I need an Instant Pot - don't I?

[djewkes]

DH bought me one last Christmas and I love it, I use it mostly for pressure cooking... casseroles, curry, bolognese sauce etc, Tuesday I used it for liver, bacon and onions, yesterday I cooked a beef brisket joint and casserole veg and today I’ve made a large pot of pea and ham soup... I find it saves time and having the hob on for ages... I have browned meat and veg in it before cooking too... I find I’m using the pressure cooker instead of the slow cooker... bung everything in set to cook and it cooks then keeps warm till you’re ready...

[justacey]

So the IP was £10 more last week. Then it disappeared off Amazon, now today the 7 in 1 has gone. Maybe it will be back on Cyber Monday?

But I got a free kindle Weight Watchers Instant Pot Cookbook
amazon/dp/B076KZM9VJ/

[justacey]

So, after it being unavailable for months and months, I bought one last week.
I can't say I'm getting on with it very well. Having joined the facebook group and asked the question, my burning pan is due to using packet mixes as they have thickeners in them.
It's not quite a take out of box and use machine. Most meals we've made have been much longer to cook as we have looked up recipes, had a discussion about what to do, made a mistake with turning it on, had another discussion about quick release or not. And on a few occasions having to clean the pan before continuing. I feel I need to have a physics lesson to understand the effects of pressure on different materials

I need to watch more youtube recipes and learn to cook from stratch

[derenstar]

We’ve had ours for couple of years now. It been truly a game changer and we use ours pretty much daily. There is a massive Facebook group with 1.4m members sharing ideas and swapping recipes. You will not regret buying one.

I’m about to do some bbq ribs for tea and the ribs are still in the freezer. Love it, wouldn’t be without it.

[DisneyFamily]

Our Instant Pot is one of the best things I've ever bought for the house.

[derenstar]

Originally Posted by justacey

So, after it being unavailable for months and months, I bought one last week.
I can't say I'm getting on with it very well. Having joined the facebook group and asked the question, my burning pan is due to using packet mixes as they have thickeners in them.
It's not quite a take out of box and use machine. Most meals we've made have been much longer to cook as we have looked up recipes, had a discussion about what to do, made a mistake with turning it on, had another discussion about quick release or not. And on a few occasions having to clean the pan before continuing. I feel I need to have a physics lesson to understand the effects of pressure on different materials

I need to watch more youtube recipes and learn to cook from stratch

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You can still use packet mixes but you do have to be careful as like you’ve said, if the sauce is too thick, it will cause the pan to overheat. The pot needs a bit of liquid to build up enough pressure. If I’m using a packet sauce in a recipe, I either layer it or don’t mix it in until the end. For example, when I make a chilli, I put the packet season in at the end in sauté mode, once the mince and tomato sauce has finished cooking under pressure. If you’re cooking with meat, always do meat first, then liquid then any other ingredients on top. Always works for me. The other method is the pot in pot method which is good for thick curries etc. Another trick is to cook whatever sauce under pressure with enough water to get to pressure then add a corn starch slurry at the end to thicken.

Keep trying and keep watching the YouTube videos, it took me a couple,of months to get the hang of it.