief valve would vent continuously or the cooker would blow up. The only time I saw steam escape from the valve was very briefly in the preheating cycle.1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »If they actually peel easily, I'd use it.
I don't eat them but people say they peel really easily using something called the 5-5-5 method.
5-5-5 would be totally overcooked with mine. I don't get it LOL.I guess I don’t understand why one needs an instant pot for hard boiled eggs.
Agreed. Nothing simplier.
I use Jacque Pepin's technique:
1) Prick the fat end of egg w/a push pin
2) Boil large eggs in slow boiling water for 10 mins; med eggs only need 9 mins.
3) When done, mmediately soak the eggs in an ice water bath in sink for at least 15 mins,
4) While cooling, lightly crack the eggs on the side of the sink to allow the sulphur gas to be released, and
5) After they are cooled, store eggs in water in the frig; water keeps the eggs from drying out and makes them eadier to peel.
Just hatd boiled 18 med eggs doing this.
Simple?
Exactly why I use the instant pot. Put eggs on trivet, pour one cup of water, set it on high for 2 minutes, walk away and come back whenever (I've gone back anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes after the 2 minutes) and they are always perfect. No need to babysit my pan until the water is 'slow bowling' (or figuring out what 'slow boiling water' means anyway), no need to wait for 10 minutes for them to be done and do a ice water bath and all that stuff...
Instant pot is WAY easier. But no I haven't found that they peel easier.
I also heard that there's no need to presoak beans when cooked in a pressure cooker but I'll leave the science to people who know what they are actually talking about.1 -
rheddmobile wrote: »I got one for Christmas - it's an off brand from Costco and I may return it for an instant pot one, since reviews indicate mine breaks easily.
So far I am not impressed. I made steel cut oats in it, and it took forever. Twenty-one minutes to pressurize, eighteen minutes to cook - not even slightly cooked - so I tried it for another cycle - ten minutes to pressurize six to cook - not cooked - tried it for a third cycle, ten and six - cooked but still soupy. Turned it to sauté with no lid and cooked the water off it for about five minutes while stirring to keep it from burning. And that's not including the time spent for the stupid thing to release the pressure. I could have cooked on the stove in half the time.
I would say there's something wrong with yours. I basically bring mine to pressure, natural release for 5 minutes, and they're done!
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illusion2269 wrote: »I've had one for a couple years now. I've made many things with it like others have mentioned. But the thing I make most in it is yogurt. I have the version with a Yogurt program on it, and it works amazing for it.
I've been making homemade yogurt for years and I love how easy and foolproof it is in the Instant Pot!2 -
Just had black eye peas from dry beans... DONE in an hour with no soaking. What the IP does well it does a great job!3
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Great ideas I have to start playing with mine I just got a 8 qt one for Christmas have made room for it. tonight I will practice
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rheddmobile wrote: »I got one for Christmas - it's an off brand from Costco and I may return it for an instant pot one, since reviews indicate mine breaks easily.
So far I am not impressed. I made steel cut oats in it, and it took forever. Twenty-one minutes to pressurize, eighteen minutes to cook - not even slightly cooked - so I tried it for another cycle - ten minutes to pressurize six to cook - not cooked - tried it for a third cycle, ten and six - cooked but still soupy. Turned it to sauté with no lid and cooked the water off it for about five minutes while stirring to keep it from burning. And that's not including the time spent for the stupid thing to release the pressure. I could have cooked on the stove in half the time.
The key for steel cut is cook for 15 mins then let it sit for 10 mins. It continues to cook and absorb the liquid in the 10 mins. And while this may not be quicker than stove top there's no need to babysit the pot. I typically go shower and then oats are ready when I am.0 -
I got one for Christmas! I used it to make the base for my Christmas turkey gravy and it worked incredibly well. 40 minutes and I got a beautiful rich broth. I tried it for hard-boiled eggs yesterday and they came out perfect and they peeled SO well, it was amazing. I'm really looking forward to play with it more.0
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Just had black eye peas from dry beans... DONE in an hour with no soaking. What the IP does well it does a great job!
Agreed. I used it to make a bean dish on New Years Eve, and it was amazing, as expected. Sauteed in there in advance.
I used it for oats this morning and it was fine, but took as long or longer than my rice cooker, and I had to make more (as opposed to making a single serving). It was easier to add other ingredients, though. Right now I think the crock pot might be better for slow cooker things and the rice cooker better for oats and rice, but I'd like to be able to consolidate so am going to see if I can adjust to using the instant cooker for those uses too.0 -
I made pulled pork on Sunday and I guess it's one of those things where slow cooker is better... It wasn't quite shredding properly, so I had to close it and put it on pressure again for another 5 minutes (plus natural release again).. while on the slow cooker I would just have had to lift the lid to check it.
It's good, but yeah, with meat it's hard to know if it's actually cooked.0 -
I made pulled pork on Sunday and I guess it's one of those things where slow cooker is better... It wasn't quite shredding properly, so I had to close it and put it on pressure again for another 5 minutes (plus natural release again).. while on the slow cooker I would just have had to lift the lid to check it.
It's good, but yeah, with meat it's hard to know if it's actually cooked.
I've heard that natural release is basically a requirement for most meats. If you instant release it, it makes the meat quite tough. Pulled pork is on my list of things to try!0 -
After one day's use, the thing has earned a place in my kitchen, but it won't replace anything. I made one-pot beans and greens last night. Now, I like my beans hammered, but I like the greens to still have a little bite. So cooked the cowpeas 40 minutes on high pressure in defatted hock stock, then added my reserved ham hock meat and nearly a pound of fresh turnip greens to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. A few minutes into the cook cycle the displays says, burn. Take off the lid and although there is enough liquid, stuff is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Not burned yet but would have soon. So I thank the thing for the warning, stir it up good, put the big clunky lid back on, and, in fits and starts, manage to finish. Turned out pretty good too. Would have been easier though to use saute or high slow cook instead of pressure after adding the greens.
Ordered a glass lid from Amazon last night. At the time the genuine Instant Pot Lid was $36 so bought a this third party lid for $15.99. This morning I see the Instant Pot Lid is $14.95.
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I made pulled pork on Sunday and I guess it's one of those things where slow cooker is better... It wasn't quite shredding properly, so I had to close it and put it on pressure again for another 5 minutes (plus natural release again).. while on the slow cooker I would just have had to lift the lid to check it.
It's good, but yeah, with meat it's hard to know if it's actually cooked.
I've heard that natural release is basically a requirement for most meats. If you instant release it, it makes the meat quite tough. Pulled pork is on my list of things to try!
Yes it is, but it still wasn't shredding properly, so I put it on for another 5 minutes and then it was fine.
The problem is the recipe called for pieces of 1 lb of meat and I guess one of mine was a bit bigger... but it's not always easy to get exactly the right size of meat for most of those recipes either.0
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