Have you just got an Instant Pot but now it’s home you feel a bit intimidated? Never fear, it’s super easy to use. Let’s do the Instant Pot UK water test together with the help of this video.
…Instant Pot Tips and Tricks
Instant Pot Unboxing Video
Have you just bought an Instant Pot? Have you had an Instant Pot in the box for way too long? Are you thinking of buying an Instant Pot but unsure what to expect? Let’s get it out together so that you can gain a bit more confidence with my Instant Pot Unboxing Video.
In the video I film myself opening the box of the Instant Pot DUO80 8 quart / 8 litre (affiliate link*), the biggest member of the DUO family.
…How to cook FISH in the Instant Pot – Salmon, white fish, any fish
I often pressure cook some fish in the Instant Pot just to have in the fridge for salads. I’ve been meaning to post this for ages so here it is finally: How to cook FISH in the Instant Pot – Salmon, white fish, any fish.
…Instant Pot Whole Butternut Squash – make peeling easier!
Do you hate peeling Butternut Squash? I do! I used to have to prepare myself for it. Clear the area. Breathe deeply. Hope for the best (like no trip to the hospital for stitches….). Then this Instant Pot Whole Butternut Squash is perfect for you (and me!).
What if I told you that pressure cooking whole in your Instant Pot softens it making it super easy to peel?
The skin is so soft after pressure cooking it whole that some people actually decide to not peel it at all.
So, do you want to know how to pressure cook a whole butternut squash to make it super easy to peel? It’s extremely easy!
Ready for the method? Below you’ll find both the recipe and a handy video! I hope it’s handy anyway!
…The Instant Pot UK Beginners’ Guide – The best source to learn to use and make the most of your Instant Pot®
New to Instant Pot®? Not sure where to start? As part of the work I do with Instant Pot UK, I’ve put together a Beginner’s Guide for new users like you. It’s the best source to learn to use and make the most of your Instant Pot®.
The Instant Pot UK Beginners’ Guide is all written, compiled and designed by me so you know it’s a no-nonsense kind of guide.
This Instant Pot UK Beginners’ Guide is the best source to learn to use and make the most of your Instant Pot®
…Where to buy an Instant Pot in the UK, Europe and other 220~240 voltage countries
Have you been waiting for the Instant Pot® to come back in stock? Well, it’s back! You can order it from Amazon right now….
How to reheat frozen homemade food in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot
You know those meals that you portion up for the freezer? Whichever gadget you cook them in (even if it’s on a hob or in the oven), you can reheat them from frozen in a pressure cooker and, of course, in an Instant Pot!
This works particularly well for bolognese, chilli, stews. Not great for fishy dishes, the fish can go a bit rubbery (I tried it with a fish curry and it wasn’t great).
This method of reheating frozen homemade food in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker works great for when you forget to remove things from the freezer, when a week is not going according to plan at all, when the children are hungry or if you work from home and need a quick but healthy lunch.
This is a brilliant tip that I learned from Catherine Phipps herself, the author of The Pressure Cooker Cookbook. She does this in her stove-top pressure cookers so I adapted it to the Instant Pot.
Below you’ll find how to:
- reheat pretty much anything from frozen (except rice and pasta dishes)
- reheat rice and pasta dishes
- combine both methods to do layered reheating
How to reheat frozen homemade food in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot
Method for reheating pretty much everything from frozen (except rice and pasta dishes)
1. Coat the base of the inner pot with cold water (as little as 40 ml).
2. Remove the frozen lump from the freezer bag or container, place it directly in your pressure cooker (already coated in water as above).
3. Lock in the lid. Steam release handle pointing to Sealing. Press Manual. Programme 15 minutes. In a conventional pressure cooker: lock in the lid, bring to high pressure, time 15 minutes.
4. You can do a quick release at the end of this time or, if you are busy (or relaxing with your feet up), let it do a natural release and even let it go to Keep Warm until you’re ready. It might still be in a lump when you open the lid, give it a good stir. Smaller frozen blocks of homemade food can get away with a bit less time usually but I tend to just go with my tried-and-tested 15 minutes. For bigger blocks I let it do a natural release.
Tip from me: In the case of chillies and bolognese I tend to then add a glug of red wine and let it sauté or slow cook (depending on how much time I have) for a while to enhance the flavours.
For reheating rice and pasta dishes
The pot-in-pot (PiP) method works best for reheating rice and pasta dishes from frozen in your Instant Pot.
1. Pour 250 ml of cold water, into the inner pot, put the trivet in place
2. Place the frozen lump in a container (a pot), this can be an enamel pie dish, a stainless steel bowl or even a foil container. You can use Pyrex and ceramic too but I don’t recommend it as you’ll have to increase the time, this is because heat takes longer to get through thick Pyrex and ceramic meaning you’ll have to play with the times.
3. Place the container (pot) on the trivet. Lock the lid in. Steam release handle pointing to Sealing. Press Manual. 15 minutes. You can do quick release or natural release. As you’re using a container for this and the heat needs to get through it, I recommend doing a natural release of a few minutes. Of course, you can also leave it on Keep Warm until you’re ready to it.
Note: If you have the Instant Pot 6 litre then the container you use for pot-in-pot (PiP) container, then your container should have a maximum diameter of 18 cm. If you have the 8 litre then the maximum diameter needs to be 20 cm.
Tip: Rice is best cooled very quickly after cooking and then frozen.
Layered reheating from frozen, i.e. combine both methods described above
1. For example place a lump of curry straight in the inner pot after coating it with water, place a tall trivet in the inner pot, and the second frozen dish in a container on top of the trivet. Lock the lid in. Steam Release Handle pointing to Sealing. Manual, 15 minutes (or a bit longer if your container is quite thick or if you have quite a lot of contents), either natural or quick release. I tend to do natural when layered like this.
Here’s a handy video
I have an awesome taller trivet from Instant Pot that unfortunately isn’t on sale (yet) but I am told the one linked below works well.
You’ll find all my Instant Pot recipes here, the Lamb Tagine featured in the photo above is right here and my Pressure Cooking UK with Feisty Tapas group here. Of course, as Instant Pot UK’s social media girl, you can also find me in the Instant Pot® UK Community.
**This post contains affiliate links, that means that if you buy a product after clicking through them, I may get a kickback to help me maintain Feisty Tapas and its communities. You also get a huge thank you from me and perhaps one day I may even buy you a cup of coffee at one of the Feisty Tapas meetups**
How to get started with your Instant Pot. A guide for beginners
So, you bought an Instant Pot, it’s already at home or on its way and you’re panicking that you’re not going to use it enough or that you won’t know how to use it, that it might be difficult to use…
Fear not! It’s really easy to use and help is at hand at all times. As social media girl for Instant Pot UK that help might often come from me on their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as well as the official Instant Pot® UK Community (an extension of Instant Pot UK’s customer care) but don’t forget that I also run my own Pressure Cooking with Feisty Tapas Facebook group.
Basically you will have no choice but to use it. No kitchen gadget worth the money will sit gathering dust on my watch!
The two models in the UK market (and markets covered from the UK) are the Instant Pot DUO 7 in 1 and the Instant Pot LUX 6 in 1. They work in similar ways. The DUO has a low pressure setting and a yoghurt function. They both can pressure cook, slow cook, steam, cook rice, cook porridge and keep your food warm at the end. The DUO also has a low pressure setting and a handy yoghurt function.
Both are really easy to use. They save time and money and, in my case, they totally save my sanity (I have one of each at home). They work silently for you while you have more time to get on with other stuff. Then they keep your food warm automatically at the end, even if you open the lid and help yourself to some of it, it will stay on Keep Warm for the next person. This is ideal in a household with a 6 year old (the little Tapita is six now!) who eats around 6pm and a commuting husband who doesn’t get home until 8.30-9 most days. I can cook for my daughter, then I eat whenever I am ready (6pm is way too early for me to eat dinner), then food is kept warm for my husband when he gets home.
Now, I know I own a lot of kitchen gadgets and that I now work with Instant Pot but this is me being totally honest: it’s a great kitchen gadget that can make life easier so a great investment. Above all if you are stressed out trying to juggle work and family. If you happen to have a health condition like me and my chronic pain and fibromyalgia, you will appreciate how easy it is to use and how much it can save your sanity on a daily basis (and the fact that it’s so silent it’s a huge bonus if you have a problem with background noise).
There are a ton of recipes for it. Another bonus.
Now, what to do when you first receive it? Here are my tips.
First steps
1. Take it out of the box, admire it, isn’t it shiny? Is that Michel Roux Jr on the sticker? Oh yes it is. Ooooooh.
2. Download The Beginners’ Guide that I’ve written for Instant Pot UK, here.
2. Do the WATER TEST, it’s called Initial Test Run on the instruction manual. If you have an 8 litre Instant Pot DUO, then do the water test with at least 1 litre of water. You’ll find a handy water test video in my Pressure Cooking Facebook group, it’s really easy! All you need is water.
3. Get cooking. Don’t delay. Below are my recipe recommendations, a few types for different tastes. The key for many people is to find a couple of tried and tested recipe recommendations, follow those to get to know their Instant Pot and then get creative. Some other people prefer to always follow recipes. There is no right or wrong way but there are a few things to take into account so keep reading to find out what they are.
4. Keep cooking, you’ll find all my Instant Pot recipes here.
Learning curve
Yes, there is a tiny learning curve as part of the Instant Pot way of cooking. To make things easier I have created a couple of PDF documents for Instant Pot UK which you can print out, save to your mobile or tablet and have handy:
How to adapt/convert conventional pressure cooking recipes to the Instant Pot
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| Click the photo to download the file |
The Golden Rules of the Instant Pot Way of Cooking
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| Click the photo to download the file |
Recipes
I always recommend you start your Instant Pot journey by reading the manual (yes!), doing the water test, reading the above documents and then cooking a couple of tried-and-tested recipes.
Here are a few recipe suggestions to get you started with your Instant Pot, these all work well:
Risotto
Butternut Squash Risotto (Vegan and Gluten Free)
Quinoa
One minute quinoa: from the cookbook that comes with your Instant Pot, try it with stock. It’s very versatile, try turning it into a salad with lime juice, coriander, nuts, avocados, olives…
Meat
Healing Gourmet’s Whole Chicken
Nom Nom Paleo’s Kalua Pig (I’ve made it successfully with boneless pork joints and very lovely it is, 5 pounds is 2.268 kg)
Beef and Broccoli by Pressure Cooking Today
Forking Foodie has a few recipes that are really good, the Normandy Pork Cheeks in Cider get raving reviews, try her Ragu alla bolognese too. Find all her Instant Pot recipes here.
Pasta
Jayson’s Mac and Cheese this one is so easy and delicious
One-Pot Seafood Pasta
All-in-One Sausage and Tomato Pasta
All-in-one bolognese (less washing up and very tasty)
Dessert
Lemon Cheesecake! (don’t worry about the Meyer part, we don’t have them here in the UK, just use normal lemons)
You can find all my Instant Pot recipes here.
CUPS
PS-in American recipes 1 cup of water is 250 ml, which is also the rule of thumb for pressure cooking in your Instant Pot: always 250 ml of liquid (water or stock). The measuring cup that comes with your Instant Pot is designed to cook rice. It’s worth getting a cheap set of measuring cups to follow American recipes.
How to reheat frozen homemade food in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot
You may use your Instant Pot a lot to get organised through batch cooking and, like me, you may tend to forget to take things out of the freezer in time for them to thaw. Here’s a really nifty solution, reheat them from frozen to piping hot in your Instant Pot, it couldn’t be easier. Click here to find out how.
Tips and Tricks
As part of my work with
Instant Pot, I get to chat to a lot of customers and, if you are a
member of my Feisty Tapas Facebook groups you will already know this, I
have two mottos:
– There are no silly questions
– We all learn together
So
I share a lot of tips but I also learn a lot from other Instant Pot owners so please don’t be shy,
always ask questions. As I always say, if you’re wondering it, chances
are other people are too and you will be helping them too by asking.
There
is a lot of help online, from me and my communities, from me through
Instant Pot UK, from other owners. The Instant Pot has a huge and very
supportive community.
Here are a few tips but you also MUST download the pdf files above, really really important to keep those in mind, soon you won’t need them anyway.
Tip: Always scrape the bottom of your Instant Pot with a wooden spoon and some liquid (water/stock/wine) to deglaze it before pressure cooking. You’ll see me remind you of this a lot!
Tip: tomatoey sauces, flour, packet mixes, sauces like Dolmio, can burn the bottom and make your Instant Pot overheat. So avoid flour, packet mixed and Dolmio and with tomatoes, make sure you have plenty of liquid in there with them, some people place the tomatoes on top of the other ingredients and don’t stir before pressure cooking.
Trick: Download the Manual to your computer, phone or tablet so that you always
have it handy (you can do quick searches for what you’re after too!). Download them here
Tip: if you have version 2 of the Instant Pot DUO 7 in 1, do not wait to add the ingredients until the display says HOT when using the Sauté button, as indicated in the manual. Strong safety feature mean it cuts out for a few minutes if it overheats during the Sauté mode, instead just press Sauté and add your ingredients when it starts getting warm just like you would in a frying pan.
If you bought the Instant Pot DUO and your anti-block shield doesn’t look like the one on the Manual, it’s ok, it is there. It’s just that the lid was redesigned. No need to panic
Accessories
It is handy to accessorise your Instant Pot. First of all with a steamer basket or insert, I have a list of the best ones available in the UK right here.
Another handy gadget to have with your Instant Pot, particularly for cheesecakes, is a springform pan. I use this Master Class 18 cm / 7 inch Springform Cake Tin with Loose Base (I also use it for lasagna cooked in the Instant Pot, no need to turn the oven on!).
If you get stuck, give me or Instant Pot UK or the various fan groups a shout. There is always someone to help.
Ready? Let’s get cooking!
***This post contains Amazon affiliate link(s)***
