What can I do with an Insta-Pot?

Why did you buy it?

You have to read the instructions first on how to use it, so you don't hurt yourself, especially with the escaping steam. I really like my Insta-Pot. You can make stuff like boiled eggs, steamed veggies like cauliflower, eggplant, etc. I like to make chicken curry as well as turkey chili. You can even use it to make yogurt! If you buy some special pots, covers, in addition to what they give you, you can make stuff like a turkey meat loaf in it as well. You have to put some water or liquid in there for the pressure cooker to get to pressure, which takes a few minutes depending on what you're cooking, the the time it's at pressure, then you have to decide whether to do a quick or slow release. I never do a quick release, since then the steam will burst out quite forcefully; I usually wait some minutes so it'll continue cooking while the steam starts to relieve itself and maybe then I'll release the valve so it won't come out full blast. But you have to read up on it. It's a very useful way to cook, especially in summer months, as it won't heat up your kitchen.

I had a 30% off online coupon from CVS, so I decided to use it on something fairly expensive.

I got about $40 knocked off the sticker price.

That sounds scary, R2.

I didn't know it was like a pressure cooker.

Those things terrify me.

It chiefly is a pressure cooker, but you can also use it as a slow cooker as well. Read the instructions on-line if you can. If you don't open it, you can probably sell it. There are a lot of safety precautions (like the lid won't open up if it's under pressure), etc. built into it. You just have to stand back up from the valve when you release pressure. Plus I use potholders and turn the cover away from me as I open the lid as a shield from steam. I find it very useful; there are plenty of videos and things written about using it.

stand back "away" from the steam valve (keep your head and face, etc.) from it, so you don't get burned, that is.

My sister bought one of these because it was all the rage in suburban CT and NJ last year. While this seems more like an all-purpose cooker, my sister uses it mainly for steaming vegetables. It seems foolish to spend that much on this just to use it as a steamer. Surely a steamer would have been a better buy for her.

There are a lot of cookbooks (and videos and recipes on-line) which show you things you can make. I slice up slices of eggplant and put some tomato sauce and cauliflower to make ratatouille. Or just eggplant with tomato sauce and cheese for eggplant parmigiana (with some liquid coming out like tomato soup because you need to have some water in the Insta-pot). Chicken curry with Trader Joe curry sauce, small pototoes (or sweet potatoes), chopped onions, red peppers, and seasoning make very good chicken curry (with liquid like curry chicken soup -- again because you need to add some liquid for the pot to come to pressure).

Amazon Prime Day sometime has deals where you can get an Insta-Pot for like $60 or so, which is very good, since they are usually around $100.

[quote]You can make stuff like boiled eggs,

I prefer this. Takes up way less space than an Instapot

It’s a sex device, OP. You plug it in, put your junk in it, then turn it on.

[quote] You can make stuff like boiled eggs,

Or you could always use one of these...

It turns everything into hot slush.

[quote]steamed veggies like cauliflower, eggplant, etc.

It's way easier to just steam in a microwave and you still maintain nutrients.

It’s also handy to disinfect your sex toys and butt plugs!

A lot. But just a word of warning, if you have cats it will scare the fuck out of them when you release the valve.

Here is what you can make.

I've already got a Crockpot, a rice cooker, a couple plug-in skillets, a waffle maker, and a George Foreman Grill. I do not have a Fry Daddy. Can I replace some/all of these and make fries too? I ran out of wall outlets some time ago.

Is an Insta-Pot anything like an Insta-HO?

You have two choices.

1) Take it back to the store

2) Sell it on ebay

Columbian chicken stew. No joke.

I'm used to making chicken stock from scratch for several hours, but I was blown away by how flavorful this was with only a handful of ingredients. The key difference is you don't add any liquid, which is typically mandatory for pressure cooking. It makes it's own broth.

There is no such thing as an "Insta-Pot." The product is INSTANT POT.

OP, allow me to introduce you to Jeff and his Pressure Luck Cooking channel.

Warning: he loves Better than Bouillon and Boursin. Uses them A LOT in his videos.

Yeah I ignore the pressure cooker and air fryers are nothing but tiny convection ovens.

get fat?

make homemade yogurt - your very own poop yogurt!~

It’s the best thing I have bought because it’s very versatile and replaces many other appliances. It also makes the best Jasmine rice, 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water, and you will never use your rice cooker or cook rice on the stove.

How is that different from a rice cooker, R27?

It looks like it’s a lot quicker R28

Lots of good recipes here.

I’m probably in the minority here, but I love brussels sprouts. I’ve made them following this recipes numerous times.

I have made excellent pulled port, the best chili I've ever made, some awesome from scratch soups, chicken curry/butter chicken, stews, jam in summer, carnitas, even desserts (although I've never tried a dessert). However, there tend to be a lot more recipes that favor cool weather meals for the most part.

I love brussels, r31. I don't get the hate for them, they are just miniature cabbages.

^^pulled pork

Roasted/crispy B. Spouts are awesome. My favorite vegetable.

There are You-Tube videos you can watch on how to use it safely. I bought one last year and made a chicken dish but it came out too watery and the rice was a mess. I hardly use it. It was a waste of money.

Now my Dutch oven and food processor are worth it.

I just caught an episode of Pioneer Woman, and Ree Drummond used her Insta Pot to cook short ribs.

It looked so easy, and she could do everything including browning the meat, inside the pot.

She basically browned the short ribs in the pot, then took them out.

After that, she added mirepoix (celery, carrots, onions) and garlic into the pot and sauteed them with oil. Then she added tomato paste, red wine, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme.

After bringing that to a simmer, she put the short ribs back in the pot, closed the lid and set the timer for 40 minutes.

After releasing the steam, she let that sit for about 5 minutes. Then she took out the short ribs, and they were fully cooked, with a nice sauce in the pot, to spoon over the short ribs.

It was so easy!

I have the Vortex (basically a mini convection oven) and I love it. Makes potatoes close to fries while minimizing the caloric and fat damage and it whips up a moist boneless breast like nothing I have ever seen. Love the thing but yes, it is a mini convection oven.

We use ours constantly. We even bake cakes in it. We use it to cook a whole chicken, or to boil eggs, to make soups, to cook beans, rice, noodles, apples, sauces, cheesecake, you name it, we have done it. About the only things you can't cook in it are things that need a crust, like bread, pie or cookies. We have used ours at least 300 times in the last 3 years. And the pot part itself has held up very well. That thing is indestructible.

I do not find the InstaPot website very user friendly... the navigability is terrible.

I was perusing Youtube for recipes for stuffed cabbage. I already know how to make it, but I was just curious how others do it. One thing I came across was a video where the guy used his Instapot to cook and soften the head of cabbage itself, which I thought was genius. Traditionally you would boil it and it doesn't necessarily cook evenly, Plus it's a pain lifting it out of a pot of hot boiling water.

OP must have been high when he bought it, thinking it was some sort of instant weed maker.

^ If only!

[quote]What can I do with an Insta-Pot?

Return it. So you spent $120 in order to save $40, and received something you neither understand, nor need. This is brilliant economic thought, OP...do you work for the government?

Well, when you put it [italic]that[/italic] way....

Can you steam artichokes in them? I haven't used mine either.

Try it R45, and get back to us.

Just play around with it. Couldn't hurt.

Yes, you can steam artichokes in the Instant Pot, but it takes preparation of them, then 30 minutes of steaming at pressure, then 15 minutes of pressure release. I don't like artichokes enough to try it, so I've never tried it. There are written instructions and videos available if you want to try it.

R45, when in doubt ask YouTube.

I found it for you!

I pressure cook green peanuts in mine.

The 2021 green peanut season has started BTW.

R45 I found another video.

This lady tells you how to do it in under 2 minutes.

I like her explanation better than at R48, because she explains a how to use the Instant Pot controls better than the lady at R48.

Although that lady does give a nice little suggestion of cutting off the leave tips, which I like.

This one is only 36 seconds!

Yet another thing we don't need.

Cooks artichokes in like 8 minutes. I made really good pork shops. I love mine .

R53

[quote] I made really good pork shops. I love mine .

Lizsha!

Southern style boiled peanuts.

[quote]Amazon Prime Day sometime has deals where you can get an Insta-Pot for like $60 or so, which is very good, since they are usually around $100.

Also: Definitely check-out the "New & Used" list for deals on units that have been returned due to cosmetic imperfections. I recently bought an 8-quart pressure cooker -- normally listed at $115.95 -- for $55.00! The only thing "wrong" with it was a very small dent on one side. So minor, it took me a few moments to see it. It's only noticeable from a certain angle.