Instant Pot Basics

chef11aheader

Basic Instructions on using the Instant Pot:

-Plug in the pot (make sure cord is plugged securely into the pot)

-Put the inner liner in the pot (ALWAYS).

-Add your food with enough thin liquid to pressurize the pot.
(about 1 cup in a 6qt; about 2 cups in the 8qt pot)
*To do the “Water Test” just add 3 cups of water*

-Make sure the sealing ring is in the lid & properly seated.

-Put the lid on the pot.

-Make sure the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.
*The steam release is loose by design. It pops off easily for cleaning*
(The Ultra seals automatically-the release button will be Up)

-Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button.
(Manual was renamed Pressure Cook-they’re the same thing)

-Quickly (within 10 seconds after pressing your function button) use the
“+” and “-” buttons to adjust the cook time.
(For the Ultra use the knob for your settings-then press the Start button)
*For the “Water Test” 2-3 minutes is all you need*

-The pot will start heating up & building up pressure. As the pressure builds it will push the float valve up. You’ll see some steam coming out of the float valve hole, especially just before the float valve rises. Once the float valve rises the hole is sealed off. At this point your pot will still say “On” until it reaches full working pressure. This can take several minutes depending on what’s in the pot. Once it reaches full working pressure the counter will start counting down.

-When the time is up do either a Quick Release (QR) or a Natural Pressure Release (NPR).
*Be careful your hands & face aren’t over the steam release-it’s very HOT!*

–For a QR press Cancel & turn the steam release handle to Venting.
(with the Ultra you push the steam release button all the way down)

–For a NPR you do nothing. You leave the steam release handle in the Sealed position & wait for the pressure inside the pot to drop on it’s own.

–For a Timed NPR you leave the steam release in the Sealed position for a certain amount of time (usually 10-15 minutes) then turn it to Venting to release any remaining pressure. *When the Keep Warm function is on the display will count UP showing you how long it’s been since cooking has stopped. On some models there will be an L before the time like this: L0:15; some models don’t have the L before the time & will either have a graph or icon indicating it’s on Keep Warm.

–For a Controlled Quick Release press Cancel then release the steam in short bursts by turning the steam release handle to Venting & then back to Sealing. Once you know food won’t spew out you can leave the handle in the Venting position to finish.

When the pressure is down the float valve drops down & the lid will unlock.
At this point it is safe to remove the lid.
*NEVER FORCE THE LID OFF THE POT! It should turn easily when unlocked*