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How to Use an Instant Pot to Make Your Favorite Meals

October 1, 2021 *

Over the past few years, you might have heard about the cooking appliance sensation that makes meals in an instant — the Instant Pot. And people who have bought one can’t seem to use theirs enough.

The reasons consumers most commonly give for loving their nifty kitchen gadget include the fact that it is safe, easy to clean, and does everything a slow-cooker can do but much faster. That sounds pretty great!

The only catch is that some people find its instructions somewhat complicated to sort through to get beloved recipes just right.

Let’s take a look at how to use an Instant Pot to make your favorite meals to perfection and help you decide whether it is a small appliance you want to add to your kitchen collection.

How to Use an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot offers you a revolutionary way to prepare your favorite foods with less mess and more safety. What’s better than that? Some people might assume that the Instant Pot is a glorified slow cooker. Well, it does slow-cook meals, but it does so much more than that.

Let’s take a look at some clever and creative ways you can get the most out of your Instant Pot, which some refer to as the IP.

1. Slow Cooker

Like many home cooks, you might already own a slow cooker but are curious about the Instant Pot’s slow-cooking capabilities. You aren’t alone. Let’s find out how to tackle this classic slow-cooking strategy with this gadget.

Locate the slow cooker setting on your IP.
Convert key terms: The slow cooker’s “warm” equals “low” on the IP, the slow cooker’s “low” setting equals the IP’s “normal” setting, and the “high” setting on your slow cooker is “high+” on your IP.
Keep in mind that your IP’s high+ setting doesn’t get as hot as your slow cooker’s high setting, so allow for an additional 15 minutes of cooking in your IP for every hour of slow cooking time.
Only add more liquid to the recipe if the recipe calls for it according to slow cooking directions.

2. Spaghetti Maker

You might hear that your IP can serve as a “spaghetti maker” and wonder whether that means you can boil your pasta or slow cook your sauce.

The answer is you can do both, saving tons of time and simmering your sauce to perfection. Yummly recommends adding your ingredients for a simple tomato sauce, pasta noodles of your choice, and water into your Instant Pot. Then, let it cook together without any need for stirring until just before plating for serving.

3. Frozen Meat Cooker

You know the age-old problem that comes up when you forget to take the chicken breasts or ground beef out of the freezer the night before you want to cook it. At that point, you need to come up with the best defrosting and cooking strategy on the spur of the moment. With the Instant Pot, it’s no problem. You can take meat directly from the freezer to cook in your Instant Pot fully, safely, and deliciously.

4. Popcorn Popper

Sure, you can easily pop up a batch of popcorn with your favorite cooking oil and a pot on the stove, but fortunately, the IP can pop every kernel. Gather some coconut oil, your favorite popping corn and seasonings, and the IP’s glass lid to pop your corn to perfection using these steps:

Heat your coconut oil until it starts to sizzle at around two-to-three minutes.
Add the kernels to the pot, then add your seasonings.
Place the lid on the cooker, and let the kernels pop until finished.
Use a kitchen towel to cover the top as you lift the lid to avoid burning yourself.
Remove the popcorn from the IP pan.

5. Apple Saver

If your apples are nearing their must-eat-by date and you don’t have time to bake a pie, your Instant Pot is ready to come to the rescue to create some wholesome applesauce. All you have to do is chop up the apples. Next, toss them, add some water and seasonings into your IP. Then, your IP will create some delicious, chunky applesauce.

Remember to Protect Your Favorite Instant Pot With Upsie

If you love creative cooking, you’ll want to enjoy your Instant Pot for years to come. With an Upsie extended small appliance warranty, you can cook to your palate’s content without worrying about kitchen mishaps or manufacturer defects.

Upsie offers warranties for a range of small appliances, including the Instant Pot. Upsie’s warranties protect your device from damage, including mechanical failure, power failure, and heating and cooling issues. In addition, with Upsie, you can make unlimited claims up to the purchase price of the device.