Your Instant Pot Game Is Tired. Here Are 29 Spring Recipes To Try Now. (2024)

FAQs

Should the Instant Pot valve be up or down? ›

The float valve will drop down when the pressure drops & the lid will unlock. At this point the lid will open easily. NEVER FORCE THE LID OFF. UP position instead of dropping down when the pressure is released.

The more full the pot, the longer it will take to come to pressure. So, don't be alarmed if your Instant Pot screen simply says “On” for a while. You'll know that the pot is pressurized when the floating valve in the lid pops up. Shortly after that happens, the count-down for your cooking cycle will begin.

Add at least half a cup of liquid, and don't go over the maximum. One of the things you'll learn about pressure cooking is that you don't need to add as much liquid as you would in regular recipes. But you'll still need to add some because the pressure cooker requires moisture to build that pressure.

Once pressure cooking has completed, the Instant Pot will chime and will begin counting up the minutes (if in Keep Warm mode). Move the steam release valve from Seal to Vent position. A jet of steam will begin coming out from the steam release valve. Be very careful of the hot steam.

It's normal for a small amount of steam to leak from the valve while the pot is heating up, but if it continues to leak steam during the pressure-cooking cycle, you may have a problem. This issue could be a sign that you need to clean out and reposition the valve.

Another tip, taken from an Instant Pot Facebook group, is to open the valve all the way on your Instant Pot lid when slow cooking. This allows some moisture and steam to release and keeps the Instant Pot from overcooking your slow cooker recipes.

"In reality, Instant Pot's owners borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars and spent a significant chunk of that money on R&D, developing new products and employing lots of people in the process." This was a high-risk strategy — one that failed, but it's not necessarily all bad for everyone in Instant Brand's orbit.

Let's say you set the Instant Pot to Pressure mode for 30 minutes. That time doesn't actually start until pressure builds, which often takes about 10 minutes. You'll also want to add about 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to release.

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, you'll need just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure. The Instant Pot manual suggests 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups, depending on the size of the cooker.

What's the first thing I should cook in my Instant Pot? ›

When it comes to breaking your Instant Pot in, it's a good idea to start with some basic foods and simple meals you're already familiar with, then slowly expand your Instant Pot repertoire from there. Try making staples like eggs, sweet potatoes, rice, or lentils using just the pressure cooker function.

The lifespan of your pressure cooker is going to vary based on its brand and usage. If you're using your pressure cooker on a daily basis and investing in regular maintenance, it may last you up to five years. On average, though, most pressure cookers perform well for up to three years.

If a recipe calls for a natural release, you don't have to do anything. It's more of an inaction than action. Once the cook time counts down and the pot beeps indicating time is up, leave it alone. You'll know that the pressure has released once the float valve pops down into the lid, making a clicking sound.

A: If the unit is not in use, the Valve Knob will be loose. It will turn 360-degrees and may even come off if you pull on it. Once the cooker is in use and pressure has built up inside the cooker, and the Valve Knob is set to “Airtight”, the Valve will not be loose anymore.

It will say ON until the pot comes to pressure and then the timer will start counting DOWN. After the time has counted all the way down to zero the pot will beep 10 times. Then the display will start counting UP. On my Instant Pot it has an L in front of the counting up number.