Click Here To Go Back To The Basics Page
How to use Instant Pot? Have searched for that on google? If you have and ended up here then you are in the right place. Dad loves his gadgets, and one of his favorites is the Instant Pot. In this video and post Dad will walk you through the absolute basics and teach you how to use it. For this we will be assuming you already know what it is and how it works. If you don't, click here to get yourself acquainted with your new favorite kitchen gadget and then come back here learn how to use it.
This Page Contains Affiliate Links. For more Information See My Disclosures here.
What Makes up an Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is made of 3 main parts. You have the main unit, the stainless-steel inner pot and the lid.
The Main Unit: That big thing you need to find space for on the counter.
The main unit is what Dad calls the outside of the unit. This is what the inner pot goes into and where the lid attaches. This is also what houses all of the buttons you press to use it.
The Inner Pot: Where the magic happens.
The next piece is the inner pot. It is a stainless-steel pot that goes inside the main unit. This is where you put all of your food and liquid to cook it. This inner pot is dishwasher safe and pretty easy to clean, if you know the right hacks.
The Lid: What keeps us all sealed and makes pressure cooking possible.
The last main piece is the lid. This attaches to the main unit and seals everything up. The lid has 2 removable parts, the silicone sealing ring and a vent cover. The entire lid and all of its parts can go in the dishwasher also. This silicone sealing ring has some issues, Dad goes over it in his Top 5 Instant Pot Tips & hacks.
Just the Instant Pot Basics:
- Plug the Instant Pot in.
- Put food and a liquid in the inner pot. You need liquid to create the steam and pressure.
- Put on the lid, lock it and set the toggle on sealing.
- Press the button for the feature you want and wait until it beeps that it is done.
- Release the pressure open the Instant Pot & enjoy your food.
Equipment
- Instant Pot - Electric Pressure Cooker
Instructions
- PREP THE UNIT FOR COOKING. Decide what you are cooking and make sure you have your silicone sealing ring (Go to my Instant Pot Tips & Hacks to see why you need more than one ring) securely installed and the vent cover attached. Then you can plug the main unit in.Decide what you are cooking and make sure you have your silicone sealing ring (Go to my Instant Pot Tips & Hacks to see why you need more than one ring) securely installed and the vent cover attached. Then you can plug the main unit in.
- PLACE YOUR INGREDIENTS IN THE INNER POT. You can have the inner pot removed or inserted in the main unit when you do this, it’s up to you. If you are pouring a large amount of liquid and don’t trust yourself not to spill, I would say to have the inner pot removed. You don’t want any liquid or food getting inside the main unit under the instant pot.You can have the inner pot removed or inserted in the main unit when you do this, it’s up to you. If you are pouring a large amount of liquid and don’t trust yourself not to spill, I would say to have the inner pot removed. You don’t want any liquid or food getting inside the main unit under the instant pot.
- ATTACH AND LOCK THE LID ON THE MAIN UNIT. Angle the lid slightly to the left so the notch at the top of the lid lines up with the opening on the instant pot. It really only goes in one way. Once the lid is seated on the main unit you need to lock it. Remember this is pressure cooking, we need it secure. Turn the lid clockwise until it stops, and you hear a “Do, Do, Da, Da” sound. That means the lid is locked and you are ready to cook.Angle the lid slightly to the left so the notch at the top of the lid lines up with the opening on the instant pot. It really only goes in one way. Once the lid is seated on the main unit you need to lock it. Remember this is pressure cooking, we need it secure. Turn the lid clockwise until it stops, and you hear a “Do, Do, Da, Da” sound. That means the lid is locked and you are ready to cook.
- SELECT YOUR FUNCTION AND TIME. All the buttons on the front do different things. I will just go over the one I use for most everything, the manual button. With your lid on and locked press the manual button. It will then flash a number on the screen. That number is how long you want to cook for. You adjust it by pressing the + and – buttons. Once you have your time selected just wait for a minute and the unit will beep to confirm the time and show “On” on the screen.All the buttons on the front do different things. I will just go over the one I use for most everything, the manual button. With your lid on and locked press the manual button. It will then flash a number on the screen. That number is how long you want to cook for. You adjust it by pressing the + and – buttons. Once you have your time selected just wait for a minute and the unit will beep to confirm the time and show “On” on the screen.
- HOW TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE. Wait until the unit beeps again and the screen goes to “L 0”. That means that the pressure-cooking portion is done, and you are ready to decide on how you want to release the pressure. You have the choice of doing a “Fast Release” or a “Natural Release”. A fast release is where you immediately turn the toggle to venting after the pressure cooking is done. Be careful the lid is extremely hot so only touch the toggle and the black handle. A natural release is where you let the unit sit for 15 or 20 minutes to naturally let the pressure release. The type of release will depend on the recipe you are using as it will affect how the dish turns out.Once all the pressure is released you will see the little button on the lid where the stem comes out has dropped. When this happens, the lid will be able to be turned counterclockwise and removed.Wait until the unit beeps again and the screen goes to “L 0”. That means that the pressure-cooking portion is done, and you are ready to decide on how you want to release the pressure. You have the choice of doing a “Fast Release” or a “Natural Release”. A fast release is where you immediately turn the toggle to venting after the pressure cooking is done. Be careful the lid is extremely hot so only touch the toggle and the black handle. A natural release is where you let the unit sit for 15 or 20 minutes to naturally let the pressure release. The type of release will depend on the recipe you are using as it will affect how the dish turns out.
Once all the pressure is released you will see the little button on the lid where the stem comes out has dropped. When this happens, the lid will be able to be turned counterclockwise and removed. - ENJOY THE FOOD! Now go cook something!Now go cook something!
Video
Tried this Tip?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!What to do now?
Now that you know what you are doing here are a few recipes you can give a try.
Dad's Instant Pot Spare Ribs
These sticky Korean inspired spare ribs are done super fast and are pack with flavor.
Dad's Filipino Instant Pot Bulalo
This soup made from beef shanks is basically Filipino Bone Broth. Since it is loaded with vegetables it is sure to fill you up.
Dad's Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage
Dad hacked his Italian Nana's recipe to make this "all day sauce" in a fraction of the time.
