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Because of my years of writing Instant Pot recipes, I get email with questions about how to use Instant Pot cookers. This post is to put them in one place, so I can refer everyone to it.
If you have a question I didn't cover, leave a comment, and I'll do my best to answer.
Use the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" or "Pressure Cook- Custom" button and set the pot for X minutes.
On older Instant Pots, the "Manual" button means pressure cooking. On newer pots, there is an actual "Pressure Cook" button. (Hooray!)
The default for both of those buttons is High Pressure. Press the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button, and check to make sure the pressure level shows as "High" in the display. If it does not, press the Pressure Level button until it shows high. Then, use the plus and minus buttons to change the cooking time to the "at high pressure time". (X in my example). Once the time is set, leave the cooker alone. After ten seconds of no buttons being pushed, the cooker will beep, and it will start cooking. (If you want to change something, press the cancel button to start again.) Then, let the cooker do the work. It will bring itself up to high pressure and start the countdown timer. When the countdown reaches zero, it will beep to let you know it is done.
It depends. Which Instant Pot do you own?
IP-DUO, IP-SMART, IP-DUO Plus: Use the "Pressure" or "Pressure level" button to adjust the pressure level. Push the Manual/Pressure Cook button, then the Pressure/Pressure Level button until the display says "Low", then adjust the cooking time with the plus/minus buttons. Don't forget to change it back when you're done!
IP-LUX: The older IP-LUX model does not do low pressure - it's high pressure or nothing. That said - I never use low pressure. I owned an IP-LUX for years and didn't realize it was missing Low Pressure mode until someone asked about it for this FAQ.
Keep Warm mode does not affect Natural Pressure Release
[Updated 2016-01-18] I used to tell everyone to turn off warming mode to speed up natural pressure release, but...I was wrong. (See here for details of my testing.) Keep Warm mode does not slow down natural pressure release. It does not turn the heat back on until it reaches the warming range of 145°F to 172°F, which is well below the temperature where the pressure will release.
A: It depends on your model:
On the IP-DUO Plus and newer IP-DUO (Models without an "Adjust" button): Keep pressing the Saute button to change the heat level.
On IP-LUX or older IP-DUO (Models with an "Adjust" button): Use the Saute button, then use the Adjust button to change the heat level.
The heat level of Saute mode is controlled by the "Adjust" button. From the Instant Pot website: "3 levels of temperature can be chosen with the "Adjust" key for best results:"
"Normal": ~160°C (320°F) for regular browning,
"More": ~170°C (338°F) for darker browning, and
"Less": ~105°C (221°F) for light browning.
I tend to use "Saute - More" for most things.
For an Instant Pot? It depends. Like Saute mode, the Slow Cook mode has multiple heat levels:
On the IP-DUO Plus, IP-Ultra, and newer IP-DUO (Models without an "Adjust" button): Keep pressing the Slow Cook button to change the heat level.
On the IP-LUX and older IP-DUO (Models with an "Adjust" button): Use the Slow Cook button, then use the Adjust button to change the heat level.
Unfortunately, the heat levels don't line up well with traditional slow cooker settings; Medium Slow Cook mode is what most crock-based slow cookers would call "Low":
More (about 210°F) is about the same as Slow Cooker high
Medium (about 200°F) is Slow Cooker low setting
Low (about 190°F) is Slow Cooker "keep warm".
Finally, use the plus/minus buttons to set the slow cooking time.
Also, the Instant Pot has some limitations as a slow cooker. For more info, see this post: Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker.
I don't know - I never use them. I just use Manual mode for my pressure cooking. I don't know what they're doing in those other modes, so I'd rather use manual mode and control it myself.
I add 20% to the cooking time. The Instant Pot operates at 11.5 psi, so to make up for the difference, I add an extra 20% of time for electric pressure cooking. That means 10 minutes stove top is 12 minutes electric; 20 minutes stove top is 24 minutes electric; 30 minutes stove top is 36 minutes electric. (And so on).
The good thing about most pressure cooking recipes is they are not very precise - a little overcooking won't hurt, and probably helps. If you're cooking something that needs precise temperatures, you shouldn't be cooking in a sealed pressure vessel.
Pressure cookers need headspace to build pressure - don't fill them past ⅔rds full. Pressure cookers are measured by total volume of the pot - how much it can hold if you fill it to the brim. But you can only use ⅔rds of that.
Why can you only use ⅔rds? Because pressure cookers need headspace to come up to pressure. The cooker needs space for the steam to build up, which is what pressurizes the pot. Also, this is a safety feature - if the bubbling ingredients in the pot get into the pressure valve, it can clog, and that's when your pressure cooker can get into trouble with over-pressurizing.
Why don't they measure the pressure cooker as ⅔rds of the pot volume? I don't know, but every pressure cooker I've seen measures their size this way. I know it can be frustrating to find out your brand new 6 quart cooker can only cook 4 quarts of food. I've got the angry comments to prove it. If anything, I think the Instant Pot, and other modern, electric multi-cookers have a better argument for using the total volume - if they can also work as a slow cooker or a normal, electric powered pot, then you actually can use the entire pot.
2-3 cups, according to Instant Pot support About 1 cup, according to Instant Pot's Facebook page.
[Updated 2015-08-06 with answer from Instant Pot's Facebook Page]
1 cup is the minimum liquid amount, unless you're cooking something that will absorb water. From a back and forth on Instant Pot's Facebook page:
The short answer is "about a cup".
The general point is to have enough liquid to reach and maintain pressure. When cooking absorbent foods, think rice, this will require enough for the food to absorb, plus some to bring the pot to pressure. When cooking moisture containing foods, say mushrooms which release moisture when cooked, this can be achieved with less added liquid. So, as is often the case in life, "it depends". The Instant Pot is so well sealed that even a small amount of moisture can be sufficient, depending on the foods being cooked. [2015-08-06: Instant Pot Community Facebook Page]
I would NEVER suggest that you can go as low as ½ a cup of water, like I do all the time...um...I mean...nope, not me, not going to suggest it.
No. The Instant Pot, and all other electric pressure cookers, are not suitable for home canning, according to the USDA and the NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation.) The NCHFP says that they don't believe the processes recommended by the USDA are transferable to electric pressure cookers - you can't trust them to hold high enough temperatures for the length of time needed to ensure safe canning. For more information, see this post on the NCHFP website: Can I Can in a Multi-Cooker?
If it was water: Unplug it, dry it off, let it air dry for 72 hours.
If it was oil: That's not good. It probably needs to be replaced. Call Instant Pot Support.
If it was dry goods: Shake 'em out. (Remove the vent cover on the bottom if necessary to get all the dry stuff out.) The pot is ready to use once everything is out of there.
More details in this article: What do I do if I dump liquid into my Instant Pot without the pot liner?
I read manuals, contact support when I have questions, and I've been using a pressure cooker for a long time. (Yes, I read manuals, all the way through. I can't help myself.) Instant Pot makes this easy; their manuals are online. Go to InstantPot.com/benefits/specifications-and-manuals/, click on the link to your Instant Pot cooker type, then scroll to the bottom and pick the User Manual you want (in English, French, Chinese, or Spanish).
Also, Instant Pot support is good at responding if you have questions. Drop them a line if you have a burning pressure cooker question you need answered.
Which Instant Pot should I buy?
The IP-DUO Plus 6 quart electric pressure cooker.
Why? See my post: Which Pressure Cooker Should I Buy?.
Soup, Stew, Beans, Chili, and...Mac and Cheese?
* Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
* Instant Pot Easy Beef Stew
* Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)
* Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese (In an Instant Pot)
…from there, go to my Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Recipes index and look for recipes that catch your fancy.
I'm sorry to hear that! You should contact Instant Pot Support for help.
Instant pot has a great support department. If you think your cooker is broken or malfunctioning, contact them at the Instant Pot contact page.
Any other questions?
Any other questions? Leave them in the comments section below.
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Cheryl says
I didn't know what was so big deal about this pot till my sister told me about it so i went and bought one WOW thats all we cook out of now the flavor in food is so much better
Joanne says
Actually I have a question. If you have the 8 qt Instant Pot, how do you adjust the recipes
that are written for the 6 qt IP?
Mike Vrobel says
I don't adjust the recipes; they work the same in either cooker.
simon says
Aha so now half a cup of liquid is sufficient which I didn't get from you, had no idea either about the saute temp adjust. Good man! I don't like watery sauces and without knowing all the water content of any food on the planet this is a good guide. Cheers mate!
Dee P says
Hi Mike
New instant pot owner. Newbie question: is the time indicator in minutes or seconds? What does the reading 3:00 mean?
Thanks for all the great info you provide!
Mike Vrobel says
The time indicator is in minutes; 3 minutes would read "3", and 3:00 would be three hours...but I think that means you're in slow cooker mode. In pressure cooker mode, I only see two digits on the front of the Instant Pot, and they're showing minutes. (And they stay in minutes if I go over an hour; for example, an hour and five minutes shows as 65 in pressure cooker mode.)
mandakini nayak says
I do not have a manual mode in my Instant pot IP DUO.
Most recepies use that mode. What can i substitute that with. What is slow cooking? The time doesnot seem to be in secs and mins there.
Mike Vrobel says
Use Pressure Cook mode. Instant Pot used to call Pressure Cook mode "Manual" mode.
Cary Hill says
Mike, you have done it again; what a great job of answering a broad range of basic issues/questions. I just finished your beef curry recipe and although I initially thought there was too much liquid, it turned out great. I did however choose a poor choice of beef cut but the flavor was great. Thanks again for having one of the best blogs out there. Would definitely love to cook with you some time.
Cary
Barb says
If you use the instant pot as a slow cooker, can you take the lid of when you want to, to check your food?
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, you can.
Mary R Colache says
I would like to saute or steam fresh green peppers. I am so new at this. Received the Instant Pot pressure cooker for my birthday but am timid about using it.
EK says
Thanks for your helpful post about all things Instant Pot! I have a rather silly question- when you are using manual mode and set the timer for say, 30 min, can I assume that the timer should start AFTER the pot comes up to pressure? What seems to be happening for me is that the timer starts right away, even before the pot is up to pressure. From the posts I've read, even with hot liquid and non frozen ingredients, it should still take your instant pot a few minutes to come up to pressure?
Mike V says
You're right - when you use manual mode, it should not start counting down until it comes up to pressure. If it's starting right away, I think there is something wrong. Contact Instant Pot Support to get it checked - InstantPot.com/Support. Good luck!
Marie says
I am going to purchase my first pressure cooker, and I am trying to decide if I should purchase the 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot. I normally cook for 4 adults, and will also use it for "batch" cooking of soups, etc. I purchased a 4 quart in the past and sent it right back without using it because it was so small. Thanks for your assistance!
Mike V says
If you want batch cooking for 4 people, go with the 8 quart.
Marie says
Thank you - can't wait to purchase it and start using it.
Herbert Bullard says
What am I doing wrong?
I made a pot of gumbo. Nothing in the recipe required a cook time over 5 minutes. Pot was about 3/4 full. I set the program to manual for 8 minutes. My understanding was that the pot would reach pressure and the timer would start. When the timer reached "0" there was no pressure and the gumbo was simply "cold." I fiddled with it for a while and finally I set it to "saute" to get it hot. I finally did. I switched back to manual and it wouldn't hold the pressure. By switching back and forth between "saute" and "manual" I finally gave up. By that time my gumbo was cooked anyway. Delicious. However, I guess I don't know about this Instant Pot. I have the LUX-60. Someone enlighten me!
Mike V says
Herbert, it sounds like you may have a problem with your Instant Pot Lux. Manual mode should come up to pressure before it starts the countdown timer. Try running manual mode with nothing in the pot other than 2 cups of water, to see if it comes up to pressure. If it is still having issues, contact instant pot support at InstantPot.com/support
Annette says
I own a older model Instant Pot. It doesn't have a "saute" function button. Is there another function button I can use to sauté the meat?
Mike V says
I'm sorry, but I don't think there is. You should get in touch with Instant Pot support to be sure at http://support.instantpot.com
Terry Plowman says
Does high altitude affect the cooking time in the instant pot?
Mike V says
Yes. The rule of thumb is: For every 1000 ft above 2000 ft elevation, increase cooking time by 5%. In other words, at 3000 feet increase by 5%, at 4000 feet increase by 10%, at 5000 feet increase by 15%, and so on.
mindy says
HI! I am having trouble using the crock pot function on the instant pot. I tried a recipe that indicated I should use a slow cooker on high for 2 hours and then 3 hours on low but it was not even remotely cooked. I want to try another recipe for a slow cooker that indicates 2 hours on low - is there an adjustment that I need to make for the instant pot to mimic these recipes? I feel like I must be missing something. Thank you.
Pat says
Does this pressure cooker make noise while cooking like the newer stove top models.
This is my first try and it steamed, the button came up, then silence.
Mike V says
That is how it is supposed to work - steaming until it builds enough pressure to lift the float valve, and then silence during cooking.